I kept Finn's hands gripped in mine, blinking now into darkness as the radiation of the red lights died away. My mind was blank, trying to process the new revelation. I wanted to ask more, but I couldn't find the words.

Oddly I wasn't afraid any longer, my hands still holding his, but my fear of hurting him was only intensifying. What if I said something wrong? Said something in a way that might make him hate me or make him think that I hated him?

'What are you?' The memory rippled through my mind. I couldn't let Finn believe that I saw him as a monster too; he was the furthest thing from a monster that I'd ever seen.

Thunder made the building rumble, Finn jerking his hands from mine with a hiss. His footsteps echoed against the cement as my heart raced in my chest. "Finn!"

I could see his outline glowing due to my fallen flashlight and I ran after him. He didn't look back at me, hands clenched into fists in his hair with his head low.

"Finn! Wait!" I yelled after him. I grew closer and closer, slowing my momentum so I wouldn't run into him too hard. Letting my body collide with his, I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head against his back.

He jumped in awful shock at my touch, stiffening against me as I squeezed him tight with a deep sigh. He was incredibly warm, only reminding me of the chilled goosebumps that rose on my skin.

"I'm sorry." I breathed against the muscle of his back. "I didn't know it was you. Now that I do know, I'm not afraid, Finn."

"You don't need to lie to me." He grumbled, making me only squeeze him tighter. Finn unlaced my fingers from around his waist, walking away from me once again. My heart burned with remorse as my feet propelled me after him.

"I'm not lying. How could I not have been scared before, Finn? I didn't know."

He snatched my flashlight off the ground, turning as he thrust it into my hand. To my dismay his eyes began to glow a dark gold, a beautiful color I hadn't witnessed before. Steam began to rise off his shoulders as the bones in his body began to snap, making me wince. "Now you get to see me for what I really am."

His voice didn't sound like his any longer, deeper and rougher with an inhuman quality that made me grit my teeth. Then, his body truly began to shift, his muscles realigning as more and more of his bones broke altogether in a haunting melody.

I covered my mouth with my hands, tears rolling down my cheeks as I watched him fall to his knees with a look of horrible pain. Snarls rang out from his throat as his hands began to change, his fingers receding back into his palms as his back splintered in half. He was snarling and growling, his entire body twitching and jerking itself into place before me.

A cry of worry left my throat as I sunk onto my knees in front of him, watching as each of his legs shattered to be shifted at another angle. He had a bad leg! How could this not be torture for him? He was in pain and I couldn't do a thing for him.

I stared now at Finn no longer an angel but a silver colored wolf that rose up higher than my head from where I sat on my knees. His golden eyes were still speckled with their magnificent blue as I took in his entire body, wiping the tears from my face.

He had large paws with even greater claws, muscle padding every leg and covering his chest beneath his thick, smooth fur. Finn's ears were pricked towards me and his tail was still, eyes watching me intently while not daring to move.

He licked his lips, giving me an unintentional glance at his long canines before he sunk to the ground in front of me. Now he was sitting, tail tucked across his front feet like a cat as he gazed down with his head lowered to meet my eyes.

I wasn't afraid as I looked at him, feeling my heart only warm for him. With courage, I slid closer to him before wrapping my arms around his neck, feeling his familiar warmth as I buried my head into his fur. It was incredibly soft and fluffy, my fingers running through it on their own accord. He was Finn, and my heart only grew for him.

"You're my Finn." I said softly. "You'd never scare me."

Then there was the violent symphony of shattering bones all over again that made me jump back in shock, but instead of Finn's wolf greeting me, I could now see his face in the darkness. My flashlight had rolled away, and now he sat on his knees in front of me, his face unreadable as I gazed at him in the shadows.

My heart pounded in my chest as I shook my head. "Does... does that hurt you? All your bones breaking... it makes me hurt for you."

"Only a little if it's too slow." He said deeply, and I threw myself into his arms without a second thought. He bundled me up in his embrace with ease, hugging the daylights out of me.

