Chapter Four

The place Mason had insisted on bringing Danica to for their discussion was a gazebo placed directly in the middle of a wild flower field.  It overlooked a pond so clear you could see to the bottom.  The whole place screamed secluded and private.

All around Danica were multicolor flowers as she allowed Mason to lead her to the gazebo.  As she took them in she couldn't help but think that Martha would love this place.  Especially while she was still on her painting kick.

With a perfect blue sky above and the scenery all around it was almost as if Danica herself had stepped into a painting.

Smiling Mason turned to an enthralled Danica.  "This is my favorite place to come when I'm having an off day."

"I can see why."  Danica quipped continuing to take the place in.

As her eyes fell in the gazebo that had a romantic feel to it she couldn't stop the thought of Mason bringing other women here.  How many had been here?  Was she the first?  She doubted it given his past.  Was he actually just bringing her here to do with her what he did with them?  What even made her think she was any different from the rest anyway?

All these thoughts continued to race through her mind as she took a seat beside Mason who was watching her closely with furrowed brows.

A sigh erupted from him drawing her attention from her quickly building jealous rage and to his face that was beginning to fall.

"You still don't trust me."  Mason said matter of factly with a sad look.

Danica gave an apologetic smile.  "Sorry, I just really don't know you."

"You will get to know me in time."  Mason insisted.

"Sure."  Danica wasn't sure if she would, but there was no sense in arguing right now.  "Anyway, we didn't come here to focus on that.  You said you would tell me about werewolves."

As she spoke she couldn't help but feel absolutely ridiculous.  Up until yesterday werewolves were simply made up creatures in movies.  And now she was wanting to know all there was to know about them.

"Right."  As he spoke Mason began settling himself in.  "Where to start."

"The existence of werewolves altogether."  Danica suggested anxiety beginning to grow.

Nodding Mason smiled, "the existence of werewolves."  He repeated.  "We have always existed Danica.  It is just that we have always made sure to keep our identities secret from the prying eyes of the world around us.  If normies discovered we existed we would most likely become science experiments.  Each US state has a pack residing in it.  We usually meet as a whole once a year."

"What about the pack here?"  Danica questioned cutting Mason off earning herself a look from him.  "Sorry."

"The wolf pack here is quite large compared to most."  He answered.  "Each pack has an Alpha, Luna, and Beta."  He went on.  "I am the Alpha of our pack."

"Ours?"  Danica asked curiously.  Was he referring to her as part of the pack?

He smiled tenderly now, "Yes, ours."  He reached out a hand to touch Danica only to have her scoot back.  Frowning he sighed, "as my mate my pack is naturally yours as well."

"So that makes me the Luna?"  Danica was having a hard time processing everything still.

"As the Alpha's mate you become Luna and lead the pack beside me."  Mason confirmed for her.

Danica could feel her head spinning.  "But I haven't agreed to being your mate."

"We have no choice in the matter."  He said simply.  "This is all predestined by the moon goddess.  We can't ignore the call of the bond even if we wanted to."

"So what you're saying is that when a werewolf is born their fate and place in life is already set in stone for them."  Danica wasn't quite sure if she liked what she was hearing.  "That doesn't seem quite fair honestly."

"I never said we had no choice."  Mason pointed out.  "We always have choice, we just have to decide to fight against it."  He added.

Fight against it, was it truly that hard to fight against?  Would it be physically exerting to go against the moon goddess' will?

"You shouldn't focus on that right now."  Again Danica wondered if Mason was a mind reader.  "Right now we should focus on filling you in on everything and prepare you for your first change."

"Does it hurt?"  Danica found herself blurting at the mention of her first change.

Mason's gaze softened a fraction.   "It isn't pleasant, but I plan on being there with you to help you through it."

Danica could feel her stomach turning once more as she considered how changing for the first time would feel.  Spots danced in front of her eyes as a cold sweat broke out all over her body.  Unable to control her breathing she felt like she would hyperventilate.

