An Alpha's Choice (Talon Pack #2)(7)

Charlotte blinked at him. They’d only been living together for the past year. Before that, he’d lived with his other cousin, Brie. There was enough space that he could have lived alone like some of his brothers and most of his cousins, but he liked the company. He had a dozen male cousins and siblings he could have lived with, but Brie and Charlotte were the ones that could deal with him and his wolf the best. They didn’t crowd him or challenge his wolf. In fact, Brie had been so submissive, she’d helped settle his wolf in a way he missed. He’d been able to help her wolf out too since that’s the way their wolves worked. Charlotte wasn’t submissive, but she had a caring way about her that soothed, as well. The darkness within her matched his own, albeit on a different and hidden level.

“I like staying with you,” she said softly. “I don’t like being alone. And while I love Mom and Dad, I’m a little too old to keep living with them.”

Finn reached out and played with her ankle, knowing she needed touch but space, as well. She’d been through hell growing up before Maddox and Ellie had found her chained to a wall and had taken her in as their own. The fact she was actually Ellie’s sister and not her daughter wasn’t something they discussed. Their twisted family tree made for a confusing bedtime story. Charlotte was family and that was that.

“I like having you around, too,” he said softly.

“I love the two of you so much.”

Turning at the sound of Brie’s voice, Finn was on his feet in a flash and had her in his arms just as quickly. She wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed into him. “Missed you, Brie,” he growled softly, inhaling her scent. She calmed him with just her presence. She was family, even if she didn’t live in their den anymore. “Love you, too,” he whispered. “Since you’ve married that oaf over in the Talons, I hardly ever see you anymore.”

Charlotte laughed behind him and tugged Brie away so she could hug her, too. “Finn’s an idiot, but I love and miss you more.”

Brie stepped back once Charlotte released her and smiled at both of them. Despite the fact he called Gideon an oaf, he knew the Alpha was the best thing for Brie. He’d never seen her so happy, so cared for, so strong.

The world might have been crashing down around them in the past year, and their lives were at risk just for being wolves, but he knew Brie was in her element with her mate. She’d taken to the role of being the Alpha’s mate better than anyone could have hoped for. He’d been so f*cking worried when she’d first told him of her potential bond with Gideon. The two of them had taken the rocky road to finding their way through their relationship, but Finn had a feeling both were better for it.

Finn frowned. “Wait. Why are you here? Not that I don’t love you being here, but I’m confused.”

Brie gave him a sad smile. “A few of the Talons are coming to meet. We took the tunnels rather than driving over since we’re under such surveillance outside the wards.”

The tunnels had taken almost fifteen years to complete, but they connected the two Packs over the miles that separated them. Not only did they have to deal with the natural boundaries, but they also had to add in the wards and magical influences to keep their dens safe from outsiders. It was one way they were able to protect their dens from those that would attack them for the blood that ran through their veins.

Finn cursed. He hated that he felt like he lived in a prison. What had once been a place of safety from the outside world, now felt like the bars of captivity. They could come and go as they wanted, but the humans watched them. Or, at least, they watched the Talons since that’s where it had all started. In the past year, humans had started following around enough Talons that they’d found the Redwood den. Either that, or they’d known all along. He wasn’t sure exactly what the government knew at this point. Just one more reason they were meeting. They couldn’t sit back anymore and wait to see what the humans would do.

The full extent of what Brie had said hit him and he froze fractionally before forcing himself not to look like he was on edge. “Who came with you?” His voice was lower than usual, and he caught the curious look in Brie’s and Charlotte’s gazes, but he ignored them.

“Gideon, Ryder, and Brynn,” she said slowly, her eyes narrowing. “The rest are at the den, holding the fort so to speak. Gideon thought it would be best not to bring the whole crew on Redwood Pack land. The four of us, plus two soldiers is enough.”

It made sense, even though he couldn’t quite think. As Alpha, Gideon would need to talk with Kade about what their plans were. Though they met in neutral territory as often as possible, sometimes it was necessary to meet in one of the dens, showing their trust in the pact. They also had almost daily online meetings, but everyone was careful about what they said, as no matter how good they were with technology, they could never be sure they were completely safe. Not anymore.

Ryder, as the Heir of the Talon Pack, did much of the same things as Finn did. The two of them helped their Alpha keep their Pack safe, as well as carry the burden of being connected to so many wolves at once. The Alphas held the most, but without the Heir, it would be too much. One day, Kade would step down and Finn would be Alpha. Finn just prayed that it wouldn’t happen as it had before. When Finn’s grandfather Edward had died protecting them all, Kade had become Alpha on a battlefield covered in blood, and Finn had gained the responsibility of a Pack as a toddler.