Page 73 of Finlay

I was going to tell him everything and pray he didn’t hate me for it.

I wasn’t worried about him accepting my true nature. Sure, he’d be shocked, but having Reid in his life would help. Another human who knew supes existed had to be a bonus in situations such as this one.

Hiding it from him simply wasn’t an option anymore. Not after today. I needed Chester to be able to recognise any risks if they presented themselves. To know to contact me if any other strangers came into the shop.

Most of all though, I needed him to knowme. My wolf, my clan, they were as much of a part of me as anything else. More so, in a lot of ways. Without knowing the truth about all of that, Chester couldn’t know the real me.

I knew he wanted that too. The secrets between us were the biggest hurdle in him being able to trust me.

I was ready to remove it. I just had to hope he didn’t push me away as a result.

Chester put a bowl of water on the floor as he had last night. I ignored it again. Drinking from it was a step too far for me. I hadsomedignity.

Fine, I didn’t. If Chester pushed, I’d lap from the fucker like I was dying of thirst, just to make him happy.

Fortunately, he didn’t. He also didn’t seem ready for bed as he had last night. Instead he slumped into a chair. A note of alarm crept through me as I noted the glass of half-drunk whisky on the table.

Chester lifted it and shook his head. “Sorry, Buddy. This one’s for humans only.”

I frowned internally. Even Chester’s voice was sad. What was going on?

Nudging his hand with my head, I waited until he moved it and immediately put my head on his lap.

“Oh, Buddy.” He sighed, stroking my head. “I’m not great company tonight.”

Frustration pricked at me. I hated that I couldn’t ask him why. That I had to wait until he was ready to open up and just hope that he would.

I didn’t know how long we sat there. Long enough for Chester to pour himself another drink and drain it once more.

But eventually, he spoke.

“I really like Finn,” he said in a hushed whisper. “But I liked Matt too, at first. With him, I didn’t even realise he was keeping stuff from me. Finn though? It’s clear he is. Why isn’t that enough for me to walk away from him?”

My stomach churned. This right here was why we needed to talk. I couldn’t put the conversation off any longer.

“I’m just so frightened,” he continued, his hand stroking my fur like he was comforting himself. “I’ve been hurt so badly in the past. The thought of doing it all over again…” He eyed the bottle like he was considering pouring another glass before shaking his head. “I thought I’d be happy being single forever. But I think I forgot that being single means being alone. At least, in my case it does. And that’s not what I want.”

I nuzzled my head against his stomach.I’m here,I tried to tell him.You’re not alone.

Chester chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve got you. But only until your owner realises you’ve been sneaking over here. They might not let you over again.”

Frustration kicked in again at being stuck in this form. I wanted to reassure Chester that that would never happen. That I’d never hurt him. That I understood why he was frightened and was willing to wait as long as necessary if it meant a shot with him.

Most of all, I wanted him to know that if anyone owned me, it was him. My wolf had gladly handed over his lead.

And I was just as willing to hand over my heart.

“Ignore me,” Chester said with a sniff. “I’m talking crap again.”

A small growl slipped free before I could stop it. Those words weren’t Chester’s.

I fucking hated his ex. The sooner I found out who he was, the better.

“Let’s head up to bed,” Chester said, patting my head. “Come on.”

He made it all the way to the doorway before snapping his fingers. “Shit, better take some paracetamol. Two whiskeys aren’t going to affect someone my size, but I know better than to tempt fate with a hangover.”

I sat patiently while he fetched the tablets from the cupboard and filled a glass with water. He chucked them in his mouth and swallowed.

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