Page 74 of Once Bitten

Finn turned to me, his eyes searching mine for understanding. “Then why are you here?”

“Because I think we can work around it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, don’t you?” He didn’t answer. “You should’ve told me the truth, Finn, instead of making me find out that way.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“You know, I think you’ve used up your quota of sorries to me for the rest of your life.”

“Then what should I say?”

“Nothing. You should just take my hand.” I reached forward and closed the distance between us for the last time, taking both his hands in mine. “That’ll give us the strength to get through it, through anything. By doing it together.”

He stared at me, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “I love you, Kara.”

“I love you, Finn.”

The smile grew to the wolfish grin I’d loved my whole life. “I know, you loooove me.”

I poked my tongue out at him and tried to pull away, he just held tight on my fingers before spinning me around, our arms entwined, facing the dance of purple and pink against the canvas of the sky. His face buried in my hair as he whispered, “you just saved me from a life time of sad.”

I melted against him, getting shivers at how my body fit his perfectly.

“Hey, how’d you know I’d be here?” Finn asked, brushing the hair off my shoulder and nuzzled my neck.

“Because it’s home.”

“Ours?”

“I’m hoping.”

We stayed until the night crept over the day, and walked, hand in hand back to the hotel.

“Hey, I didn’t realize until I got here that I didn’t know what your hotel was called. I know you renamed it after you bought it, but you never told me what it was.

“I didn’t? I think you’ll like it.”

“Oh?” I braced myself, who knew with Finn.

“Yeah. It’s called, Kara Mia. Or, if you like…”

“My Kara.”

And I was. I really, really was.