I did the same while resting my head against his neck. I felt his warm skin against mine, realizing that his shirt had shredded. His pants were still in one piece and I only snuggled deeper into his hold when I realized just how cold I was.

"You're freezing." Finn said, tracing one of his hands down the side of my arm.

"I was out in the rain so I'm soaked." I swallowed, pulling back to look into his eyes. "I was looking for you."

"Reckless, aren't you?" His voice rumbled. "There are blankets somewhere back here..."

A thick snap of thunder made Finn's entire body shudder violently as he let out a lethal snarl, his blue eyes shimmering to gold in a matter of seconds. I felt his fingers shake against my skin, his strong arms coming tighter around my waist to pull me into his chest.

He clung to me and I didn't fight him, listening to the rapid pace of his heart pounding as I felt the shivers run up and down his spine. Those eyes of his blazed gold relentlessly, his head moving as he looked around us in the darkness as though he were searching for something he didn't want to find.

"You're scared of thunderstorms, aren't you?" I breathed against his neck.

"Horrified." He panted, still pressing me against his body. Finn shut his eyes, his body giving a last shudder before he slid me off his lap. I sat on the concrete, watching his dark figure as he stood up quickly. "Blankets. I'll get them."

I caught the glimmer of his golden eyes as he moved through the shelves with ease in the darkness. He could see in the dark with nocturnal vision I realized. Boxes shuffled from deeper in the basement before I heard his bare feet against the cement coming back towards me.

Finn took my hand in his, helping me to my feet before wrapping a soft blanket around my shoulders. With his golden eyes flickering in the darkness, I drew in a breath, reaching up to cup his cheek in my hand. He paused, focussing now on me.

"Why are you scared of thunderstorms?"

"That's a long story." He said, turning his head away.

"I'd like to know if you want to tell me."

Finn took in a deep breath and I heard his knuckles crack. "Come sit with me and we can talk." His warm fingers laced in mine, guiding me deeper into the darkness of the basement. He picked up the flashlight from where I had left it, the color in his eyes dying back to their original blue as he used it to guide us through the shelving.

Against the wall a wooden shelf sat and as we got closer I realized that there was a thick groove in the wall behind it. The shelf ended before the groove in the wall, creating an opening just big enough to slide through to get behind the shelf.

Finn slipped in first and I followed. There was enough space to sit down for the both of us, the bins on the shelf creating a kind of wall with spaces between to glance out of. It was Finn's little cave.

Blankets were laid on the floor and Finn took a seat, leaned against the wall and holding the flashlight out for me to sit as well. Holding my blanket tight around my body, I sank to my knees before turning my body. Reclining, I rested backwards against Finn's chest, his arms coming around my waist before resting his chin on my shoulder.

His heat radiated through my blanket, making me feel infinitely warmer as I reached down to peel off my wet socks. I tossed them through a hole in the shelving before settling back against Finn's body.

"You've been doing this for every storm, haven't you?"

"Yes." He replied, "when I was gone for a week after Shadowthief, it was because of the thunderstorms. I was truly sick, slightly out of my mind with all the thunder. I didn't want to tell you, Kate. This... only a few people know this side of me."

I ran my fingers up and down his arms, cuddling in closer to him. I felt him flinch at a loud rumble of thunder as the building creaked under the winds. "I won't tell a soul, Finn. You know that I hate airplanes and have kept my secret loyally."

Shifting my head to look at him, I smiled, earning a soft one of his own as he nuzzled his head in closer to mine. "Airplanes are a common fear. Mine is not."

"There are plenty of people who are afraid of thunder, Finn."

"I'm not scared of thunder and lightning, Kate. It's what comes with it that I can't stop worrying about."

I said nothing, only lacing my fingers in his.

"Do you remember when in the Dove you asked me about what happened after my brother left, in my first life?"

"Yes, I do."

"We're a lot closer now than we were before." He kissed the side of my temple softly, making me shiver as his nose ran down the side of my neck. "I... I didn't have the best first life when I was living with the wolves in our pack. Nocen and I weren't loved by the others because of my mother. She was low ranked but my father wasn't. He was the Alpha's brother, and I never knew him because Alpha killed him himself."

