Page 28 of Finn's Solace

"Of course. We'll take care of her."

"She's scared of Padfoot, so be careful," I told Dad, and he patted my shoulder.

"I will, don't worry. You kids have fun. Come on in, Greta. Have you met Neya yet?"

Taking advantage of Dad's distraction, I grabbed Levi's hand and started leading him toward his car, much to his amusement.

"Your dads seem nice," he said, a smile in his voice, and I sighed, feeling much better about them now that there was some space between them and Levi.

"They are. Most of the time," I amended, making him chuckle.

We got into his car, and I breathed in the scent of fried food. Peering into the backseat, I spotted paper bags fromLena's, Trick and Vo's food truck. They were part of the clan, and no one was a better cook than Trick.

"Not dinner at a restaurant, then," I said, and Levi glanced at me as he started the car.

"Hmm?"

"I'm trying to figure out what we're doing tonight, and I've removed a restaurant dinner from the list of potentials."

Levi chuckled. "Yeah? Those could just be the appetizers."

"Four large paper bags worth of appetizers? I may eat more than an average human, but even I don't eat that much."

Levi snorted, then reached over and took my hand in his with an ease that surprised and delighted me. I felt like it was the first time, even though we'd held hands yesterday as well. Would I always feel like this, or was it just because it was so new?

It wasn't like I had no experience at all. I'd been on a few dates, and I'd had my share of hookups. But I'd never gotten past the first few dates, maybe because I struggled to trust people or because they could see something broken in me. I'd never figured it out, but a part of me was afraid it would be the same now, even though Levi was my mate.

How fucked up would I have to be to be unable to make things work with my mate?

My basilisk side huffed, as if he thought I was crazy for thinking I'd fail. I wasn't sure how his confidence in me made me feel.

"Finn? Everything okay?"

I jumped, then tried to wave it off by turning to look at him. "I'm okay. Just trying to puzzle out where we're going."

The sun had set already, and it was dark outside, save for the streetlights lining the road. But then those disappeared too, and I peered out the windshield, then blinked in surprise.

"We're heading out of town?"

"Sort of. You'll see."

Pursing my lips, I held back the questions popping up in my head. If this was a second date with a stranger, I'd be panicking and calling someone for help. But Levi wasn't a stranger, and I trusted him, even if he was driving us through the dark into...a field?

Levi stopped the car in the middle of the field, the land bare save for some weeds and brambles. There was nothing but grass on all sides.

"Uh..."

"Come on."

I followed Levi out of the car, then watched as he opened the trunk and took some things out. A thick blanket, two pillows, a pink rose, and a...candle?

He held the rose out to me, and I stared at it for a moment too long before taking it. It was a dark pink, almost red in the faint light from the moon.

"The color reminded me of your blush," Levi said, and I was glad for the dark because there my cheeks went heating up again.

Levi made me stand there while he carried everything to the front of the car. He spread the blanket on the ground in front of the car, then placed the pillows on it. He lit the candle—it was in a glass jar—with a lighter he pulled out from his pocket, and then placed it on the ground near the blanket but far enough that we wouldn't accidentally lie on it.

Then he brought out our food, and placed it beside the candle as well.

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