35. Danny

Chapter 35

Danny

I couldn't believe this was happening. Was this where the past couple of centuries had brought us? An entire clan terrified their alpha would end them.

When I'd said I'd wipe the clan off the face of the earth, I clearly should've been more specific. I hadn't meant the ordinary members, I'd meant the council. Those who'd contrived to hurt those I'd loved.

I was furious. Furious with myself for giving them any reason to think they'd be the ones to suffer my ire. At the council, for fucking the clan over so much that they no longer knew where they stood. At Iain, Alisdair, and Iris, for risking so much just to gain power for themselves.

Just like that, I knew what I had to do. Lowering my voice to a whisper, I asked Riley, "Can you stand?"

He nodded quickly. I put him on his feet, watching to make sure he was steady. The skin around the bandage showed his wound was almost healed, but he'd lost a lot of blood. Even bonded to a supe, he wouldn't bounce back that fast.

Sure enough, he swayed on the spot, his cheeks turning a delicate shade of green. Logan stepped up, looping his arm around Riley's waist and taking his weight.

My skin prickled at the fact that another man, another very naked man, was touching my mate. But it was either that or watch Riley face plant on the floor. I nodded to Logan to show my gratitude before turning to Finn.

His lips were pursed. "This won't work, Danny."

"It will. We're going to make it work."

Calan nodded his agreement. "Don't be scared, brother. Change is good."

Change is good. What a perfect sentiment. I'd once believed the opposite, that happiness lay in the status quo. I knew now that wasn't true. If things hadn't changed between me and Riley, I wouldn't have had him as my mate.

I knew Finn was scared. He was terrified that they wouldn't accept this, but they were more ready than he believed. Change didn't always happen in great leaps. Sometimes it was slow and steady ripples, happening so gradually you didn't even realise what was happening. All this time, Finlay had been preparing the clan for this change.

Now, it was time to take the leap.

Lifting my chin, I addressed the clan. "Your lives are safe, as they always will be while I'm alpha."

A low murmur of relief went through the crowd, another painful reminder of how badly I'd failed them. No more. Doing this was the best thing for everyone. "Iris, Iain, and Alisdair attempted to take power for themselves. They hired mercenary shifters to attack myself, my mate, Finlay, Calan, and Logan."

Shock rippled through them. Obviously they would've pieced some of what had happened together from all the comings and goings, but I don't think they'd pieced together the full magnitude.

"They have paid for their traitorous behaviour with their immortality. If you had no involvement in this endeavour, then you have nothing to fear. Not from me, or any of us."

Calan spoke up, his growl a warning for all to hear. "But believe me, if you did have something to do with it, we will find out. And you will pay."

I scanned the faces before me, searching for any signs of guilt. Beside me, I knew Finlay was doing the same.

"Indeed. But let me assure you, if you're innocent, you have nothing to fear. I will protect you with my life, as will all the men at my side. Your best interests are always in my heart, even if I haven't always demonstrated that. But now—" I stepped forward, gesturing for Finn to do the same. "—now, I'm going to leave you in the hands of one who always does what's best for the clan. Finlay has led you for over a century now and is a better leader than I could ever dream of being."

"But he's not an alpha!" The words came from a reedy shifter standing at the edge of the crowd. "You'll be leaving us open to attacks from other clans."

I fixed him with a heavy stare. "I would never leave you open to attack. Rest assured, at the slightest hint of danger, I shall return to do my duty. I will remain your alpha, but in name only. That will deter any power-hungry clans from coming sniffing, but Finlay will have full control over the clan."

"What about us?" Another person stepped forward, this time a council member, Shane. "There are still council members here. Shouldn't we get the right to choose?"

"You lost that right when you betrayed your alpha." Dominance rang through every word. "If you had nothing to do with today's events, you can remain on in an advisory position. But that's all it will be— advisory ."

Finn spoke up. "For too long this clan has been controlled by those who don't have our best interests at heart. Are we going to let that continue?"

Hope surged in me at the number of people in the crowd who shook their heads. Our clan weren't fools. They could see as well as we could how shit the council had been.

Shane wasn't finished. "But we won't be safe without an alpha here full time!"

I rolled my eyes. What bollocks, they'd been safe for decades without me here.

Before I could argue with him, Calan stepped forward. His hawklike gaze swept the crowd. "We don't need an alpha to be safe. We can protect our own. Right?"

