Nash had finally warmed up to Charlie after she’d shown up with knowledge about their kind. The ruler of the pack was scary enough with his beard and wide shoulders. His anger was horrifying, but his mate, Isabell, calmed him enough to listen to her.
Hearing she was turned into a wolf was a surprise, but it made sense. If she was going to be mated to the love of her life, wouldn’t she want to be a wolf, too?
“So, do I have to become a wolf now?” she asked, watching the small trail ahead instead of watching for his reaction.
“Not if you don’t want to,” he answered. “Honestly, Charlie, I just found out you are my mate, and changing you would be perfect for me. But I want you to decide what’s best for you, because we are still hunted. My life is dangerous.”
“What are the benefits?” she continued, weighing all the information he’d given her.
“Super strength, great eyesight and hearing,” he shrugged. “If you want children…with me…you’ll have to become what I am, but…and I mean but…the change isn’t easy.”
“Explain, please,” she continued.
“I would force you to drink my blood until your body started accepting it, and when that happens, you are in excruciating pain for days while the wolf is being born inside you.”
“Wow,” she gasped.
“Nash had a hard time being in the same room as Isabell when she was in the midst of her change for three days,” he cursed. “The last thing I want for you is to cause you pain, and it would be selfish of me to want that just so we could mate properly.”
“Properly?” she continued with the questions. The shifters were different in so many ways. The humans had no idea.
“You’d have to bite me the way I bit you,” he answered.
“Well, that’s a lot of information to take in, Mason,” she stated.
Mason was about to say something else when he heard his name being called. “They did come looking for me.”
“Let’s get back to the terminal so everyone will be at ease,” she offered, quickening her steps toward the sound of Nash and Fury’s voices.
“My wolf is back in my mind,” he announced. “Let me call to Nash.”
Mason pulled at his wolf, feeling his canines thicken in his mouth, his eyes changing over to cast everything in a hazy yellow hue that could see perfectly for miles through the trees, and his senses heightened. At first, he was distracted by his own scent mingling with Charlie’s natural essence.
Mason! Where are you?
His brother must’ve forced his own wolf to wake up in his mind while he searched.
Coming home now. I woke up next to Charlie’s tent. We’ve mated.
He felt excitement from his brother, and following that, the woods became quiet. Nash and Fury headed home to wait their arrival.
“Everything okay?” Charlie asked, sliding her hand into his.
When his eyes cleared, she reached up and pushed at his lip. Her eyes traced his face, and he wondered if anything about what he was would eventually scare her away. Like usual, she was more inquisitive than anything else.
“My teeth thicken when I partially shift,” he admitted, cupping her face. “They won’t hurt you.”
With his vow, he leaned down and took her lips, kissing her soft at first…then the mating scent he carried for her deepened and their gentle touch became more frantic. By the time he released her, their panting had become erratic.
“I really need to get you home,” he grunted in frustration.
“Let’s go, big boy,” she teased as she glanced at the borrowed gray sweatpants.
The rest of the hike took just over an hour, and by the time they arrived, both of them were starved for food. Nash would want to see him, but his mate, and her needs, came first.
“I’ll make us some lunch,” he said as he pushed the door open wide. “If you’d like a shower while I make you something to eat, you can help yourself.”
“Thank you,” she replied. When she started to walk away, he reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her back to his lips.
“When we are done eating, I want dessert,” he teased and released her.
He cut up a hunk of smoked sausage and worked on reheating leftover stew. Since she was human, he wondered if she needed more vegetables than he required. He didn’t have anything in the way of a vegetable, but he remembered she had liked Aspen’s cucumber salad they’d served one night, and he had some stored in his fridge.
By the time she emerged, he groaned to himself. His mate was clean, and her hair was still a little damp from only towel drying it before she left the bathroom. She didn’t wear, or need, makeup, and that was fine with him.
“Let’s eat.” He had to distract himself or he would keep her in the bed for the next twelve hours. They had work to do, and despite finding his mate, the planes still needed to be flown.
She smiled when she took her seat. “What’s so funny?”
“Never thought I’d find a job doing what I love with a pack of wolf shifters,” she admitted, forking a piece of cucumber.
“Well, you’re here now, and you have the job for life,” he chuckled, tossing her a sexy wink.
“Hmm. Maybe I’ll take on that job over toward Fairbanks instead. I heard they pay better,” she teased.
“No going to Fairbanks,” he grunted. His wolf pushed at his skin, growling out a warning. “Fairbanks is off limits.”
“Woah, Mason,” she gasped, reaching across the table to place her hand over his fist. “I was teasing, but now you have to tell me what triggered you enough that your teeth grew and your eyes changed.”
“Black bears, Charlie,” he announced. “There is a clan there, and we don’t go anywhere near their territory.”
“Shifters?”
“Yes,” he answered, picking up his fork. “They are not the ones that killed our family, but they are just as deadly.”
“Okay, no Fairbanks,” she agreed after he finally relaxed.
Just the thought of her being anywhere near another shifter set his wolf on edge. Nash had panicked when natural ones came on their land, and he knew if they’d been shifters, his brother would’ve unleashed a wrath of hell upon everyone to save his mate and pack. Mason knew he’d do the same.
