Lea and Hazel each grabbed a cold beer from the bartender by the door, who stood by a cooler and handed everyone a drink when they walked in. Lea could see her alpha, Hann, standing near the actual bar, a smile on his face. His flannel shirt was unbuttoned, showing a white t-shirt on underneath, and he was laughing with Ethan and Kato. Lea and Hazel made sure to wave at him as they walked into his line of vision, and they both felt satisfied when he nodded and waved back at the girls.
As Hazel and Lea mingled with people, stopping for small talk here and there, Lea couldn’t help looking for Finn in the crowd. Every now and then, she would think that she saw his blonde hair pop up behind someone, only to find out that it wasn’t him at all. She didn’t know how she got like this so fast, so she instead just blamed the beer that she was taking tiny sips of. She didn’t feel the alcohol at all, but she didn’t want to admit to herself that this was her being crazy on a sober mind.
She reminded herself, over and over again as they hung out with friends, that Finn wasn’t her type. He simply wasn’t. And she didn’t understand why she couldn’t convince herself of this.
“Britta!” Lea yelled as the birthday girl came into view. Britta had her long black hair down in waves that cascaded down her back, landing at her tiny waist. She was wearing all black, which was usual Britta, and Grant was squeezing her hand as if he never wanted to let go. Lea loved those two together. Everyone had been shipping them together for the last few months, so the whole pack found themselves letting out a deep breath when they finally made it offical.
“Happy birthday, girl!” Hazel yelled behind her, both of them pulling their friend into a bear hug. Britta’s smile reached her ears, and Lea hoped that she would have the time of her life tonight. She deserved it and so much more. Before Lea could tell her this, Britta was pulled away by some other shifters, all of them wishing her a happy birthday.
Lea turned around and stopped in her tracks, her smile frozen on her face, as she finally saw him. The crowd parted so that she could see him for just a second, leaning against the wall with a beer in his hand, and a smile on his face. He looked lovely. Only a guy like him could look so lovely and sexy in a seedy bar like this.
Lea turned her attention back to Hazel and her little group of friends that were talking about the latest pack gossip. She didn’t want to seem too interested in him. She knew that if he caught her staring at him, she’d die of embarrassment.
For the hundredth time that day, she reminded herself that Finn really wasn’t even her type.
She began to think that was a joke.
Lea stole another glance in his direction, her heart quickening in speed as he laughed. She felt like she could hear his laughter from where she stood with her friends. And then, she noticed who was next to him. And she noticed their proximity.
Tatiana, one of the shifters from the same pack as Finn, stood close enough to touch Finn. And when he said something funny, envy blossomed in Lea’s heart as she saw Tatianna squeeze his arm, both of them laughing and sharing a glance. Yep, envy was blossoming at rapid speed, and Lea was sipping that beer in her hand a little bit more as she turned her attention away from the man that was so not her type.
Lea didn’t know why she was so surprised, though. If anyone was going to be Finn’s girl, it would be Tatiana. She was just his type. She looked like a little demented princess, and Lea didn’t know if she had ever seen her in anything other than black. Heavy makeup was a plus in her fashion style, and even with all the gaudy jewelry, Lea couldn’t help but admit that she was gorgeous. Finn was a bad boy. Weren’t bad boys into bad girls?
From the way the two were talking, Lea found it safe to say that yes, bad boys were very much into bad girls.
Lea made herself turn her back on them, instead trying to join the conversation that she had mentally checked out of a few minutes ago. Finn wasn’t her type, and maybe if she told herself that just a few more times, it would finally start to sink in.
Chapter Five
Finn managed to find out where Lea was when he first arrived at the bar. He refused to go over to her, though. Instead, he found himself keeping a bit of a distance from her and watching her every move. He kept on waiting for her to catch his eye, but she never seemed to be looking his way.
He knew that he was falling into a pit of lust and desire, and he didn’t want to. He needed to get in good with the Moonlight Pack. He needed to defend the shifter society. He needed to defeat the evil in the world. If he used and bailed on one of the loveliest shifters around, he was quite sure he knew how the pack around him would react.
He would be sent back home in no time. And he really didn’t want that.
So, he had to be on his best behavior. After confessing to Tatiana that he was feeling some type of way about Lea, he made her promise that she wouldn’t let him leave with her. Even if that meant cockblocking him in the worst way possible, he knew that she wouldn’t let that happen.
When Tatiana noticed his longing stare at Lea, and his lust ramping up big time with each new beer he opened, she began to pull him back to reality with a slight grasp on his arm. It was almost like she was holding in in place and holding him back from making a huge mistake.
He felt like if he didn’t have her constant touch, he would be running straight into Lea’s arms. And that wouldn’t be good for anyone.
“Look at you, being on your best behavior and everything,” Tatiana whispered to him, a smile on her face. Finn rolled his eyes. When Finn and Lorelei had gone home after practice, Lorelei had told all to Desmond and Tatiana. Finn could still hear the cackling from Tatiana and Lorelei. For some reason, his little crush on Lea was something they thought was hysterical.
If he wasn’t so bent out of shape over the woman, he’d probably find it pretty funny, too.
