Page 37 of Finlay

“I’ve failed him once before,” Evan said. “At a time when he was far more vulnerable than he is now. Why wouldn’t he expect me to do it again?”

There was too much logic there for me to disagree.

“I have to stop him.” Evan was already halfway to the door. “I can’t let him leave. If he stays here, I can keep him safe. I can?—”

My hand encircled his wrist. “No, Evan. If you go back there now, you’ll spook him further. Let me go.”

Evan flinched. “But?—”

“No,” I said firmly. I hated pulling rank, but sometimes these muppets needed it. “That’s an order, Evan. You’re not to go back there or seek out Reid until I say otherwise.”

A storm flashed in Evan’s eyes, and for a split second, I thought he was going to punch me. But as fast as it had appeared, it vanished. “Fine. But not forever, Finn. Especially if Chester is going to be part of our lives now.”

The subject change almost gave me whiplash. “What makes you think that?”

Evan rolled his eyes, a spark of himself returning. “Please. I didn’t just see Reid today; I met Chester too. If you don’t have that man bed, wed, and bred in a year, I’ll eat my hat.”

With that he pulled his wrist from my grip and stalked off. I stood still for a second, stunned, before shouting a final retort. “Technically breeding isn’t an option. That’s not how biology works.”

Logan appeared around the corner, smirking at me as he passed. “Oh, Finn babes, you’re definitely doing it wrong.”

As I approached Thistle Do Nicely, I couldn’t help but feel regret. This wasn’t how I’d intended on seeing Chester in this form again. Not yet, anyway. It was one thing for him to watch my morning swims and for me to visit him as my wolf, but face to face like this?

Definitely not what I’d had in mind.

I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. Especially given Evan’s earlier visit. Although I didn’t know the full details, I suspected it hadn’t had a pleasant ending.

But seeing Reid here was better than showing up at his front door. Sure, I could track him down through the town now I had his scent, but that didn’t feel right. He was likely hating that Evan knew both who he was and where he worked. Taking away the security of his home was a step too far.

Along with the regret, there was a hefty helping of excitement too. I was going to talk to Chester again. Don’t get me wrong, I loved listening to him while shifted, but being near him in this form?

It made me happier than I had any right to be.

That excitement ebbed as I opened the door to the shop to be greeted by a front colder than the arctic.

Chester folded his arms over his chest, glaring at me. “Stop right there, Finn.”

I froze, barely a foot over the threshold. “Um, okay?”

He lifted his chin. His shoulders shook slightly, but there was a steely determination in his eyes that I suspected I could fall in love with. “Are you here to upset my assistant or excuse your friend’s behaviour?Because if so, you can turn your unfairly attractive arse around and march it right out of my shop.”

My lips curled up slowly. “You think my arse is attractive? Thank you.”

Chester blushed, but his stance didn’t waver. “Don’t get all cute on me now, Finn. I’m very protective of Reid, and I won’t have him upset again.”

This man.This man.If I hadn’t already been falling for him, this would’ve done it. “I’m not here to upset Reid or excuse Evan’s behaviour. I just want to make sure he’s okay. Can I talk to him? Please?”

Chester bristled as I took a step towards the counter. “Absolutely not. Tell me what you have to say, and I’ll pass the message on.”

I hesitated. The last thing I wanted to do was push Chester on anything, but what I needed to say couldn’t go through a conduit, especially not one who was unfamiliar with the supe world.

Fortunately, the man in question came to the rescue. “Chester, it’s fine. I told you Finn is safe.”

He had?

Reid blinked up at me and his red rimmed eyes made me wince. “Let’s go outside.”

I nodded, opening the door and giving Reid plenty of room to go past me.