45
Finlo
Iwas so fucking nervous. In the weeks since the attack, we’d all healed physically. The mental scars would take longer to heal. Raiden still flinched at loud noises, and Ellar needed to have the Omegas and Luisa in sight at all times. Gatlin was still drowning in guilt but he was coming around. It helped that the Witch Miranda had come back a few days after Naja had woken up, and redone the wards.
But only after she completely chewed out the Legion. Even the Legion Alpha had got the sharp side of her tongue and honestly, it was the greatest thing I’d ever seen. The wards were now impenetrable to anyone who had any ill intent against the Manix or anyone who lived in Maxton. I wasn’t sure how you even tested that, but I had faith she knew her shit.
Seven was still a little stiff, but worse than that, he got pricklier and pricklier as Raiden’s pregnancy advanced. Some of it was due to his natural Beta instincts—hell, we were all a little more closed off as Raiden got closer to the birth. But Seven hadn’t been more than ten feet from him at all times. I was pretty sure he slept outside his door if he wasn’t in bed with him.
The only person who seemed to have healed inside and out was Naja. Killing her tormentor had freed something inside her, and it was fucking beautiful. She laughed easier, and trusted more quickly. She was like the bright, golden version of the woman I’d fallen in love with, and even though I hadn’t thought I could ever love her more, here we were.
“Stop pacing, Fin. You’re making me nervous,” Gatlin growled, and I flipped him the bird.
I continued to pace up and down the hall of our newly completed house. Everyone was here except Raiden, Seven and Naja. Terra had taken them all baby shopping in the next big city over to replace what had been burned in the fires. I would have been freaking out, but all of Terra’s mates had gone with them, and they were scary as hell as a group. The kids went too, so honestly it sounded like hell, but I knew Naja was excited. Finally, she could live freely. It was a beautiful thing to see.
I tilted my head, hearing the low whir of an engine. Yeah, that was definitely coming up the road toward us.
Even with the dust from the road obscuring the ATV, I could see it was Seven driving up, Naja and Raiden in the back. I held my breath as he pulled the vehicle up on the drive and climbed out, helping Raiden out. I wouldn’t say it to his face, but Raiden’s stomach was so fucking huge. When he turned to the side, I wondered how the hell he remained upright.
Raiden looked up at the house, his mouth hanging open. Naja came to stand beside him, her mouth equally as agape.
I locked eyes with Naja, tilting my chin to beckon them both up. “Want to come and see your new nests?”
“Yes!” they said in unison, Naja racing up to the deck, Raiden waddling up a little slower. Yeah, we didn’t use the W word out loud around him. And we weren’t allowed to make any comparisons to any creatures of the sea or penguins at all.
Naja launched herself into my arms. “Holy shit, Finlo! It’s gorgeous.”
She was gorgeous, but there was something else that needed to happen before we stepped foot inside the new house. I looked at Raiden, my eyes loaded with meaning. He nodded, and I let my eyes move over the rest of my Packmates before settling back on Naja.
“Finlo, what’s wrong?”
I laughed. “What’s wrong? What’s wrong is that you waltzed in here and stole our hearts. You completed our Pack even though we didn’t know anything was missing. What’s wrong is that you made us all fall hopelessly in love with you.” I paused and dropped to my knee in the human gesture. “What’s wrong is that you aren’t our mate yet, but that’s something I want to change right now.”
Rings weren’t usually a Manix custom either. It was a good way to lose a finger when you shifted, but because Naja had no Beast form, we’d deemed it safe. I pulled a ring from my pocket and held it up to her. “Naja, will you be our mate? A part of our Pack forever? Our love will be yours, and Luisa’s, forever. Our protection is yours. Our home, our hearts. All yours.”
Her eyes were so wide, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly. The silence dragged on for centuries, until she finally whispered, “Are you sure?”
The quietly hopeful note to her voice slayed me. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. None of us have.”
She looked around at the other guys, holding each of their eyes, and then back down to me.
“Yes.”
My hands shook as she took the ring and put it on her finger, then I jumped to my feet and dragged her into a hug. Within seconds, my entire Pack was squashed into the embrace, truly one. One by one, my Packmates gathered her into their arms and kissed her until her lips were swollen and her cheeks were pink.
Gatlin picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Wanna see your new home? Maybe I could interest you in seeing your nest?”
She squealed, and I grinned, wrapping an arm around Raiden’s shoulders. “Where’s our cub?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Having a sleepover with Leisel, at Terra’s insistence.”
I looked over at Seven, and he just gave me a small smug smile back.Oh, I see.Seven had his own plans, and I can’t say I didn’t wholeheartedly approve.
Raiden huffed beside me. “I can’t believe we are going to have an orgy when I’m so fucking huge I can’t even see my dick.”
I kissed his temple. “You are the sexiest thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Besides, I can see your dick just fine.”
He shoved my shoulder but was back to smiling again. “I’m fucking exhausted. I think I might just watch this one from the sidelines.”
