Finn had dissolved the entire flower into dust. I stared at the dust settled in his palm until the wind picked up, and the dust swirled out of his palm and into the air, never to be seen again.

"I... You... What?" I say incoherently, completely dumbstruck.

Finn wipes his hand off on his shoulder. "Kallista calls it 'dusting'. Kind of an inside joke. But... yeah."

I'm sure my mouth was dropped open and almost on the ground. "You can just turn things into dust?"
Finn nods.

"Even people?"

Finn looks away. "Yeah. I did it once, accidentally. When I was younger. Kallista and I came across a rogue when we were outside playing, and it just happened. Out of instinct, maybe. It was the first time I used it."

I was speechless. But weirdly enough... I wasn't scared. Kallista was right. He did understand the Darkness, just as well as I did.

"Onyx?" Finn said worriedly. "I meant it when I said I don't use it to people."

I shake my head in disbelief. "No- I know. I believe you. Something... similar happened to me when I was young, too."

Killian. The reason I had been kicked out of Crimson Shadow.

"We aren't our Gifts, you know," Finn says quietly as he takes my hand in his much warmer one. "The ability to destroy doesn't mean we have to. I know you don't want to hurt anyone. I don't either."

I stared into his green eyes, and I couldn't believe how much of me he sees. I feel understood, in a way I didn't know was possible.

The sun had finally set, and the only light came from the moon, which was bright enough that I could see enough of Finn to really see how attractive he is. He looked kind of adorable in his green flannel and jeans, and his light brown hair was slightly tousled in a handsome way. My heart pounds in my chest when he leans in, and his lips are mere centimeters away from mine.

"W-wait," I stammer out. "I can't do this, Finn. I'm so sorry. You're a really nice guy, like seriously the nicest guy I've ever met, and obviously you're attractive, like, super hot. But I just can't give you more, not in the way you want. Not after... you know."

I couldn't deny that I was attracted to Finn. Anyone would be. He had the purest heart out of anyone I know, kidnapping aside, and even more significantly, he seemed to truly understand every part of my soul.

But Thane had destroyed any chance I had at true love. As much as I hate him, he's my mate, and therefore the only one that I would have been able to fall in love with. And when he ripped out Greyson's heart, he had ripped out mine as well. I wouldn't ever be able to trust someone again, and wouldn't be able to love as freely as I once had.

Finn nods, withdrawing his hand and pulling away. "I understand," He says with a small smile. "I wouldn't ever, you know, want to pressure you."

That just makes my heart break even more. He's perfect, so perfect it makes my head spin. Thane and I had been fighting before I left about Marking, and he was so insistent on doing it, and here Finn was, giving me all of the time I wanted.

"You should find someone else," I tell him, even though the words make my stomach turn. "I can't love or trust anyone after him. But you're a great guy, Finn. You would make another girl really happy, I know it."

He shakes his head slowly, his eyes piercing through me. "You know I can't do that, Onyx. There's nobody else I want. It's fine if you don't want to be with me. Really, it is. I can live with having you in my life as a friend. But make no mistake. There is nobody else I could ever want as much as I want you."

I gulp nervously, and there's another gust of wind, though that's only part of the reason why I shiver.

"Come on, let's get you inside before it gets too cold," Finn says, and begins to put the empty dishes back in the basket.

We go back into the house, and I can hear yelling. Obviously, it's Kallista.

"No, you chose the movie the last time! It's my turn!" She screeches, and I hear a thud.

"Ouch! Seriously, you brat? That hurt!" Dean yells back.

Finn sighs. "They're having a movie night. I know it doesn't seem that appealing, given the company, namely Kallista and Dean, but would you want to join?"

Still feeling guilty from rejecting him once tonight, I agree. "Sure, sounds fun," I say, and I'm rewarded with a breathtaking smile. I mean seriously, this guy could be a model.

He guides us to the movie room, the hallways still too confusing for me to navigate. When we get there, Kallista and Dean are wrestling for the remote, while Ronin tries to break them apart. Astrid and Will are snuggled up on one of the large recliners under a blanket.

Their fighting stops when we walk in. "Oh, hey, Onyx," Kallista grins at me. "You're just in time for movie night!"

"We're watching Killer Clowns and Evil Babies," Dean says excitedly, getting off of the ground and untangling himself from Kallista.

"No we aren't!" Kallista argues. "I told you that I want to watch Love in Paris."

"And I told you that sounds boring and terrible. I still haven't recovered from The Notebook," He shudders in disgust.

"You loved the notebook," Ronin contradicts quietly. "You cried for an hour."

