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Chapter 10
Rowan clutched the steering wheel tightly, her lips pressed together in a thin line. The ride back had been silent for the last half hour and it was doing nothing to calm Rowan's nerves.
What would happen to them after this? She was naive to think that Evans would just let this go. He was going to hunt them and everyone they loved down. As long as the High Alpha was in the picture, they would be fugitives from their own people. They would never be able it trust another pack wolf again. She would have to live like her mother and Ramires, forever doubting their safety and away from the emotional comfort that a pack brought.
"What are you thinking about?" Finn asked, interrupting her thoughts. "Are you okay?"
Rowan smiled at him, a warm feeling filling her chest because he detected her distress. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm worried about you though, are you sure you're okay?"
He placed a warm hand on her leg, soothing her and providing further relief from the pain of being separated for so long. All he did was nod. "We need to talk," he said quietly, looking back at the little girl in the backseat who was fast asleep. Rowan scowled, slightly jealous in spite of the fact that the girl was way too young for Finn to even consider romantic involvement. She didn't like the insolent little brat, and the brat didn't like her either.
"We do," Rowan said, directing her eyes back to the road. It would be silly to go through all that and get into a car crash right after the action was done with. She hoped she didn't hurt Gary too badly. He had been her lifeline to reality back in the early days of her imprisonment, and one of the only reasons she had come through with at least some sanity. Evans had always been the hardest on the young children because they had less to lose than adults who had families and lives that could be used auto control them. The children Evans brought in were always separated from their families, and therefore needed a tighter rein. It was barbaric and unnecessary.
The rest of the ride was spent in silence. It wasn't overtly awkward, but there was an undertone of discomfort that made Rowan want to squirm in her seat. She was still worried about the talk she and Finn were long overdue to have; thoughts of the future of their relationship and other thoughts about her past plagued her mind.
She pulled into the garage beneath her apartment and parked, almost hitting the neighboring car in her haste to pull in.
"Come on," she beckoned Finn as she pulled the little brat out of her car and handed the sleeping pup to Finn. She briefly wondered what ability the girl had, but decided it wasn't a top priority at the moment.
As they stood in the elevator, Rowan turned to Finn and gestured towards the kid in Finn's arms, "How did you pick it up anyways?"
"'It' is a girl, and her name is Juliana," Finn looked amused at her ornery tone.
Rowan huffed and turned away, looking at the electronic display on the elevator wall. 5... 6... 7... the elevator climbed too slowly for Rowan's sense of urgency.
"I let her out of her cell and she just attached herself to me," Finn finally explained. "What, are you jealous?"
Rowan shot a glare at her mate, who had that self satisfied smirk on his face again. She hated to admit that she kind of liked it. It was one of the first traits she had noticed. Of course, it was also fun to smack a little humility Ito her mate. "Pedophile," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear.
He growled at her playfully. When Rowan glanced at him, he gave her a terrible puppy dog face. Finn would have looked cute, but in all honesty he looked like he was torturing himself.
"You look stupid," she said bluntly. Finn looked astonished and then insulted.
"If you hadn't dumped Juliana in my arms," he shook his head. Rowan just laughed.
The elevator dinged and opened. They moved towards Rowan's apartment cautiously. She knocked on the door nervously. What if Evans had already infiltrated her apartment in revenge? what if he had just dragged her roommates into her mess?
"Andrei? Kari?" she called.
Kari opened the door. "What's up? why didn't you just open the door? you live here too, you know."
Rowan exhaled in relief. "I was worried you two were getting it on again. Do you know what you're subjecting that poor baby in you tummy to?" Rowan teased.
"You're pregnant?" Finn asked. "Congrats!"
"Finn!" Kari exclaimed. "Where did you come from? Why do you have a kid? is there some reason I need to beat him up, Rowan?"
Finn laughed. "No, Kari," Rowan sighed, "I'm fine. I found him in Evans' prison. The brat is also from there."
"Oh," Kari looked at Finn and Juliana with pity. "Well, come in then!"
