Page 45 of Howling Mad
She smiles, squeezing my hand.“I’ve got this.Trust me.”
The circle falls silent as Finley takes her place.Even my father leans forward slightly, his attention fixed on the woman who dares claim to be my mate.
Elder Mabel begins the sequence, her aging voice still impressively strong as she howls the traditional notes.When she finishes, she gestures for Finley to repeat the pattern.
Finley closes her eyes briefly and then lifts her face.The sound that emerges is pure and powerful, hitting each complicated note with perfect precision.The hall falls utterly silent as she completes the sequence flawlessly, adding a subtle harmony at the end that enhances rather than alters the traditional pattern.
When she finishes, even Elder Mabel looks impressed.“Well done, young wolf.Your voice honors your lineage.”
Surprised murmurs ripple through the gathering.I don’t bother hiding my pride as Finley returns to her seat, a slight flush on her cheeks the only sign of her nervousness.
“That was incredible,” I whisper as she sits beside me.“Where did you learn to howl like that?”
“Choir for twelve years,” she whispers back.“Plus, I spent my childhood trying to prove I belonged despite being different.I practiced pack ceremonies until I was perfect.”
Something in her admission strikes deeply in my chest.The recognition of shared experience, of never quite fitting the mold we were expected to fill, makes me reach out to squeeze her hand as we share a look of comprehension, recognizing each other’s painful pasts.
As dinner progresses, I notice Eleanor engaged in an intense conversation with my father across the room.Their body language speaks of disagreement, her gestures animated while he remains stone-faced and immovable.When she finally returns to our table, her expression is troubled.
“What was that about?”I ask quietly.
She sighs, folding her napkin with precise movements.“Politics.Your father has...plans for the pack’s financial future.”
Before I can press for details, Dexter rises, commanding the room’s attention with a single gesture.
“Tomorrow’s business discussions will feature a special guest.Claudia Hayburn has generously offered her financial expertise to help evaluate our investment strategies.”
The bottom drops out of my stomach.Claudia, my ex-girlfriend, the alpha’s daughter who dumped me when I chose finance over a traditional pack role despite her being in finance, too.She claimed it was different because I was a male wolf and needed to act like one.Another wolf who decided I wasn’t enough or was defective.It stings just thinking about her.
Beside me, Finley tenses, recognizing the name from our previous conversations.She takes my hand under the table, squeezing tightly.“Of course,” I mutter bitterly.“Now it all makes sense.”
Father wants me here to witness and bear the humiliation of them going outside the pack to choose a financial advisor, especially my ex.Is he punishing me for not being what he wants or trying to force me to be aggressive enough to claim the role myself?I have no interest in doing the latter, if that’s his plan.This feels like a carefully orchestrated attempt to pull me back into pack business and possibly, back into a relationship my father considers more suitable.
The evening drags on interminably.By the time we’re finally able to excuse ourselves, exhaustion and tension have formed a tight knot between my shoulders.We walk back to the cabin in silence, both of us slumping slightly as though bearing invisible weights.
Inside my childhood bedroom, Finley kicks off her shoes with a relieved sigh.“That was an experience.”
“I am so sorry,” I say, pacing the small space.“I had no idea they’d put you through that howling ritual.Or that my father would arrange for my ex to show up tomorrow.This whole thing is obviously a setup.”
“Hey.”Finley catches my hand, halting my pacing.“Stop apologizing.I knew what I was getting into.”
“Did you?Because I’m not sure I did.”I run a hand through my hair, dislodging the careful styling.“My father is clearly trying to maneuver me back into pack business, using Claudia as bait.It’s manipulative and disrespectful to both of us.”
“And completely transparent.”She guides me to sit on the edge of the bed.“Look, your father can scheme all he wants.It doesn’t change anything between us.”
I look at her, taking in the quiet confidence she’s maintained throughout this difficult evening.“How are you so calm about all this?”
“Because I know who you are, Michael.”She kneels in front of me, taking both of my hands in hers.“Not the beta’s son in fancy ceremonial dress.Not the rebellious wolf who left the pack.Just you, the man who loves numbers and stargazing and makes perfect scrambled eggs.”
Something tight in my chest unravels at her words.“I don’t deserve you.”
“Probably not,” she agrees with a teasing smile, “but you’re stuck with me anyway.”
I pull her up to sit beside me on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.“I should warn you about tomorrow.Claudia is formidable, and there is some serious history there.”
“Tell me,” she says simply.
So I do.I tell her about growing up as the beta’s only son and the expectation that followed me everywhere.About meeting Claudia in college, thinking I’d found someone who understood my ambitions before her eventual ultimatum to be a “real” wolf and choose the beta position or choose finance as well as the fallout when I chose wrong to her thinking.
