Page 9 of Haze

Chapter 3

Lena

The question is simple enough. But eventually, he’ll find out I’m Lena Alden of The Ardelean line, and then Griffin O’Brien will head back to Ireland and be done with this lie of working for the university.

There’s... something about Finn that makes me want to answer his questions without my trademark sarcasm and snide remarks. And that’s unsettling. They’re my sword and shield against wolves who try to get too close. Which means I’ll have to double down on my defenses.

I glance around the room and, with a wave of my hand, indicate, “Seems I’m not so alone. There are at least fifty people here.”

Our mate. He found us. You clearly feel attracted to him. My wolf gets mouthy and pushes, wanting to get closer to him. She’s been hung up on him from the moment the damn door blew his scent straight to us.

I immediately recognized his scent from the wedding, and given his accent, he’s undoubtedly the not-so-little brother of Magnus O’Brien. The Irish pack is known for its illegal and violent ways of business. The advantage is that he must not recognize me as an Ardelean, or he wouldn’t be so forward with the ready-to-get-to-know-you attitude.

He is our mate. She pushes, focusing on the thickness of his muscles and overall size. He’s hot as fuck, and you want him too. He said he’s our mate. Were you not listening?

Finn fills out the barstool well. Wolves tend to be more lean, built for running and being nimble. How differently he’s built is more than slightly attractive. The size difference between us makes me want to bite my bottom lip, but I won’t let him see the effects he has on me.

We could be finding out where those tattoos lead. My wolf focuses back on the black ink poking out the sleeves of his jacket.

Despite the quickening beat of my heart at that prospect, I push her back, away from the forefront of our shared space.

Attraction is not grounds for mating. Give him an inch and he’ll want the mile.

Finn looks around the bar, taking in the bustling of entirely human patrons, then trains his eyes back on me. They turn from deep brown to a much lighter green. His wolf watches me, and heat floods through me.

My wolf wants to meet his, but I’m in control. She won’t be meeting his wolf. Not today. Not ever. I’ll keep us both safe. Because there’s no point in giving him any more reason to pay attention to me.

When he addresses me again, there’s a darkness to his words. “Why are you here, Lena?”

The way the question comes out unsettles me. It’s not quite accusatory, but it’s very reprimanding.

My wolf sinks, squirming lower inside me. Tell him we’ll be good.

The answer to his question is that my date found out I was a wolf and then was no longer interested in being seen in public with me. Not that that’s any of Finn’s business.

Our mate is here instead. My wolf wags her tail. Like cousin Ansel says: it all works out in the end.

I ignore her and give him half the truth. “Let’s say my date didn’t go as planned. He didn’t meet the minimum height requirement for the ride.”

He snorts with a laugh and an eye roll. “Size queen.”

I lift my water glass in a toast. “May he be long and hard in all the right places.”

He shakes his head and doesn’t say anything but drinks anyway. He drains the pale amber liquid from his glass in a final swig. As he promised before to drink his beer and move on, I expect him to stand to leave, but Finn, with his deep voice and rich Irish accent, flags down the bartender. While waiting, he pulls additional cash out of his wallet.

Jay comes down the bar, running his rag along the top. “Another?”

“Yes, please. And whatever she’s having this round.”

Jay looks at me, raising an eyebrow in concern. I’ve never let a man buy my drinks before. He knows my two-drink limit without Deacon here.

Today, I’m apparently possessed by something. Something like wanting to explore how Finn somehow knows exactly how to navigate my bratty behaviors. How the fuck is he so disarming?

I agree to it. “Only this once, Jay.”

Finn’s lips draw into the quickest smirk before it disappears. When Jay returns with our beers, Finn tips him well, and I wonder if it’s out of an attempt to impress me.

I pour my beer into my glass and wait for Finn to begin sipping before I do.

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