4. Finn

Chapter four

Finn

My mother would have loved Locke, she would have seen him and snapped his stunned, suspicious, charming self up under her wings and dragged him home. The thought makes me ache. I miss her. I miss them.

I keep up a constant stream of conversation, telling them about the town, about the festival. I barely know what I’m saying. Locke, the man in the back, is so different from anyone I’ve ever met. The fire in his eyes is intriguing. The hurt under the surface drags out my protective instincts. He is as much the opposite of me as Brayson is. But I have never felt such an instant connection. It was immediate.

But she is exactly my type. Almost. It wasn’t until I got in the car that her scent and designation hit me. Alpha. She is mouthwatering. She’s curvy with fire inside her. Erin might look cold, but I bet she goes absolutely up in flames when she lets go of her control. An alpha. Amazing.

I lean my elbow on the truck window and slow the car to a gentle crawl as we get to the wooden bridge. This is one of the best views as we cross the river, on one side you have the sharp ascent of the mountains, and on the other side, the thick forest and the road back to town, the only sign that you’re still on the same planet.

“This is lovely,” Erin says from the passenger seat. Her voice is filled with awe, and this is what I love so much about this place. This moment. Because you can’t not be awed when Mother Nature is all around you.

“Yes. It is incredible, exceptional. It’s home.” I breathe out, feeling that familiar contentment. I will never live anywhere else. Twin Rivers and these mountains are my forever.

The man in the back shifts his weight and leans forward, breaking the peace. His inability to sit still is something I see a lot with tourists. The twitching, jittery movements that never stop. Always reaching for a phone or trying to type a message. I’ve seen a million of him.

And yet, he stands above and apart from them.

“Who was that man?” He asks, and it comes out like an accusation, but do I detect a hint of longing?

I grit my teeth. I don’t want to talk about Brayson. He’s a pain in the ass. In particular, he makes it his absolute mission in life to irritate Shane and I. Brayson is everything that’s wrong with this world, and in particular, this small town.

“That was Brayson Langley. He is…Bray,” I say in a stiff tone.

Locke snorts. “That clears up a lot. Why do you hate him? What does he do? Where does he come from? How do I get his cock inside me?”

I choke and have to grab the steering wheel hard to stop us from driving off the side of the bridge.

“He walks a fine line between being a nuisance and being trouble. He drinks too much, gets into fights every other weekend, and is the local mechanic.” My voice is hard, I really don’t want to talk about this! The familiar mix of envy and shame rise, and I squash them.

“Does he have a hot bike, too?” Locke asks.

With a glower, I nod sharply. “He’s got a couple of different rides that would appeal.”

“And lots of tattoos?”

I groan. “Save yourself the trouble. Brayson doesn’t do anything but one-night stands. He will chew you up and spit you out.”

“I didn’t say I was interested,” Locke says defensively. He smiles wickedly. “But I am. Deeply interested.”

“Everyone’s interested,” I snap.

Erin chuckles quietly, but when I look at her, she’s looking out the window.

I start driving again, slowly rumbling over the bridge. For the next fifteen minutes, we sit in silence as I drive us home.

As we get close, I glance at her, watching her wide eyes and the awe that slowly transforms her. This is my favourite moment. It’s why I bring my guests out here myself personally.

For this moment, as they view my home for the first time.

It humbles me. Especially knowing this is my family’s legacy.

I glance at Locke and find him frowning at the scenery. His reaction confuses me. I return my eyes to the scene in front of me and drive slowly through the resort. There are eighteen cabins built over a large area of the property, allowing for privacy, plus the main house where we have a bar and restaurant that often has local musical talent playing. Quite a number of the townsfolk make it up here on the weekends.

I stop the car in front of the main house and look up at it. The glass windows go the entire two stories and frame a view of the mountains, the house is built out of wood and stone.

My fathers built it for my mother. It’s stunning, and there is luxury and love in every single line of the architecture

“So, this is the main house. Every night, we serve dinner and drinks. On the weekend, we host evenings in the bar.” I lead them through the house, trying to take it in from their eyes.

It is impressive. I feel the presence of my family every time I welcome a new guest.

I lead them into the bar. It’s empty at the moment, but there’s a huge piano in one corner and a stage for a band to come and play.

My bar is cozy and dark, with wood finishes and expensive bottles of booze displayed on the back wall. There’s tables, booths, and places to stand and chat, and a pool table.

“This is Destiny’s.”

“Destiny?” Locke asks absently.

“My mother’s dream. A bar where she could come and play her music and talk to her friends.”

Erin turns slowly, taking it all in. “It’s beautiful, Finn.”

“We’ll be having a few of the festival shows here over the next couple of days if you choose to stay.”

Locke is staring at the stage with a hunger that I’ve rarely seen. I almost ask about it, but change my mind when the door slams open.

“Finn!”

I turn and groan. Of all the luck.

“Keep that cabin empty!”

Locke turns, and I see Shane’s eyes land on him, and the huge, grumpy man stops in his tracks. He looks like he’s been pole-axed. I have never seen him ever look like that. Like Locke is something to be feared, but he wants to drown in him.

Locke drifts towards him, reluctantly, as if he can’t help himself. His eyes take in all of Shane from the top of his long brown hair with its blond streaks, to the thick beard, down the flannel to the jeans, and finally, back up. Shane is huge, bigger even than Bray, he’s not got the chiseled muscles, but his body is thick, and even with the layer of padding, he is still unbelievably strong.

He also permanently rents cabin seven. A long-term tenant who is out here building his own home. He’s antisocial and barely speaks in words and still manages to offend everyone. But he’s my friend.

