Forget Me Not (#2, The Mystic Wolves)

by Belinda Boring

“I’ll tell you what I know, but only once we’re away from the house. It’s not pretty, and Amber being here right before your mating ritual isn’t just coincidental. I don’t buy her claim for asylum for one moment, and hopefully the Council won’t either.”

  He placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me along the trail. Brushing past low hanging branches, we found a steady pace, the sound of our feet crunching on the dried foliage. Rain must have fallen some time during the night, because liquid sparkled on the different leaves and surfaces. Everything looked so beautiful.

  Turning to check the distance, I stopped. We were far enough away, and the suspense was killing me. I didn’t like feeling I was in the dark about things—especially when they involved Mason. A threat to him was a threat to me.

  “Okay, spill it.” Resuming our walk, I watched him from the corner of my eye.

  “What exactly do you know about Amber? I know you’d never met her before, but have you ever heard people talk about her?”

  “I honestly didn’t know she existed until last night. And from the way she made her entrance, she’s lucky she’s still breathing. She claims she wasn’t aware about me, and her father is behind it all, but I’m not buying it. Mason later explained they were meant to be mated, but something turned him against it.”

  “Did he say what it was?” he asked.

  I shook my head.

  “I’m not going to soften this for you, but he was deeply in love with her. The sun rose and set with her, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do to make her happy. She had him wrapped around her finger, so it surprised a lot of pack members when he suddenly shunned her. There’s only a handful of people who know what really went down.”

  I placed my hand on Daniel’s arm, gesturing for him to stop. “Tell me … all of it. Leave nothing out.”

  Chapter Four

  Looking, and finding, a place to sit we got comfortable on a small crop of rocks. He sat on a fallen log, his leg bent so he could rest an elbow on his knee. Bending over, he plucked a few small stones from the ground and, releasing a breath, sent them flying through the air.

  “I’ve never seen such a power hungry family. As you know, werewolves are aggressive by nature, but for the most part, we don’t revel in unnecessary bloodshed or senseless violence. Their pack takes it further—there’s nothing and no one they’re not willing to destroy to get what they want.

  “I was blinded by Amber as well at the beginning, but it didn’t take long before I saw the ugliness and ruthlessness she hides behind that façade of hers. Don’t ever doubt it, Darcy. She’ll rip your throat out without blinking if she thinks it’ll gain her more authority.”

  “And she wanted … wants Mason.” There was no denying it. Even with the small amount of information, I knew he was her target.

  “With a focus that borders on obsession. Honestly, I’m surprised it’s taken this long for her to resurface. From the get go she has fancied herself his mate, because she knows the kind of influence Mason holds over, not just the other packs, but the entire supernatural community. He speaks, and they listen. He leads, and they follow. She sees him as her ticket to the inner circle, and once there she thinks she can then wheedle her way onto the Council.”

  “But didn’t it all start with her father? Even now he’s trying to threaten Mason. He wants to combine the packs, using his daughter to sway Mason as the Alpha. From the sounds of it, she’s got her eye on a bigger prize.” I stooped over, brushing some stray dirt off the side of my pants. Everything seemed so cloak and dagger. “Sounds like she hasn’t changed a bit.”

  “I have no doubt initially she did whatever she was told, but you’ve seen Mason when he’s in leader mode. He’s a force to be reckoned with—he’s charismatic, and people are drawn to him. Even back then, when he was just the Alpha’s son, he showed potential. It was who he was. I wouldn’t be surprised if her plans changed within the first few weeks of integrating herself into Mason’s life, turning on her own charm and building her importance. She saw her chance and dug her claws in deep.”

  I didn’t like the images sprouting in my mind. I hated the idea of someone preying on the goodness of Mason, and twisting him for their own purposes. I couldn’t even fathom what methods she used to change him. One of the characteristics I loved most about him was his consistency and ability to see to the heart of the matter. He wasn’t as easy to fool, and I wondered if he’d learned that from dealing with Amber.