“Let’s just get this whole thing over with before I embarrass myself,” he told her, not willing to say much else. They had already said hello to Britta and hung out with her a bit.
Finn laughed to himself a little bit as he thought how much things had changed since the first time he came to Maine. When he first arrived, he had a thing for Britta. Not necessarily a huge thing, as it was quashed by the realization that she and Grant were more than just friends (even though they both didn't know it yet). But he liked her. Thought she was cute. Britta was the complete opposite of Lea, and he found it funny that his type had so obviously, and drastically, changed in such a short amount of time.
He reminded himself again that Lea was too good for him in every single way possible. Hopefully, he would realize it and not act like a fool in front of her.
He glanced over in the direction where Lea was with Hazel and a few other friends that Finn noticed as other Moonlight Pack shifters. He didn't know them and had only seen them around a few times. He wondered if she had a boyfriend. She probably did, he reasoned – a girl like that wasn't single for long.
Finn took a swig of his beer and decided that he was going to be friendly and go say hello. He could just say hi – that wasn’t a crime. So before Tatiana could tighten the loose grip she had on his arm, he mumbled to her that he’d be right back and quickly walked over to where Lea was across the bar. He moved around the many shifters that were packed in the tiny interior, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Britta and Grant take a shot of vodka together. They both laughed when they were done, and Finn smiled. They were going to be so wasted by the end of this party.
By the time he was only a few feet away from Lea, she looked up and saw him right in front of her. Her eyes lit up in surprise, and he smiled at her as he neared closer. They were in speaking distance of each other, she had a tentative smile on her face. Finn loved it. Even in the dim bar light, she still looked like an angel from heaven.
“Hey,” he said as he leaned against the wall. She turned slightly so that she could hear him better in the loud bar, and Finn saw Hazel and her friends just keep on talking, all of them animated about whatever top
ic they were discussing. Good. He kind of wanted them to have a chat alone. Together.
“Oh, hey,” she replied, smiling as if she was nervous. “I didn’t see you earlier, or I would’ve come over to say hello.”
“Nah, it’s all right.” She played with her beer bottle nervously as he leaned in closer to hear her. Even with their shifter senses, which were much stronger than regular humans, they both found it hard to hear in the loud bar. “It’s pretty packed here, isn’t it? Britta sure knows how to get every single shifter to come to her party. Hell, I’m pretty sure there are some people from New York and Vermont here.”
“She’s a fun person, what can we say?” Lea laughed, and Finn found himself laughing alongside with her. He didn’t know why he was even there. It was similar to what happened at practice earlier that morning. His body began to act and move according to his subconscious or something, while his brain was mainly saying to be on his best behavior. His body obviously didn’t like to listen.
"I didn't know you drink," he replied when he didn't know what to say. He instantly regretted it, though, when he remembered that she told him this morning that she and Hazel were a bit hungover.
When did he lose all his cool? Why did she make him so flustered all the time? He needed to get his mojo back somehow, though when he stared into her blue eyes, he wasunable to even think. And the way she was wearing that tiny white sundress was making him want to ask her if she wanted to see his record collection back at his place so that they could leave together.
“I don’t,” she told him. “I do every now and then, but not in a consistent manner. I’ve drunk more alcohol in the past twenty-four hours than I ever have in my life.”
She laughed, making him smile right along with her.
“I didn’t know that you and Tatiana were a thing,” she suddenly blurted out before he could say anything else. She took in a deep breath, looking nervous and if she couldn’t believe that she just blurted out a statement like that.
Finn found himself slightly confused, then realized what it must've looked like to Lea and everyone else at the bar. Tatiana was there to put him in his place and make sure he didn't act like a fool, which he currently was. Obviously, she wasn't doing her job too well anymore. Finn, for some reason, didn't want Lea to think that he and Tatiana were anything other than friends. Also, Tatiana was like a little sister to him, and he felt a bit weird and grossed out that people would think they were anything romantic. And he just really didn't want Lea thinking like that.
He found himself wanting her to know that he was single and not tied down to anyone.
“No,” he told her, repeating the word and shaking his head. “Tatiana is like my little sister. Trust me. We’re not anything like that.”
And then, the weirdest thing happened after he told Lea this. Her eyes seemed to light up in… was that happiness? No, Finn concluded. It couldn’t be. Lea instantly looked down and took a sip of her beer, obviously trying to hide the emotion on her face. Finn smiled to himself and took a swig from his beer.
Things had changed in a second, and he hoped that it wasn’t all in his head. He could swear he smelled a hint of… was that lust in the air? And was it coming from Lea?
Yes, things had definitely changed. And Finn couldn’t help the smile that seemed to find a permanent home on his face.
“Finn,” a voice said behind him. Finn followed the steely voice to see Tatiana standing there, her arms crossed, and the hint of a smile on her face. Great. Here she was to ruin his fun. “I think it’s time to leave.”
“Let’s stay for a little while,” he replied, nodding to the side to get her to leave. He turned around to Lea, a smile on his face and his back to Tatiana.
That just made Tatiana walk around him so that she was almost in the middle between him and Lea. He sighed and looked at his friend, a bit annoyed but knowing that she was doing exactly what he told her to do.
