Page 84 of Entombed By Blood
I sit up with a jolt. “You’re saying you only propositioned me because you thought I needed it?”
Finn’s eyes widen behind his glasses, becoming almost as round as the frames. “No! Fuck, that’s not what I meant. I mean, maybe it started that way with Silas and Gid, but not with you. Fuck. I’m rambling.” He takes a deep breath, rights his glasses and sits up, cradling me in his lap when I would have shifted away.
“The bath, the blood, that was my instinct. Omegas are made to please and care for our pack. In return, the betas protect us and the alphas give us leadership and structure. I can’t do much for the others when they’re on alert like this, and it makes me antsy. When you let me wash your hair and feed you, that settled my instinct. When I said I wanted you, it was because you blew my freaking mind.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “And if I’d pressured you, your instinct wouldn’t have pushed you to accept? Even with the thrall bond as well?” Being an omega and my thrall must mean Finn is at the mercy of some pretty persuasive supernatural influences.
Finn shakes his head. “I’m not a total pushover. I can—and do—want to drag your pussy over my face and eat you out without my instinct or the thrall bond pushing me to do it. You might not have noticed, but you’re hot stuff.” He gives me a slow, teasing wink. “It’s there, but it’s not pushing me. I can ignore both if I want to, which I don’t.”
God, that image is hot. For a single, impulsive second, I seriously debate pushing him back down and letting him do it, then I remember that we’re having a serious conversation.
“Evie, sweetheart. I promise to tell you if I’m even the slightest bit uncomfortable with anything that happens between us.”
I nod, biting my lip. “And what about Silas and Gideon?”
I almost understand the former, but Gideon hasn’t shown Finn any of the affection that Silas does. Is the alpha abusing his power?
Finn snort-laughs in shock. “Does it bother you that I’m with them too?”
“No! God, no.” Imagining them together is actually doing strange things to my insides, but I’m not quite ready to admit that to him. “I just wanted to make sure they aren’t—”
Finn’s whole body heaves with laughter. “Oh, sweetheart, you have a lot to learn about me. Lycans are horny bastards by nature, and I may be an omega, but it’s mostlymehunting them down and being a brat until one or both of them finally fucks me to shut me up. Silas more than Gid, since he’s always busy nowadays, but you get the idea…” He trails off, still grinning. “It’s sweet that you want to protect me from the big bad wolves, though. I’ll tell them you said that.” He lowers his voice. “Who knows, maybe one day you’ll join in too…”
His earnest expression soothes the remaining worry that lingers in my mind, and he glances at my fangs, as if in invitation. I get the sense he’s waiting to see if I’ll pick things up where we left off, but my mind is still reeling from all of this new information. I think he realises it too, because he hooks his hands beneath my thighs and lifts me, carrying me back to the bathroom.
“Now, I do believe those heathens haven’t introduced you to a proper self-care routine yet,” he says, his easy smile back in place. “I can fix that.”
Two hours later, we’re snuggling together under a throw on the sofa with blue gunk smeared on our faces and perfectly manicured nails. My two perfect puncture marks are already fading on Finn’s neck, and the terror of our earlier escape seems far away. Neither of us have mentioned it, but we can both feel the thrall bond growing between us.
Unlike with Draven, where the bond grew rapidly in the space of a few seconds, the connection between the omega and me is a subtle thing. It twines itself deeper into my soul with every brush of skin against skin and shared smile. Much like Finn himself, there’s a gentle, unassuming strength to it.
We’ve been watching a movie for hours now, and every few scenes I flick my attention inward, checking on the bond, fascinated by how quickly it’s growing. Finn insists this film is a masterpiece, but he’s paying more attention to my reactions than what’s on the screen. It’s a heartbreaking tale about a confused human who chooses an egotistical vampire over her lycan best friend, and it doesn’t take long for me to get frustrated with the female lead.
“Why the hell did she do that?” I demand, staring at the screen in disgust. “He doesn’t even want to turn her. He’s only with her for her blood!”
Finn snorts, eyeing my fangs with his eyebrows raised pointedly. “Can you really talk about that one?”
“Ugh.” Gideon groans, making the both of us jump. “You’re not watchingthatfilm, are you?”
I didn’t even hear the front door open, but I turn around to find that Draven, Frost, and the alpha are all pulling their boots off in the entryway. I can’t believe I got so comfortable that I wasn’t listening for threats, and part of me feels guilty for forgetting about the fact that Vane and Silas are still missing.
“The writers have to make her choose the vampire at the end, because if they didn’t, Cain’s cronies wouldn’t let them show it,” Frost explains, breaking my train of thought as he follows Gideon into the kitchen. “The whole film is a sneaky lycan protest against vampire superiority.”
“You know, we could just enjoy the movie and not think about the stupid political undertones,” Finn grouches, shifting behind me until I’m forced to lean forward and let him get up. “Personally, I think it’s stupid that she has to choose in the first place.” He sighs, running a hand over his jaw before glancing at the screen again. “It’s nearly over now, anyway, and our face masks should’ve come off ten minutes ago.”
He holds out a hand to help me up just as the credits start rolling.
I’ve just taken it when Frost bolts upright like he’s been stung.
“Silas is outside,” he says, heading for the door. “And there’s blood.”
“Draven, Finley, stay here,” Gideon orders as he races after Frost. “We can’t leave Evelyn unguarded.”
The door slams behind them, making me jump, and Finn’s hand tightens on mine in response.
He hesitates for a second and then uses his grip to pull me the rest of the way off the sofa.
“Come on, sweetheart. We can keep an eye on them from my cave of wonders. Plus, we reallydoneed to take these masks off.”
