by Jen L. Grey
The tension thickened between us. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do.
“Dad, it’s not your decision.” Mason wrapped an arm around me and stared his dad down. “It’s hers.”
“This is my pack.” James pointed in the direction where all the other houses resided. “I can’t let one person outweigh the others.”
Whether I liked it or not, I respected his argument. “You’re right. And I unfairly put you in an uncomfortable situation.” I wished I’d known all this before now. “Had I known that I had a red coat and what the implications were, I never would have put you in a situation like this. So for that, I’m sorry.” I took a step toward him. “Do you want to denounce me, or should I part from you.” Maybe if I rushed home, I could talk Kassie into letting me be part of their pack. That was going to be the best bet I had now.
“No, you can’t.” Mason turned me toward him. “He’ll know. That was the whole point of all this.”
“What are you two talking about?” James squinted and tilted his head.
“The king can sense every alpha. That’s why I asked if you would take her in.” Mason’s jaw tensed. “I thought you would be willing to help my mate.”
“That’s not fair.” James huffed and shook his head. “I do want to help her.”
“Stop fighting with him.” He didn’t realize how lucky he was. “He’s your father. He loves you, but he has to think of the pack, too. I get it.”
“You’re my pack too now. We’ll figure something out.” James reached over and grabbed his son’s shoulders, lowering his head to look Mason in the eye. “Of course I care about her. She’s part of our family now. We just have to be careful.”
The word family rang in my ears. I hadn’t thought of it that way. It both terrified and excited me. “There’s gotta be another way.” All this was causing too much drama for me.
“It shocked me.” James rubbed his eyes and sighed. “I overreacted, and I do believe you when you said that you had no clue.”
“I’d rather no one else know if possible.” I bit my bottom lip as I thought through it. “I mean, other than your wife, that is.”
“She doesn’t need to know either.” James reached for my free hand. “She’s got too much other stuff on her mind, and I agree this needs to be kept a secret. No running with the rest of the pack.”
“That’s fine. She can run with me.” Mason’s face spread into a huge smile. “We’ll stay clear of the others.”
“I’m sure you will.” James rolled his eyes.
This conversation suddenly turned awkward. “Are you sure? I truly don’t want to impose.”
“It’s fine.” He headed toward the back door. “I need to go check on your mother. In a few minutes, would you bring her back there for an introduction?”
“Yeah, sure will.” Mason nodded as he watched his dad enter the house.
As soon as the door shut, he turned toward me. “Now, I can kiss you and not worry.”
My stomach did flip-flops as he closed the distance between us. “Your family is less than twenty feet away and could come back out at any time.”
“So?” His fingertips brushed against my cheek, and my breathing hitched. “I’m not asking for anything more than a kiss.”
My eyelids fluttered as his lips descended on mine.
The electricity was somehow stronger than all the other times. I didn’t know how it was possible. His tongue ran across my lips, causing me to gasp.
Taking advantage of my surprise, he slipped his tongue into my mouth, filling my senses with all things Mason. His earthy scent surrounded me, and his mint taste was the best combination I’d ever had.
As I matched his tongue, stroke for stroke, my body plastered against his.
He groaned and lowered his hands, grabbing my ass. “You’re killing me.”
My hands wrapped around his neck and into his short hair. A low moan escaped me.
“Oh, dear God.” Ella’s voice was like a cold shower. “No wonder you were worried about wearing a dress.”
I jerked away from him and pulled the dress down. I could only hope she made that comment so I would feel awkward. I had to put all my cards into that hand.
“Go away.” Mason grabbed my waist, pulling me back into him. “We’re busy.”
“That is pretty damn obvious.” Instead of going away, she finished walking around the side of the house and crossed her arms. “You had her all damn night. It’s my turn.”
He growled. “No.”
“I’m not asking for permission.” She tapped her foot on the ground.
“She’s not going away.” I couldn’t keep the giggle out of my voice.
“Shh.” He leaned his forehead on mine. “Just ignore her, and she might go away.”
“No.” She shook her head and moved to stand right next to us. “I won’t.”
“Ugh.” He leaned his head back and groaned.
“What do you want to do?” There was no way we would be able to ignore her. She was determined to get some time in.
“Not sure.” She leaned to the side so she could see her brother behind me.
“When he told me you guys were mates, I was ecstatic. Now, I’m not quite sure how I feel since he’s trying to keep you all to himself.”
“Hey, you had her all to yourself for the first two months of the school year,” Mason growled as I turned my body in her direction. “This is my turn.”
“You better be careful, Elena.” Ella placed a hand on her hip. “He might be peeing on you soon.”
“If it kept you away, I might just do it.” He wrapped his arms around my waist and placed his head on my shoulder. “Would it work?”
“Nope, I’d just pee over yours.” With her free hand, she flipped her hair behind her. “Besides, she loves me more anyway.”
“Can’t I just love both of you?” I cringed when I uttered the L word. Mason and I hadn’t gone there yet.
“You can pretend to.” She winked at me. “I won’t tell him the truth though.”
