TO RULE RED RIVER

Part 14 - Band of brothers?

ISLA

"Stay in bed a little longer." I smile as I stretch out my arms above my head, the bed sheets fall low leaving my breasts exposed, but I don't bother to cover myself back up. After all, there is no inch of my skin Finn has not already seen and touched by now. Finn looks over his shoulder from where he's sat on the edge of the bed getting ready, his dark eyes fall to my exposed skin before they slowly fix onto my face as I wiggle my eye brows playfully at him.

"Very fucking tempting." Finn says with a sexy smirk on his lips before his face turns serious. "But I made you promises last night that I have no intentions of breaking. I've got to get started."

Smiling, I sit up and wind my arms around Finn's bare shoulders and plant kisses up and down the back of his neck, enjoying seeing his skin goosepimple up from my touch as a low grumble vibrate in his chest. I continue to run my hands down Finn's hard muscular shoulders; I don't stop when they reach the white scars that litter his back even when I hear Finn sigh deeply.

"They're from a silver tipped whip." Finn says quietly, avoiding my eyes as he looks forward.

I still my movements instantly. Although Finn has never hidden his scars, he's certainly never explained to me where they've come from.

"I got it the night I ran away with my mum...from a pack far away, East from here." Finn says quietly before looking over his shoulder to look into my eyes. "Where we used to live at a pleasure house."

Frowning, I run my hand down his cheek. "And this is what you kept from me? How could you think this would change how I felt about you?"

Finn sighs again. "I detest where I came from, Isla. It's more than being just being ashamed. The things I've seen, the things the owners made me watch even when it was my own mother participating... fuck... that whole part of my life is nothing but a poison and that's just my mother's side of things. Can you even imagine the type of men that go to those fucking places, the type of man my father must be?"

"Your father was a... client?" I say nervously as my heart sinks. How are we ever to track him down with only two months till my eighteenth birthday.

Finn turns once more to look at me, before running his hand down my cheek. His sad eyes answer my question.

"Like I promised you. I'll sort this, I'll find him. For years I fucking feared tracking him down, I was so worried I'd end up being like that piece of shit. He was a fucking predator that took advantage of a weak woman then left her to raise a child alone. As you know, it's common knowledge that male wolves take on their fathers' strengths and qualities. You've seen my temper, Isla, it's not hard to connect the dots to where my darker side comes from. I wanted to give you the chance to find someone who truly deserved you... not some monster who..." Finn tries to explain but I shake my head and make him look at me.

"Do you know why my father has a guard follow me everywhere these days?" I interrupt him as I can see that he's already starting to doubt himself as being a worthy mate to me even now, even after the night we just spent together. "It's because one of my 'worthy' suitors broke into my bedroom when I was sixteen and masturbated all over my bedsheets waiting for me to come back to do god knows what to me." I grit out as Finn eyes blaze gold in rage. "If you're nature is to become a monster, then you're not one of the monsters I'm worried or afraid of. Maybe the moon goddess sent you to me to keep the real danger away." I smile at him as Finn gives me a small smile before leaning his head against mine.

I'm about to ask more questions now Finn is finally opening up about his past to me, when he suddenly sits upright, looks away, before he curses.

"What is it?" I question.