Page 66 of The Blood Moon Oath

I stand there, my fingers tightening around the silver ring that’s always on my hand. It’s a habit, a constant thing to fidget with when my mind starts racing.

I roll it around my fingers again, a reminder of something—someone—I can’t shake.

Torin leans against the wall, arms crossed, his eyes never leaving me. He’s watching me, waiting for me to break. It’s likehe’s expecting me to give in to whatever it is he thinks I’m denying.

“You know,” Torin says, his voice low, almost casual. “It’s funny how much you care about Sable, Finn. You’re trying so hard to pretend you don’t, but I can see it. I canfeelit.”

I don’t look up from the ring, but I feel his eyes drilling into me.

“I don’t care,” I say again, more forcefully this time, as if saying it louder will make it true. “She’s a prisoner. A tool. That’s all she is.”

Torin doesn’t buy it. “Right. Sure. Tell me that again in five minutes when she’s got you twisted in knots.”

My jaw tightens, but I don’t answer him. I don’t know how to explain it to him. To myself. I can’t even say the words aloud.

He continues, undeterred. “You’re holding onto something, Finn. Some idea of what youshouldwant, and you’re not letting go of it. What are you so afraid of? You think that if you let go, it’s going to make your past, your mistakes, go away?”

I stop moving. The ring pauses in my hand. He’s right. God, he’s right. That’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m holding onto the idea of something—ofsomeone—because letting go would mean acknowledging that I’ve moved on, that I’m not the same man I was before. That maybe, just maybe, I can have somethingnew.

I turn to face him, my patience finally starting to wear thin. “What do you want from me, Torin?” I growl, the frustration building in my chest. “What the hell is your point? She’s not mine. She doesn’t want me. And I don’t want her either. She’s a fucking complication.”

Torin smirks, his expression that annoying mix of smug and knowing. “You want me to spell it out for you?” he asks, pushing off the wall. He takes a slow step forward, theconfidence in his movements almost maddening. “Fine. Youwanther, Finn. Youdesireher. There. I said it.”

I feel a jolt in my chest, a cold rush of air filling my lungs. The words land like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I can’t breathe. He’s right, but I refuse to admit it. I refuse to give in. I clench my jaw and take a step back, trying to distance myself from the truth he’s shoving in my face.

“I don’t want her,” I repeat, but it sounds hollow even to my own ears.

Torin raises an eyebrow. “Then why do you think about her all the time? Why are you fucking twisting yourself up with her like this? You think she doesn’t know you’re having a hard time resisting her? You think she doesn’t see it? My kitten is smart.”

The words cut through me, sharp and unrelenting. I feel them sink into the pit of my stomach, the heat rising inside me. Shedoesknow. I’ve been trying to play this game, to hold back, to make it seem like I don’t give a damn, but she knows. And I can feel it—the way she challenges me, the way she tempts me, even without trying.

I hate that she has this power over me. I hate that I want her.

Torin takes another step forward, his voice getting quieter, like he’s speaking directly to the parts of me I’m trying to ignore. “You’re not the man you were, Finn. You’re still holding onto that fucking past. You’re not a damn ghost anymore, but you keep acting like you are. And her? She’s the first thing in a long time that’s made youfeelagain.”

I can’t hold it in anymore. I feel like I’m being torn apart, and it all comes spilling out before I can stop myself.

“Fine,” I admit, my voice rough, low, and raw. “I want her. I fuckingdesireher. You happy now?”

Torin’s expression shifts, like he’s finally getting what he wanted. That satisfied grin slides across his face, his eyesgleaming with something almost proud. “There you go,” he says, his voice like smooth, molten steel. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

I’m breathing heavily now, the weight of the confession hanging in the air between us. I stand there, stunned by what I just admitted, trying to ignore the feeling of release, like a pressure valve finally opening. I’m not sure if I want to strangle Torin or thank him.

But his next words surprise me. “You’ve made progress, Finn. That’s what I’m proud of.” He lets out a long breath, his voice finally losing its edge of mockery. “You’re finally letting go of your ghosts. And you’re finally willing toliveagain. Even if it’s with her.”

I don’t know how to respond to that, so I don’t. Instead, I just let the silence settle between us, the weight of his words hanging in the air.

I roll the silver ring across my fingers, but it suddenly doesn't feel the same.

I know what’s coming next.

And I know I can’t keep pretending I don’t want it.

Chapter

Thirty-Five

FINN

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