The main house and library hadn't changed in all the years since she had seen it. Maybe some of the wood had been polished. A large room with grey walls. Book shelves tightly packed the once open wall space. Three wooden chairs and an old leather couch took up the majority of the free space on the library's floor. A prominent fireplace had the remains of a fire going. Finn, acting on instinct, grabbed extra logs and threw them in. Using the old cast iron poker to ensure the flames took to the wood. Books were scattered on the small tables around the room. Pillows were haphazardly strewn about. She smiled to herself, remembering the good memories that lived in this place. Ghosts of a past that seemed more like a story than her own memories.
"Carter, love, I need you to reject Finn." Arthur wasn't wasting time. He had closed the doors behind him, looking grim. He looked at his son, a beautiful grown man. His chest felt tight with all of the emotions. Carter had waited this long to meet his mate, determined to be with the one fate chose for him like his father and mother. His fated mate. He had agreed to a choosing on his father's request, hoping he would feel a mate pull. Art looked at his friend. He had called her sister so long that no other words seemed to fit. Deep in his heart, a place he would never bring to voice, he wanted her to choose Carter. He didn't want his son to experience heartbreak like he had. He also wanted Finn back in his life. It had been hard without her, despite what had caused their rift.
"You don't get to decide for me!" Carter replied heatedly.
"But I do," Finn said quietly. She turned to look at the men. She seemed to be shaking. She cleared her throat and started "I, Fionn Helmut, rogue of no pack reject you, Carter..." but before the words could finish leaving her mouth Carter howled, "NO!"
Exhausted and exasperated, Arthur cried out. "Oh for fuck sakes, Carter!" He didn't want to crush his son, but this was getting out of hand. "I am your ALPHA, REJECT HER!" He screamed, spittle flying out of his mouth.
The pain of those words were written all over Carter's face. She was gruff, slightly dirty, scarred and quiet. She wasn't what he had spent so long picturing. Yet, she was here finally and he wanted her. No, he needed her. She had said she was rogue. He could go rogue with her. There were plenty of good Ironblood members who could lead the pack in his place. Was his father in love with her? He would have told Carter, wouldn't he? They didn't hide things from each other. Or so he thought. None of this made sense.
Finn looked at Arthur pleadingly. She didn't know what to do. She flicked her eyes back to Carter. "You truly do not want me as a mate. I am unpleasant. I have questionable hygiene." The comment caused Art to cough out a small laugh. He shook his head to show his displeasure at her timing. "I'm violent... I'm a murderer. I don't have a pack for a reason, I live with the council. Alphas don't choose rouges for mates. Mate pulls are not always right," she tried, an admission for the first time that she felt it too.
"I, Carter Ironblood, of Pack Ironblood and future Alpha, will go rogue with you, Fionn Helmut, mate" Carter said.
"No!" cried both Art and Finn in unison. Arthur's eyes were wet. Finn saw the loss written on his face. She was about to speak when Art started, "Carter, there are things we need to tell you. Finn cannot be your mate. She won't allow it. Please, listen. Please... don't leave," he pleaded to his son.
Carter's face darkened. He was done being told what to do. "No. I'm leaving with her." And with that, he stalked out of the library, slamming the door as he left. Art and Finn stood, not speaking. They let the weight of the evening hold them down.
"Were we ever truly that young?" she asked, almost to no one.
"Once, maybe," Art replied.
Finn returned to the fireplace and lowered herself down in front of it, stretching out her legs. She wiggled her toes to the warmth.
"I was going to ask why you weren't wearing shoes but I didn't want to pry," Art pulled a chair over to Finn and sank into it. He felt a hundred years old. "Not that I've seen you with a plethora of shoes."
She laughed lightly, amusement hindered by the toll of the day. "Eutus is a cunt is why. Obeus sent me to invite you and Carter to the next council gathering. No, he didn't tell me why," interrupting her friend before he could cut in with more questions, "I hadn't been expecting to travel at the moment but he opened the doorway and pushed me though, so here I am. I don't normally wear shoes anyway, I generally travel in my other form," she finished with a small shrug.
Arthur let out a bark of a laugh, thinking of the twink enchanter pushing the hybrid through a portal. "Are you getting soft in our old age, sister? I remember that you would threaten to eat someone's heart if they touched you. I am pretty sure Tom still has nightmares."
She pondered that for a moment and laughed along with Art, "Oh no, I threatened to rip off his arm before he pushed me. I think I've stayed as unpleasant as ever," she became sullen, "I mean, I know you're still scared of me."
Arthur was quiet for a while, considering her words. Eventually, he gently reached out, placing his hand on her head. He felt the coarse strands with his fingertips. "Something age has taught me is understanding. I've never been afraid of you, dear one. I've always been afraid for you."
Finn tensed at the initial touch but then relaxed. She enjoyed the feeling of someone touching her. It reminded her of their childhood. Art's father, Alpha Amos, would spend the evenings reading in the library. He would read history tomes and fables to the pups before bed. The others would eventually be ushered out by their parents. Art and Finn had always stayed the longest, earning absentminded affection from the Alpha. He would caress their hair as he read, often lost in his own thoughts. The two would fall asleep before the fire, curled into tight balls and nestled together. Then the old Alpha chose to go to bed, he'd carry his children to their beds first. Tucking them in, making sure they were warm and safe. It was one of the best memories Finn had and she guarded it deeply.
They stayed like that for a while. Eventually Finn pulled away, the sensation moving from comforting to overwhelming. She kept her back to her brother and said, "I still miss them. Everyday."
"I know. I do too."
(2)
"Oh, my sweet, you are simply so exotic."
Finn looked down into the blue eyes of a woman she didn't know. She had stretched her "so" in a way that surprised Finn, it was sensual. She was small, plump, and pale. Her dark hair was intricately done in a half-up style with braids and what appeared to be pearls. She wore a tight black dress. It was short enough Finn wasn't convinced it wasn't simply a shirt. "Must taste you!" she purred up at Finn, running her pale fingers over her clawed hand. She felt the absence of breath, knowing this creature for what it was. Vampire.
Finn had been standing in the back garden. The night was dark, the stars glittering above her. The moon was full. Her transformed figure looked down at the small woman and growled. She wasn't a circus animal. She hated gatherings. The members of the council all filtered in from their respective homes to dance, sing, and perform perverse rituals to gods who never noticed. These nights could be dangerous. So many high-level magical beings in one place. Finn generally stalked the grounds to avoid their stares and remarks alone.
And they all wanted her. In varying degrees. Enchanters and Vampires wanted to taste her, play with her like a toy. A giant hybrid for their cursed pleasures. Her blood a mix of wolf and dark enchanter, a delicious mix of death and life. Like a drug. The Elves simply saw her as a guard dog, unfit for the illustrious birthright of their beings. Werewolves feared her, knowing where she came from and what she had done. Few knew who sired her but the magic in her blood was old. It screamed power. They were moths to a flame. That flame just happened to be emotionally unstable and traumatized.