Dean's eyes glaze over. "They died in each other's arms! What kind of monster wouldn't cry?"

"I didn't," Astrid interjects, and Will laughs as he pulls her closer to him.

"My point exactly," Dean mutters, and Kallista chucks the remote at him, and it makes a horrible cracking sound as it hits his skull. "That's it. Finn, I hope you don't mind becoming an only child."

Finn sighs as he rolls his eyes. "Just choose a movie, Dean. Kallista, stop being a brat and go sit down."

Dean gives Kallista a victorious smirk and she scowls as she gets up and sits in one of the recliners, and Dean takes the one on the other side of Ronin. "I doubt Onyx wants to watch a movie on killer clowns and babies," She says, looking at me hopefully.

"Only the clowns are killers. The babies are just evil," Dean points out and looks at me equally hopefully. "You don't mind, right, Onyx?"

Oh God, not a decision. I hate making those. "Um, whatever is fine," I say, already feeling bad for how much trouble I had caused since coming here.

Finn looks at me in concern and whispers, "Are you sure? We can watch the romance movie if you want, I can't imagine you'd want to watch a horror film."

"She said it was fine, Casanova, relax," Dean grins wickedly. "And since your lovely sister so generously gave me the remote, I choose the killer clowns."

Finn rubs his temples, no doubt feeling a headache from the two wolves. "Fine. Killer clowns and evil babies it is."

Kallista and Dean continue arguing as they turn on Netflix, and Ronin tries to suggest a movie in between romance and gore. And then I realize that there's only one recliner left.

Finn must have sensed my anxiety because he quickly whispers, "Don't worry, I'll take the floor."

I frown. "Don't be ridiculous, I'm the guest, I'll take the floor."

Finn's eyes soften. "You're not a guest, Onyx, this is your home. I'm taking the floor, please don't argue, I really don't mind."

I hesitate before saying, "We could just share. I promise not to take up all the space," I joke nervously, though the idea of being that close to him makes my hands clammy.

His face lights up. "Perfect. I'll get a blanket for you."

I sit down in the oversized recliner, thankful that there's so much space. Finn turns out the lights and returns with a blanket, laying down next to me. Despite how big the chair is, Finn is huge, and his shoulders and legs brush against mine as he puts the blanket over us.

Dean turns on the killer clown movie despite Kallista's protests, and within the first two minutes, someone gets decapitated. My stomach turns over, and I try to shove out pictures of Greyson from my mind. It's just a movie.

My skin tingles from where Finn is touching me, and my heart races throughout the movie, and it's not because of the evil babies. I sneak glances at Finn throughout the movie, noticing how he winces whenever something violent is occurring. He doesn't like the movie either.

The soft glow from the television makes the plains of his face defined, and I'm so entranced by his beauty, I forget I'm staring until he looks at me in concern.

"Do you want to leave? I shouldn't have let Dean put this on," He whispers low enough for only me to hear.

I shake my head, not wanting to cause a scene. Having Finn next to me made the movie less frightening, I realize. As crazy as it sounds, I can't help but feel safe with him, despite his dangerous Gift.

I almost exhale with relief when the movie is over.

"Thank God," Kallista groans, echoing my thoughts. "That was the worst movie ever. I'm going to need to watch six hours of Family Guy just to fall asleep tonight."

Dean snorts. "How would you know? Your hands were covering your eyes the whole time."

Kallista glares at him. "Two words: Paper. Bag."

They continue bickering while Finn gets up and turns on the lights, and we all leave the room except for Kallista, Dean, and Ronin, who were arguing on whether to watch Family Guy or The Simpsons.

"Are you tired? I can take you to bed," Finn asks as we stretch our legs, and I nod. He takes me back to the hallway with my room, and I hesitate.

"I can't sleep in there," I mumble.

Finn smiles sadly. "I know. You can sleep in here, I already moved your stuff in," He says and opens the door to his bedroom.

My eyes widen. "I can't stay in here, this is your room."

"I don't mind, really. I know you like the walls, I'm sure you'd sleep better in it. Not to mention be safer than you are when you actually sleep outside," He says genuinely.

He wasn't wrong. I did like sleeping outside, but it was getting pretty cold, not to mention, I felt guilty about him and the others having to watch over me. "But where will you sleep?"

He shrugs. "There's plenty of empty rooms, I'll just stay in one of those. Seriously... It would make me more than happy to have you in here."

His words make my heart squeeze. Goddess, he's so kind.

"Goodnight, Onyx," Finn whispers before kissing my forehead and closing the door before leaving.

That night, I go to sleep looking at the stars, but all I see is Finn's face.