The chests of several shifters in the crowd puffed out. I smiled inwardly, knowing the future of the clan was as much with them as it was with Finlay and his brother. I added my thoughts. "Exactly. I pity the fool who tries to attack the McCarthy Clan. Today, dozens of mercenaries infiltrated our land. None of them will be leaving it. We have defended you all, and will continue to do so, regardless of who holds the title of leader."

Finlay's chin lifted. "Danny is right. We can hold our own against what threats may come our way. With your permission, I'll lead us all forward into a new era. One where we don't just exist as a clan, but where we thrive . A future driven by change. A change for the better. Together, we can create a history we will be proud to tell our children. Not one stained with betrayal and infighting, but one that shows us united as a people. A clan that cares for one another. Protects one another. Loves one another."

Finlay raised his fist on the final word, and the clan roared their response so loud it rattled my bones.

Calan touched his brother's shoulder, his roar joining the others. Stepping aside, I swapped places with Logan so he could do the same. I smiled at them all, knowing without a doubt that this was the right decision.

Riley was biting his lip. "Are you sure?"

"I am." I kissed his forehead. "They're exactly where they're supposed to be, and so am I. At your side, for the rest of eternity."

F inn and the others had everything under control, so I was free to do the thing I cared about most.

Look after Riley.

It was why I'd never be the leader the clan needed. At the end of the day, Riley would always come first for me.

Nothing was going to change that.

I carried my mate into the house we'd shared for the past two months. Ran him a bath. Washed every inch of him. Checked his almost healed wound before re-bandaging it. Kissed every place he'd been hurt. I hadn't even known about some of them, but Riley helped me find them.

The shoulder that had been broken.

His thigh that had been clawed.

His arm that had been bitten.

His head that had been hit.

I sought them all out, soothing the healed flesh with my kisses. Each one was an atonement. An apology that I hadn't been fast enough. A promise to always come for him.

"Enough," Riley said eventually, rolling me over until he was straddling me. My mate gave me a fierce look as he leaned on my chest. "Enough of your guilt, Daniel. You saved me, just as you always do."

"I should've been faster."

Riley put his fingers on my ribs and raised one eyebrow. "Go on. Continue. I dare you."

I squirmed at the mere thought of being tickled. "Okay, truce. I'll stop."

"Good. Because I'm fine." Pushing himself up so his arse was square against my groin, he unwrapped the bandage. "See? Healed. Oh!"

"What? What is it?"

"The mating mark." He stroked the faint indentations my teeth had left in wonder. "I thought it'd be gone."

"No, princess. It's as much a part of you as your hair or your fingernails. Even if the skin is damaged or removed, it'll reappear once it's healed."

Riley smiled tenderly. "That makes me so happy. I won't lie, I was devastated when I thought it was gone. It's probably a stupid thing to be upset about but?—"

"It's not." My thumb traced circles over his hips. "It's the physical proof that you belong to me. That we belong to each other and can't be parted. I would've been upset too."

"You get me." He leaned down to kiss my lips. "Now, you want to fuck me so we can try to forget about this clusterfuck of a day?"

"Princess, I thought you'd never ask." Shoving my hand under the pillow, I pulled out the lube and waggled my brows at my mate. "Look what I found."

He grinned. "Genius. Guess I can ride you the way I wanted to today after all."

"I can't promise it'll be as adrenaline inducing as the ride from earlier," I quipped, relieved we could joke about it. With all the shit that happened in the supe world, it was better not to dwell on it if you could. Fortunately, we had a great therapist on the fringes of our little group, but I didn't think Dr. Tyler's services were going to be needed after today. It was handy knowing he was there though, just in case. "But I'll give it my best shot."

"So long as you don't make me feel sick, we'll be grand."

A laugh bubbled up in me as I snagged Riley's neck and dragged him down to me. "Now that, I can do."

Our kisses started slow. An exploration. We didn't break apart as I prepped Riley, knowing his body as well as my own at this point.

It wasn't until I added a third finger and brushed against his prostate that things stepped up a notch. Riley groaned against my mouth as he pushed back on my hand. His teeth caught my bottom lip, making me groan as his heated gaze devoured me.

"I'm ready," he said, releasing my lip. "Get inside me, Danny. Hurry. I need this."

He lifted his hips for me to line myself up. He didn't go slow, sinking down until all of him was wrapped around me. "Riley. You're perfection."

