I wake up in pure horror.

Well, that's not precisely true.

Let me back up.

When I first woke up, I was warm. And not alone.

Not only was I sharing the bed with Finn, I was sharing the bed with Finn.

My head was laying on his chest, my arm draped around his muscular torso, and my legs were tangled in his.

So, now you see why my morning begins in horror.

Given the horrific nature of the situation, one could understand my paralysis, and therefore my inability to untangle myself from a very warm, very attractive Finnley.

His eyes were closed as I stared at him, and once again, I marveled at his sheer beauty, unlike anything I had ever seen before. His face was perfectly chiseled, as was the rest of him. His hair was adorably messy, slightly curled at the ends. One strand was separated from the others, curling on his forehead.

Before I think it through, I reach my hand up to put the strand of hair with the others.

Finn catches my wrist with his hand, his eyes still closed. "It's considered rude to stare, you know," He says with a smile.

I jump, startled that he was awake. "Oh- um, well, it's just that there's a piece of your hair on your forehead separated from the others, and it shouldn't be away from its friends. It could have gotten lonely, you know?" I nervously ramble, suddenly very conscious of the fact that I'm only wearing one of his shirts and a pair of panties.

He chuckles lowly. "Can't have that, can we?" He agrees huskily, and I shiver, despite the fact that I'm uncomfortably warm.

He still hasn't let go on my wrist, so I tug it away. "I'll just, um, be taking this back now," I say nervously, and he finally releases his grip and opens his eyes.

Dark, long eyelashes frame his eyes, and I'm amazed by how green they are, like spring.

And then I remember that my limbs are intertwined with his.

I scramble to untangle myself, my cheeks flushing as I tug the shirt down, since it was previously hitched up to my waist.

"Where's my apology?" Finn asks suddenly.

I freeze on the side of the bed, his words stopping me from bolting to hide in the bathroom. "What?"

He's eyes are glowing in mischief, and his smile is still painstakingly beautiful. "Well, for one, you promised to keep your hands to yourself."

My face burns even hotter, and I'm sure I look like a tomato.

"Secondly, your snoring kept me up the whole night," He teases with a laugh, and I hit him with a pillow.

"I do not snore!" I say defensively, but I can't help giggling. He seems so... happy. It was infectious.

He puts the pillow I hit him with behind his head, propping him up, and I try not to stare at his bare chest. "You're right," He says lowly. "I must have been distracted by something else."

His gaze lowers to my exposed leg, and I blurt out, "I have to pee!"

He laughs. "Luckily, I thought of that when building this place, and put in a bathroom or two."

I groan in embarrassment before scurrying into the bathroom, and can hear Finn laughing from the bedroom. My suspicions were confirmed when I look in the mirror, and my face is pink. My curly hair is even more untamed than usual, and I cringe as I realize that Finn has seen me like this.

Not that I care. Obviously.

I attempt to control my hair, and brush my teeth before heading back into the room. Finn is looking out the window when I come out.

"It's a nice day outside," He notes, turning back to look at me. "We could go for a walk?"

Not a good idea, based on the last time I went outside. "I don't think so," I decline his offer.

"He won't come back, you know," Finn says gently.

"You don't know that."

"You can't stay in here forever."

"Can too."

"Can not."

I throw my arms up in frustration. "Fine! One walk. And you're annoying, by the way," I pout, and he chuckles as he walks up to me.

"Not nearly as annoying as you hogging the bed," He teases, and tweaks my nose. "I'll meet you downstairs, okay?"

I nod, and he kisses my forehead before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him. Today, I feel... happy. Light, like air.

After getting dressed, I go downstairs, where Kallista, Astrid, Dean, and Will are whispering conspiratorially. Dean and Kallista grin in evil unison as they look up at me.

"Well, well, well, look who it is," Dean says and wiggles his eyebrows. "You know, Kallista told me the craziest thing."

Oh no.

Kallista punches Dean. "I told you not to say anything!"

"What! We all would have found out eventually anyways," Dean whispers, like I can't hear him.

"Nothing happened," Finn suddenly appears behind me, placing his hand on my lower back.  "Stop gossiping like school girls and eat your damn food."

Astrid and Will chuckle as they eat a bite of their cereal. Dean scowls. "I can't believe you kept this from me, Finn. I thought we were besties."

Finn sighs. "Dean, for the last time, shut up. Where's the better brother?" He asks, turning to Kallista.

"Your words hurt, Finnegan," Dean says, waving his spoon.

"I thought it was Finnley," I whisper to Finn in confusion.

Kallista interjects, "Oh, it is. Dean only has two brain cells though, and they very rarely interact. Ro is in the garden. Something about a chrysanthemum crisis."

"I'm surprised you can say a word with more than two syllables in it, Kal," Dean snorts.

"We should go before they start throwing food," Finn whispers to me, and I nod in agreement.

Once we're out of the house, Finn apologizes. "Sorry, Kallista saw me coming out of your room. I should have known she would blow it out of proportion."

I kick a rock out of the trail path. "It's fine. It's just... Dean being Dean," I smile. It's hard to be mad at him. He was the first one to make me smile after Grey's death, not to mention, completely fixed the problem from yesterday.

"You seem... okay today," Finn says hesitantly. "Everything alright? I know things happened yesterday that were not... expected. Just making sure you're holding up okay."