“I can’t. It’s for a week. I need the money,” I say flatly. It’s not true, I have enough money, but dammit, I’m sick of Shane putting limitations on how I do my business.

It’s tiring and chafes.

“Locke,” the female alpha’s warning halts the young man in his tracks.

He glances back, throws a cocky smile, and veers away from Shane like he was never going that way to begin with.

That doesn’t stop Shane from turning to keep him in view as he wanders to the bar.

Erin clears her throat. Twice.

Only then does Shane turn and spot her. I frown at the complete stupefied expression that crawls across his face. He almost looks scared.

But Erin swans past me and holds out a hand with purple nails.

“Hello, I’m Erin.”

Shane looks down at her hand and then back up at her face. He doesn’t reach out and take her hand.

“Shane, this is Erin. Erin, this is Shane. Please, forgive his rudeness, he doesn’t people much.” My ire must show in my voice because he glances at me and finally clears his throat.

He reluctantly holds out his hand and shakes Erin’s so quickly he may as well not have done it. When he’s done, he wipes his hands on his jeans.

I groan. Really? The man is the closest thing I have to a family anymore.

He grunts. I cock my head to the side, trying to fathom what thought process went through his head to come up with that as an answer.

I grind my teeth, frustrated all over again with the circumstances.

“Shane,” I warn.

His gaze flickers to me, and he turns on his heel and walks out. I watch him go with the same frustration I always feel.

But I’m not the only one. My two new guests watch him turn tail and run, too.

“Well, that went well,” I mutter. “Let me show you a couple of quick things, and I’ll take you to the cabin to relax.”

They follow me back into the main dining room. I lead them through to the reception.

I pass Erin and Locke a brochure for the resort that has a number of trails marked out with some history about the views.

“If you don’t want to attend the festivities, you can stay here or go to the lookout, the waterfalls, or just walk the trails. Here are the emergency numbers, safety instructions, how to use the heater and the fireplace. And my personal number you can ring day or night.”

I gesture to lead them onto the porch. My car’s gone, but Vance would have come and taken it to deliver their bags to the cabin.

I lead them into the woods, pointing out the markers.

“Each trail has its own colour and number. The main house is always the number one on all start points. All trails will lead you back here if you get lost. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided, but the booze is not included.”

The roar of the river is loud, as it always is. But it gets even more so as we follow the trail around a curve and spot the small cabin. It sits on the river’s edge, the balcony over the water. It’s my favourite cabin, and I quite often come down here to spend a few days alone.

They go quiet as I open the cabin door. The river side of the cabin is glass, so you can see the clear blue water and boulders. In heaven, this is an extra special place.

“So, this is the cabin. There’s a bedroom through there. A bathroom. You can swim in the river, though it’s a bit cold this time of the year. But enjoy your stay.”

I step back, suddenly reluctant to leave them, but I’ve run out of excuses to stay.

Locke whirls and sweeps his golden hair out of his eyes as he watches me retreat.

“Where’s the big guy live?” Locke asks.

I’m disappointed by the question, but at least he gives me a reason to delay my leaving.

“Shane lives up that way,” I point up the river.

Locke walks up close to me and reaches past me, dangerously close. So close I can smell the vanilla scent of him, stronger than it was before. He looks at me sideways as he grabs his backpack off the chair behind me and winks.

A rush of heat goes through me, and I focus on him and the graceful, lazy movements.

It occurs to me that Locke is out of his element. He’s toned down. The hint of seduction and confidence is bleeding back into him with every second. His grin is lethal. I think I may have underestimated him.

“Finn,” he all but purrs. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

I narrow my eyes and turn towards him as he circles around me. Erin is still standing by the window, staring out over the water, but Locke is bristling with energy.

Challenging, aggressive, and very arousing energy. His eyes glint as his teeth flash. Those long fingers shove the backpack back onto the chair and then sink deep into his pockets, drawing and aiming my gaze right down. I force myself to look up, look into his eyes. The smirk has deepened.

“Can I help you with anything else, Locke?” I say the words calmly, evenly.

His pupils dilate, and I know I’m not imagining his attraction for me. His nostrils flare as he inhales, drawing in my scent.

I lean back casually. Yes, I know I’m just a beta, but I’m my own person. And it doesn’t seem to matter to this man in front of me. He just wants me. I can see it. That’s not going to happen.

“Oh, there are definitely things that I need help with,” Locke murmurs.

“Just give me a call, anytime,” I say in a low voice. Smiling politely, all professional.

Locke looks me up and down, really slowly. His smile flickers and drops off. Confusion crosses his face before he blanks it.

I turn to find Erin leaning against the glass with her arms crossed. She raises an eyebrow, and I can see what she thinks. I can also see that she doesn’t seem threatened or to mind.

I take a step back, and she laughs lightly.

“Come to dinner. Around six.”

She dips her head, her hair falling artfully around her. Damnit, all I want is to grab her and kiss her until she can’t breathe.

I leave before I end up finding an excuse to stay.

Once I’m outside, I smile up at the cloudless sky. For the first time in a long time, there’s excitement in my chest and a thrilling anticipation pumping through my veins.

I turn towards Shane’s cabin and consider going up there to yell at him for a bit. In the end, though, I turn and take the trail up to the falls. I want to keep this feeling for as long as I can, bask in it for a while.

Who are they?

And what is he? He doesn’t feel like an alpha nor a beta. I’d know if he was an omega. He’s a mystery. A muted designation.

And why does he look so familiar?

Who is he?

All of these questions follow me up to the falls, but ultimately, they’re pushed away by the happy feelings of something new, of something exciting.

Maybe this is what we all need?