Page 105 of Finlay

Chapter 30

Chester

Finn and I had settled into a nice routine over the past few weeks. We spent most weeknights together and every weekend. Mainly at my place, but occasionally at the clan house. Despite wanting to keep our relationship quiet, Finn was keen for me to get to know his inner circle better.

I wanted that too. Reid hadn’t stopped telling me “I told you so,” but it was true. He’d been right. I’d been skirting around the edges of life while telling myself it was enough.

And it wasn’t. I’d been stable, but not happy. Content, but not fulfilled. Safe, but not satisfied.

With Finn and the others in my life now, I was enjoying all of those things.

I’d stopped trying to pretend that what we had wasn’t a relationship. It was doing a disservice to both of us. I wasn’t sure when it had happened, but slowly it had. Finn and I were together. We were happy. There was no rush for us to become mates. None at all.

With Christmas just around the corner, I’d decided to hang lights on the outside of my house. Before Matt, I usedto go overboard with the decorations, something he’d deemed “tacky.”

Even last Christmas, I hadn’t been able to bring myself to do more than have a simple tree. But things were different now. I was different.

No, that wasn’t right. I was returning to who I used to be. To the man who laughed freely and didn’t give a fuck what others thought about him.

It was all down to Finn. He hadn’t just reminded me how to be happy, he’d given me the confidence that Matt had stolen from me. I’d never be able to thank him enough for that. One thing I knew though, was that I’d never stop trying. Finn had given me so much, and I wanted to do the same for him. Potentially for the next several centuries.

That thought didn’t scare me as much as it once had. Spending time with Finn and the others had helped with that too. Seeing how they interacted, the undeniable bond they had, it had made me realise I wanted that too.

More than that, Ideservedit. I was a good person, and I deserved happiness as much as the next person.

Yeah. A lot had changed for me, and all of it for the better.

All because of Finn.

That was partially why I was halfway up a ladder, cursing wildly at the string lights. I swore they hadn’t been knotted when I packed them away. I should’ve done it indoors, especially given it was colder than the sodding Antarctic out here today. The wind was stinging my cheeks, and I’d only been out here for a few minutes.

I swore as yet another knot appeared. How the fuck did that even happen? Had the lights had a party during the years they’d been in the box? Maybe one at the end had decided to have an affair with the one in the middle beforeleaving them for the bulb two-thirds along. It was the only explanation.

I was so focused on the knotted mass that I didn’t realise anyone had approached. The sound of a throat clearing had me jolting hard. “Fuck!”

The ladder swayed under me and my hand shot out to grab the guttering. It creaked under my weight and my feet kicked wildly as I searched for the rungs. My heart raced as panicked gasps escaped me.Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Before I could do more than let out another startled yelp, the ladder was under my foot. A strong hand grabbed my ankle, guiding it back to the rungs. “Here. I’ve got you.”

Heart in my mouth, I looked down to thank whoever had saved me, but the words died on my lips at the sight of the man at the bottom of the ladder. “You.”

Clyde’s lips twitched. “Is that how you greet someone who’s just saved your life?”

I tried to slow my racing heart as I carefully descended the ladder. I’d learned more about Reid’s former clan since our last meeting, none of it good.

A voice whispered in my ear that I was in just as much danger now as I had been when swinging from the guttering. He might’ve saved me, but I suspected it was only because he had an ulterior motive. One that somehow involved my erstwhile employee.

He was in for a shock if he thought he could get any information from me. I’d protected Reid from him before and would happily go to the mat to do it again.

I stepped off the final rung and retreated a few steps. Like the first time I met him, my whole body seemed to revolt at his mere presence. “I wouldn’t have fallen if you hadn’t startled me.”

Clyde smirked. “You wouldn’t have been startled at allif your wolfie friend had gone up the ladder for you. Doesn’t he realise that humans are alarmingly fragile?”

My palms started to sweat as he took a casual step towards me. “We might be fragile, but that doesn’t mean we’re weak.”

Clyde tilted his head mockingly. “Is that a pointed reference to my son? I can assure you, his weakness is a daily disappointment to me.”

My hands fisted as he took another step. I refused to give up any ground. I’d had enough of twats like Clyde and Matt thinking they could intimidate me. “I thought you wanted to reconcile with Reid because you missed him. Funny how you’ve given up that lie already.”

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