Page 68 of Finlay

“It means we will do what’s needed to protect Reid,” Evan said darkly from his position against the wall. “I might’ve failed once before, but I can guarantee ye that I won’t make the same mistake again.”

Chester rubbed a hand over his head. Fuck, this had to be so hard for him. He found it difficult to trust those he was familiar with, like Reid. Here I was, asking him to trust people he’d never met before.

I gripped the back of his neck, bringing my lips close to his ear. “It’s okay,m’eudail. They’re safe.”

His lips thinned, but he sighed and began to talk. He quickly outlined what had happened, mentioning the card the shifter had left.

“Can I see it?” Evan asked, pushing away from the wall.

I held it out to him. Just like me, he sniffed it. Fury flared in his eyes, followed quickly by grim satisfaction. I raised a brow and he nodded.

He knew exactly who the fucker was.

“Did the man say anything else?” Logan said. “After he gave you the card?”

“No…” Chester said, before his brow furrowed. “Wait, yes. Right before he left, he said he had a message for my friends.”

All four of us stilled. My wolf waited on his haunches.

“Not sure who he meant,” Chester continued, oblivious to the effect his words were having on the rest of us. “I don’t have many friends.”

“Except me,” I said through gritted teeth. Logan shot me a pitying look as he realised what I already had. I might not have scented the other shifter immediately, but he’d scented me. Or worse, he’d seen me coming and going to this shop.

If that were the case…if he’d been watching me and I’d had no idea…

My wolf howled, shoving against my skin as he once more tried to force the shift.

I gripped the edge of the counter to ground myself as a few of my bones snapped and then healed almost instantly.

Not here,I begged my wolf.We’ll scare Chester.

My wolf was past listening.Chase. Hunt. Punish. Kill.

More cracking. Chester looked around with a frown. “There’s that sound again. Can you all hear that?”

Calan and Evan subtly edged closer while Logan drew Chester’s attention with a sunny smile. “Ah, that’ll be yer pipes. Now the weather’s getting colder, they’ll be icing up.”

Chester was still frowning. “It’s not that cold.”

I gritted my teeth as my whole body vibrated. Calan was beside me now, moving with stealthy grace. He silently wrapped his fingers around my wrist.

And squeezed.

Hard.

The bones in my wrist broke unnaturally, so much more painful than the shift. My wolf howled in my mind. I focused on the pain, letting it ground me. My wolf was torn. Normally we’d shift to fight our attacker, but Calan was family. Blood. He didn’t know what to do.

I used that brief moment of confusion to wrestle back control. I slammed my wolf to the floor of my subconscious and forced him to submit.

Calan held on a beat longer, waiting for my nod. Once I’d given it, he retreated silently, but he didn’t go far, ready to intervene again if needed.

I didn’t judge him for it. No, I was grateful. It wasn’t often that one of us had to step in to calm another. Some clans would never do it, especially not if it was their leader who was dancing along the edge of control.

But this was us. Our trust and loyalty ran deeper than any other connections. The only thing that could ever compete with it was a mating bond.

My wrist was already healing itself, the pain fading into nothing. Inhaling deeply, I tuned back in to the conversation Chester and Logan were having. From the thunder on the latter’s face, he knew exactly what had been said.

“Okay let’s just make sure I’ve not missed anything,” Logan said loudly. My earlier ire at him faded. He knew I’d been too far gone to hear, so he was making sure it was repeated now. “He said to remind your friends that we havea treaty, and that he’s not broken it because he wasn’t violent. Is that right?”

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