“What are our plans for the rest of the evening?” she asked after a few moments of silence. Mason was thankful for the distraction. He needed to calm his wolf down, forcing it to rest since it didn’t get to after he’d touched Charlie and mated her in the woods.
“Keeping you in our mated bed,” he admitted.
“Is that so,” she replied. Her natural scent was overpowered by desire, and he stood quickly from his seat, ignoring the dirty dishes. He would clean those up later.
She laughed when he scooped her up, tossing the female over his shoulder. “Your scent is driving me crazy, baby.”
“You don’t smell so bad either, Mr. Ward,” she hummed.
Mason carried her up to his bed, laying her across the middle. He didn’t need to undress his mate, because she was onboard with his plan. When they came together for the second time, she called out his name when she reached her release. He followed soon after.
Chapter 8
“We have a lot to catch up on today,” Aspen fretted as Charlie approached the check in counter of their small terminal. “So, much to do.”
“We will get it done,” Charlie began, but Aspen had stopped what she was doing to stare at her. “What?”
“Oh, my gods!” Aspen squealed. “You’ve mated! I have another sister!”
Aspen launched herself at Charlie, taking her into a very strong embrace. The beautiful brunette pulled away, cheered again, then wrapped her arms around Charlie and bounced on her feet.
“I guess you do,” Charlie replied when Aspen finally got control of herself.
“Ohhh, I’m so damn happy for you both,” Aspen said once she reached for a stack of papers. “We can celebrate later, but first…here’s your flight informatio
n. Fury already loaded up your plane earlier this morning. Mr. O’Brien said he cleared his landing zone yesterday. So, you should have an easy landing.”
During the summer months, the landscaped changed. It didn’t take long for Mother Nature to take over a landing strip, and she was glad the old man had cleared a spot for her. Landing in high grass was never a good option.
She sensed Mason before he even entered the back door. He’d left the cabin a little earlier to help Fury load the planes and stage the next loads to be delivered. She would miss him, but they had to get the work done. The warm weather didn’t last long in Alaska. And soon, they’d be working in the snow to get their deliveries done.
Charlie turned as Mason approached, letting him wrap her up while kissing her softly. She could get real used to being with him, but it was time to work. “We have to get going.”
“I know,” he sighed. “I just wanted to hold you once more before we are separated for the day.”
“Time’s ticking, lovebirds,” Aspen teased when Mason pulled away. His sister slapped the stack of paperwork for his flights against his chest when she passed him. “I have to get the room ready for the hikers you’re picking up this afternoon. Check in when you can. You two be safe out there.”
Aspen left them alone, and Charlie stood on the tips of her toes to kiss him one last time. “Sorry, wolf, but I gotta go.”
“Be safe, baby,” he hummed and smacked her ass as she passed. “And watch out for natural bears out by Opal McGee’s place. She feeds those damn things, and they’re everywhere.”
“I won’t let a bear eat me,” she said as she turned to wink. Charlie enjoyed flirting with Mason. They’d been doing it since the day after she started working for them. “But…I might let a wolf.”
And with that, she pushed through the door and headed for her plane.
Mason didn’t follow her out, and she was glad. Because too much flirting would cause her to beg him to take her back to his bed. She was insatiable when it came to his lovemaking.
“So, I hear congratulations are in order,” Fury announced as she approached her plane. Mason’s cousin-in-law was a great help, and she really like the guy.
“Thank you,” she beamed.
“I don’t know if Mason told you yet, but from now on, I cannot touch you directly.” He paused when she gave him an odd look. What the hell was he talking about?
“You can’t touch me? What does that mean?”
“Ah, yeah,” he chuckled. “Mating a shifter comes with a wealth of knowledge. It’s going to be a lot to take in, but I’m sure you two have been too busy to talk about everything.”
“And?” she pressed.
“A mated female is protected by our magic. It doesn’t matter if you are human or shifter. If a male touches your skin with his, it will cause you pain. The only way to stop that is for your true mate to cover the area with his own touch.”
“Well, that’s pretty fucked up, Fury,” she balked. You couldn’t touch another man…ever?
“It’s a flaw in our design, Charlie,” he sighed. “I think it has something to do with protection and mating. No shifter would want to cause pain to a female, no matter her species.”
“What about Aspen and Harper? I’ve seen them hugging Mason and Nash before.”
“Family blood doesn’t have the same effect. You and Isabell are the only ones here who we have to take care when around you. I can’t touch either one of you because you are mated into the Ward family. Aspen is okay to be touched, but only because she is not mated to anyone. Does that make any sense?”
“Actually, it does,” she agreed. “What do I do about these deliveries? What if one of the men touches me?”
“I’ve already thought of that.” He winked at her. “You have gloves in your passenger seat that I’d suggest you wear. Also, I put a long-sleeved shirt next to them. Wear them both when unloading or when you have passengers. If they touch you through the material, it won’t burn you.”
“Burn me?” she cursed.
“The pain feels like a burn,” he admitted, then shrugged. “Welcome to being mated to a shifter, Charlie.”
