Page 71 of Finlay

Chester blew out a breath and shook his head. “Okay. I won’t push. I’ve been there and I get it.”

Reid patted Chester’s arm sympathetically. “Thanks, boss.”

Logan and Calan looked at me as they processed Chester’s words. As they reached the conclusion that had them wearing matching death masks.

I’ve been there.

I nodded slightly, letting them know I was already aware. That I knew, and I fucking hated it.

If Chester ever let his ex’s full name slip, I’d be taking a journey down south. My wolf wouldn’t even need to push me to do it. I’d do so happily, just to see the fucker suffer. To deliver him the same pain he’d caused Chester.

Chester turned to face me. “You’ll look after him?”

I inclined my head. “With my life, m’eudail.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Logan tug Reid towards the door, Calan hot on his heels. Within seconds, I was alone with Chester once more.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” Chester said quietly, ducking his head. “I just want to keep Reid safe.”

“And that’s something I like about ye very much.” I touched his chin until he looked up at me. “It’s admirable that you’re protective of him, Chester.”

“He’s so young.” Chester worried at his lip. “I don’t know everything he went through, but what I do know is already too much.”

“It is. But we aren’t going to let his dad get anywhere near him. Okay?”

Chester nodded.

“I also don’t expect you to trust me,” I said gently. “I can apply exactly what you just said about Reid to you. I don’t know the full extent of what you went through, but it was more than you should’ve been subjected to.” Chester didn’t speak, but his hands were trembling. I took them in my own, stroking the backs of them soothingly. “You don’t know me well enough yet to trust me fully, and that’s fine.”

“You’re right,” Chester said. “I don’t know enough about you. Today has proven that.”

He slipped his hands from mine and my heart cracked in two.

“I’m not saying I’ll never trust you—” Chester deepened the crack by taking a step back. “—but I need to get to know you better before I can get there.”

“I understand.” I did. I truly did. But my wolf didn’t. He was howling inside me, begging to take my mate into my arms and make everything right.

Mate?

Chester wasn’t my mate.

Mate,my wolf snarled in response.Mine. Ours.

I shoved that away to deal with later. Yes, I wanted Chester to be my mate, but we didn’t have fated mates. Until we had a bond in place, he wasn’t anything to us.

Liar.

My wolf needed to shut the fuck up before I did something stupid, like rush Chester before he was ready.

“I want to get to know you better though,” Chester said shyly. “If that’s still something you want.”

As easily as that, the crack in my heart was patched over. “There’s nothing I want more, m’eudail. Tomorrow night?”

Chester pouted before smoothing it away. “Tomorrow is great.”

I chuckled, pulling him against me and kissing his temple. “I’d rather tonight too. But I don’t know how long this situation with Reid will take to sort out.”

“I get it,” Chester said, his arms sliding around my middle. “I’m not needy, I promise.”

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