“She’s my mate, not yours.” He leaned down and kissed the side of my neck. “So if you want to watch, be my guest.”
“Oh, you didn’t tell him about that night?” Ella pouted. “I figured you would’ve told him by now.”
“Wait. What happened?” Mason’s arms tensed around my waist.
She was messing with him. You’d think he’d know that by now.
“Well, we had a few drinks, and she’s hot.” She pointed at me. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. It wasn’t planned, but we kissed for a little while.”
“What?” His hands loosened around my waist. “Are you serious?” Fear shone through his eyes.
“No, she’s not serious.” I punched him in the arm.
“Ouch.” He groaned and shook his head. “Thank God. I don’t know how I’d feel if she and I kissed the same girl.”
“So you’re saying that your feelings would change for me?” Hell, if she was giving him a hard time, I’d join after that comment.
“What? No!” He lifted both hands in the air. “I’m just saying it’d be disturbing.”
“I never thought I’d see the day when Mason would care about a girl outside the family.” Ella mashed her lips together. “I’m not sure how I feel about it.”
“Get used to it.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Her eyes shone with mirth. “Let’s go for that run.”
I hadn’t considered that she’d want to run with me.
“We can’t right now.” He dropped his hands from my waist. “Dad wants her to meet Mom.”
“That makes sense.” She pointed at me. “Tomorrow, I get girl time.”
“Deal.” As long as it didn’t have to involve anything concerning being a wolf.
“Come on. She’s going to be ecstatic to meet you.” He walked over to the door and opened it. “She’d given up on me settling down.”
“Great, so I’m the one who chained you down.” That didn’t s
ound great.
“Nope, you’re the missing piece that I finally found.” His eyes gazed at my lips as I passed by. “I can’t wait to get you alone.”
His words both thrilled and scared me. If our wolves had anything to do with it, we’d cement the bond tonight. I’d spent my whole life avoiding people, and in a matter of months, I could be committing myself to one person for the rest of my entire life. However long that may be.
This time, I was able to pay attention to the inside of the house. The walls were a light gray with white trim around the edges, and the wood floors were a dark, warm brown. Everything in the house was traditional with a modern flair.
I followed him into the hallway like I had Ella, but we continued past her door and what obviously had to be Mason’s. Soon, we came to a door on the left that was partially ajar.
Mason lifted his hand and knocked on the door ever so lightly. “Mom?”
“Come in.” A strong female voice answered.
As we walked into the room, I found James helping a beautiful, olive-skinned woman sit up in the bed.
Her hair was long and dark, and her jade eyes, which matched Mason’s, landed straight on me. “Oh, you are one lucky man, Mason.” A small smile spread across her face as she took me in. “Hi, I’m Dehlia.”
“Hey, I’m Elena.” This was kind of awkward. I’d never met someone in bed before. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“Ah, she has manners.” She reached over and patted James’s arm with her hand. “Maybe Mason will finally start learning some.”
“Mom.” Mason huffed but wore an adoring smile on his face. “I have manners, I just don’t choose to use them.”
“And that’s a worse problem.” She leaned forward and patted the spot next to her. “Elena, please come sit. I’m sorry that we have to meet this way, but this is all the strength I have.”
“It’s perfectly fine.” I slowly made my way to her and sat on the edge. “I’m honored to meet you.”
“I’m just blessed knowing my baby will be taken care of when I’m gone.” Her cold fingers touched my arm. “Mason has always been cold and indifferent to others, but I already see warmth coming back into his eyes. Now we just need to get Ella squared away.”
“Don’t talk like that.” Mason’s voice turned hard. “You aren’t going anywhere. You’re going to be here to see your grandbabies toddle around.”
“Do you have something to tell us?” James crossed his arms as he looked at his son.
“Stop giving them a hard time.” Dehlia waved him off. “You’re embarrassing her. Their bond isn’t completely formed, so we know there isn’t a chance… yet.”
His whole family liked messing with one another. “We’ll find a way to save you.” Even though I’d just met her, I could see such strength and life in her eyes. There had to be a way to save her.
“Oh, dear. It won’t happen.” She patted my hand again. “It’d take getting the European king on board to allow his healer to help me. All I need to focus on is staying strong for as long as I can.”
“Come on.” Mason took my hand and tugged me toward the door. “Let’s give her some time to rest.”
I glanced at his mom one more time. She tried to hide a yawn. If I were Queen, I could help her. Could I allow his mother to die, knowing I could’ve made the difference?
Chapter Sixteen
The day had been incredible. We’d spent it with his parents, and I got introduced to the pack. Meredith’s surprised expression was worth it when her eyes had landed on me.
Even though I wished the day could last forever, it was time for me to go home.
Mason held my hand as he drove me toward my guardians. “Today was one of the best ones of my life.”
“I’m glad. Me too.” I hadn’t realized how much I was missing out on until now. “Your parents are amazing.”
“Yeah, they are.” Mason tightened his hands on the steering wheel. “I’ve got to get another fight in soon. We’re going to run out of time.”
“What are you going to use the money for?” I’d been wanting to ask for a while, but it never seemed appropriate. After meeting her, I understood his desperation.