I smile at his nervousness in approaching the topic, and his concern for me was heartwarming. "I'm fine. Things... they aren't so bad here after all. I don't think many kidnapees get to go on walks," I joke, and nudge him with my shoulders.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" He laughs, and takes his hand in mine.

"No, actually, I plan on-" I start to say, but hear something to our right. "Oh my god, he found us," I whisper in horror.

Finn squeezes my hand. "Just stay next to me, okay? I'm sure it's nothing."

We stay in place. "Hello?" Finn calls out. "Is there someone out here?"

"Finn, that's how every horror movie starts!" I whisper. "You shouldn't let the killer know your location!"

Finn laughs, surprisingly at ease. "Don't worry, my love, I won't let a big bad wolf hurt you."

I roll my eyes, and I hear more leaves crunch. "I can't believe this is how it ends," I whisper. "I didn't even get to-"

A man steps out from a tree, probably only a few years older than me, with dark blonde, curly hair. He has dirt smudges on his face, and his clothes are so worn in some places there are holes. He holds his hands up. "I don't want any problems," He says slowly, like he's anticipating us on attacking. "I didn't know this land was already claimed, I swear."

"What's your name?" Finn asks gently, his eyes shining.

The man hesitates before answering. "I'm Hudson."

Finn smiles, disarmingly kind. His gentle nature never ceases to leave me dumbfounded. "Well Hudson, you look like you're in desperate need of a good night's sleep. And a shower," He adds on. "How long have you been on the run?"

Hudson looks stunned. "Um, I'm not sure. A few months, maybe. The last place I was living- a nearby pack took the land, I haven't been in one place for long since that," A look of pain flashes on his face as he mentions his former home. I wondered if it was the house he had grown up in, just ripped away from him by a greedy Alpha.

"Come back to our home with us, Hudson," Finn offers. "We have plenty of rooms. We host dozens of rogues at any given moment. We offer them a home- a permanent home. You'd be welcome to stay as long or as little as you'd like."

He narrows his eyes in suspicion. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. You can come by, see if you like it. Stay if you do, leave if you don't. If you stay, you can come and go as you please. The only rule is that you can't harm anyone while you're there. Not the rogues in the house, not any rogues you may come across in the future," Finn explains.

Hudson looks at Finn in disbelief. "Are you serious? You don't even know me."

Finn shrugs. "Our home was founded on the knowledge that not all rogues are bad, and with the goal of helping those in need. You're in need of a home. Let us help you."

Hudson's eyes are wide. Despite that he's undoubtedly older than me, he looks like a small child. Lost, scared but... hopeful. "I-I don't know what to say," He says quietly.

"Say yes," Finn smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

Hudson nods slowly. "O-okay. I guess there's no harm in checking it out."

Finn looks elated as Henry walks towards us, and we head back to the house. "Sorry, what's your name?" Hudson asks nervously.

"I'm Finn, this is Onyx," Finn says, squeezing my hand. I wave shyly to the rogue.

Finn chats excitedly with Hudson for the remainder of the short walk, looking incredibly animated as he describes the house. Hudson looks at him in wonder the whole time, like he can't believe he's real.

Sometimes, I can't believe it either.

We reach the house, and Hudson says, "I don't see anything."

Finn grins. "Look again."

Hudson's mouth drops as he looks at the enormous house. "Wow, you weren't kidding about the extra rooms."

Finn laughs. "No, we definitely have more than a few to spare."

Luckily for Hudson, Kallista and Dean are nowhere to be seen, saving him from witnessing one of their volatile and childish interactions. Finn gives him a tour, while Hudson marvels at the home. Finn goes into our hallway, and opens up a door a few rooms away from ours.

"You can have this room, if you want to stay," Finn says, looking at Hudson hopefully. And I realize then that Finn wants these rogues to find him, he has the compulsive need to help them. It goes beyond just offering a place to stay. He offers them a home. Another chance at life. My chest tightens.

Hudson looks at the room, sits on the bed, and looks at Finn, completely bewildered. "I... I don't know how to thank you," Hudson chokes out emotionally.

Finn grins, and his smile could light up the universe. "No thanks necessary. I'll bring you by some clothes. We can take you to buy new things once you're settled in. There's toiletries and fresh towels in the bathroom, I'll put some clothes on your bed for you before you get out."

Hudson looks completely stunned. I think I see him pinching himself.

"It's so good to have you here, Hudson," Finn says genuinely, and we leave the room, closing the door behind us.

Finn goes back in his room, and I follow him. He rummages through his drawers, pulling out all kinds of articles of clothing. "You're giving him your clothes," I ask in surprise.

He shrugs. "Of course. They can be easily replaced."

My heart swells, and I look at him like I'm truly seeing him for the first time. His kindness- it's not a mask. It's him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Finn asks in amusement. "If this is about the hoodies, I promise I have plenty left for you to commandeer."

I laugh when he winks at me. "It's not that. It's just... the way you are with people. I like it... I like it a lot." I struggle to find the words, but there are no words that can express how great it is, what he does for these people.

"And how about the way I am with you, Onyx?" He asks softly, setting the pile of clothes on the bed, and taking my hands in his.

My heartbeat quickens. "I like that, too."

And this time, when he kisses me, Thane is the last thing on my mind.

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