He smiled despite my expression, putting an arm around me. There it was, thrumming hard, like my heartbeat. I closed my eyes for a second and let it all fall away. Finn held me, all of me. Just then, I didn't need to strive, try, or act on anything. I was just seen, felt, heard. It was almost timeless, the moment could have gone on for seconds or hours, I couldn't tell, my defences were momentarily down. Which is perhaps why the black wolf chose to reach out to me now.
Soon, little queen.
My eyes jerked open, Finn's arm tightening around me as he stared at me, eyes wide.
"I'll be attending," he said to Kelly, staring at her until she nodded slowly.
"Just you, and perhaps Aaron,” she replied. “I’ll be by around 8 tomorrow morning. Be ready to go when I arrive. Julie.” She nodded to me before turning on her heel and walking away.
"Give her here," Brandon said as soon as she was gone. He threw his arms around me, hugging me tight. "You came to see me."
I heard the catch in his voice, felt the bite of his fingers. "It's not your fault."
"I was out doing a fucking delivery for the queens, and you had to go through that? Fuck, Jules. One of us needs to be with you at all times until we've got this sorted. You've got two mates, now."
"Mates, not bodyguards or jailers." I looked up as Aaron crossed his arms over his broad chest. "I can't live in everyone's pockets."
"Jules..." Brandon's grey eyes were stark against his pale skin. "I'm on indefinite leave because they know the moment I go back to Stores, I'm going to rip Sonny's fucking head off."
"Not if I get there first," Finn growled.
"Those fucking bastards. They had to know that there was something wrong, that she wasn't in her right mind."
"I don't think they were either, mate." The two of them stared at Slade. "You think I don't know what you feel? I was lying on the bed, stroking one off, half out of my mind with heat fever while my bloody mate walked right into a pack of rabid wolves. But I felt it, Aaron felt it. It was like heat, but so much more. It was... fucking alienating in its intensity. I would have done anything right then to get off, anything." He shook his head then patted his pockets for a cigarette. "Let’s get our mate home, where we can contain whatever the fuck is going on, and get ready to pound that interloping bastard into the ground if he doesn't start giving us some answers."
And that was that. Everyone nodded and started to walk over to the cars.
"The boys will keep you safe," Aaron said as we went, clasping my hand in his. "Don't worry."
I was worried. Of course, I was worried. I could almost feel him on my shoulder, the black wolf, a monkey on my back ready to steer me in whatever direction he wanted, and I didn't know why. Why was he so keen for me to bond with the guys? I looked at Finn's strong back as we walked, his eyes flicking back to me, unable to let me out of sight for more than a few minutes. That would have happened anyway, wouldn't it? I hated the feeling I was always on someone else's timetable—the black wolf's, my heat, whatever.
When we got home, men in khaki were stationed around the house, and Aaron stopped to talk to a few of them, perfectly comfortable with the big guns they were toting. I stayed with him, holding his hand. He'd had the least of my time, this was not how we did things when he was off roster. He noted this with a shy smile, something that kept going throughout a subdued dinner.
"This is lovely," I said belatedly as we ate.
"The little woman does know how to put on a fine spread," Jack said, patting his knee as Hawk passed around yet more dishes. "C'mere and give Daddy some sugar."
"Fuck off, Jack," Hawk said. "I'm glad you like it. We'll have leftovers for days. I figured there'd be more people around."
A knock came from the front door before I could reply. Buddy scrambled to his feet, bounding over to the door with his tail wagging.
"I'll get it," Aaron
said, getting to his feet and pulling a gun from his waistband. When had he put that there?
"I'm sorry this is unannounced, but we wanted to come and congratulate the happy couple."
We all turned to see Ophelia and another woman come through the door, toting casserole dishes.
"Finn, darling," Ophelia said, holding out her arms to him.
"Hey, Nana, thanks for coming," Finn said as he wrapped his arms around her.
Nana? My eyebrows shot up. I looked across at Jack who just rolled his eyes and nodded. They were cousins?
"And my clever Jack. How are you finding your new situation?" He stepped up to take his hug, his usually acerbic expression softening for a moment.
"Hawk's happy, so I am."