Chapter Three
Finn didn’t know why he walked up to Lea in the coffee shop. Yeah, they knew each other and had been friendly for a while, but Finn didn’t normally do things like that. Well, not in the friendly way that he came across. Did he just strike up conversations with random ladies he thought were attractive? Yes. But he had a type.
And Lea wasn’t really his type.
She was gorgeous, hands down – and he could appreciate her beauty, which was evident, even if she wasn't his type. But she was a tall blonde, someone that looked like she lived at the beach or was constantly doing something athletic while getting a tan. And while he knew men that would go wild for her, Desmond, in particular, he was more drawn to the girls that were a bit darker. A bit worse. A bit bad.
One look at Lea and Finn knew she was a good girl.
So, he couldn’t really describe the feeling that he had when he just decided to walk on up to her and strike up a conversation. Maybe his subconscious was putting in place his idea to just try and integrate into the Moonlight Pack a bit more. After all, he did just have a whole conversation with his own pack mates this morning about trying to integrate into their new living situation.
Finn didn’t do good girls. He had a rule, and he stuck to that rule. And he sure as hell didn’t want to ruin a good girl like Lea. She was beautiful, funny in that unabashed way, and someone he could consider a friend.
If only he could get thoughts of lust out of his head, things would be good to go. But no, his dirty mind was thinking about what she would be like in bed while she was trying to have a nice conversation with him on the drive over to the gym. He gripped the coffee she let him have in his hand, noticing that if he gripped it any tighter the throwaway cup would break.
Sometimes he really hated himself.
Finn and Lea finally got to the gym, and Finn was thankful that they weren’t as close together as they were in her car. He could still smell her flowery scent all over him, though, and he didn’t know how he felt about it. It was like he was on an emotional rollercoaster from the moment he saw her in the café, the morning sunlight lighting up her blonde hair as if she was an angel sent to him from above.
They walked into the gym together, chuckling and keeping their small talk going. Finn didn’t know what she was thinking about. He knew what he was thinking about, and he hoped that he wasn’t being creepy or anything. He hoped that he was acting normal, and not at all like he was imagining what she looked like naked. Maybe he just hadn’t been with a woman in a while. Now that Finn thought about it some more, that was probably why he was acting like a horny teenager that had never seen a true woman before. He hadn’t relieved any of his sexual tension or had a fun night with a lady since he’d gone to Maine.
He was going to have to change that, he knew.
As they walked throughout the main gym, machines, and mats for sparring all around them in a somewhat disorderly, yet organized manner, Finn saw Lorelei staring at them with a smirk on her face from where she was waiting for class to start in one of the corners of the huge open area. When Lea said she’d see him in class and walked to the ladies’ dressing room, Finn beelined over to where Lorelei was now cackling at him.
He loved Lorelei and Tatiana. He would never think of them in any romantic way, and always considered them family. So, as he walked into what he knew would be a bombardment of sarcastic remarks, Finn felt like he was listening to his sister make fun of him. He couldn’t help the smile that slowly crept on his face as he walked nearer to where Lorelei stood alone.
“I don’t even want to hear whatever joke you have running in your head,” he told her, his voice low, as he finally leaned up against the wall with her. He didn’t know why she would be laughing. He was with Lea – so what? Lorelei and Lea knew each other, and as far as he knew, were friends.
Or as close to friends as you could be with the Moonlight Pack shifters. They were hard to get to know. They seemed to never let their guard down.
“No, I was just thinking you work really fast,” she replied, a smile on her face. When he looked at her confused, she elaborated. “Just this morning, you were saying that we had to be nice and try and get in with the shifters here. Looks like you’re getting in somewhere, aren’t you?”
“Ha,” he fake laughed at her. “I saw her at the coffee place I went to this morning for breakfast, and she offered me a ride. Don’t be jealous just because I’ve made a new friend and you haven’t.”
“Oh, I’m not jealous, Finn.” She laughed at him. “I’m just surprised. I didn’t know that good girls were your type.”
“It’s not like that.” He rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t deny the weird feelings he was having for Lea. It was weird and instant. He felt like he was struck by lightning or something. He quickly finished his coffee and threw it away in the nearest trash can.
“Oh, it looks like you’re gonna seduce her without even trying. That’s what it looks like.”
“Well, you’re blind.”
“Okay, Finn. Whatever you say, my friend.”
Finn shook his head, though, he knew that Lorelei was right. He kind of hated her for it. Finn wasn’t the greatest shifter around, and he knew it. He wasn’t going around trying to act like he was some saint or anything, which a lot of shifters did. Hell, a lot of humans did it, too. He was able to realize that good girls weren’t his type, and he never wanted to be that stereotypical “bad boy” that just let “good” girls fall all over him, then left them crushed when he left them because he had major commitment issues.