  “What was he like? Did he really become that altered?” I needed to know. Something told me, if things didn’t go the way we wanted, and she was staying, there would have to be warning signs to look for if she attempted it again.

  “He was my best friend, and by the end he was almost a complete stranger. It happened gradually, subtle changes where he became cold and standoffish, secretive about things. Nothing was good enough for him, and he was critical of everyone—including me. Over time he began challenging the authority of his father more, even though we’d talked earlier about him not being ready to do it. He became arrogant, began to mention all kinds of insane ideas for the future of the Pack, which sounded less like the vision of integrity he used to believe in, and more of the rhetoric of Amber’s father. Mind you, this was all done behind closed doors, never blatantly in the open.”

  “And Amber?” Her name came out as a growl. I was seething with anger, hearing how completely affected Mason had become. Daniel was right, if I’d met Mason back then—I wouldn’t have recognized him either. It made my stomach churn and chest ache.

  “To everyone she seemed the model of a future mate–supportive, beautiful, and perfect. There were some who started to see her for what she was, questioning her motives with Mason, and they soon found themselves being ostracized, or they just left. All the while, Mason was oblivious to the truth. I tried countless times to show him, but it was apparent who he listened to, and Amber loathed me.

  “Things became dangerous toward the end as I pushed more for him to wake up and break whatever spell she had him under. There were staged accidents, false accusations, and I can’t count the times I was shot at when I changed and ran in the woods. I was sure she was the one behind the attacks, but I could never find anything concrete to pin on her. It pained me to stand by and watch, but he was my brother. What else could I do but stay?”

  “We need to get rid of her. Now.” I jumped to my feet, determined to send the evil wench on her way. Better yet, my hands itched to encircle her scrawny neck and squeeze. Snarls erupted from my mouth, and my focus became tunneled. My wolf agreed—Amber would never get anywhere near our mate again.

  “Wait. It gets worse.” The resigned sigh from his lips made me pause and turn to face him.

  “There’s more?” I asked incredulously. “I can barely wrap my mind around how you described him, and you tell me the story continues? Daniel, everything in me is screaming to protect Mason. She can’t stay here a second longer. She needs to go back to whatever hell dimension she crawled from. Not later. Not in a few minutes. Now.” The last word came out as a yell, and caused nearby birds to leave the safety of their nests, taking to the sky.

  “I know. Believe me. No one understands more than me the danger she is each second she remains on pack property. I’ve thought about nothing else since I found out she’s here, but there’s no getting away from the plea for asylum. Someone has to address it. You know it, I know it, and Amber knew exactly what she was doing when she petitioned it. She asked for the one thing Mason couldn’t turn a blind eye from, especially when she mentioned appealing to the Council.”

  I sat back down, defeated. The seriousness of the matter crashed down hard on me, and I nodded. “Tell me the rest, Daniel, and don’t stop. Because if you do, I don’t think I can make myself keep listening.”

  He left the log, and joined me on the rocks. Wrapping his arm around my shoulder, he squeezed and offered a show of comfort. When I looked up into his brown eyes, I saw distress there. These were painful memor
ies for him to relive, and I took hold of his hand. We’d gone from one threat to another, but we still had each other.

  “Just when I thought I’d completely lost him, she made a fatal mistake—she tried to seduce me.” His admission was followed by stunned silence. “I’d taken to sneaking around then. Her poison had influenced him, and I worried he no longer saw me as someone he trusted. We still talked, but it just wasn’t the same—I could tell there were things he held back. One night coming back from a run, I overheard Amber telling him it was time to challenge his father and assume his rightful place as Alpha. He laughed at her, stating he’d take care of the tyrant when he was good and ready. I was actually surprised he hadn’t already done it, the difference in him so great. It told me he was still capable of seeing sense because Mason never acted unless he was sure.”

  “How did she respond?”

