Victoria POV
Death and decay lay behind him, in front....pushing brutally through the rot will be his new reign. Collapsing of the old with the rebuild of the new.
Taking my hand in his, he ushers me away from his storms destruction.
I try to take my hand away from his; I don't need his hand. He doesn't let it go, instead, his grip increases, it's a firm pressure without hurt, just showing me that he is in charge of where we're going.
"Fin let go of my hand." Trying to take it away, but I can't break his hold.
"If I don't lead you, then how will you ever follow me, Victoria?" He keeps his pace up...my wolf stirs uncomfortably inside me. A low rumble from deep within lets him know that she isn't happy with his expectation of me. I limp behind him almost tripping, realizing this he slows his pace down for me.
Entering the kitchen Fin walks us past the females at our table, they divert their eyes from his flesh while I let mine roll over him, admiring the way his lean back muscles bunch and flex with his fluid movement.
Watching him slip his shirt on, still unable to look away. I don't care; I make no excuse for it, skin or fur he's a magnificent beast that draws my eyes.
"I have a question for you Victoria." The way he says it has my attention swinging to his face while he pulls up his pants.
Your wolf...she doesn't like me does she?" There's a sadness in the way he says that sentence.
"No, she doesn't think you're worthy of us." Why lie, to sooth his skin side, the wolf in him knows this, can sense this.
"Does she like Grey?" He won't look at me when he says this. The first of many questions I feel he want's to ask.
His insecurities getting the best of him, this hardened male showing me his great weakness...me
"She tolerated him only; he was not the male she wanted." Truth, only the truth can be had, but it will hurt him.
"Do you think maybe one day she can tolerate me?" My gut clenches for him.
"No, she has come to hate you. The only thing she wants is your throat." I give him her truth.
"What does she think of my wolf?" His back straightens shoulders pulled back as if to take the blow easier if his body is prepared.
"She thinks that your wolf is worthy of her. She thinks, and we're are both in agreement that he is much more than us....he's a King that we quickly can bow down to." The confession he wasn't expecting to hear has his body relaxing slightly from all his oppressive thoughts.
His mouth moves, without the ability to form words out. "Say it Fin."
"Do you still love Grey?"
"Yes I do, but not in the way you think...I love him as a friend, nothing more." I try to look at him in the eyes, but he won't meet mine.
I want to dismiss his fears, calm his anxiety's instead I take a seat on the bed wincing slightly with pain.
"Did you love him as much as he loved you." Now his eyes meet mine; he really wants to watch his own self-destruction.
"Yes, I think I loved him more, he was my savior. He never wanted to change who I was, never wanted to make me into something that I wasn't. He just accepted me." This is hard for his ears. The way he flinches as if the words hurt him.
"Your wolf..." I stop him before he can even ask the question.
"My wolf and Grey have never met, she only tolerated his presence...she only tolerates people Fin, and she dominates all fur....except you and your mother...she can't dominate your wolf, and she has decided that your mother is her own private territory if that makes any sense." His smile almost reaches his eyes at the last part of my words.
"Why do you want to leave?" He kneels between my legs.
"I don't want to stay, I never realized how much you hated me, I knew to an extent but I just never wanted to believe this. I'm not sure I can forgive this."
"So you can't forgive me, but I'm expected to forgive you." His voice turns an octave harsher.
"I didn't know Fin." he looks at me carefully.
"Don't lie to me!" His voice is taking on the edge of annoyance.
"You knew Victoria, you knew all along he wasn't your mate, but you still did that....deep down you knew...you gave him your soul, I never gave them my soul....What's worse?....Your one to my many...it's all the same...you know, and so did I."
What can I say to that, he's right I did know, I knew, and still, I didn't care about what my consequences brought.
"You killed my pup, what's worse Victoria your best friend and brother or my pup...you decide." I start to hang my head the way he's putting everything into perspective.
"We could play you did this I did that, but in the end, it's, all the same, you hurt me, I hurt you." His words to me are his truth.
My sins created our decay...his sins created more of our rot......
He keeps his hands on my hips which have my breathing hitching up slightly, this bonds fierceness rivals the both of us...so strong in its own resolve that it's almost impossible to defend against.
The moon's gift shows us that we could be so much more....if we just try to push past all the ruin we've created maybe we could both be wholesome again...
Cradling my head with his hands on either side of my face in a tender gesture has my skin side swooning. His touch always feels like a wave of energy that courses through me rejuvenating my soul....
Soft lips brush against mine, tasting my skin, his tongue glides across the tender pink flesh. "I want you to mark me." He angles his neck to me, closing his eyes, jaw clenched, holding himself very still. It looks to me as if he's willing himself to stay in that position; he's uncomfortable with his decision. My wolf snarls to me. Tail thumping inside my head with her agitation.
"Why now Fin?" I need to pull myself away from him. Create space so I can think and calm her down.
"I think it's important to keep moving forward Victoria, we can't change the past, ut we can decide our future." This is a place of no return, to do this will only strengthen the bonds influence.
The influence of the Moon pulls me to him, reasoning gone out the window...we would have a bond without love...almost as if we had an arranged mating....
