Page 51 of Haze

He won’t. My wolf struggles against what I’m saying.

My growing anger is intimidating enough that my wolf stops trying to push us together with him.

“You seem upset with this, faolan,” Finn observes. He asks me again, “Do you want to talk it out? Ten seconds?”

“I think so,” I answer through gritted teeth.

“Ten.”

“I don’t like the idea of a Dominant controlling my life. I’m fine having an involved Dom, but that level of control doesn’t sound comfortable. How am I supposed to live my life with someone hovering over me? I don’t want to lose who I am because it’s my duty to submit. I might not want to wear your collar. What if it’s not a good fit with us?” I force out my heated words all at once but stall at the end, wanting to run the clock out.

“One.” Finn mercifully ends this torture.

I wait for him to say something, anything.

He puts the knife down, goes to the sink, and washes his hands before walking around the counter to sit on the stool next to me. Finn turns my stool to face him. I never thought of brown eyes as beautiful, but here they are, glistening in the afternoon sun. Their warmth pulls my soul toward his.

“I don’t want your submission through the obligation of our mate mark. I want your submission through choice, not fear. You hold all the power,” he says solemnly.

Did I hurt him? I study him.

Maybe Finn keeps his Dominance and status as an Alpha wolf separate? I don’t want to depend on anyone. It never goes well anyway.

My words don’t come out strongly, but they don’t need to. “You’ll feel different when my hormones aren’t raging and we’re back to normal. I don’t think it’s a good idea to get our hopes up that this is anything more than good chemistry during my heat.”

“I strongly disagree,” Finn declares. It pulls a smile from his mouth.

“I know.” That’s all I can think of to say. Of course, he disagrees.

Finn presses a kiss against my lips. It’s sweet but not chaste as his tongue laps my lips before teeth capture my bottom one and give a short bite. He runs his hands along the side of my face and down my shoulder. Without another word, Finn returns to the business side of the kitchen island.

He’s quiet as he sears steak strips in the pan.

It’s not until Finn puts a plate of fresh fajitas already in the shell in front of me that he speaks again.

He locks eyes with me when he says, “Hear this, faolan. I won’t stop trying to make this work. I’ll find common ground for us. You’re perfect for me. I know it. So, if it takes a long time to wear you down and get you to understand that I’m never going anywhere and never letting you leave, then I’ll wait.”

He tells the truth, my wolf points out, like she forgets that I can hear the strength and conviction in his words.

Finn’s under the same hormones we are. He might not be able to think it through all the way right now, but I’ve thought about it in the past. When the haze lifts and it’s not only sexual attraction, Finn will lose interest fast because while I’m a great contender for his mate on paper, I know the truth.

My wolf doesn’t like my logic. But unfortunately for her, I’m the one making decisions for us.

“Kathleen.” Finn holds my eyes with his. “There will come a day when you’ll tell me yes, you’ll wear my collar. There will be a day when you’ll say yes, you want me to be yours. I don’t expect it to be today. But it will come, and I’ll be waiting.”

The way he says these words has me wanting. But Finn will be waiting for a very long time because I never intend to let someone collar me.

My wolf whines. He would be so perfect for us. She tries to compromise. Just try it. For now.

Only during heat, what harm could it do?

Chapter 17

Finn

“Kathleen?” I roll from my side to my stomach, reaching for her waist. “You okay?”

As I blink against the light, her hand snakes over her shoulder, holding my mark. I hook her waist, trying to pull her against me. She shuffles, fighting back.

---