An Alpha's Choice (Talon Pack #2)(6)

Yet neither of them had done anything about it. He figured it was because she just didn’t like him. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve her ire, but he was only in his thirties while she was over a hundred fifty. Maybe she just didn’t like younger pups who were more dominant than her. That made sense, considering she and her wolf held the strength that most dominants would never attain. Only a few wolves were stronger than her, he figured, and he was one of them. He couldn’t help it; he’d been born this way. Add in the fact that he held the mantle and bonds of being the Heir to a rival Pack since before he’d started kindergarten, and his wolf held more power than most thought he could deal with.

Hell, most days he wasn’t sure he could handle it either.

He’d never made a move on Brynn, and she’d yet to make a move on him either. Despite the fact that both of them clearly wanted each other, he didn’t think they’d ever scratch that itch. She wasn’t his mate. His wolf would have felt the pull, or at least pushed him closer if that had been the case. Instead, his wolf had been oddly silent.

Maybe oddly wasn’t the best word for that. His wolf was usually silent. It took a lot of energy to keep in control, but his wolf didn’t push him daily on things like going for a run or needing to fight a battle. It was more of a subtle burn that ached inside him at all times. He didn’t have the normal pushes like others said they felt.

He figured it was because he wasn’t a normal wolf. Not anymore. Not since the demon Caym had almost killed him as a child. The memory of broken bones and a scream that would never come filled his mind and he held himself unnaturally still, afraid if he were to move, he’d break again. He could still scent the blood of his uncle Josh, who had almost died as well, his throat slit, his eyes wide as he’d reached for Finn.

Finn let out a breath. He didn’t need to think about that day, that pain. In fact, he needed to get his mind off demons and Brynn altogether.

He and Brynn would never get in bed and act out their baser urges because they weren’t mates. And while he could sleep with other wolves, witches, and humans, knowing he would never mate with them, he wasn’t sure he could do that with Brynn. For one thing, it would probably f*ck up the delicate alliance he had with her, not to mention the one between their two Packs.

Plus, he had a feeling that once he had Brynn, he wouldn’t be able to stop at just one taste.

And that would be bad for both of them when they met their real mates.

So Finn would do his best to stay away from her and the temptation that came with being in her presence. He could do that. Maybe.

It would be best for both of them if they could give each other space to get over this attraction of theirs. Fucking just to satisfy an urge, where in the end he’d wind up in pieces wouldn’t solve anything. He couldn’t stand the thought of wanting Brynn as a man, only to find out later that he’d lost a chance at true happiness with his mate because he’d been confused and focusing on impulses he shouldn’t have.

And that right there was why he had to take a step back. He sounded like such an *. He wasn’t usually like this—he was usually the one who joked and tried to alleviate pressure. Instead, he could only think of Brynn and his personal issues, rather than the issues at hand.

For instance, the reason why he was currently in his parents’ home waiting for the rest of his family to show up so they could begin their meeting. Most of the family hadn’t shown up yet, and his parents were upstairs getting dressed after…well, Finn didn’t want to think about that either. He held back a grin. At least he knew Kade and Melanie Jamenson still couldn’t keep their hands off each other after all these years.

Once everyone arrived, they were supposed to discuss the next phase of action with regards to their safety and the full Unveiling. Instead, all he could think about was how much his dick hurt.

Thankfully he wasn’t fully hard right then since Brynn wasn’t in the room, but in a den full of wolves with an acute sense of smell, being turned on at the thought of another wolf was embarrassing. Hell, it had made puberty a f*cking nightmare.

“What is with that face?” his cousin Charlotte asked. She frowned at him as she pulled her long, black, curly hair into a ponytail. She was forever fidgeting with her hair, either covering her face as much as possible or making sure it didn’t touch the back of her neck. He understood her ticks, but he wished there was a way he could help fix the reasoning behind them.

“What do you mean?” he asked, pushing thoughts of his worries for Charlotte and his need for Brynn from his brain.

The Talon wolf wasn’t his mate. End of story.

Charlotte gave him a side-eye and he snorted. “You look conflicted and yet angry at the same time. So what’s up?”

He shook his head. “Just going through things. No worries.”

She stared at him.

“Really. I swear. I know your dad was the Omega, but I don’t need to tell you everything I’m feeling. If it were a huge deal, I’d tell you. Okay?”

She rolled her eyes, letting his wolf relax since he hadn’t hurt her with his careless words. “I worry about you because you’re my family, friend, and roommate. Not because of who my dad is. You know better than that, Finn Jamenson.”

He shrugged, though he knew he had probably been an ass just then, too. Apparently, it was a common theme these days. “Thanks for worrying,” he said, meaning it. He worried about her, too. That’s what made them friends, cousins, and Packmates. “Though at some point, don’t you think we should get our own places?”