“Ah, well, thanks,” she grumbled and opened the door to her plane. Once she climbed in, she noticed the gloves and shirt.
There was a lot to learn about the shifters, and it was obvious the internet had gotten it completely wrong.
Mason landed on the small runway at the north end of the trail. The single passenger was already waiting just inside the tree line. When his plane came to a stop, he slid out and greeted the human male.
“How did it go?” Mason took the pack from him and placed it in the back of the plane.
“Really well,” he replied. “Saw some white wolves the other night. Looked like they were just passing through.”
“Yeah, they come through here once a month,” Mason replied without cringing. It was always a risk, having someone on the pass during the full moon. Thankfully, they weren’t shot by some scared human.
“Thanks again for the pick-up.” The man shook Mason’s hand and they climbed into the plane. Forty-five minutes later, they were back on the ground at the terminal, and the man departed to his vehicle.
Aspen was on the phone and ignored him as he reached for the radio, calling for Charlie. He hadn’t heard from her since they’d left that morning, and it was reaching lunch time.
“I’m on my way in,” she announced after he’d used her call sign. “Should be on the ground in ten.”
“Lunch will be in the terminal kitchen,” he continued. “Be safe.”
They signed off as Aspen was finishing her call. She was deep in thought, but regained her usual composure before standing to walk away from the desk.
“What’s wrong?” Mason inquired.
“Oh, nothing,” she blushed. “That was Mr. Dupree. He’s en route from the city and booked a flight for tomorrow morning. I fit him into Charlie’s schedule.”
His sister’s odd behavior about the male raised all kinds of red flags, and he wondered if maybe she had feelings for the male. They’d physically seen each other several times over the last year when he would fly into the terminal. He kept a vehicle there in the side lot with several others belonging to residents to use when they needed to get to Anchorage.
Whatever was going on with her, he was sure it would come out at some point. His sister didn’t carry a mating scent, but that could always change.
“How’s the mated life?” Nash asked as he came out of the office. His big brother, and leader to their pack, was more talkative than ever before. Mason gave all the credit to Isabell. She was good for him, and having her there to help lead the pack made things a lot easier.
“I’m happy.” He paused, thinking of the future. “We haven’t really talked about what will happen now. I just want to get these deliveries made first.”
“Things will be okay, brother,” Nash promised and slapped him on the back. “Just be open and honest. She’s very accepting of us. You shouldn’t have a problem.”
“Are you referring to me again?” Isabell called out from the kitchen. “I swear to the gods, Nash Ward. You’re going to never let me forget it, are you?”
Mason held back his laughter. Isabell had found out about them in a surprising way. She ran away, and it almost killed her. Now, they were happily mated, and Mason strived to be that close to Charlie.
“Get your mate and come have lunch,” Nash groaned. “I have to grovel for a moment.”
“You do that,” he laughed and pushed through the back door right as Charlie’s yellow plane touched down.
She met him halfway between her parking spot and the building. Mason didn’t say anything before wrapping his arms around her tiny waist, lifting her to his lips. “I could kiss you all damn day, baby.”
“Same, Mason…same,” she breathed and ran her fingers through his short hair. The sensation of her nails against his scalp brought out his beast. “We need to eat and get back in the air.
”
“Tonight,” he promised as he released her. The female had become his top priority over the last few days, and he wanted to make her his for life, too. But at what cost?
She hadn’t expressed any interest in becoming a wolf. The female was focused on nothing but flying and making a living doing just that. She’d given up a great job in the city to fly, and Mason knew that was one of the things he loved about her.
But did he love her?
He didn’t know, and he couldn’t answer that question completely. He knew that most times, a mating happened and love would eventually follow. But at what point would he know for sure?
As they took their seats, he watched her from the corner of his eye. She’d put her hair back up in the baseball cap again, and he could see the sharp line to her jaw. From her profile, her lips curved out just enough to be full…and delectable…and…he really needed to not become mesmerized by her right there in the middle of a family gathering. His cock was hard as it was, and if he stood up in front of the other females, he would be the next one teased relentlessly.
“I have some caribou steaks laid out for dinner tonight,” Isabell announced as everyone was cleaning up. “I thought maybe we could celebrate Mason and Charlie’s mating.”
“That would be very nice of you, Isabell,” Mason agreed. They didn’t have weddings in their pack. Human laws were just paperwork, and he really didn’t believe in getting all dressed up to make a mating official in front of someone wearing a tux with a license from the internet.
“Yes, thank you,” Charlie said as he gave his brother’s mate a warm hug. “If I’m back before you start, I’d love to help. I like to cook, and I need to learn Aspen’s cucumber salad recipe.”
“Come on over when you get back this evening. We will have the dinner here.” Isabell shooed everyone out and told Nash she’d be home after she was done.
He took his mate’s hand and pulled her out the back door. Once they reached her plane, he spun her around, pressing her back against the door. He pulled the cap from her head and tossed it to the ground. Mason’s wolf wanted to mount her right then and there, but he didn’t. Cupping her face, he kissed her deeply, again.
His Stubborn Mate (The Ward Wolf Pack Novella Series, Book 2) Page 6