My mate sat up, his hands on my stomach as he began to move, slow and sinuous. I was transfixed by him. The blush staining his neck and cheeks. His lips, parted and still swollen from my kisses. His hooded eyes. The veins of the back of the hand touching my abs.

"How did I get so lucky?" I murmured in awe.

Riley winked at me. "I know, I am fabulous. I'm amazed you didn't see it earlier."

And, just like that, we were laughing again. Needing him closer, I tugged on his arm until we were chest to chest. "Me too, to be honest. Or, maybe I did, and your fabulousness was just too much for me to deal with full time."

"Well you fucked that up too, considering how close we've always been." Riley's sentence finished on a moan as I fucked up into him. "Oh yes, that's good. Do that again."

Putting my feet flat on the bed, I obliged my mate, tunnelling in and out of him until he was wailing in my ear. With one of my arms wrapped around his upper back and the other on his rear, we were as close as we could possibly be. Riley's cock was trapped between our stomachs, but from the feelings coming through the bond, it wasn't too much.

It was just enough. Just enough to get Riley where he needed.

"Danny," he moaned in my ear, bouncing on my cock furiously. "Baby, please. Come with me."

"I'm right there with you, princess." There was just one more thing I needed. "Kiss me, Riley."

His lips slammed against mine. His tongue was in my mouth, his hands were in my hair, his cock against my stomach, and his hole tight around my shaft.

His soul bonded to mine.

We couldn't have been closer. What was even better was that this was our future.

Nothing would ever come between us again. Nothing would try to tear us apart. They wouldn't be able to. It was me and Riley against the world. The way it was always supposed to be. The way I'd wanted it to be since the night we'd met.

Even if it had taken me a while to realise it.

Fuck, I was so happy we'd both come to our senses. It might've taken a lot to get us here but I had no doubt that this was where we were meant to end up.

Together.

That's how we came too, just as my mate had wanted. I clung to him as my hips gave their final stuttering jerks.

Riley's breathing was loud in my ear. "You'd think being mated to a supe, I'd be fitter."

Just like that, I was laughing again. Pressing a kiss to his neck, I stroked along his spine. "You should write a letter of complaint to the Department of Supes."

"Does that exist?"

I snorted. "Of course it fucking doesn't. You think there's a department trying to make sure we're all behaving? Have you met half of our friends? They sure as fuck don't do what anyone tells them…aside from their mates, obviously. Besides, you've seen what having a council can do to a clan."

I knew I needed to pull out of him, but neither of us was ready to lose that connection just yet.

"True. And you're okay about all of this? Leaving the clan in Finlay's hands."

"Yes." There was no hesitation in my response. "Finn's hands are a much safer pair than mine."

Riley sniffed. "Excuse me, Daniel, I happen to think you have the safest pair of hands going."

I gave my mate a lazy half grin. "Aye, because they're your pair of hands. That's the problem. I can't put the clan first, because you already occupy that spot. They need someone who can do that for them."

Riley frowned. "What if Finn finds a mate?"

Now that was a good question. I thought about it for a long moment before blowing out a breath. "Honestly? No idea. But leaders of clans have mates all the time and it doesn't interfere with how they run things. Hopefully Finlay will be able to separate the two better than I could."

"Hmm." Riley seemed as sure about that happening as I was. "Let's hope."

I kissed his hair. "Are you ready to go home with me, Riley?"

He sighed, smiling happily up at me. "Home, with you. Yep. That's the perfect sentence right there. Sign me the fuck up."

W e'd said our goodbyes to the wider clan last night, but now it was time for the hard ones. The ones I hadn't expected to do so soon.

Don't get me wrong, this was what I wanted. Being here, living this life, had once been as familiar as breathing. Now though, it was foreign to me. This wasn't my home anymore.

Riley was. My life in Southampton was.

And I couldn't wait to get back to it.

But that didn't make this goodbye any easier.

Logan was saying a tearful farewell to Riley, leaving me with Calan and Finn.

Calan embraced me first. "Come back soon, Danny. Leave it another hundred and fifty years and I'll be tracking you down."

I laughed thickly. "God, to see you in a city . Could you imagine?"

Calan visibly shuddered. "Fuck no. I can't think of anything worse, so you better make sure I don't need to by coming back here often."

"I will." I smiled at his rugged face. "I've missed you all. I might not want to live here, but that doesn't mean you're seeing the last of me. I'll be back before you know it."

Calan slapped me on the shoulder before strolling over to Riley and switching places with Logan.

