by Jen L. Grey
"That's the problem. You have too big of a heart." Mason's rage was increasing and almost made me dizzy. "I'll be the bad guy."
"No, let's hear him out." The alpha will laced into my words even though I hadn't meant for it to happen.
Mason stiffened and turned to me. "Are you asking as my mate or as the alpha?"
Now, I felt like an asshole. I'd never used the alpha will before and honestly wasn’t sure if I even could. "I'm sorry. Of course as your mate. I’ve never had that happen before."
"She's getting stronger," Tommy said as he stepped into the room with Kassie and Mona.
"Just tell us everything." I reached over and touched Mason's shoulder.
When he stiffened to my touch, I tried not to allow myself to feel hurt.
"It was mainly why we weren't getting along at the dinner party." Louis's nose began to stop bleeding. "He must have decided to try to force your hand into marrying me. But when he realized you had already found your fated, he decided to have me stay and keep tabs on you instead."
"Did you report back to him or something?" Ella's hands trembled with rage.
"He wanted me to, but I didn't." He finally dropped his hands and took a deep breath. "Being around all of you made me feel things I'd never felt before. Being part of a family and then finding my mate. I'm telling you this now because, even though I'd made my choice, I hadn't really said it out loud. This was the last step I had to do in order to leave my lineage behind."
"You think this makes everything okay?" Kassie took a step in his direction.
"He saved my life." I couldn't just turn my back on him no matter how angry I was.
It could've been a convenience thing. Mason's whole body was shaking at this point.
Either way, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least give him a chance. Sometimes, people could change. He never had to tell us if he didn't want to.
"He's my mate, and I don't buy that shit." Ella's face was tense with pure agony written across it. "You lying, opportunistic piece of shit." Her hands clenched like she was ready to beat the shit out of him. "Did you force the bond on us too?"
"What?" His eyes widened, and he lifted both hands in the air. "God, no. You know I’m not lying. You’d smell it if I was. You’re just hurt, and I don’t blame you."
"Hey." Mona glanced at Kassie. "Ella, why don't we go into the other room and talk for a second. I think you need a minute before you do something you’ll regret."
"What? No." Ella shook her head, making her hair whip from side to side. "I won't regret anything I do to this asshole."
I'm kind of on the same page as her. Mason took another step toward him.
Stop letting your emotions drive this. I was hurt the same as them, but this might be an opportunity. Maybe we could actually be ahead of the game.
"Why are you telling us this now?" We had to figure out if he was sincere or playing the game. "What changed?"
"I'm afraid my dad might be involved." He took a deep breath and glanced at his shirt coated in blood. "Why else would the alphas be listening to your cousin?"
"When did you come to that conclusion?" Mason's shoulders stayed tensed, but the quivering stopped.
"I'm not sure if he is, but after him busting into the house and how you all accepted me with open arms. It's been weighing on me." Louis took a deep breath without wincing.
His wolf healing was in full force. I wasn't quite sure if I was glad or pissed.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ella's voice cracked with pain.
"Even though I had nothing to do with King Corey's and Queen Serafina's deaths, I was afraid of how you'd react." Louis licked his lips, wincing when he tasted his blood. "I mean, look at how this is going.”
"Don't even try to get sympathy," Ella growled the words. “If you’d just told us from the start ...”
"So, what were you supposed to do while staying with us?" Tommy leaned against the door frame, staring Louis down.
"Nothing really. Just tell him what you all were doing and how your reign was going." Louis glanced at the ground. "Apparently, he and Darren had some kind of agreement, but it didn't pan out. He's wanting to take over the United States wolves as well as his own."
"Why should we believe you’re on our side now?" At the end of the day, that's what we needed to know.
"Honestly, I've got nothing." Louis took a deep breath. "All I can say is," he said as his attention turned to Ella, "that being here with all of you, the love and friendship that you all share together made me realize that I didn't want that kind of throne back home. Each one of you loves each other, and there aren't ulterior motives. Back home, people either wanted to be close to me to get something or for exposure. It's not like that here."
Despite my growing up mainly with Kassie and Mona, I understood where he was coming from. Even at the tender age of six, people had tried manipulating me since I was tied to the crown. My parents tried to protect me, but there was only so much they could do when growing up in the spotlight. Through tragedy, I had gotten a chance to get away from it all and grow up normally. "Well, we got a chance to meet and connect without the throne. That's why I tried to pretend to be human.”
"But even if you hadn't, you wouldn't do something like this." Ella turned her head to me with an expression I couldn't read. "Tell him."
"I can't tell you that." I had to be honest even if it made me sound like a bad person. "My parents tried to shield me from the world that Louis described, but there is only so much of it that can be buffered." Even though I wasn't sure if we could trust Louis, I couldn't completely throw him to the wolves either. No pun intended.
"Listen, I had to come clean for you." His eyes turned a dark steel color as they scanned Ella's face. "And for everyone else. I don't know the specifics. Dad refused to tell me, but we had a big enough fight to where I stayed here with you, willing to find distance from him. I had no clue I'd find my mate here. I'm willing to give up everything for you. Hell, I submitted to Elena and saved her when Gabby attacked."