Rowan smiled at her friend as she walked by and motioned for Finn to put down the annoying bundle in his arms on the couch. She the pulled him to her room and told Kari and Andrei, "Don't bother us for a while."
"Oooooooo, get it girl!" Andrei stuck out his hip as he leaned against the kitchen counter and batted his eyelashes.
"Ow ow ow!" Kari called, waving her fist in the air.
"You know it!" Finn laughed as he was pulled by his wrist. Rowan smacked him upside the head. "Ouch, woman, I'm not into that!"
"You idiot," Rowan smiled. She shoved him onto her bed and climbed onto his lap. His arms immediately circled her waist as hers wrapped around his shoulders, bringing them closer together.
"I'm an idiot for you," he said, looking over her body straddling his with clear approval.
"Shut up, we need to talk," Rowan smacked him lightly again. Finn sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry for being such an idiot. I'd just gotten used to the idea that I was going to be alone forever, and then you showed up and I just... it was too fast for me to adjust. but I really shouldn't have rejected you right away just because you were related to Evans."
Finn sighed. "I shouldn't have taken it personally. I knew you would be hesitant and I pushed you too far. I'm sorry too."
"We were both pretty immature, weren't we?" Rowan smiled a little.
"Yeah, I'd say so," he chuckled, unconsciously stroking her lower back. She leaned into him, relishing the soothing touch.
"Do you have any questions about, you know, what happened earlier today?" Rowan asked tentatively. This was the moment of truth. She had the feeling she and Finn were on good terms but she needed to be sure.
"Yeah," Finn sighed. "What did you do to that Gary guy? And who exactly is he?"
Rowan averted her eyes. "I can do this thing... I can see the mate bond, but I can also manipulate it. It looks like a red string that I can hold between my fingers."
She showed him the pinching motion she used. "But I can also control the mate bond. I can sever the bond partially or completely, or simply just stretch it to its limit. All of these things are incredibly painful."
She shuddered as memories of Evans making her practice on other werewolves surfaced. Finn stroked her back once more and held her close, providing instant comfort like only a true mate could.
"And Gary?" Finn asked gently.
"He was my only companion in there," Rowan said, choking up. "No one else cared about the other prisoners, it was survival of the fittest in there. He told me what to do and what not to do, and comforted me when I wanted to die.
"But one day he just stopped talking to me. I was so bewildered, I didn't know what I did wrong. I was only fifteen and he was like my older brother at that point," she continued. "It turns out he cut a deal with Evans. He gets released early if he acts as a guard for the next ten years. He did it. He used his powers against everyone, including me. It was like we had never met or talked to each other."
Rowan felt a tear slide down her cheek. Finn held her tight, murmuring comforts in her ear and kissing away her tears.
"It doesn't matter for now. We have to leave anyways," Rowan said, pulling away a bit and playing with his hair.
"Leave?" Finn asked, confused.
"Did you think Evans would just leave us alone? We have to leave if we want to stay together," Rowan cupped her mates confused face.
"No, we don't have to. He won't do anything, I'll go to the Council about this and he'll be punished. We won't have to worry about him then."
"He'll find a way out of it, he always will!" Rowan cried. Didn't Finn understand the urgency here?
"Shh, calm down," Finn held her hands and leave his forehead into hers. "We'll be alright. I promise. He can't control us forever."
Rowan was skeptical, but she had to trust Finn. "Okay," she whispered. "But if I even think something is going to happen, we are out of here, okay?"
"Of course." He smiled at her and her heart skipped a beat. Their eyes connected and Rowan leaned in ever so slightly. Finn's pupils dilated and he leaned forward to kiss his mate. Warm exploded as their lips connected. Rowan moaned slightly, eliciting an approving growl from her mate. Their fingers tangled in each other's hair and stroked torsos. Finn intensified the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth.
Rowan felt his hand venturing further south and arched her back. His touch felt so good...
"Hey, floozy!" a child's voice yelled from the doorway. "Get your dirty paws off my boyfriend!"
Finn burst out laughing and Rowan rolled her eyes.
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How'd you guys like it? finally halfway to a happy ending yes?