Tears were tracking freely down Logan's cheeks. The bond he'd formed with Riley was both special and unexpected. I knew it would hurt my mate as much as it would Logan to leave him behind.

"You look after him, Danny."

"I will." I hugged Logan tight. "Nothing will hurt Riley, I promise. And we'll be back up to visit you before long. You're welcome to come down to us too—whenever you want to. Our door will always be open."

Unlike Calan, Logan didn't seem put off by this idea. "Ooh, you're on. Think of all the fresh meat down there. I could use some new… friends ."

I let him go with a chuckle. "Uh-huh. Friends. That's what Riley and I were too…until we weren't."

Logan just rolled his eyes before hustling back to pull Riley into one more hug. The two of them broke into a hushed conversation, promising frequent messages and video calls.

That left just one goodbye for me.

Finlay was standing a few feet away with his back to us as he stared out into the forest. His broad shoulders were tight, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

I steeled my spine as I joined him. "Sure you're okay with this?"

"Aye." The wind ruffled his hair. "This place is my home, Danny. It'll be my honour to protect it." He glanced sideways at me. "That isn't a criticism, by the way. This isn't your home now, and it won't ever be again. Not after what happened with…them."

It hit me then, that I hadn't heard Finn speak their names once. I racked my brain, going over our previous conversations. Your family. Your wife.

Not once had he said their names.

I tracked his gaze into the trees, mapping out the distance in my mind, trying to work out whether that was what he was looking towards.

He was. Finlay was looking towards the cabin.

Shock punched me in the gut as I studied his impassive face. No. Surely not… "Finn, were you?—"

He cut me off with a hug. "It's been good to see you, Danny. It has."

I patted his back, reeling from the realisation still clicking together in my mind. "Finlay…about Sarah…"

He pulled away, trying to hide his wince. "You know I love you, right, Daniel?"

"Of course," I said softly, my heart cracking in my chest as I realised I hadn't been the only one grieving. Some might have thought I should have been angry, that my best friend had been secretly hiding his love for my wife, but I wasn't. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Finn never would've crossed that boundary with Sarah. You didn't choose love, it chose you. How could I be mad that Sarah was the one his heart had settled on when she'd captured my own with such ease?

"And if you loved her too, I wouldn't hold that against you. Sarah was a beautiful soul. I wouldn't blame you for loving her as I did. If anything, I'm glad she had that, even if she didn't know."

"She didn't," he said heavily, twisting his body so I could only see his face in profile. But there was no hiding the grief there. "Sarah and Maria were yours, Danny. I know that."

"No," I said fiercely, cupping his shoulder. "They were ours. We were a family then. The council, they destroyed us. They broke everything, and now, nothing can be the same."

"They did."

It hit me then, how much stronger than me Finlay was. At least I'd been able to leave. He'd had had to stay, looking the rest of them in the face day after day, knowing what they'd taken from us. From him. Keeping his grief hidden. Not letting anyone see that he was heartbroken too. To step into the leadership role and work alongside those who were suspected of orchestrating Sarah and Maria's deaths.

"You're a good man," I said finally, squeezing his shoulder once more before releasing him. "The best. And I hope you find the happiness you deserve."

He finally looked at me then, a wry smile twisting his lips as he shook his head. "Nah, it's not for me. I've got the clan. That's all I need."

We exchanged another hug as I promised to return as often as needed. Finlay also threatened to come and visit us in Southampton, but like Calan, I couldn't see him in the city. He needed nature around him in the same way the rest of us needed oxygen.

Finally, it was just me and Riley in the car, heading back down the dirt road to civilisation.

Riley took my hand. "Everything okay? Things felt a bit intense with Finn there."

"Yeah." I bit my lip, trying to decide if it would be a breach of confidence if I told Riley what I'd realised. Then I remembered that not only was he my mate, he was my best friend. Whatever I knew, he knew. That was just how it worked. "I think…I think he had feelings for Sarah."

I felt Riley's punch of shock through the bond. "Shit, that's…wow."

"That's pretty much where I'm at with it."

"Are you okay?"

Am I? "I think so. It's not like he can help how he feels, or felt. If anything, I'm sad. Finn's had to hide his grief all this time while also being unable to escape the place where it happened. That's got to fucking suck."

"Poor Finn," Riley murmured, his thumb stroking the back of my hand. "I hope he finds the happiness he deserves."

"Me too." I lifted Riley's hand to my lips. "Just like we have."