Page 21 of The Alpha's Rejected Arranged Mate

“We’ve lost one or two people every month for the last two years,” Seth answered. “They seem to be stepping up. But we’ve come to learn the signs that a person is possessed, and we deal with it.”

“I’m sorry for your losses,” Finn said. And he meant it. He’d lost friends to demons, too. Lost them to possession before they knew how to deal with it. “In the last year, Bluebell Valley has uncovered a means of not only how to prevent possession but also how to exorcise a demon possessing a person. When used in the early stages, chances of survival are high.”

Seth’s jaw dropped open. A fresh burst of murmurs went through the town hall, disbelief and hope warring through the pack. Finn waited for the murmurs to die and gestured Derek onto the stage.

“There are different modes of protection,” he said. “Originally, we required a talisman carved with the protective symbols to be surgically implanted in the body. Now, we can achieve the same effect—and have it more permanent—by putting those protections on the body as tattoos.”

Derek whipped off his shirt. Spiky, swirling tattoos covered his shoulders and back. He turned, showing off the thick black marks with a grin. When his back was to the crowd, he winked at Finn to show his support.

“It was the Luna of Blood Moon, Mica, who found the exorcism process,” Finn continued. “Alpha Hayden was briefly possessed by an archdemon, but Mica rallied the women, including Elin,” he added, giving her a slight nod, “and they were able to force the demon out of him.”

Elin nodded. She explained how to perform an exorcism, then added, “Once the demon is trapped in the inanimate object, they can’t get out until that item is degraded. And thanks to theirmilitary training, Finn, Derek, and the other special ops know how to track and kill the beast demons.”

Someone near the back of the hall called, “And how do we know you’re not possessed and just giving us false hope?”

“You don’t,” Finn said bluntly. Because there was nothing he could do to convince them otherwise.

“Finn can see the aura demons that possess people,” Elin said. “He can see their influence before the possession even happens. It’s why he was recruited by the special ops in the first place.”

Finn tensed. He wouldn’t have shared that!

“Those of you who knew him as a child will remember,” she continued, clinging his hands into fists. “You remember what sort of child he was. That sweet kid who was always stepping in to make your jobs easier. Who would see terrifying things but still try to comfort others.”

His hands fell out of their fists. Sweet kid? But she didn’t even know him back then! How could she speak to the sort of child he’d been? And yet, a handful of faces he recognized in the crowd nodded.

“So,” Elin said, tossing her hair behind her in a fair imitation of Tess. “Are you willing to give us a shot?”

***

Finn leaned against the kitchen counter, his arms folded as he watched Elin work. She’d left the meeting early to return to their interim home and start making food for the delegation from Bluebell Valley. Her movements were quick and precise in the kitchen. She seemed so at ease it left him wondering how shefelt about all of this. She hadn’t asked to be Luna, and yet here she was. Mated to the man who rejected her, Luna of a pack that distrusted her.

“Did it go well?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“I think so,” Finn answered. “They were willing to try out the talismans, at least. Christine is teaching them how to implant them safely.”

He never wanted a mate. Or rather, he never thought he’d have one. Finn did want a mate. He wanted a family, the way he saw other wolves have. But he knew deep down it’d be selfish of him to put a woman into the position of being his mate. That was exactly what he’d done to Elin. And since the ceremony, their relationship had palpably shifted. His wolf always wanted to be near her, but now, he was restless every time they were separated. His wolf longing to be back together. It was as though if anything happened to her, it would be his fault.

“Taste this, will you?” Elin brought a serving spoon over to him. “I can’t tell if it needs more salt.”

She held it to his mouth, and he licked the spoon. “Tastes good to me.”

His gaze dropped to the tiny, almost imperceptible rise on her collarbone. It was where her protective talisman had been implanted. The one thing keeping her from being possessed by demons in this clusterfuck of a world they found themselves in. He reached out idly and brushed his fingers across the tiny scar.

Sparks burned where their skin touched. When Finn looked up and met her gaze, hunger burned in her eyes. The same hunger that ripped through him like wildfire. The kind that made him want to press her against the wall, right here, and take her until they were both breathless.

Chapter 10 - Elin

Finn’s thumb rubbed her skin as though touching the most delicate flower. Elin had always been jealous of women who had those distinctive hollows above their collarbones. Whether it was because of her weight or just because of how she was built, she’d never had them. But the way Finn touched her told her he didn’t see any lack in her.

Her heart started to race. Idly, she wondered how much she’d been feeling her heart lately. So often, when she felt it beating, anxiety would well in her, the fear of something being wrong with her taking precedence. When she was with Finn, though, the only thing she could feel was pure lust. She wanted him to keep touching her. Wanted him to rip off her clothes and—

He snatched his hand back suddenly as though the heat building in her core had burned him. “I’m sorry. We’ve pushed our luck too far already.”

Elin stepped back, feeling as though the world was pitching beneath her. She’d been so lost in the clouds of sensation that the sudden loss of his touch made her feel like she’d plummeted into an icy dark lake.

“You’re sorry,” she repeated. “For what?”

She knew, of course. But she needed to hear it.

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