An Alpha's Choice (Talon Pack #2)(23)

Maddox sighed then leaned back in his chair. “You know, when you were younger, I would have thought you were the next Omega.”

Finn sat straighter, startled. “Huh? I’m the Heir. The firstborn. The others had options when it came to what the moon goddess would bless them with, but I always had the same path as my father.”

Maddox raised a brow. “The way you put that makes me think it’s something else we need to talk about.”

Drake mumbled an assent, and Finn wanted to crawl in a hole and hide. Oh sure, he could fight like no other and was one of the most dominant wolves out there, but get him in a room where he was forced to talk about his feelings for long stretches of time and he wanted to hide.

“What did you mean about me being an Omega?” he asked, trying to stay on topic. Or at least on one of the many topics filling the room. His uncle Maddox was like that, poking at different ideas until one latched on and Finn was able to finally share something. It might not be everything, might not be the most important thing, but it was something.

“You were always so intuitive,” Maddox continued, shelving the more difficult topic. Or maybe not so much, considering what they were discussing. “You were too young to remember, but I was the first to babysit you alone while Melanie and Kade took some time for themselves.”

Finn snorted. “I don’t remember exactly, but Mom and Dad mentioned the horror of your experience.”

Drake snickered. “Horror sounds right. Having to deal with Finn’s diapers? No thanks.”

Finn flipped his little brother off. “I wasn’t too young to deal with your diapers, little Omega. Talk about horror.”

Maddox laughed then ran a hand over his jaw. “That was part of it. But I think the horror came from how sticky you were. I have no idea how you got so dirty so quickly, but you freaking loved getting jam hands and wiping them on my shirt…and my face.”

Finn grinned. “I’d apologize, but I think I was freaking adorable.”

Maddox rolled his eyes. “Oh, you were that. We hadn’t adopted Gina or Mark or even Parker and Charlotte into the family yet, so you were the first grandchild. Everyone doted on you and wanted to watch you when Kade took Mel out on that getaway they so desperately needed. I don’t even know why I offered, I think most people were too busy with things that couldn’t be put aside.” He paused, his eyes going dark. “I wasn’t in the best place then. I didn’t have Ellie, and I was fighting with North.” Maddox’s twin. “But I came over to your parents’ home and watched you. You destroyed most of the house since I apparently had forgotten what it was like to watch a baby. Considering I helped raise Cailin, I don’t know why I’d forgotten. She was even more of a terror.”

Finn and Drake laughed, even as they looked over their shoulders. Cailin was far younger than her six brothers and might be a terror, but she would kick their asses if she heard them say it.

“So we hung out, and you got jam and who knows what else all over me. But when I wanted to recede to the darkness, you didn’t let me.” Maddox set his jaw. “You put your hand on my cheek and met my gaze. In that moment, I couldn’t hide from who I was, what I was becoming. If you hadn’t been set on that path you speak of, I would have thought you were destined to work by my side.” He met Finn’s eyes. “The goddess has surprised us before.”

That was an understatement.

Finn let out a shaky breath. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because despite what the moon goddess gave you when you were three, you are not only the Heir. You are a man as well, one who is so intuitive you could have been the Omega or any other power within the Pack. Hell, you could have been a fantastic soldier without a power with the way you can see into others without much thought.”

“It’s true,” Drake said quietly. “I can feel it in the bonds.” His younger brother grimaced. “I try not to look too hard at the bonds because some things are private, and if I dive too deep, I might not ever come out. But when I see yours, I see the strength we need as our leader, but also the compassion it takes to be more.”

Finn cleared his throat, not knowing what to say.

“And sometimes I feel as though the bond isn’t as strong as the others,” Drake said then clamped his mouth shut.

Finn blinked. “What does that mean?”

Maddox met Drake’s eyes and shook his head.

“What? Don’t keep secrets.”

Maddox let out a breath. “When you came back from near death, you told us once your wolf was different.”

Finn froze.

“Sometimes we feel that along the bonds. Or, at least what we think that is. It could be nothing. It could be that Drake and I are working too hard on one bond at a time. It could be that you’re good at hiding what you feel, and that’s fine, too. It could be nothing, Finn.”

He swallowed hard. He’d always known he was broken. Or had once been broken and sealed back together. But what if Hannah had missed something when she’d Healed him? What if she’d forgotten a key piece?

What if the broken pieces shattered under the touch of a woman he didn’t understand—the strength of a soul so vivid that he could taste it on the wind?

“I can’t talk about it,” Finn whispered. “Not right now.” He ran a hand over his face, knowing he was ducking the important things. But he couldn’t put it into words. There was something missing, and he had no idea if it was connected to the intensity that came from being around Brynn, but he didn’t want to voice his thoughts and ruin it all before it had begun. He could just be overreaching, but he didn’t know anymore.