Fin's Claim

The Beginning

Victoria's POV

His hand still gives me the same small tingles that creep up my arm into my chest, comforting my raging heart.

"Vic it's going to be alright, just be yourself, don't block him from your feelings, let him see who you are. He'll fall in love with you the way I did." His lips brush against my forehead, feather-light, no other meaning but to provide his comfort to my beating heart.

I'll take his advice, this is my truth for Fin to see, I've ripped away my white veil of purity long ago, it's been replaced by a dirty shroud that wraps around me for only Fin to see it's blackness. I have nothing left to offer Fin except for the truth of who I am.

Watching Fin walk into the room with Meela, she's drunk and swaying on her feet, her body filled with that poison of freedom the only whiskey can bring.

Grey goes to her, bending his head down he whispers low in her ear "why?" She just states "she's weak."

Running to the bathroom on wobbly legs I watch as Grey follows her. Letting the contents of her stomach heave out while Grey is by her sides making sure her hair is pulled back out of the way. I turn my attention to Fin as he regards me with a look of distaste.

The way he's looking reminds me of the way my father used to look at me. All the bitter childhood memories come flooding back leaving a harsh aftertaste in the back of my throat, coating the side of my tongue. His caustic gaze burns a hole into my soul with that look of disgust....

"You need to shower again I can still smell that mutt and now Grey all over you. Then again I should be used to smelling males all over you."

I stay sitting on the chair, my head bowed down trying desperately to reign my wolf in, she wants out to meet Fin's skin side...she wants to meet this male that's supposed to be our mate...

"His name was Charlie and he was my best friend." I choke it out but don't give him the satisfaction of tears. A single strong finger meets my flesh just below my chin angling my head upwards to meet his dark grey eyes. Tactile pleasure surges along my nerve ending where our skin is touching.

"I would have named my pup after my father, so I don't give a shit about your best friend, you killed my son...you slept with my brother...you did all this. You challenged me and lost...you have no one to blame but yourself."

"Why did you even claim me Fin?" His eyes turn a deep grey "my wolf smelt him all over you, he claimed what was his, I, unfortunately, lost my mind for a split second and that's when I claimed you...I regret it, trust me when I say that....I regret it."

With that, he takes the single finger away from my chin stepping back from me. We regard each other in the silence of the room.

Neither one of us saying another word as the enormity of our situation sinks in.

"Take another shower Victoria I'm warning you and use lots of soap." I can tell he serious with his threat.

"I am serious, now go and wash yourself again. I know you aren't used to being clean, but at least try to smell clean." He turns leaving me alone in the room waiting for the bathroom.

This is not Grey I'm dealing with, this is Finian the true first born Alpha male of the Northern Pack. Through teeth and claw, he has won the Western Pack and now the Western pack. He is just coming into all his true potential power and he has made me enemy number one.

I understand how to behave, how to walk that tightrope line without falling off. I've had many years of practice perfecting my skills as a second. A part of my true natural self is bristling with this, how I have to force myself into the confines of expectation once again has me wilting.

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The night kept coming dark and deep, yet sleep evades me, my body unable to calm down enough to let that darkness pull me under. Trepidation sinks heavily in my gut as I think about what it means for my pack to have a new leader. How many will have to die from the mistake that I have made?

Acting without thought when I decided to fight him, I lost total control of myself seeing Charlie's broken wolf form on the ground. I couldn't stop the darkness from pulling me under into a void without light. I lost the control I so previously nurtured all these years to have everything taken away in a matter of minutes.

Sitting on the edge of the bed I let the night start to subtly turn into the day...

Fixing my hair and putting on the outfit that Meela lent me which is too small for my tall frame. One deep breath in, opening the door, stepping down the stairs....thinking to myself "I can do this."

Hearing them talking at the table about strategies on how to proceed with the pack...my pack.

This won't be pretty, my men will die today. I let out a breath and enter the kitchen taking my place to Fin's right which is expected of me. He glances sideways at me, I catch that barely there glance of distaste as his eyes find something more suitable for his palate to focus on. I internally cringe to myself with his deep loathing of me.

Unfocusing my eyes so I can hear but really not see, it's a trick I learned long ago for self-preservation that's coming in handy now.

They discuss tactics about what's needed, who might be put in positions of leadership...the trials that will come.

I listen to this as the wind rattles the panes of glass, "no one will serve you here, get your own food." His voice is low in my ear, hot breath fans out along my neck. It's a funny thing Grey's presence makes me tingle slightly but Fin's has my whole body burning up just like fire through a brittle paper.

Not moving, just sitting there unfocused trying hard to just think of nothing letting myself zone out, I'm not able to really come to terms with the thoughts that are swirling around inside me.

"Then don't eat." His words are meant to be cold and uncaring that's what he wants me to understand about him. He will never care about me, he will never provide food.

Forcing my body to remain straight, shoulders back, fighting the internal need to flinch against his truth.

Hearing Meela enter the room I keep myself unfocused I can't meet her eyes, for some reason, I feel great guilt when it comes to her. I did nothing but watch Grey punish her, maybe if I stood in the way he would have never done what he did...if I protected her the way she stood in front of Fin protecting me, things possibly could have been different for them both....or possibly not.

Noticing how Fin keeps stealing glances at Meela. How his eyes continually regard her with affection...

"She's worthy of my affection" He lets his truth prick my skin with his sharp thorns. It's whispered low to my ear.

"I would've marked her for myself, she would have been all mine." He leans away from me, my nails digging into my thighs. Focusing on that pain instead of my soul's pain is easier to deal with, retreating back into my mind as the wolf in me paces back and forth, growling her contempt for Finian. She hates the skin side of Finian.