Beside her Mason had begun to panic as she paled and her breathing became ragid.  "What's wrong?"  He asked hurriedly reaching out a hand and touching her cheek.  "Deep breaths Danica, deep breaths."

The sudden jolt from Mason's touch began to clear Danica's panic filled mind.

"I'm okay."  She gasped as soon as she no longer felt like she was going to hurl and her breathing resumed to normal.  

"Where did you go?"  Mason asked still looking concerned.

"First change."  She squeaked focusing on the pulsing warmth that Mason's touch was providing her.  "Is there any way to avoid the change?"

Mason's eyebrows shot up at her question.  "Avoid it?"

Danica nodded, "Mason I don't want to be some fictional creature."

She hadn't asked for this and she felt like she should at least have some choice in the matter.  Hell, all of them should have the choice to be human or be wolf.

Be human or be wolf.  She had to be losing her mind to even think something like that.

"You can't be serious."  Mason sputtered.  He was staring at Danica as if she had grown a second head.  "You don't understand the feel of being in wolf form, the sense of freedom, the raw power pulsing through you, it is intoxicating.  Who would not want to be part of that?"

Danica raised her hand.  "Me, I don't."  She said huffing.  "Maybe it is different for those of you who grew up knowing about this, but as for me I didn't and it doesn't sound all that appealing to me."

"Speaking of,"  Mason grew serious, "how do you not know anything about our kind?  Did your parents never tell you?"

Danica felt her heart skip.  Did your parents never tell you?  The question sounded so ridiculous.  Of course they never told her, they died when she was young.  Since the age of five she had always been with Martha.  She was the only true parent Danica had ever known.

"My parents died a long time ago."  Danica answered slowly keeping her face calm.  Only those closest to her knew about the accident that took her parents from her.  "They were caught in a house fire."

Mason's eyes widened as he took in Danica's words.  "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

That is the look, Danica thought grimacing.  The reason she hated talking about her parents, it was that look the one that was clear as day on Mason's face right now.  The sympathetic look that everyone wore when they discovered she was an orphan who was adopted by a kind woman who found her on the side of the road the day after her parents perished.

They had lived far in the woods away from everyone, from what Danica could still remember.  She had gone to town to buy something for her mother that day.  She couldn't remember what it was, but she remembered she couldn't find it and had been really upset.

When she returned empty handed she found the cottage she shared with her parents up in flames.  Her parents had been nowhere in sight around the yard.  

When she had attempted to run in and try to find them the whole cottage had collapsed.  After that she had only watched as what remained of the building smoldered.   She had spent a day digging around in the rubble looking for some sign of her parents, in the end she couldn't find anything.

She vaguely remembered blacking out after that and when she came to she was being picked up from the side of the road by Martha who happened to be driving by.  After reporting her as a lost child she allowed the police to put her in foster care.  After spending three months there Martha reappeared and began the legal process of adopting her.

Danica was grateful to Martha, if it weren't for her she didn't know where she would be.  Maybe if she was never picked up she would be some feral child by now.

"It must have been rough."  She heard Mason saying bringing her back to the present.  "Losing your parents that young."

Danica shook her head, "Please don't feel sorry for me."  She sighed.  "I honestly don't really share this stuff because I can't stand the sympathy."

Mason who looked unconvinced nodded, "sorry."

"No sorries."  Danica pleaded wanting nothing more than to move on from this morbid conversation.

"Sor..."  Danica shot him a look.  "Ok, I get it."  He huffed lifting his hands in defeat.  "Where were we before our conversation headed down that dark road?"

Danica considered pursing her lips. "We were talking about how it was crazy of me to not want to be a wolf."

"Yes, that."  Mason said snapping his fingers.   "I assure you after your first change and you become acquainted with your wolf your mindset will change entirely.  It is always scary before we all go through it."

She wasn't so sure that would happen, but didn't bother arguing.  Instead she listened closely as Mason began rambling about all the joys of the change and of going full wolf, allowing Danica to be immersed in something that didn't involve the loss of her parents.  Grateful she let herself be swept away by the man's enthusiasm.