Once again, he was being truthful.
"Just say the word and we can kick him out." Kassie was ready to take him. Her hands were on the handcuffs in her back pocket.
"I think we all need to calm down and take a breath." At the moment, I wasn't sure what the right answer was, but having Louis near us was probably the safest bet. If we allow him to leave without knowing everything, he could run to his dad and make things even worse.
Fine, but he sleeps where the guards can keep an eye on him. We can't risk anything happening to my sister. Mason took a step back so he was standing partially in front of me and his sister.
“Ella, I’m sorry. I should’ve come clean earlier.” Louis frowned and avoided her gaze by looking down.
“Look, I love you.” She took a deep breath. “But I’m hurt ... I need time.”
"Let's eat dinner." Even though the thought now turned my stomach. There was too much at stake to make any hasty decisions. If what he said was the truth, then we might have a little bit of an advantage. King Adelmo would expect us to be knocking down his door or retaliating. I had to keep my head on straight with both Adelmo and Louis. "Then we can go from there."
"Okay." Louis nodded his head and gave me a slight bow. "I appreciate you not kicking me out right away."
"Don't get too comfortable." Mason was so tense he probably couldn't even move if he'd wanted to.
"Why don't you go change shirts?" Between the metallic scented air and all the turmoil that was flooding me from my alpha bond with Mason, I felt like I may puke.
"That's fair." He scanned our group and hurt flowed through all of us. "Okay, I'll go grab a clean shirt."
"I'll go with you." Tommy pointed down the hall to the other side of the suite. "Your bag is in the other guest room. Let's go."
We all watched the two of them as they exited the room and headed down the hall.
Tommy was on full alert while Louis hung his head.
"I ..." E
lla took a step back and shook her head. "I don't know what to do with this."
Do you mind if I talk to your sister for a second? I hated to ask Mason to leave right now. Except Ella was about to break down, and she was too strong to want to do it in front of everyone.
Yeah, I think that's a good idea. He turned around and kissed my cheek. If anything goes wrong, I'll let you know.
I caught Kassie's and then Mona's eyes, flicking from theirs to the door. Since we couldn't mind speak in human form, it could be inconvenient. Despite that, we had known each other long enough to understand each other even without it.
They nodded in understanding.
"I'm going to go check on the pizza." Mona walked out the door and headed toward the elevator.
"Mason, let's go get the rooms resituated. I'm assuming Ella won't want to share a room with Louis tonight," Kassie huffed. "We’d better figure out the logistics."
"On it." Mason nodded as he walked out the door, following behind Kassie.
Ella moved and shut the door behind them. When the door clicked, I'd expected her to turn back in my direction, but she stayed still.
I could only imagine how much pain she was going through. "Hey, are you okay?" I walked over and placed my hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn around.
When she did, tears were already running down her face. "I just don't understand."
I pulled her into my arms, wishing I could take all the pain away. "He's in a tough spot."
"You make it sound like you believe him." Her tone was neither warm nor cold; only factual.
"Didn't you notice the tension between him and his father the first night at the NYC apartment?" It was strange even back then, how father and son had reacted to one another. It was almost as if Louis wanted to provoke his dad in every way he could.
"Yeah, but it could all be an act." She pointed toward the door. "And it pisses me off that I still love him." Her words broke off into a sob.
"Of course you do." I ran my hands through her soft, silky hair. "And honestly, I think he's telling the truth."
"But he could be manipulating you." Ella sounded like she wanted me to prove she was wrong.
"He could be." I didn't want to lie and be wrong, but I thought he was being truthful. "But there is no magic in the world strong enough to fake a mate bond. He is yours whether you like it or not."
"So you think there is a chance he really was scared?" Ella wiped the moisture from under her eyes. She stared at me like a child full of hope on Christmas morning.
"I don't think we should write him off yet." I wanted to be reassuring, but I didn't want to be overly optimistic either. "Think about how you'd feel if you learned something so horrid about your father and then get dumped off into another country with three people who weren't accustomed to royal life. You wouldn't want to start singing all your secrets, sharing them with complete strangers. And then, you find your mate, and what if your father's past actions define who they think you are."
"I hadn't thought about it that way." Ella chewed on her bottom lip. "Ugh, I'm so not this girl. I don't pine away for some guy, especially one who’s messed up royally."
"Royally, huh?" I needed to make her smile.
"Stop it." She still snorted. "I didn't mean it like that. But you're right. I could see where he would really struggle with it."
"Yes, the truth has a way of coming to light." Even if it took close to thirteen years to do so. "Let's be cautious and see what happens."
"I don't think I can go back to acting normal with him though." Ella took a step back and took a deep breath.
"That's fine. You don't have to." She needed to realize her feelings were just as valid as his. "It might be good for all of us to calm down for the next day or two and see how everything plays out. Making rash decisions in a moment isn't good for anyone."
"You're right." Ella nodded. "I'll sleep wherever Kassie and Mona are tonight. Even though I love him, I need time."
