Calli

OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod.

Finn just turned into a wolf.

A fucking wolf.

How is that even possible?

I scoot as far away from the door he just shut as possible, pushing my back against the other door.

"It's ok, Calli. Everything will be ok." Layla says soothingly holding her hand out to me. I grab it instinctively and feel myself calm a little before a thought strikes me.

"Are you one of them too?" I ask. Her eyes widen before she nods slightly. I rip my hand away and push myself further away from her. I can feel my whole body trembling.

"I'll never hurt you, Calli. No one in our pack will."

"Pack?" I ask incredulously.

"Yes, our pack. It's like our family. We'll explain it later." She says peering out the front window at the wolf that I assume is Ian with a worried frown.

I look back at the giant black wolf with white paws that I saw Finn turn into. He is on top of a second wolf, the first one already dead, when a third wolf jumps at him from the side. Finn turns just in time to avoid the third wolf while ripping out the throat of the second. Blood splatters all over the concrete and I scream. I scream so loudly that Finn's ears perk, and he looks back at the car. His eyes meet my terrified ones and I swear he actually looks sad. I don't know how a wolf can look sad, but he does.

A whole new meaning to puppy dog eyes.

"Don't distract them, Calli. They need to focus." Layla says with a harsh tone. I look at her incredulously and fight the urge to jump out of the car and run as fast as possible.

Ian has finished killing his allotted wolves, not sure how they divvied them up, but, whatever, and has gone to help Finn finish off his last one. When the last one falls lifeless to the ground, they walk up to each one and nudge it, apparently making sure they are really dead, before they change back to human in front of the car's headlights.

Both of them stark naked.

"Oh my God." I mumble and avert my eyes. This is too freaking much.

Finn rounds the car and opens the door hesitantly. He's covered in blood but looks like he's more scared of me than what just happened.

"Calli. Everything's fine. I'm so sorry about this." He says slowly with his hands up in surrender. All of a sudden, a realization clicks in my mind.

"Socks." I say quietly.

"What?" He asks confused.

"The black wolf with white paws, the one that looked like he was wearing socks. That was you. You saved me in the forest that day."

"Yeah, I did." He says quietly. My breathing comes in rapid short pants and my heart starts beating a million miles a minute. Finn reaches a hand out towards me, a hand still covered in blood, and I cower away from him.

"Don't touch me." I snap and Finn pulls his hand back like I burned him. His eyes are wide and I swear there's a glimmer of tears in them, but I can't focus on that.

I try to force myself to breathe slower, clutching my hand to my chest where I can feel my own erratic heartbeat under my hand.

"All this time. Months, Finn. You've been keeping this from me." Tears threaten my own eyes and I try to count to ten.

It doesn't work. I feel like I can't catch my breath.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry I was going to tell you I just didn't know when." I try to answer him, but when I open my mouth nothing comes out. Black spots begin to dot my vision and I slide down on the seat.

"Calli, you gotta calm down, sweetheart. Just breathe."

"We'll talk about this when I wake up." I say.

"What?" Finn asks. The last thing I see before I pass out is him reaching for me again.

I wake up some time later and realize I am in my own bed. I nuzzle down further into the blankets when the events of the evening come barreling back at me. I sit straight up in my bed and look around frantically. I'm still in the dress I wore to the club.

"She lives!" Penny cries from the chair across from my bed. She comes to sit next to me and smiles widely.

"Werewolves, huh? Crazy right?" She crosses her arms in front of her chest and continues to look at me, still smiling.

"You knew?!" I ask her incredulously. She shrugs and nods.

"Yeah, remember Garrett?" I nod.

"That guy you dated?"

"Yeah, well turns out he had a giant, furry secret."

"Is that why you broke up?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"No, he found his mate." My face pinches in confusion and I stare at her, waiting for her to continue.

"A mate is like a soul mate I guess. They basically can't live without the other person. It's their other half."

"Huh." I say. I wonder if Finn has a mate. The idea makes pain spiral in my chest.

"I have a mate." She says slyly and I gasp.

