An Alpha's Choice (Talon Pack #2)(5)

Shit. She couldn’t think about that. He’d scent her arousal, and she’d be screwed—not literally in this case.

She focused instead on the jade green of his eyes that seemed to bore into her soul and burrow beneath the layer of ice she usually wore. Yet the damn man couldn’t see what needed to be seen, needed to be felt.

How the hell was that even possible?

“Finn.” Her voice was low, husky. Damn it.

He tilted his head, so like his wolf that she darted her eyes around the coffee shop, trying to see what the humans would do with two wolves in their midst. They might not know for sure if she were one, and they probably didn’t know Finn was one, but from the way he stared at her with such intensity, she was afraid the others might see. He was too dominant, too close to his wolf. He couldn’t hide it like the others, like she could, yet she wasn’t sure he knew that.

Finn frowned at her then sat down across from her. “Why were you sitting like that when I came in? What’s wrong?”

His voice was so low, so deep. She had to control herself and not let a shiver roll down her spine.

You. You’re what’s wrong. You’re killing me with each breath; each word, and you don’t even know it. You took my future, and yet you have no idea that you broke me at the same time. You know nothing, and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it because you can’t see me as weak.

Yet she didn’t say any of that. How could she? He didn’t know why she felt empty inside. He didn’t know why her wolf pressed up against her, begging her for touch, for a chance at something that would never be. Honestly, she had no idea what he knew, what he felt, only that he didn’t feel the same as she did.

If he had, she’d have known.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she bit out. “Other than the fact you’re late.”

Finn’s brows rose, but he didn’t comment on the lie. Since he was such a strong wolf, he’d have been able to taste it on his tongue, but she didn’t have the desire to deal with anything like that right then. All she wanted to do was get this day over with and get home. Once she was behind the wards, behind her own door, she’d shake and break and find a way to keep going. It wasn’t the end of the world, she told herself. She wouldn’t let it be.

“If you say so. And I’m not that late. I hit traffic on the way over here. This place is closer to your d—home than mine.” She snorted at his near-mistake at the use of the word den. They didn’t want to advertise their species at the moment, but he’d caught himself in time.

“You should have left earlier, then,” she snapped quietly. She sucked in a breath, aware her wolf was far too close to the surface. She needed to regain some semblance of control so she could get on with their day. Lashing out at him, or worse, letting her eyes glow gold and wolf-like wouldn’t help matters. “Sorry, the coffee tastes horrible, and, apparently, it’s making me act bitchy.”

“An apology? How unlike you,” he said smoothly. He stood then and held his hand out. “Let’s get shopping, then. Throw out your cup and we’ll find you another place.”

She stood without taking his hand, her chin raised. “I’m not one of your little groupies, Finn. I don’t need your help.” She tossed the cup and took another deep breath, aware others were watching. Of course, from the outside, it looked like a bitter woman fighting with a man, but still, she needed to keep her emotions in check. That would be easier said than done.

Finn let out a sigh. “Let’s go, Brynn. I’ll get you something shiny.”

She just narrowed her eyes but kept a smile on her face. She couldn’t scare the little humans. “Shiny is good,” she said, trying to rein her wolf in.

Finn smiled back, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He knew something was off, but he’d never know the truth.

It wasn’t like she could tell him, after all.

The man at her side, who irritated her to no end, was the one man in all the world fate had decreed to be hers. He was her mate, her other half, her peace.

Yet he didn’t feel the same pull, didn’t acknowledge that she was his other half.

Finn was her mate, yet she wasn’t his.

Fate royally sucked.





Chapter Three


Finn Jamenson did not understand women. Oh, he might have tons of them in his family, and had had his fair share in his bed, but for the life of him, he couldn’t understand them. One minute they were smiling, the next they were snapping at him, ready to tear his throat out for daring to be late.

Okay, so maybe he shouldn’t have been late meeting Brynn at the coffee place before they’d gone shopping earlier, but he’d spent twenty minutes in his car outside trying to calm himself down. And for once, it wasn’t him trying to calm his wolf down. Instead, his wolf did nothing while Finn tried to figure out how the hell he was going to handle this situation. The man wanted the woman inside that building. He wanted to cup her face, taste her lips, and kiss her until both of them were gasping for breath.

He wanted to slam her against the nearest wall and slide his hand down the front of her jeans so he could feel how wet she was. Because damn it, he knew she’d be wet. He could scent her arousal every time she was near him, and it wasn’t like it was one-sided either. His damn cock had zipper marks along the side of it since he was hard all the freaking time around her.