An Alpha's Choice (Talon Pack #2)(44)

“Caym took more from us than most of us will ever fully know,” Maddox said softly. “But he is gone, and he cannot win everything.”

“I don’t know how we will fix this, but we will,” Hannah vowed. “The new generation might be gaining their powers and taking over, but we started this and we will finish it. I refuse to believe that we have lost. You will have your mate, Finn, no matter what I have to do in order to make it happen.”

“Within reason,” Josh growled. “I will not have you hurt again.”

Most days, Finn forgot that Josh wasn’t a wolf. He was, in fact, an ex-Seal. Sometimes there truly wasn’t a difference between the two when it came to his Alphaness.

“I don’t want you to weaken yourself for me,” Finn added.

Hannah raised her chin. “I won’t be weakening myself. I will be working to find a way for you to get the happiness you so deserve. I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen. Mark, Walker, even the other witches in our Packs. I won’t give up, Finn. I should have known something was off all these years, but I’ve done my best to ignore it for fear of what I would find if I looked too close.”

Finn ran a hand over his face. “I’ve ignored it, as well. I’ve always known my shifts were different, that my wolf was far too quiet and didn’t push me like others. But I thought I could live with that. Fuck, I could live with that. I can’t live without Brynn.”

“The Redwood Pack Heir and the Talon Princess,” Reed muttered. “We sure know how to mate into the Talons with a splash.” His mouth twitched, and Finn shook his head, smiling.

“I love her, guys. I love everything about her. From the way she protects what is hers, to the way she stands by Brie’s side. She doesn’t have a true place within the Talons, and she’s always blamed herself for that, but I think the moon goddess had a different plan for her.”

Hannah’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead. When you become Alpha, she would be the Alpha female of the Redwoods. That’s…that’s interesting.”

“That’s one word for it,” Josh muttered. “We’ve all been through hell, and with the way the world is turning after the Unveiling, I have a feeling we aren’t out of the woods yet. But I’ll stand by my mates’ side and find a way for you to have your Brynn. I won’t deny you the happiness I have now. We’ll figure it out, Finn.”

“We have to,” Reed added. “I will look through the texts and talk to the elders. It’s what I have always done and will continue to do. You are not alone.”

“You can’t hide this from the family, nor the Pack most likely, but we won’t let you struggle on your own,” Maddox voiced. “You’ve sacrificed much for us, and are the public face of our Pack. You are never alone,” he repeated.

Finn leaned on his family for a few more minutes before he abruptly stood, the scent outside surprising the hell out of him.

Hannah gave him a small smile. “It seems your family won’t let you be alone, no matter how much you’d like to hide away from what has happened. Tell them everything, Finn, but first, do what you need to do to find the peace you crave. You will have your Brynn, this I promise you.”

He hugged each of them then walked to the door, taking a deep breath as he opened it. The Jamensons were closer than any other family he knew—though he was coming to find out the Brentwoods were a close second. Over time, he had a feeling the Brentwoods would be as close, if not closer, because of the different kind of past they’d survived.

However close his extended family was, his immediate family was even closer. They knew his pain, though they didn’t know the reasons. And for that, he would love them until he ceased to walk in this world.

His parents, Kade and Melanie, stood on the porch, their hands clasped and their faces filled with the love that had raised him through wars and the Unveiling. All of Finn’s siblings stood behind them, their own faces a mix of curiosity and sheer determination. Gina, Mark, Nick, Drake, Tristan, and Ben were his past, and would be part of his future. He wanted Brynn here. He wanted her here to see this, to see his family and their strength.

“Let’s go for a run,” Kade said softly. “We will run as a family, as a unit. And when you are ready, we will hold you when you fall, and prop you up when you need us to.”

“I don’t know everything that has happened, Finn, but I will stand by you. We will all stand by you,” Melanie whispered, her eyes filling with tears, though the power within showed. She was not weak. His family had long since taught him emotions and tears were not a sign of weakness, but showed the true soul of another and their ability to heal within a family and Pack.

“Thank you,” he whispered then moved toward them. They all enveloped him in a group hug, some only able to put a hand on his arm or back, but they touched him, showing him that he was not alone, despite the fact that his wolf made him feel that way.

He would shift and run with his family. He would take each broken bone, each tearing of a tendon. Because if he did that, he would at least feel that pain, feel that connection to his wolf. He didn’t have what the others had, but he would find a way to live through it.

He had his family, his Pack. And soon, he would have his mate.

Because there was no other way he would survive. Brynn was his future, his faith. And one day soon, he would have that bond. He had the power of hope when it came to the fate of his family.