I sucked in a breath. "Your uncle killed your father?" I gripped his hand tighter, running my thumb along his knuckles.

"He did. It was his punishment for rape." Finn paused, taking a breath. "He was killed and she followed him, also gotten rid of by my uncle because she lied about my father."

"Wait, what?" I said in shock.

"My mother seduced by father and had him killed on false testimony." He swallowed. "She wanted to be in control and hoped to negotiate her way into power through her status as a victim before getting rid of my uncle. She was discovered and then killed after we were born. I discovered all of this through my foster mother, Phoebe, who raised us both. Anyways, that's why we were despised, the children of that scheming omega who had an honorable wolf sent to death. We were harassed by the other wolves, and when Nocen turned to the dark, he came back to kill his worst enemies before disappearing altogether. The wolves though we were cursed because of my mother, and with Nocen gone..."

My heart crumbled in my chest as I gripped him tighter. "You were alone."

"I was." Finn said with a clenched jaw, and I could feel his heart beating faster against my chest. "The pack punished me for what my brother had done, and I'm sure they added my mother's onto my back as well. They shattered my leg, and that's why at times I have a limp. I couldn't tell you why; I didn't have the courage to tell you that it was my due punishment."

"But, it wasn't." I protested. "How could they have done that to you? Finn, you were innocent."

"Wolves always look for someone to punish, Kate. Revenge is a virtue." He said darkly. "And the brothers of the wolves Nocen murdered were the most virtuous of them all. They drug me out during the thunderstorms to maul me when no one would be able to hear a thing, and then they'd leave me there until Phoebe found me in the morning. No one cared so it continued, and every thunderstorm since then... I feel like they are still there, waiting for me, crouched to strike. Thunderstorms have haunted me since."

I turned around completely, facing him as I shook my head in disbelief. Tears were rising in my eyes as I gazed at this kind, beautiful man. Who could ever... abuse him this way? "That can't be true, Finn. Please tell me it isn't."

He only watched me with sad eyes before taking the flashlight and handing it to me. "Turn it on and point it at my chest if you'd like to see your evidence."

I held it in my hands, feeling my fingers shake as Finn gazed at me. Slowly, he reached his hand forward, guiding my thumb to the button that made the flashlight spring to life. Light illuminated Finn's chest and I couldn't move, staring in utter shock at Finn as I examined him.

So many scars, teeth marks, stab wounds, and claw marks covered his body that it looked as though hardly any smooth skin existed. The faintest evidence of stitches were all across his body from his chest to his arms and down his stomach, holding his body together until it could heal but still maintain its imperfections. They'd broken everything, torn every piece of his body apart. Oh my Finn...

My voice was gone as I managed to look at Finn's face, his eyes diverted from mine as I saw his fingers quiver.

I set the flashlight down before taking his face in my hands, making me look at him. "Finn, I..." I stammered for the right words. "I want to say that I'm sorry, but it wouldn't be enough. I want to say instead that you are most amazing, spectacular, phenomenal man that I've ever met. You... You never deserved this..."

"You aren't disgusted?" He asked me, making me narrow my eyes. "I look like Frankenstein, Kate. You can't want to... be with me with all of these." He took my hand, making me trace it down his chest along all the ridges of his scars as his eyes focused on mine. I didn't waver, keeping my eyes connected with his. They hardly disgusted me, and looking at them, I only found myself respecting him more.

"I would be utterly shallow if I pulled away from you over these scars, Finn." I kept my hand firm on his body, staring into his blue eyes. "I'm disgusted by the people who did this to you. They were vile, cruel people who I'd be happy to return their 'virtuous' actions in full."

A flicker of a smile grazed Finn's face, one that made warmth swell in my chest for him.

