Page 53 of Pack Rage
Chapter 25
Yours All Along
FLOR
We traveled down one dimly lit hallway after another, until finally, Finnick stopped in front of a door. He pressed his hand to the locking mechanism, but nothing happened.
“Show our mate what you can do, brother,” Grigor encouraged.
“I can’t do much,” he argued.
“Show off for her,” Grigor whispered, with a wink to me. “She’ll be impressed.”
To my surprise, Finnick ducked his head, then pressed his hand back to the keypad. Small electrical sparks flew out of his hand, and the door clicked open.
“Magic? I am impressed,” I admitted as I moved beside him, letting my fingers trail across his chest, loving the way he shivered just the smallest bit. Even though I hated the uniform he had on, he looked like a model from a fashion magazine, lean muscles filling out the jacket, and above the open collar, all high cheekbones, flaming auburn hair, and bright green eyes. Hefilled out the fabric of the trousers, too, I noted, and bit my lip at the substantial bulge that my simple touch had created.
He blushed, but when he ran one hand over my shoulder and tucked a lock of hair behind one ear, it was my turn to turn red. I had to clench my teeth to keep from whimpering, moaning, or something equally dumb at the way his hand lit up every nerve. He could feel my reaction in our bond, and his shoulders straightened as the air filled with the slightest hint of warm cinnamon and jasmine.
Inside the room, a combination of less pleasant scents met my nose. Electrical burning, spilled whiskey, and strangely, peanut butter. The lights were dim, and the room more well-furnished than I would have expected in a prison. One wall was lined with shelves that held a mini-fridge, a microwave, and a basket of snacks. Close by was a small table and chair with a reading lamp and a tablet, and in the center of the wall to the left was a bed.
“Someone slept here?”
Finnick shook his head. “This is one of two rooms the tech crew that worked down here was assigned for breaks. No one’s ever actually used the bed that I know of.”
I sat on the edge of it, bouncing a little. It was small, twin-size, but the mattress was firm, and the only scent was laundry detergent. “Tech crew?”
Grigor answered for him, as Finnick stepped into a small room—an adjoining shower and toilet. I heard water running. “I’m afraid they’re still at their posts, locked into their little office.”
My gaze flew to the camera in the corner of the room. I didn’t think it was working, but who knew? “Are they in there spying on us?”
“From the afterworld, perhaps,” Grigor muttered, as Finnick rejoined us. When Finnick frowned at him, he shrugged. “I toldyou before, I needed fuel. I didn’t even torture them.” He turned to me. “Don’t worry, my queen. They were not innocents. They were bad men. I checked.”
He checked?I wondered how, as I fought to keep from smiling. Grigor’s bloodthirstiness didn’t bother me one bit, but it would probably be a mistake to joke about it. I took a turn in the bathroom next, cleaning up as best I could, and taking off everything but my too-large, borrowed shirt before returning to the bed.
“So, are we resting then?” I unbuttoned the collar and lay on top of the soft gray blanket, the loose shirt covering to the middle of my thighs.
“Rest. Ah, yeah. I guess you’re tired,” Finnick choked out, though Grigor was shooting him an odd look. He kept glaring at Finnick, then cutting his eyes to me, even tilting his head, likego on.It was funnier than it should be.
“I should be tired,” I said, stretching. My boobs were still small, but they had a little more curve to them now, and they showed through the shirt—the nipples, especially—as I stretched. Two sets of eyes landed on them, hungry, then fell to the bottom hem that was now resting at the very tops of my thighs. The air in the room grew charged with desire. “I’ll just get comfortable.” I lay back on the bed, hoping I looked sexy, but more than a little insecure. I may have bitten a handful of mates, but I wasn’t some sort of practiced seductress.
But honestly, these two were meant to have some skills. Instead of joining me, Grigor pretended to examine the snacks, holding up a package of peanut butter crackers like it was a lost treasure of the ancients. Finnick was looking anywhere but at me.
“I didn’t know getting laid was supposed to be this difficult,” I grumbled, yanking the edge of the blanket up over my face.
Grigor’s whisper carried even through the covers. “All right, pup, get over there before she really does fall asleep.”
“I can’t.” Finnick’s reply was agonized. “Not down here.”
My breath caught as I realized what he meant, and when the blanket was pulled away a moment later, my eyes were stinging. Damn, I was thoughtless. This was where he’d been tortured as a child. Maybe not this room, but this place. “Finn, I’m sorry.”
“No, Flor,” he said, shame etching his features. “I’m the one. I… I lost so much of my innocence down here. I don’t deserve you—no, don’t argue. It’s not your forgiveness I need. It’s my own, and my wolf’s. We know we haven’t earned the right to be with you. But even if we had… I couldn’t bear for our first time together to be here.”
“But we will have a first time,” I said carefully. My own wolf was pacing. This was the mate who’d tried to turn us away before. The one who’d hurt my wolf, in a way I hadn’t realized until now, when she was so close, just under my skin. Agitated, and ready to burst forth. “You’re not rejecting me.”
“Never,” he swore, gathering me into his arms. His mouth landed on mine, kissing me thoroughly, the embrace deceptively gentle. His lips were soft and almost reverent, but his arms were bands of iron around me. He was not letting me go. I fell into the sensations of his mouth on mine, his tongue exploring me. I nipped at the top of his tongue, where my first mating claim lay, and shuddered when his wolf answered my teasing with a low growl.He pulled back a few inches, and his eyes shone with bright fire, blue sparks swimming in the depths. “I’ll never let you go, mate. I have so much to show you. So much to give you. But first, I have to earn back my place at your side.”
He pulled me close again, devouring me with his lips, his hands moving on my back and shoulders, leaving trails of sensual fire everywhere he touched. I pressed my thighs together, trying to ease the building ache there. At last, just asI was wondering if I might come just from his kisses, he broke away.
