34. Finn

Chapter thirty-four

Finn

We have to get supplies. It’s been another four days, and we’ve run out of food. I’ve bullied everyone into the car and driven us into town. Locke and Erin are curled up against each other in the back seat. No one wants to go back to our realities. We want to stay in this dream, getting to know each other.

Erin wanders at night. I will often wake and find her not in bed, but she’ll be on the porch or standing at the window looking out at the forest. She asks the deepest questions, and we talk, sometimes until dawn.

Locke sings all the time. He doesn’t even realise he’s doing it, but Shane has taken to writing his lyrics so none of them get lost.

Shane can cook. That surprised the hell out of me. But he’s fantastic at it. He told me his mother taught him. When he does, he smiles and dances around the kitchen.

And Bray, well, he’s more playful than I ever imagined. He’s the one who pinches your butt or tackles someone for tickle fights. The lighter side of Bray is enchanting.

And me? I’ve discovered that I miss hiking. I’ve taken Locke on a couple of trips with me. I’m teaching him how to navigate so I never have to worry about him getting lost again. He asked me why I’m not taking tourists on walks. I’m already on the rescue team. Why not teach and train?

It got me thinking.

I shake myself free of my thoughts as we pull into town. Locke sits up, his eyes sweeping over the main street and finding the diner. As soon as I stop the car, he’s out and bounding over to snag Eustice in a hug.

I’m not sure how he’s managed to make such an impression, but the town is in love with him. And he’s slowly spreading his affection to other people outside the pack.

Erin shrugs in response to my silent question and follows Locke with a little wave.

“I need to go do a couple of hours’ work in the shop, catch up on a few jobs. Make sure Benny’s not running things into the ground.” Bray glances around. Holly waves at him, and, I swear, he does a double take. “Freaking weird,” he grumbles and elbows me when I laugh.

When he grabs onto me to stay upright, I kiss him quickly and step back, forcing myself to ignore the adorably soft expression.

“Shane and I will refill our supplies. Get everything ready. For home.” It feels weird saying that, but I love it.

“Let me know. I might bring the bike up,” Bray says. “If Karma is unhappy staying with Benny, I’ll grab her, too.”

I pause and peer at him. Emotions threaten to choke me. “Thank you, Bray.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “It's nothing.”

“It’s everything,” I argue.

His cheeks turn ruddy, and he clears his throat. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

Bray steps back again before finally turning and walking away. I watch him the whole time.

“I don’t know how we lived here for five years thinking that there was nothing between us.”

Shane brushes his shoulder against mine. “I don’t know, either.”

“Do you think they’re magic?”

“Who?”

“Erin and Locke. They walk into our lives, and I don’t even know who I am anymore, but I don’t even care. Like magic.”

Shane chuckles. “Come on, let’s go get the groceries.”

I follow Shane down the street to the grocer. It takes us an hour and costs seven times more than my own personal shop ever has. There’s a girl with purple hair in the back of the store looking at magazines.

Richie Simms smiles at me as I push the trolley past him. “You look really good, Finn.”

“I’m happy, Richie.”

“Man, that is so awesome.” Richie is about ten years older than me and married to a beta he met on a trip to the city. “I was rooting for you.”

Shane unfolds himself from his trolley and looks up. Just from the way he smiles, I know it’s one of the pack.

“Erin?” Shane says with a sigh.

I whip around, grinning. “Where’s Locke?”

“We’re meeting him at the diner. Come have lunch with us.”

“We have to put the groceries in the car,” I protest.

“I’ll do it!” Richie volunteers.

After a quick argument that I lose, I hand him the keys. Erin drags me by the hand back to the diner. People look up when I enter, but no one really pays me any attention, except Eustice, who waves.

“What’s going on? Have the aliens taken the town?”

“Oh, you’re old news. Doctor James is back from the city, and he has gossip!” Erin says with a wink that makes me want to drag her out to the car, shove her inside, and drive us out to the nearest secluded patch of forest.

Locke is wrapped around a chocolate thick shake, his eyes rolling. I sit down opposite him and watch. My dick twitches and starts to get hard.

There is something so erotic about Locke.

Shane must think so, too, because he lets out a low growl, and I notice a half a dozen people suddenly look away.

“Lets order!”

Bray is held up with a car engine that’s not behaving itself, and by unanimous decision, we all decide to wait for him to finish.

Locke and Shane go to the library and then to the park. Benny brings Karma over, and we all go on a long, rambling walk, which ends up with us all sitting around talking. I have never done this in town before. People stop and chat with us, but they don’t ask me for help, they don’t harass me, it’s pleasant.

There’s no pressure. I’m not wondering who I’m going to be letting down or how I’ll find someone to fill in at Destiny’s.

I have to go back to work in two days, and I’m not looking forward to it. I hate Bray being so far away.

Still, we need to get back to normal.

Erin and I wander alone as the sun sets and then head back to the diner. It’s much busier than it was this morning.

We go in and find our usual table.

Shane stomps in, spots us, and frowns.

I want to say I feel something. That there is some warning. But I’m still laughing at something Erin was saying when Shane stops at our table but doesn’t sit.

“Is Locke here?”

Such an innocent question.

I frown. “No. Why?”

“He was supposed to be here.”

“He was here, love,” Eustice says with a smile. “But he got a note from Brayson saying to go meet him.”

I go cold. Icy cold. “That’s not possible.”

“Bray sent a note?” Erin asks, glancing at me, confused, no doubt by the fear on my face.

“No, Bray would never do that,” I say hoarsely. “He would come himself.”

Eustice looks confused. “No, Locke read it out loud. I was close enough to hear it. Brayson sent that message.”

My head is swimming, fear swirling inside me. I look up and meet Shane’s eyes.

“It’s not Bray,” he agrees. “Someone has been hurting people in town. I didn’t see the pattern before, but now that Locke is missing, I can see that everyone who has been hurt interacted with Locke. Jess flirted with him and got a broken leg. He hugged Holly after the thick shake debacle, and she ended up with a gas leak.”

I stare at him, my eyes getting wider. People were getting hurt in town? Why didn’t someone tell me?

“Jason?”

“I think the results will come back, and it will officially be car failure or mechanical. But with what’s happening here…I’m not convinced.”

I’m still staring at Shane, dumbfounded and processing, when Eustice breaks into our conversation. “The two old ladies who were talking to Locke at Destiny’s had their house burned down.”

I snap my head towards Eustice. “What? Catarina and Melonie?”

“Sophie, who runs the bookstore, had a break-in, all her books were destroyed, that’s why she’s gone out of town.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

Erin stands up and turns very slowly. Her face is mercurial, glacial. The atmosphere is dangerous and crackling with electricity. I push to my feet, turning to face the people I’ve lived with all my life.

I can’t lose him. I can’t.

So who the fuck just lured our omega away from our pack?