Page 21 of Scar Bonds: The Scars That Bind Us

“Those fucking bastards…those no-good fleabag, simpering sycophants, pieces of shit!” He had dirt on his cheek, his hair was all over the place, and the beginnings of what looked like a bruise on his rib cage.

“Did you have a nice meeting with some of your pack bros, mate of mine?” Senan put his phone back in his pocket.

Finlay whirled around in his seat, his elbows resting on his seat back and the steering wheel. “They were a diversion, a fucking diversion. I didn’t know Morgan could be such a fucking asshole. I smelled him in the clearing, where I left you. He could’ve hurt you and I couldn’t get back to you. Are you sure you’re all right?”

Ah.Senan had been right. Morgan wasn’t stupid, just devious. “I’m fine. Really good actually. Did you kill anyone?”

“No!”

“Well done. We don’t want any issues with the Shifter Council so soon into our mating. I’m proud of you.” Leaning across the center console, Senan stretched his torso, placing his lips on Finlay’s angry ones. Pressing just hard enough to make an impact, Senan sat back in his seat and sighed. “Gabby is bringing us pizza for dinner. I told her to double our typical order. I hope you like Maximus Khan movies.”

“That’s all you have to say?” Finlay was stroking over his lip where Senan had kissed him.

“Yep. I told Morgan I wouldn’t talk to him again until my scars had healed. I also mentioned that you wouldn’t have anything to do with him until that time either. Sound good?”

Finlay was clearly stunned. “But your scars… Ah. Yes. Brilliant.” His harried face broke into a smile. “I would’ve told him the same thing if I’d thought about it.”

“Perfect. So now we need to get home, mate of mine. If we get back soon enough, we’ll have time to shower together before Gabby comes around for dinner. You’re decidedly grubby.”

Finlay wasn’t a silly man either. Senan smiled and closed his eyes as the car sped back to town. He thought he could hear a wolf howling as they left, but as Finlay didn’t say anything about it, neither did he.

Chapter Sixteen

“How are you feeling?” Senan sounded sleepy, and Finlay wasn’t surprised.

“Your friend Gabby is a force of nature.” Finlay chuckled. “Does she always do a ‘whoop-whoop’ every time she sees a man take a shirt off in a movie?”

“Ah, not just any man.” Senan snuggled against Finlay’s chest, his breathing slow and relaxed. “Only Maximus Khan has caused that reaction, so far. I don’t know what she’d ever do if she ever met him.”

“Hmm. I could probably arrange that.” Brushing a kiss on Senan’s hair, Finlay added, “Do you think she’d like that?”

“Like it?” Senan lurched up, his hands resting on Finlay’s chest, his hair spilling over his shoulders as his eyes widened. “Gabby would adopt you if she thought you could do that. You’d become family. Everyone else in her life would cease to exist. She would be fussing over you with baked goods and endless beers every time she saw you if you facilitated a meeting with her amazing movie star.”

“I’m quite partial to baked goods and endless beers.” Finlay started laughing. “But my gods, wouldn’t it be funny if she met him and didn’t like him? I mean, he’s a nice enough guy, really friendly, but when she sees him in the movie, he’s playing a character – that’s not the real person. In real life, he scratches his ass the same as the rest of us.”

“I wouldn’t see that as a bad thing.” Senan snuggled back down on Finlay’s chest again. “There’s not a person in Gabby’s existence who doesn’t know about her infatuation with Maximus Khan. If she did meet him and didn’t like him as a personality, then she might turn her attraction to someone else, which wouldmean we could watch some of the newer movies that have come out that don’t star Maximus Khan.”

“He’s only done about ten movies.”

“I know.” Senan yawned. “And I could probably recite the words to every one of them thanks to her.”

As Finlay looked down, he could see Senan watching his face.

“You know I was actually talking about the situation with your brother, and the Luna Pack this afternoon when I asked if you were all right.”

“I guessed that. Gabby was easier to talk about.” Finlay thought for a moment. In the calm of Senan’s bedroom, with his mate in his arms and the smell of their shared lovemaking in the air, the events of the afternoon seemed a lifetime away.

“Today was a real eye-opener for me. That’s the only way I can put it. My own brother sent four of his strongest betas after me, not to hurt me, but to distract me long enough so he could get to you.

“What type of an asshole Alpha does that to his pack mates? He had to know I could beat them – they weren’t allowed to hurt me, so he was putting them at a disadvantage for a start. The second I knew what was happening, my only thought was to get back to you, and they kept getting in my way.

“UGH, it makes me so angry. Morgan should never treat his pack mates like that, but he was just so hellbent on getting his own way. It was pure selfishness. One of the betas told me they’d been there every day since Friday night, waiting for me to go for a run. Who does that?”

“You answered that yourself, hon. He’s always been selfish.” Senan’s hand stroking over his chest reminded Finlay of whatand who was important. “Did you speak to him at all before you came to find me?”

“Nope.” Finlay blew out a long breath. “I ran back to the clearing. You weren’t there. I remembered what you’d said about translocating to the car, and I could smell your magic in the air. I could also scent Morgan who had gone in the opposite direction. For me, the choice was obvious.” Finlay chuckled again. “There you were sitting in the car, reading on your phone as happy as you please. While I probably looked like the wild man of the woods.”

“Your wolf got plenty of exercise.” Senan yawned again. “I guess what’s worrying me more is what happens now? Do we have to move, or find you somewhere else to shift? Because, no disrespect to your only family member, but I know I really don’t want your brother popping up in our lives like a stinking turd every five minutes.”

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