Page 55 of Claimed By Fur and Fangs

"Come sit with me. Night’s always been my favorite time to think."

I sat beside him, the cool night air contrasting with his warmth. Silence lingered until Finn suddenly chuckled.

"What?" I asked, tilting my head at him.

He smirked. "I was just thinking about my childhood. My sister and I used to sneak out at night to play hide-and-seek in the woods. We thought we were so clever, but our mom always caught us. She’d pretend to be furious, but I swear I caught her laughing more than once."

I smiled, imagining a younger Finn causing mischief.

"You must’ve been a handful."

"Oh, absolutely," he said with a grin. "Once, I tried to shift for the first time way too young. I ended up stuck halfway between forms for hours. My dad had to carry me back to the house while my sister laughed so hard, she cried."

"That’s adorable," I laughed, picturing it.

He shook his head.

"It was humiliating. But my parents… they were amazing. Strict but fair. They wanted me to be strong, to be a leader, but they never made me feel like I had to be someone I wasn’t." His voice softened, his smile fading slightly. "I miss them."

"They’d be proud of you, Finn," I placed a hand over his, squeezing gently.

Finn's dark, gold-flecked eyes held mine, the night humming with unspoken tension as he leaned in, his breath warm on my skin.

“Amelia,” he murmured, his voice low and rough, sending a shiver down my spine.

I couldn’t look away, couldn’t breathe. The pull between us was magnetic, drawing me closer to him. His hand brushed against mine, and I felt a jolt of electricity.

“Finn,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

He cupped my face gently, his thumb tracing my cheek. His touch was reverent. I leaned in and then my phone rang.

Heart racing, I fumbled. Sienna's name flashed.

“I… I should take this,” I stammered, my cheeks burning.

Finn nodded, his expression unreadable, though I thought I saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

“Of course,” he said, his voice steady but quieter now.

I stood quickly, clutching my phone.

“Goodnight, Finn,” I said softly, before hurrying back to my room.

Once inside, I answered the call, my voice still shaky.

“Sienna?”

“Amelia! Are you okay? I’ve been trying to reach you all day!” Sienna’s voice was frantic.

“I’m fine,” I said, trying to steady my breathing. “I’m… safe. Finn’s with me.”

There was a pause on the other end.

“Finn? What’s going on, Amelia? You’re scaring me. Who tried to kidnap you and why?”

I sank onto the edge of the bed, running a hand through my hair.

“It’s a long story, Sienna. I’ll explain everything when I can. But right now, I just need to know you’re okay.”

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