  “She flew into a tantrum, accusing him of not loving her and that if he was going to treat her like this, she would leave. He told her to go ahead, he no longer needed her, and there were countless other females willing to grace his bed. This got her even more riled up, and they began yelling. I saw it as a good thing—if he kicked her out, there was a chance I could undo the damage. But as quickly as their tempers flared, their lust for each other surfaced and….” he paused, his body tensing. “From what I saw them do, it was painfully obvious how she was controlling him. By the end, she had him eating out of her hand, using her sexuality to pull him back in. He still wouldn’t destroy his father, and told her to drop the subject. He left her there pouting, and I couldn’t resist the chance to rub it in.”

  “What did you do?” I asked, leaning forward

  “I waited until Mason had left, and I confronted her—told her that as long as I was in the picture, she would never fully control him because I’d move heaven and earth to stop her. I warned her it was only a matter of time before Mason finally realized how evil she was, and when he did, I’d be there waiting. She was so angry, because she knew I was telling the truth. As much as she had influenced him, she still didn’t have what she wanted—Mason completely bending to her will. I still remember the look of fury in her eyes as she slapped me, her finger in my face as she yelled I was no threat to her. I laughed, and walked away to her telling me I was easily removed.”

  I couldn’t take my eyes from Daniel’s, my heart breaking over the story. “What happened?”

  “I dismissed her ranting and headed to bed. I must’ve been asleep for about an hour when I heard my door open. Before I had a chance to confront the intruder, a warm body slid in beside me and someone wrapped their arms around me, pressing their lips against my neck. I instantly recognized the scent—it was Amber. She began whispering all kinds of things into my ear. Her hands traveled down my body, her curves rubbing over me, and I was out of my bed across the room in a heartbeat. I demanded she leave, but she wouldn’t, coming toward me so she could touch me again. I grabbed hold of her, shaking with the intent of throwing her out of my room and she screamed. Before I could stop her, there was a bang at the door which diverted my attention.

  “I heard something rip, turning back to see her tearing her clothes, and then Mason threw the door open. He was angry, his nostrils flaring as he took in the scene—me standing naked, and Amber with her lingerie ripped down the middle. Her hair was messed up, her lips bruised looking, and I knew… I knew what it looked like. I raised my hands to ask him to listen, but he wouldn’t. All he knew was the woman he loved was in the bed of his best friend, and he came at me in fury.”

  “How did you stop him?” I wrapped my arms around my body as if I was trying to hold myself together.

  “I told him it wasn’t what it looked like, that I would never betray him like this and to look me in the eye if he didn’t believe me. He used to always joke around with me, saying I was a horrible liar because he could always see the truth on my face. I wasn’t sure he would, but once he did, his stance changed, and all his aggression left him.

  “Amber screamed, telling him about how I’d made her come to me, that I’d gotten angry and tried to force myself on her. She tried desperately to get him to listen, but as I said, it was her fatal mistake. Mason may have changed, but he knew I hadn’t. He knew my character, and when he told her to gather her things and leave, she knew she’d gone too far.

  “She launched at me, accusing me of turning him against her and kept screaming that I’d ruined all her plans. She fled back to her father, and we spent the rest of the night talking. It took a while for him to finally see Amber for who she was, and realizing just how bad things had gotten, he stormed into his parents’ room and renounced the betrothal, threatening to challenge his father for Pack leadership if he was denied. His father had laughed, telling him to bring it up at the next meeting, but Mason never got a chance to follow through with it, because shortly afterward his parents were killed in an accident. Mason stepped forward and has worked hard ever since to rid himself of the shame of loving the wrong woman. I don’t think he’ll ever feel he’s made up for it though, no matter what anyone tells him.”

  Bile rose up in my throat. I was horrified that someone could be that vicious and scheming—it was beyond anything I knew. Flashes of her this morning in the kitchen, the picture of innocence as she laughed and chatted with pack members, hit me. “Why wasn’t anyone else suspicious of her arrival?”

