Fin's Claim

True Cravings

Finian's POV

Face down in the fabric of her pillow has her scent saturating the inside of my lungs. The sweet elixir, unique only to Victoria. I have been surrounded all this time by it but never actually stopped to appreciate the smell until it's no longer here to savor.

It's useless to try to keep my eyes shut anymore. I'll get no more sleep today. Instead, I think maybe I'll do some training before the wolves come for their morning training with me.

The only sound in the house the ticking of the clock while I pass by the living room and into the kitchen. Judy's up at the table having a coffee looking over an old recipe book that's brittle at the edges, some of the paper flaking away.

"Alpha Fin." Judy's standing up almost spilling her coffee.

"Judy, I'm just going to do some early morning training. For breakfast today I only want you to make enough food for fifteen wolves." Giving her a gentle squeeze of her shoulder to let her understand I am no threat to her.

"I'm not sure I have told you this, but I love your food. It's the best I've ever tasted. You're very gifted." Her blush makes her whole face even her ears go red.

"Thank you." Her nervous voice even flushing with the compliment.

Walking outside the drizzling rain muffles the sound of the still darken morning.

A memory surfacing.

The adult Victoria is waking up early every morning, no matter what shape she was in. Dragging herself out of bed, finding the energy from deep within. Her drive is real, even though her father has refused for her to train with the pack for years now she has started to prepare herself with one goal in mind.

Her never ending hunger gnawing at her insides to drive her in fierce determination.

She's tired, sore, bruised and beaten. Still day after day she gets herself up and out of bed with self-motivation to make herself stronger than the day before.

"How often did you get out of bed before dawn to train, Finian?" The demon's stretching out his arms, yawning, scratching his ass before getting comfortable on my shoulder. I never gave up sleep to train; I was never driven like her.

"Finian, you were driven just as hard as her except instead of trying to improve yourself your focus was on trying to destroy that small light Victoria held onto. I think you succeeded don't you think? It feels amazing to accomplish your goals, what pride you must feel inside yourself." The demon's pointed voice is hitting every nerve ending I have.

"Stop."

It's hard to look inside yourself, isn't it? The demon's constant truths are sinking in. My shoulders are feeling the weight of what I'm being made to see. It's not great pride I feel but an overwhelming shame that dirties my soul.

Walking into the training facility, it's not big, but it's organized well. Each station has its defined place with everything looking into the middle where all the mats are laid out.

On the treadmill is Becca running hard, sweat drenching her shirt. Looking at me sideways as I start my machine into an easy jog warming up my muscles before the real warm up begins.

"You're here early, Alpha Grey." Her voice is coming out in puffs with the exertion she's putting forth.

"I'm not Grey." A small annoyance creeping out my voice get on the treadmill, leaving one between us.