Page 74 of Finlay

At first, I didn’t realise anything was wrong.

Everything was silent. Chester didn’t make a sound. But he dropped the glass on the counter.

His whole body tensed. He hammered his chest. Once. Twice.

All my fur stood on end.

There wasno sound.

Chester wasn’t breathing.

He whirled to face me and my heart stopped. His face was purple, eyes watering, fist pounding against his chest again and again.

Panic filled me. What could I do? How could I help him?

I rose onto my hind paws, putting my front ones on his shoulders. I managed to turn him away from me. I banged my head between his shoulder blades as hard as I dared.

Nothing.

Fuck fuck fuck.

There was only one thing I could think to do.

My bones cracked as I shifted. Almost instantly, my human arms appeared.

I wasted no time wrapping them around Chester’s middle. Clasping my hands together. I slammed my fists into his gut.

Once. Twice. Three times.

Something flew out of Chester’s mouth, spinning across the floor. Then, the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.

His lungs desperately sucking in air.

“I’ve got you,” I murmured into his ear as his legs gave way. “I’ve got you, m’eudail.”

Chapter 22

Chester

Strong arms lowered me to the floor. Arms I knew. The voice in my ear was familiar too. “Just keep breathing, Chester. Yer okay. Keep breathing. I’ve got ye.”

I was too shocked to speak. One minute, it had been just me and Buddy, and I was taking some medicine. The next, I was full-on choking and being saved by Finn.

Finn, who I was fairly certain was naked.

He held me close to him on the floor, murmuring calming words in my ear. I used the time to gather my thoughts. To try and wrap my head around how Finn had come to be in my kitchen.

How he’d saved me from dying.

There was no mistaking what had been happening. The tablets had been firmly lodged in my windpipe. Buddy had tried to help, but they’d been firmly stuck. I couldn’t breathe.

If Finn hadn’t acted when he had, this would’ve had a very different outcome.

“Where’s Buddy?” My voice was hoarse, my throat scratchy.

Finn pressed a kiss to my ear. “I am Buddy, Chester.”

Those words were English. In any other context, they would’ve made sense.

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