  “Because not everyone knows, and don’t forget, Mason wasn’t the only one she blinded. Those of us who are aware have kept an eye on her, but most pack member believed they must have argued, causing him to fight his father about the betrothal. Whenever she’s tried to reconnect with Mason, he’s refused to meet with her. Her arrival last night was unexpected, and it doesn’t bode well. She’s definitely up to something—I can feel it.”

  “So if we can’t kick her out, what do we do? I’ve already decided to watch her carefully. You know the old saying, to keep your friends close ….”

  “And your enemies even closer,” he finished, nodding. “For the time being that’s all we can do. Just know, Mason’s wiser now. He won’t fall for whatever she has planned, and I’ll do anything to protect you and him. He’ll present a convincing argument at his meeting, and with the Council’s approval, he’ll send her packing. Hopefully this time for good.”

  He tugged me to my feet before gathering me into his arms. We stood there—holding each other, mourning the time spent reliving the past—strengthening ourselves for the battle ahead.

  We made our way back to the house, at first in silence, but the closer we got, the more somber conversation was exchanged. It was hard to smile when inside my heart ached.

  Pulling me in for one last friendly hug, Daniel quickly whispered in my ear. “Remain alert, and don’t hesitate to talk with me if you see or hear anything suspicious. We’ll get through this. Trust me.”

  I squeezed my arms around him, and broke away. The sun was higher in the sky, and the day was fully underway. Not wanting to see anyone before I could calm the turmoil I was feeling, I headed inside, passing no one as I went to my room.

  Closing the door, I crawled into bed, pulling the blanket over me. I had a lot to process, but one thing I knew with a certainty.

  Amber had just earned herself a lifelong enemy.

  Chapter Five

  I hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but the warmth from being cocooned under my blanket had won. Stretching my muscles, and listening for any noise, I was surprised by how quiet everything seemed—almost too quiet.

  Peeking my head from my room, the silence intrigued me. It looked as though everyone had cleared out, the house completely still. It made me wonder where Mason was and whether he’d returned home yet. I hadn’t been woken up, nor did I see a note anywhere, so I went in search for him.

  I found him in his office with Daniel—both of them pacing opposite ends of the room. I could tell the news wasn’t good by the way tension seemed to weigh heavy on their bodies, and as well as the scowls on their f
aces.

  I didn’t waste any time as I closed the door and crossed over to wrap my arms tightly around Mason. Sleep hadn’t shaken the seriousness of my prior conversation with Daniel, and the sight of Mason tugged hard on my heart. He’d already gone through so much, and now he was being asked to face a painful past I knew he’d rather forget.

  He encircled his arms around me, and didn’t seem surprised by my actions as I tried to snuggle closer. He often talked about the protective streak he had when it came to me, and I could feel my own blazing to the forefront. There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do to make this go away, to save him from any further embarrassment, and my resentment for Amber grew. Mason was such a good man, and he’d suffered enough.

  “I’m so sorry,” I finally spoke, tilting my head so I could whisper into his ear. “Maybe I should’ve just fought harder last night and let the wolf attack her. She deserves nothing less after what she tried to do to you.” The last comment came out with a growl.

  “Well, aren’t you bloodthirsty today?” He chuckled, refusing to release me from his embrace. I rested my head against his shoulder, enjoying the physical connection between us. He represented safety to me, and as long as he was near, I knew everything would be okay. “I’m gathering from her reaction you filled in the missing pieces from the past?” Mason directed his question to Daniel. I took a small step backward so I could look at Mason.

  “Don’t get mad at him either. This was something you should’ve shared with me—regardless of how bad it was. That woman is the Devil Incarnate, and I needed to know what we were up against. How am I supposed to protect you when I’m only allowed to see part of the picture? Don’t leave me in the dark when it comes to her, please. I don’t trust her, and now I can see my instincts were right.” I raised my hand and cupped the side of his jaw, locking my gaze to his. “We’re in this together, aren’t we? That means I need to know it all.”