“Because if I can offer to fly the healer over, maybe that’s all it would take.” He kept his eyes on the road and his jaw set. “I’ve got about two thousand, so I should be getting close.”
Usually, when it came to politics, you had to offer something the other person couldn’t refuse. I wasn’t quite sure that money was the way to go, but I couldn’t deprive him of the hope.
When we pulled into my driveway, I noted that Kassie’s car was gone. “They must have gone out tonight.”
That was one thing they always made sure to do. Go out together so neither of them could get into a bad situation, especially if they were around humans.
My heart wanted to take off when I turned to Mason. “Want to come in?”
He arched his eyebrow and took a deep breath. “Don’t ask me if you aren’t sure. There won’t be any turning back if I go in there.”
His words caused a shiver to run through me. I wasn’t sure if it was a threat or promise, but either way, my body reacted to his words. “Come on.”
“Okay.” He turned the car off and climbed out.
Not wanting to waste any more time, I jumped out of the car and headed straight to the door.
It didn’t take long for me to unlock and open it. Soon, we both were inside. There was a note on the back of the door telling me they’d be out for a while. My body buzzed with anticipation, so I spun around and planted my lips on his.
“We need to go upstairs.” He groaned as I bit his bottom lip.
“Okay.” The stairs were right in front of me, so I climbed until we were the same height.
He growled and picked me up, his lips on mine, demanding entrance. I opened my mouth and wrapped my legs around his waist. He stumbled up the stairs as I kissed down his neck and nipped at the base.
“You’re going to kill me.” He took the first right straight into my room, following my scent.
Once we got into the room, he slammed the door shut and threw me onto the bed.
My skirt lifted so he could see my black lace panties.
I reached over and grabbed his shirt, pulling him down on top of me. The electricity that buzzed between our touching flesh scorched, making me ache for him more.
Moving my hand down to the waist of his pants, I slipped it inside. He was hard and ready, and more need exploded inside me. “I don’t know how much longer I can wait.”
“I want to make sure you feel good.” He growled as his hand slipped under my panties. “I’ve got to take care of you first.”
No human ever uttered words like that to me. “I need you. That’s what’s going to make me feel better.” Every cell in my body craved him.
“We’ll get there eventually.” His fingers began to rub the perfect spot, making me come unglued.
“Oh, God.” I moaned.
His lips descended on me as my body began to quiver. “Now, you’re ready.” He removed my dress and underwear, so it was my turn to undress him.
As I pulled the shirt from his body, my eyes went straight to his tattoo, and I touched it, tracing the design with my finger.
“That feels so good,” he growled.
“I love this.” I had no clue why. It was a simple tattoo but one that embraced who he was. I needed to be more like that. Maybe I could now.
Not able to wait any longer, I finished undressing him and spread my legs allowing him access. I needed this connection more now than ever before.
Just before he moved, he stopped to stare straight into my eyes. “I love you.”
The words were simple and fast, but we were both at the mercy of one another. Bonds were sacred, and even though it helped form the relationship between soulmates faster, we’d still feel the same way without it. “I love you too.” I moved my hair to the side, allowing him access to my neck.
&
nbsp; “Are you sure?” His voice was low and husky. “This is your last chance.”
I moved my hips, causing his tip to enter me ever so slightly. “Yes.”
As he slammed into me, he bit down on my neck, claiming me as his own.
Pleasure rocked me as he cemented his bond to me, all in that one moment. As he thrust into me another time, I lifted my head, sinking my teeth into his skin as well.
It wasn’t long before we were both climaxing, and something inside me snapped into place. A void I'd never known I had was filled.
You were absolutely perfect. His voice sounded in my head, which almost made me fall onto the floor.
“Are you okay?” He lifted his head, glancing around the room.
“Yeah, but something weird happened.” I forced myself to laugh once. “I thought I heard you say I was absolutely perfect in my head.”
“You did.” He wrapped his arm back around me and pulled me flush against him. It’s our mate bond.
His words warmed my heart. So who all can we talk to like this? It was difficult to realize how little I knew about being a wolf. If that wasn’t further proof that I wasn’t meant to be Queen, I wouldn’t know what else could be.
Only each other in human form. Well, mates can communicate even if we aren’t in the same form. It’s because our souls were meant to be one. However, when we’re in our wolf form, we can talk to anyone else in our pack.
Well, okay then. Finally feeling like I belonged somewhere gave me more comfort than I’d ever imagined it would. This felt right. Does proximity come into play?
Not for us. Mason turned to face me and brushed his lips against mine. But with packs, we can only connect if we’re within fifty miles of each other.
His wolf tattoo caught my eye once more. I love that you have this.
You like it that much? A huge grin spread across his face. I thought it was a little bit of a ‘fuck you’ since we’re supposed to stay hidden.
What? You thought you’d be ornery? The first few months we ran into each other, we both had been assholes. I can’t believe that.
You weren’t a walk in the park either, love. He booped me on the nose. We better get up and get dressed, or I’ll be taking you for another round, and I’d hate for Kassie and Mona to walk in on that.