"You do what makes you feel most comfortable with your decisions and your relationship." The last thing I wanted to do was push her into a decision that she might wind up regretting. "There is no right or wrong answer here."
"I'm so glad you're my best friend and my sister." She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly. "I don't know what Mason and I would do without you."
"Well, you'd be leading a normal life, going to parties and underground fights." I winked at her. "You'd probably be studying for some exam right now too, which would probably be better than here."
"Life may be crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. And you make my brother happy, so I can't complain about that."
"Food’s here!" Mona yelled from down the hall.
"Are you ready to eat?" I needed to be upbeat and light for her.
"Do I breathe oxygen?" Ella arched an eyebrow and grinned despite the sadness still reflecting in her eyes.
"Then let's go." As I opened the bedroom door, I couldn't help but hope I was right. If Louis proved to be on the other side, I wasn't quite sure my best friend would survive, let alone her heart.
Chapter Ten
I'd tossed and turned all night. Between the bombshell Louis had dropped and my anxiety from not knowing what to expect at tomorrow’s breakfast, sleep was impossible.
I squirmed away from Mason's body and rolled so I could glance at the clock. It said five in the morning.
Great. I wanted to get up but didn't want to wake him or the girls.
After the awkward dinner, the girls decided to take the pull out sofa and couch to guard the elevator while Louis took the other large king room. Tommy had insisted on sleeping on the floor of Louis’s room to ensure he didn’t sneak out or something..
We actually had a whole pizza left over which was a testament to how upset Ella truly was. She only managed to eat half a pizza instead of her usual full one.
What are you doing? Mason's voice was thick with sleep even in my head. He scooted over to me and pulled me back into his arms. It's way too early for your brain to begin running.
I could only wish it had just started now. I was exhausted but couldn't do a damn thing about it. It's been a long night.
His lips found my neck, and he lightly kissed it. Why didn't you wake me?
There was no reason for neither one of us to get some sleep. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of him.
Everything is going to be all right. He took a deep breath, and his hands slipped under my nightshirt. Especially after I kill Louis.
You will not. I wanted to chastise him, but his hands were beginning to do things that made my brain sizzle. What are you doing? You need your rest.
I'm thinking of something I might need more. His hands caressed my breasts, making my body begin to burn and ache.
I turned over so I was facing him, slamming my lips against his and enjoying the feel of his fingers digging into my back. I took a deep breath and ran my fingers across his muscles. I loved the fact that he slept shirtless.
He tugged at my shorts, removing them from my body. You always feel so good and soft.
That better not be a fat joke. I pulled away, still trying to tug his pants down.
Of course it isn’t. He chuckled as he grabbed my hand. Here, let me help you with that. He finished removing his pajama bottoms and rolled on top of me. Maybe we can work off some of your excess energy.
I'm obviously okay with that plan. He slid in between my legs as he kissed down my neck. When he reached my breast, he kissed and gently bit, causing me to moan.
Then, he slammed into me, hitting the right spot inside. I raised up while kissing him and dug my nails into his back. His smell surrounded me, and his feelings crashed into mine.
Needing to be in control, I pushed him off me and rolled over on top. You said I needed to exert my excess energy. You shouldn’t do all the work. I guided him inside me, closing my eyes, relishing his feelings and the way our bodies moved in sync. As I rode him, he raised his hips, paying at
tention to every part of me, and soon we were both releasing, riding the waves of ecstasy.
My body sagged against his, and he stared at me with his eyes full of love.
He grabbed my waist and laid me down beside him. I don't think I'll ever get tired of doing that.
You better not. I cuddled into his chest as his fingers ran along my back. Every time is better than the last.
That's a good thing since we need to start having all those kids soon. He lowered his mouth to mine and ran his fingers through my hair. It'll take a lot of practice to make sure it takes. I'm thinking at least three or four times a day.
That sounds like heaven. The thought of leaving this place behind and only focusing on him filled my head with naughty thoughts. When things calm down, we may just need to get on it.
Really? His voice was filled with hope.
I had only been kidding, but the thought made me happy. Actually, I really do.
Why wait until then? His hands traveled downward until there was a knock at the door.
Of course, we'd be interrupted now. His upset tone filled my head.
At least, we got the first round out of the way. I kissed his lips again in frustration. My body had already begun responding to his touch once more.
"Elena?" Ella's voice filled the air. "Are you awake?"
"She is now," Mason grumbled.
"Give us a second." I didn't want her walking in while we were both naked.
Why? If she comes in and finds us this way, she'll leave in a hurry. I can't leave you all flustered. His hand continued downward and touched my most sensitive places. His mouth covered mine, swallowing my moan and increasing the pace of his fingers. It wasn't long before I began orgasming again, taking me completely by surprise.
"Are you really going to leave me here like that after the shit night?" Ella's voice sounded hurt.
"No, we're getting dressed." Mason grinned like the devil as he climbed out of the bed to slip his clothes back on.
My body was heavy, so it was my love for her that got me to my feet and throwing my own clothes back on. "Come on in."