Page 23 of The Alpha's Rejected Arranged Mate

Her breath escaped her in a noisy exhale that mingled with a laugh. Elin’s shoulders slumped in relief as she smiled at Finn. It wasn’t a promise or anything that would assure she’dbe happy. But it was an agreement, a moment of connection. And right now, she was going to take whatever she got. It was enough.

“We’ll have to be careful,” Finn continued. “I don’t want a repeat of what happened yesterday.”

Meaning that strangely charged way they’d had sex, the way he’d been worried all the time and had pulled out at the last moment. Elin didn’t want that, either. The difference is that Finn wanted to ensure she wouldn’t get pregnant, whereas she didn’t want anything to come between them.

“I’m going to be your Luna for quite a while. If you really don’t want kids—”

“I don’t.”

Elin gave him a hard look. “What I mean is, it’ll be more expedient if you get a vasectomy. I don’t like the way birth control affects me, and condoms break.”

Finn winced. No doubt he was thinking of the time several weeks ago when they’d had a mishap. One of the condoms split apart when he first put it on. Luckily, it had happened before anything happened, but it was proof they weren’t foolproof.

“I’ve had the procedure done before,” he said. “It didn’t take. Wolves usually don’t go in for that sort of surgery, and I couldn’t find a doctor who would do more… permanent measures.”

What did that mean? “You mean like castration?”

Finn laughed. “No, I mean, I went in for a reversible one, and I haven’t found a doctor that would give me a permanent one. So, it brings me back to my original point. We have to be careful.” He pulled her into his arms and smirked, making herpulse race. “But we can discuss the logistics of long-term birth control later. I had Derek pick up a box when he was in town.”

“Even though you said we weren’t going to have sex again?” Elin challenged.

“I can’t resist you,” Finn answered simply.

Oh, he knew exactly what to say. Elin melted against him, sighing in relief. Her wolf sighed, too. It had been oddly still in her chest this entire time, as though terrified Finn was going to leave her.

“Do you really want me, Finn? Or am I a distraction?” Elin shook her head as she smoothed her fingers over his collar. “I don’t care either way. I just want to know.”

Finn kissed her. Not much of an answer but Elin didn’t care about that, either. He was here, warm and solid against her. Her eyes slid shut as he deepened the kiss.

Someone clearing their throat interrupted them.

Elin groaned as she pulled away, glaring over Finn’s shoulder. Christine stood in the doorway, a sly smirk on her face.

“Sorry,” she said. “But Seth and Rosemary are here. They want to talk with you.”

Chapter 11 - Finn

Finn’s hands tightened on Elin’s waist. Though part of him still wondered if he was being clear enough about future expectations, he didn’t want to let her go. He stared at the floor just at Christine’s feet, debating whether to get her to tell the former Alpha to go fuck himself. However, that would be the opposite of getting the pack to work together.

He groaned as he released Elin. “I suppose I should see them.”

“Help me set the table,” Elin said. “We can speak with them over the meal. I made enough for leftovers, so we’ll have enough to feed them. Christine, is Derek in the house?”

Christine shook her head. “He’s working with Seth’s Beta to make talismans and to ship in a few truckloads of salt to create a barrier around town.”

Finn nodded his approval of that plan. If he was going to step up as Alpha, he needed to be proactive about these things. Right now, protecting the pack was at the top of his list. It had to be. Even higher than his own personal issues. Perhaps that was why Seth had decided to come here, to set aside their differences and start working together.

Soon, Elin was seated next to him at the table with a pot of pasta between him and Seth. Rosemary sat next to her mate, across from Elin. Christine had bowed out of the dinner. Finn’s nerves were on edge, his wolf growling in his chest.

“It smells delicious, Luna Elin,” Rosemary said politely as she speared a long tube on her fork.

Elin smiled back, but it looked pained. “Thank you. But please, call me Elin, at least while we’re in private. Despite whatyou may think, we didn’t come here to take over the leadership of the pack.”

Rosemary reached across the table and patted her hand. “I figured. It’s been quite apparent by the way you’ve been acting.”

“And that’s not going to help the pack have any confidence in us.” Elin shook her head, sighing, then glanced at Finn. “We’ll have to work on that if we’re going to drive out the demons.”

“We’re supposed to learn more about them,” Finn reminded her. He didn’t look at Seth as he added, “That’s why I came back. To learn more about where I come from.”

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