"What?! Why didn't you tell me?!" I ask and smack her arm playfully.

"I just found him. Like an hour ago. Oh and you need to wash the sheets on the bed in the spare room." She smiles at me as my face curls in disgust.

"You just found him and you already boned him?" She shakes with laughter and nods.

"He's fucking hot. Plus, he's my soul mate. Might as well seal the deal." She shrugs.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"Cam." She says smiling. I squeal and hug her tight.

"Keep him away from your hand soap." I warn her firmly. She looks at me confused then shakes her head.

"Finn is dying to see you, but I figured you'd do better with me first. Don't be too hard on him ok?" I cross my arms and get off the bed.

"I need a shower before I can deal with this shit." I say as I pad my way into the bathroom and lock the door. "And wash those sheets before you leave, you nasty ass!" I call to her through the door.

I take a long shower and wash my hair twice. I can hear Finn pacing around in my room, so I make him wait a little longer.

"You're gonna prune, Calli!" He shouts through the door.

I ignore him.

"You can't avoid me forever!" He yells again while knocking on the door.

Now is an excellent time to shave my legs, I decide.

"Calli!" He yells again.

Eh, might as well do the lady bits too.

"Calli, if you don't answer me I will break this door down!" I gasp and sputter in indignation.

"Don't you dare, Finn!" I scream at him.

"Well, come out here and talk to me." He yells. "Please." He adds in a softer tone.

"Just give me a minute to process this Finn. God, it's not like your perception of the entire world shifted tonight. That was me. So excuse me if I need a God damn minute to contemplate the idea that the man who has been practically living with me for the last month can somehow change into A GIGANTIC WOLF!"

"I'm sorry." He says quietly and my heart breaks a little at his morose tone.

I shut the water off, dry off and blow dry my hair before slipping on the pajamas I brought into the bathroom with me. As soon as I open the door, Finn is standing looking at me. He makes a move like he wants to hug me, but stops in his tracks.

"Anything you wanna know, just ask." He says quietly. I go to sit on my bed and he sits in the chair across from me.

"So are you like an alpha? Or the alpha king or alpha of all alphas?" I ask sardonically.

"What? No I'm a beta. We don't even have an alpha king, whatever that is. Why would you think I'm an alpha?" I shrug and cross my arms.

"In all the werewolf romance novels I've read the human is always mated to the alpha." If I even am his mate, I remind myself.

"There's werewolf romance novels?" He asks, smiling.

"Yeah. It's a whole genre, Finn."

"Well, they're not very accurate. A human would never be mated to an alpha. They wouldn't be able to handle carrying their pups. It would kill them. What else do your novels say?" He asks. I shrug again and avoid my eyes.

"I don't know I mostly just read them for the sex scenes."

"Sex scenes?" He asks, raising a brow in disbelief.

"I've been single for a long time, Finn." I say somewhat defensively.

"I had no idea you read those. And they all have these steamy scenes?" He asks obviously making fun of me.

"The good ones anyway. This one book I read, it was thirty chapters of sexual tension, then she skipped to the morning after! I almost called the police."

"What? Why?"

"BECAUSE I WAS ROBBED, FINN!" He shakes his head and chuckles.

"I'm sorry you found out this way, baby. I really am. I had it all planned out. I was gonna take you on a picnic in the woods and tell you how much you mean to me before I showed you my wolf." He says sadly. I sigh and massage my temples where a migraine is beginning to form.

"So... mates." I say. His eyes twinkle and he stands slowly before making his way across the room to me.

"What questions do you have about mates?" He asks as he leans down in front of me. I'm hit with the memory of the first time we met, he did the same thing when asking me on a date.

"Do you have one?" I ask quietly. He nods and tucks my hair behind my ear.

"Who is it?" I ask, barely above a whisper.

"Scarlett Johansson." He answers and I smack his shoulder playfully.

"Finn..."

"It's you, sweetheart. You're my mate. The other half of my soul." He says as he sits up and kisses me gently.

"The better half." He whispers.