"Do you think she'll be back anytime soon?" Finn's fingers drummed against the table, worry written across his face as he stared around the silent dining room. "If she was taken by who the Elder's said then-"

"There's nothing we can do, Finn." Alpha King Rylan said, his shoulders slumping. "She'll be returned to us eventually."

"I don't even know why you're worried." A blonde folded his arms, his deep brown eyes staring into the startlingly grey ones. "After the way you treated her..." He shook his head. "You pushed her to one side, like she was some sort of unwanted object... So, if she had the choice, she'd probably stay away for good."

"Enough, Black." Lyra sighed, sinking back into her mate. "Finn has his reasons."

"You're defending him?"

"I didn't say whether they were bad or good." Lyra said, blinking in surprise as she was treated to a sudden shoulder massage. "I just said he has his reasons, so we should respect that."

"You need to tell her how you feel." Black stared at the other Alpha, ignoring the Luna Queen's exasperated expression as he continued to chip away at the topic. "Sooner rather than later... Otherwise you might lose her forever, and trust me, you'll regret it."

Finn scowled. "How am I supposed to tell her how I feel when I've got no clue myself?!"

"Spend some more time around her at least." Black said, closing his eyes. "That's the only way you'll figure out what you feel for her..."

"And to think that we were giving you relationship advice only a few months ago..." Rylan shook his head. "I feel oddly proud."

Black kicked him. "Shut up."

"Stop moping around, you lot." Blaze sighed, interrupting their little group conversation. "Finn." He turned to the brunette. "There's only one way to cure your misery." He said, placing bottles of various liquors in front of the man, a wide grin on his face. "Drink."

Black simply rolled his eyes, excusing himself from the room alongside Rylan. "Great life advice right there."

***

"I think it's time you went to bed..." Rylan sighed, glancing down at the ridiculously drunk Alpha. "Sleep it off. We can talk more in the morning."

"Kay." Finn mumbled, climbing to his feet with surprising steadiness, slowly heading up the considerable number of stairs to his room on the topmost floor of the main building.

A surprise was waiting for him though, and he soon found out what it was as he pushed open the large doors, not bothering to run his fingers over the tree carvings on the carefully crafted doors like he usually did on entering his room.

There, sprawled out on the large low grey bed, was Genesis. A long silky pink dress was wrapped around her, pooling in a large puddle around her as she lay across Finn's silvery grey sheets – the only splash of colour in the room.

"Genesis..." His voice was a whisper as he sat down next to her, the bed sinking slightly, but even that didn't cause the sleeping figure to stir.

"Let her sleep."

Finn blinked, his eyes darting over to the man sitting in the posh grey armchair by the window.

"I trust you have enough sense in that alcohol addled brain of yours to know that you shouldn't even bother trying to attack me." The man said, rising from his seat, carefully placing the silvery cushion back in its place. "I just came to let you know that if, for some strange reason, your mate runs away from you, then I'll be taking her back to my palace and you should be able to guess how hard it'd be for you to actually get there, let alone find her." He folded his arms, his pink eyes boring into Finn's grey ones, the pale moonlight barely casting light onto his elegant features. "She's now part of my Household, so treat her well."

"I will." He said, tucking a strand of loose black hair back behind his mate's ear, and when he looked back up, the shadowy figure was gone.

"Finn...?" Purple eyes stared up at him, confusion written across her face until she realised where she was. "I'll go." She said, quickly climbing to her feet, hurrying towards the door, freezing when one hand clamped around her arm.

"Genesis."

That one word was enough to make her knees tremble, her entire body relaxing as he breathed her name. "Finn..." She turned, staring up at him, her lips parting in shock when she noticed his expression.

An oddly intense set of grey eyes were locked on hers, and she was trapped in their gaze like a deer caught in the headlights.

The pad of his thumb ran over her lips, his fingertips brushing her cheek as he tilted her face upwards, just in time for his lips to find hers.

One hand wove through her hair, the other pulling her body until it was flush against his as they kissed in the darkened bedroom.

The taste of alcohol filled Genesis's mouth as their tongues met, her eyes closing, tears leaking down her face as Finn gave her a kiss she knew he wouldn't remember in the morning.

He was drunk.

Enough so he couldn't remember.

Genesis didn't care, though.

She just wanted him.

Her arms stretched out behind his head, her hands weaving through his tangled brown hair, her fingers finding their way to his face.

"Genie..." He whispered, his grey eyes stared down into her glistening purple ones.

Her lips reclaimed his for a brief few seconds, tears pouring down her heated face. "Why do you look at me with those eyes...?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

They toppled back to the bed, a pair of russet hands landing on either side of her head, their foreheads meeting gently as he spoke the three words she never thought she'd hear him say.

"I love you, Genesis..."

Her hands clenched his hair, her eyes opening slowly, meeting his intense gaze that was only millimetres away, her mind made up as she realised exactly where this was headed. Even if he hated her tomorrow once the haze brought on by the alcohol was over, for that one single night he was completely and utterly hers. The thought thrilled her, which was why she couldn't stop the next words that slipped from her lips. "Then show me just how much..." She whispered, her voice shaking slightly, her body quivering as one by one the buttons on her shirt were popped off.

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