The multiple beers seemed to be finally catching up with him.
“I want to leave now,” she responded. Finn looked at Tatiana, took in the warning signs she was sending him in her eyes, and realized that she was right. At the rate he was going, he was going to end up regretting a lot tonight if he didn’t leave with Tatiana.
“All right.” He finally sighed as they both seemed to have a silent warring battle with each other. He could only imagine what they looked like to Lea in that moment. He swiveled back around to Lea, a smile on his face. “I’ll see you tomorrow at practice?”
“Definitely.” Lea nodded, smiling back at him.
And then, before he could even give her a hug goodbye, Tatiana was squeezing his upper arm and pulling him toward the door. Finn saw Desmond and Lorelei hold up their own beers in a silent goodbye from the corner where they were hanging out with some Moonlight Pack members. At least they were trying to efficiently fit in.
By the time the two of them were out in the parking lot, the roar of laughter and drunken fights from the bar spilling out into the calm moonlight, Tatiana was laughing. She was laughing so hard, her chest shook as if she was having a stroke of some sort, that she couldn’t seem to walk in a straight line.
Finn rolled his eyes. She was so dramatic when she wanted to be.
“I thought I was going to have to drag you out of there,” she finally got out, still laughing. Tears streamed down her face. “Or pry you off of her. Jesus, Finn. You have it bad for the good girl, don’t you?”
“Oh, shut up,” he replied, shaking his head as they began to walk to the car. Tatiana hadn’t drunk an ounce of alcohol – and she normally didn’t – so she was the designated driver for the night.
“You know something?”
“What?” He really didn’t, but he knew that she wouldn’t shut up unless he played along for now.
“I never thought it was going to be a good girl like Lea who would eventually tie you down.”
She started cackling again after he told her repeatedly to shut up. She thought the whole thing was the most ridiculous thing she had ever seen in her life.
But Finn couldn’t help but realize that the thought of Lea finally tying him down didn’t seem like the worst thing in the world. He sure hoped that was just because of the alcohol.
Chapter Six
Lea found herself in a daze all morning. First, she was late to get ready before Britta’s class, barely making it to pick up coffee at about seven-fifteen in the morning. She just managed to walk in before Britta started class, taking her usual place beside Hazel, who looked at her questioningly. Their two cups of coffee were in the ladies’ dressing room with Lea’s things, slowly growing cold.
Lea didn’t know why she was so late this morning. She wasn’t hungover, and she didn’t get to bed too late last night. She did think about Finn all night as she lay in bed, thinking of his deep voice and his blonde hair shining in the sun. And before she knew it, she woke up with an even deeper crush on the guy, even though they still hadn’t shared that many conversations or moments together.
Last night was something special, though. She felt like she outed herself in front of him, something that could’ve turned into the most embarrassing moment of her life. Instead, it seemed to make Finn… happy? That couldn’t be right, though. Lea wasn’t his type. Tatiana was his type, though he put those rumors to bed immediately when Lea blurted it out in an embarrassing question.
She was glad she asked it, though. It led them to where they are now.
But where were they now? She didn’t get a chance to talk to him all class, which greatly annoyed her. He was on the other side of the room with Ethan, who was back in class this morning, and she never had a chance to even stare at his lovely backside.
She wondered if this change she felt between them was a one-sided thing – as in, he didn’t think anything was different. She hoped not. But if she didn’t have a chance to see him, she would never know. Their friendship up to this point had been chance conversations that th
ey would never have had if Hazel hadn't decided to not go to practice that morning. Lea would've never given him the coffee, would've never invited him to ride in her car to practice. She would've never developed this big of a crush, that was for sure.
Before Lea knew it, the class was over and Britta was clapping and yelling. Lea couldn't believe she was able to teach. Last night, Lea and Hazel left the bar to her and Annie singing karaoke together, barely standing up. But she showed up and made them practice even more scenarios where they wouldn't have control over all of their senses. While Lea was somewhat good at defending herself without sight, she found that it was harder to fight when she didn't have her nose to help guide her of unwanted enemies. When she was blindfolded, she used her nose to smell whoever was her partner. Britta made it hard for everyone by forcing them to smell pepper and some other type of seasoning, filling their senses with only that. But if both her sight and her ability to smell were taken away from her, she had to rely on her hearing.
And that proved to be more difficult than she thought.
Lea and Hazel sighed and got up from the mats they were laying on, worn out and sweaty. Lea hoped that Finn wouldn’t come talk to her just then. She didn’t look cute, her blonde hair was all frizzy, and her face was beat red from exhaustion and exercise. She’s sure she looked like this the morning they practiced together, but at that point in their friendship, she didn’t care. Now, she did.
And she wanted to look, and smell, good. She found she wanted to make a good impression on the bad boy.
Boy, was she in deep. On a guy that wasn’t even her type! She didn’t know how many times she had to think and say this to herself.
Luckily, Finn didn’t walk up to Lea until after she had showered in the gym and changed into her scrubs for work. While she wished she was wearing something cuter and more flattering than her huge scrubs, at least she was showered. It could’ve been worse.
Outcast (Moonlight Wolves Book 4) Page 3