Wrapping my hands into his hair, smelling him again, letting the whispers of seduction influence my choice. I pressing my nose to that delicate spot...where my mark should have been placed those many years ago.
Holding me to him. My wolf is howling in anger, growling and snapping inside me. Pushing against my barriers with her disgust at this situation.
It's painful to have her full wrath directed at me "I can't Fin, I would be betraying her and I can't do that to her." His face is stoic....he doesn't betray any emotion now. Locked up tight within himself I can't get a read on him.
"I'm going to break your wolf Victoria, I"m going to show her who I am. I'm not ready for that yet, but I will be one day and she will break." He actually believes this....no male skin can break this beast...
"Why does every male want to break her? Why does she need to be broken? I can't let you do that Fin." Saying this while sliding myself higher up on the bed, not able to stand his touch that scorches my skin.
He ignores my statement, as if my words mean nothing.
"I need to see my mother." I start to get up but he holds me in my place with his pewter eyes...always it's in his eyes that can bind and tie me...
"Alone..." There is no room for discussion, he's already walking out.
Walking past his mother's room, I take a peek inside, he's kneeling at the head of the bed with her hand in his and that sight melts my heart, the wolf stirs her approval at this...then turns her back.
Walking into the living room both females eyes turn to me again in judgement but this time their alone without their males to provide support.
Limping slightly I make my way over to the small bar in the corner that holds such beautiful poison, pouring myself a full glass of red, tempting to partake in some liquid amber only to think better of it.
I position myself across from them, my every move tracked by eyes of wolves. A coffee table separates us. They look like tiny dolls on an over sized couch. Leaning myself back in the back chair raising my feet, showing them I think they are no threat to me.
Savoring the smell of the red, I take a long slow drink from the edge of the glass, Meela looks as if she can almost taste what I'm drinking.
"Would you like some?" Putting my glass out for her to take.
"She can't have any of that." Sophie stops herself before she says anymore turning to Meela her shoulders hunch forward slightly in a submissive pose. I smile at this show of dominance that Meela has obtained from Sophie.
"Oh yes my apologies." Bringing my glass up to my lips I take another long stomach warming swallow.
"I forgot you stopped looking at the world through the lens of a whiskey bottle." She tries to hold my eyes and I slightly laugh at this show of dominance. Holding her eyes for as long as she can, but always they look away first.
Sophie slightly moves closer to Meela, safety in numbers.
"Victoria...I heard about your desire to obtain more land...." Oh this little wolf is no coward, instead of skirting around and pretending everything is okay she decides to just lay it all on the line....
Raising my glass to her in a toast of her bravery, taking another mouthful of my salvation...it's warmth spreading throughout my body....It's a relaxing feeling that I need right now.
"Yes Meela, I would like to increase my acreage." Leaning into the cushions, my sides ache and it's been a long day.
"What of my brother, you would just kill him?" She already understands he couldn't possibly win against what we could fling his way.
"Meela we would give him a choice, just like the choice Grey him...I have a feeling your brother would take that choice...It would be a good choice, he could sit at our table and keep his life...." I drink down the last of the red. Lifting my glass in the air, "Sophie would you mind pouring me another glass it seems I'm rooted into my seat.
"Meela, if it's not me taking your brothers pack then it will be someone else , he won't be able to hold it much longer...there are already wolves circling...everyone's life would be spared if he makes the right choice."
"He's my brother...know matter what he's my brother..."
"I understand, that's why I would give him a choice...for you Meela I would give him a choice."
Watching Sophie grumble to herself, she gets up taking my glass, filling it and serves me what I have requested. "Thank you Sophie."
Sitting back down watching her rubbing her lower abdomen in a protective way, I look at her in a new light...."Congratulations Sophie" I give her a real smile, actually happy for that female who lost something so precious is again blessed with something so beautiful.
It takes both of them off guard with a smile that graces my lips...I don't give those away to often and even my mouth feels awkward doing it.
"Thank you." Sophie's eyes stray to my mark but she has no words of congratulations to me.
Grey along with Thomas enter the room, Thomas pulling Sophie on his lap, nuzzling his nose into her neck, his eyes close slightly with the comfort her scent gives him. His palm splayed over her belly, as he growls a low rumble out...it's really uncomfortable to witness something so private. He doesn't care, he lets everyone see his desire for his female...that brings another smile to my face.
Grey eases besides Meela and his arm wraps around her shoulder, she lets him without flinching away. Instead she leans into him, taking in his smell, closing her eyes in bliss. It's his other hand that catches my eye as he pats her belly and it's in this moment I understand she is carrying his future.
My throat constricts slightly, not with jealousy but extreme happiness, something that I haven't felt in years...."I am so happy for all of you." He gives me that beautiful smile that I fell in love with, that true smile.
I had his past but she has everything the future has to offer them and I couldn't be happier. His path has evened out, he's on that hill looking over everything, my path still unclear and I'm still stuck at the bottom of the mountain looking up....
His past is barren: it's his future that's heavy with the yield of life.
In walks Fin, this future of mine...