He wasn't going to let Lea become interested in him, though Finn doubted someone like her would ever be interested in someone like him. He was nothing special. Lea, though… well, she was. That much he already knew.
The plan to stay away from Lea and make sure that he was on his best behavior began to fail when they both realized that they didn’t have partners for today’s class. Hazel, Lea’s partner in crime, and in literally everything she did, was gone. So was Ethan, Finn’s partner in class. Finn didn’t know where Ethan was, though he knew that the shifter was busy. Ethan was a young alpha from another pack in America, and he was constantly in meetings with Hann and Michael, the pack’s friendly alpha and protector. Finn and Ethan tended to stick together, with both of them being outcasts in the pack, and Finn knew that Ethan regarded every moment he had with Hann a learning opportunity.
Finn wished he would’ve just come to class that morning, though.
“Wanna partner up?” Finn found himself asking Lea as they both were instructed by Britta, who was bouncing with a ton of energy for seven-thirty in the morning at the front of the room, to find partners. Finn couldn’t help himself. When he saw Lea looking around for someone new to partner with, he didn’t even realize that his legs were moving toward her as his brain was telling him that he should probably stay away.
Finn hated it when he heard Lorelei’s distinct laugh from across the room. He refused to look in her direction, and instead just paid close attention to what Britta was telling everyone.
Britta specialized in human hand-to-hand combat. Finn was also training in his wolf form in one on one sessions with Lukas, one of the only shifters that had been openly friendly to him when he first got to Maine, as that was the given way most shifters would prefer to attack and fight in. However, there were fears that these rogues that were forming uprisings around the world would attack shifters in any way that they could. Hence, the human training that everyone was grasping to understand.
Shifters found they didn’t do as well in fighting as humans. That was something they were all trying to change.
“Sure,” Lea responded, pulling Finn back to the present. He smiled at her as they walked to a clearing on the huge mat that everyone was on. While Britta’s class had originally started with only four other people, now there was a lot of shifters crowded into the room. Everyone wanted in on the class, especially as more and more shifters came to help out and learn from the strongest pack in America.
Now, while the Moonlight Pack was still evident in the room, Finn noticed the different shifters from all the other packs that had traveled to Maine.
“Okay, guys,” Britta yelled to be heard over everyone in the room. Her voice echoed against the high walls and vaulted ceiling. Some of the shifters died down and stopped talking, all of them swiveling to see what their instructor was going to say. "We're gonna practice some defense moves now."
Britta launched into the techniques that she wanted everyone to practice. With a shifter’s help, Britta showed the room exactly what they should practice. The shifter helping Britta, Vincent, became the “attacker” of the scenario. Britta waited as Vincent attempted to attack her from behind, but he never got the chance. She instantly had him with his back on the ground, her foot on his neck holding him in place, and her fists up and ready to fight.
“When you have them down, if you can’t finish the job. You should try to shift into your wolf form so that your full strength is available to you,” Britta explained as she helped up Vincent from the floor. Vincent rubbed his neck, and Finn could see that he was going to have a bruise there for a few hours. Thank god for shifters’ speedy healing. “Now, the main technique here is being able to sense someone is behind you, even when you’re surrounded by shifters and people like we are now.
“That’s why I’m going to be passing around blindfolds to you all. Each of you will take a turn being blindfolded while your partner tries to attack you. You need to focus on just your senses. And you need to hone those skills while you are in your human form as best you can.”
Britta walked around with thick black blindfolds, and Finn could see the nervousness as the shifters took the pieces of fabric. Shifters didn’t like to have even one of their senses cut off, and now they had to act like they had no sight? Everyone was on edge. Especially the Moonlight Pack shifters.
After a few minutes of everyone joking and each partner getting adjusted, the mood began to relax slightly as everyone focused on what they were supposed to do. Finn helped Lea tie the blindfold around her eyes, tying it softly, yet securely, around her head. His mind was definitely not acting PG rated at this point. He pulled himself together, even when his fingers lightly brushed her blonde hair as he tied the blindfold.
Yep, he knew this might end badly.
He tried to focus on what they were supposed to do, and he supposed he did alright. Lea was actually pretty good, and he was only able to take her down a few times. He jumped off her each time in rapid speed, afraid that if he lingered, things might get a bit out of hand. He didn’t seem to have much control over himself as of late.
And Lea's whole good girl attitude, persona, and look were not helping his control. Which began to really surprise him.