Finn shook her head violently and scrunched her eyes closed painfully tight, trying to push the memory away with the motion. She hadn't died but she wished, many times, she had. It had led her to a dark place. Arthur and the pack had made sure she healed. Her mother figure, Anna, her main caregiver. Nursing her back to health took months, the emotional pain stopping her body from healing. When she was able to stand and defend herself, she left. They did not ask her too; she simply couldn't live with the pack anymore. They would never forgive her, not truly. She would certainly never forgive herself. She couldn't watch the little boy grow, having murdered his mother. Arthur had asked her to stay, holding his son as he did. He had been her friend for so long. Her brother. They had grown together. Hunted together. Defended one another. Leandra and Atticus had been a part of that family and Finn had taken it away. She couldn't stay. She had destroyed them.
She stood shivering by the lake. She wasn't cold. Adrenaline was coursing through her and she was unable to stop herself. She wasn't sure how long she stood there. Eventually the double doors of the packhouse opened and an imposing figure of a man stepped out onto the porch.
"Can I help you stranger?" A strong voice call. A voice of authority. A voice she knew. With a quiet sigh, Finn opened her eyes and looked at her oldest friend. His face was blank, no inkling of who she was. Curious faces peaked out from behind him, pressed to the glass.
Arthur Ironblood had aged in the years since she had seen him. Still tall, still muscled, still rugged. His light brown hair was now deeply peppered with gray. He had grown a beard which was also mostly gray. His olive skin still looked healthy. His blue grey eyes reminded Finn of a storm at sea. She walked to Arthur and tentatively put out a hand, feeling very unsure.
"Hi, Art. Uh, it's been a long time..." She trailed off as her courage retreated. She stood hunched inward, feeling subconscious. Her eyes darted to the many that stared at her. The light breeze shifted and pushed her scent to Arthur's nose.
He looked a bit befuddled. His hard eyes softened almost immediately when he caught her scent. He took one large step forward, enveloping her into a tight bear hug. The kind he was famous for. Friendly and warm, Art wanted everyone to feel loved and welcomed in his pack.
Finn pushed Arthur off, smiling as she did and clasped him on the back. "Hello, friend. It has been a long time. I must say, you've changed."
Bodies of the other pack members began to file in and out of the house while they spoke, eying the newcomer with apprehension, continuing their daily activities. They respected their Alpha enough to only allow themselves a few seconds to stare before hurrying off.
"It's been what? 30 years?" He asked her, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"34," she replied.
Arthur looked at his friend, his sister. She was still as strong and as tall as he remembered her but her skin had once been a soft tanned colour, kissed by the sun. Though the majority of her skin was now deeply tattooed and riddled with scars, the parts that did show were pale. Her black hair was gone, replaced by a straw yellow colour mixed with pastels. His heart hurt seeing her. She reminded him of the pain that caused their parting and the hurt of missing her for so long.
"You should have stayed..." Art began when he noticed a man approaching them. Finn looked up.
He was as tall as Arthur, around 6'1. He had the same light brown hair, missing the gray. His hair almost to his shoulders with the underside shaved, he had pulled the long hair into a ponytail. His face was cleanly shaven, and he was smiling warmly. A hint of a joke on his lips full lips. He wore a loose gray shirt with blue jeans and basic trainers. His skin was the same lovely olive colour as Arthur's. What caught Finn's notice was the eyes. She knew those eyes. She knew him. She had known his mother. They were not the stormy eyes of Arthur but the light brown, speckled with yellow of Leandra. Finn breathed out his name "Carter..."
Carter looked hesitant as his eyes settled on Finn. She was about as tall as Arthur. Her dark eyes looked black rather than brown, even in the waning daylight. Her hair was many different colours, pink, yellow, blue? It all appears to be washed out, pulled into a scruffy bun. She had a large scar on her face. Her light skin seemed a little gray, like she had recently been ill or did not spend much time in the sun. She was clothed head to toe in black; black joggers and a knitted black jumper but she wasn't wearing shoes. Her neck was fully tattooed. In the sun, it looked as though they were meant to cover scars. Nasty ones. The light caught the edges of the healed flesh, making the deep indentations even more noticeable. Like claws had ripped at her throat. Or teeth. She had a hard look to her. But she smelled heavenly. The breeze and her aroma were what drew him to them.
"And who are you?" he purred, pulling on the charm that came so easily to the Ironbloods. "Are you one of the potentials? Are you from a neighbouring pack? I'm Carter, Carter..." he trailed off as he saw a look of abject horror appear on her face. "What?" he asked quietly. Unsure of himself. A feeling he was not used to.
Arthur pulled Finn away from his son gently, a hint of fear rising in his stomach. He trusted her still but time changes people. He wanted to believe she was the same inside.
"My heart, this is my and your mother's old friend, Finn." Arthur smiled. He moved his hand from her arm and clasped Finn on the shoulders. Both to introduce her to the young man and to ensure he could hold her from him if needed. Finn looked lost. The horror on her face disappeared into what could only be described as grief. Carter was perplexed. How could this young woman have been friends with his mother? And what was that smell?
"Finn? That name seems familiar, but I can't place it..." He pondered for a moment before continuing on. "Also, nice try, dad. But she isn't in her 60's, obviously. Which pack are you from? Perhaps you are my chosen mate? I know! I know, todays supposed to play out in a specific way, ceremony and all," Carter smiled brightly, it lit up his face pleasantly. He knew today he would be mated. It was the last thing needed before he took the Alpha status from his aging father. This woman seemed strong, her body held the marks of a warrior. She was pretty, despite the pale skin and hard eyes. She could be a good mate and Luna. A good partner.
What took Carter aback was how quickly his father was able to step between the two of them, pushing him off the steps of the porch. The rocks painfully dug into his hands as he connected with the ground. A small yip releasing from his lips with surprise. The sound a wounded pup would make. His father had never done anything like that to him before, like acting aggressively. It was very strange and gave him an uneasy feeling in his chest. He looked up at Arthur and the woman he was protecting. The only thing that made sense was she was to be his father's mate and his father was being protective. But she was too young. Arthur would be 65 this year. He had never shown interest in any other women, except an omega here and there on special nights. It didn't make sense.
Finn watched it all unfold like she was watching a movie. A spectator in her own life. When Carter had uttered the word 'mate' Arthur had felt her tense. She was stronger than him. Stronger than all of them. Carter was all he had left of his wife. He stepped in between them before Finn even knew she had become rigid, before he even had a second to process. Arthur had pushed Carter, hoping if Finn lashed out, she would get him and not his son. She felt Arthur shaking, almost imperceptible. It wasn't anger; it was fear. He was afraid she'd kill Carter like she killed Atticus all those years ago. And Leandra.