"You are amazing to me, Finn, because you persevered and you are one of the best men I've ever come to know. You are so incredibly kind despite what they did to you, so wonderfully sweet and honorable even after how awfully they treated you. You are the strongest person I know if you were able to live through that life and become the man you are now. You inspire me, and I respect you so much, Finn. You fight for goodness even when no one ever gave it to you to begin with, and it amazes me now more than ever at how wonderful you are." I ran my fingers back up his chest to his shoulders, leaning down to press a kiss along a thicker scar that ran across his shoulder blade. "You are so good, Finn. So amazingly good. Anyone who tells you otherwise can deal with me."

I placed a second kiss higher, and then another on the curve of his neck. He shivered and I pulled back to meet his eyes, now glowing their intense gold. He cupped the back of my neck with a possessive hand before crashing his lips against my own, sending me soaring to new heights as I let him claim me with equal desire.

My skin was on fire under his touch and I kissed him back with all I had, digging my hands in his hair as his warmth covered my body. Our tongues danced together with urgency, his dominating mine as his hands pulled me into his lap. I straddled his waist as he ran his hands up my back, his hipbones digging into mine in a way that made me moan against his lips.

Running my hands along his chest, I felt all his muscle in a way I hadn't before. He'd always worn a long sleeve shirt around me, and now I understood why; he hadn't wanted anyone to see any of his scars. I could remember when he had come up running behind me on the trail shirtless until he saw me before slipping it back over his head in a hurry with a bashful smile. He couldn't let me see him, see all those scars.

Now I kissed him with more need, his sweet, endearing nature making my heart explode for him and only him. Finn kissed my neck, sucking and nibbling as I leaned against his body for support, letting out soft moans as his wicked mouth devoured my neck.

My back arched on its own accord as I dug my fingers harder into his hair, making him give my earlobe a soft bite. I couldn't wait any longer to feel his lips on mine as I took his head in my hands. Kissing his lips with a raw intensity, I used my body weight to press him back against the wall.

This made Finn growl, his eyes sparkling a delightful gold again. Yet, this time I noticed something about their splendor that I hadn't before.

"Your eyes look just like mine." I said softly, running my thumb along his jawline. He said nothing, his eyes' vibrant gold aura still radiating out before me. As I looked at them, I couldn't help but find them lovely.

Finn touched my face as well, a tingle running up from my core in a powerful surge of electricity. I watched as my veins started to flicker to life as they began to glow, feeling my eyes follow. "They do match mine." His voice was deep and gruff, making butterflies rise in my chest as I stared down at my veins. Tracing them with my finger, I took a breath.

"I don't want to hurt you, Finn." I managed to say. "The last time... the last time..."

"Hey," his finger traced over my bottom lip and I kissed it, making him swallow. "You won't hurt me."

"You don't know that." I felt my meraki swirl inside me as I blinked. "What has it done besides just that?"

Finn cupped my face in his hand and I leaned into it with a sigh. "It's saved Raphael, sweetheart. You need to start seeing how beautiful those golden eyes make you."

"You think my eyes are beautiful?" I asked, looking up at him. "Leighton hated them."

"Amber or golden, they both are." Finn said before narrowing his eyes. "And look where that idiot is now. Do not put any weight in what he had to say about you, Kate. He was completely wrong."

As I stared into Finn's glowing eyes, I could truly see that they were beautiful, and if mine looked like his, then I was lucky. I was so lucky, and I kissed Finn's lips with all the passion I could muster and even that wasn't enough.

A cry of thunder made Finn pull back, growling as he scanned the room around us. I touched his arm before snuggling up against his chest, settling my head in the groove of his neck as he rested his chin on top of my head with a deep sigh.

"You're safe, Finn." I said, our fingers coming together as I measured my hand against his. "I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

"The thought of you in my place in the woods is my new nightmare." He replied quietly, holding me tighter against his chest as he sunk deeper into the bed of blankets.

Finn pulled one over the both of us and I cuddled up beside him, keeping my head against his shoulder. I rested my hand on his chest with a yawn and ran my finger across his jaw as he kissed my fingers. "Together we're both safe. We always take care of each other. Always."