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Elena I stare out the window as we make the long trek to Sacred Moon. Mason is driving, one hand on my thigh squeezing gently. Aspen sits in the back but leans over the console to hold my hand, circling his thumb soothingly over it. I appreciate their efforts to comfort me but it doesn’t stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks or the gaping hole in my heart where Asher should be. I’m not even sure why I feel so devastated by his absence. It’s not like I’ll never see him again, hopefully soon. And he promised to call or text me every day. Still, I can’t quit replaying our last interaction in my mind, obsessing over this gut feeling that something more is going on, something he’s not telling me. “You understand why I can’t leave now, right gorgeous?” Asher asks as soon as his brother and Mason leave to go collect the one thing I can’t leave behind. My bow and arrows. “I think so. But could you tell me one more time?” I say, staring at my hands so I don’t risk seeing rejectio
Mason What the actual fuck? That’s the only thought my mind can process at the moment. That and peeling the overly affectionate she-wolf off of me. “Um, Mace?” Aspen gets my attention and I don’t miss the way his arms are draped over Ellie's shoulders and crossed over her chest, holding her steady. “Would you like to introduce us to your, uh, friend?” There’s an edge to his tone telling me he’s no more thrilled about my current circumstances than Ellie is. In fact, they’re wearing almost identically pissed off looks, eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring. But it’s the murderous rage in Ellie’s eyes that kicks my brain into gear, allowing me to respond to his request. “Uh, yeah. Yes.” I stutter as I manage to put some distance between me and my attacker. “This is Mindy, my secretary. Mindy this is-” “Oh, hello!” Mindy interrupts, seeming to notice we aren’t alone for the first time. “Are these friends of yours, Macy?” She steps back into me, pressing her tits against my arm.
Elena “I don’t mean to be harsh or insensitive” Alpha Mitchell mollifies when we all protest at once. “I’m simply stating facts. Are you familiar at all with the pack you’ll soon lead with your mate?” He directs the question at me but I’m still shaking with fury at his insinuation that there is something wrong with my mates simply because their blood isn’t pure. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself before I venture to speak. It helps that Aspen hasn’t stopped touching me and even Mason looks horrified by his grandfather’s words. “He told me you enforced traditionalist ideals during your time as Alpha and he’s had to spend every minute since taking over for you combatting the damage you’ve done.” I spit at him, not bothering to mince words. “That’s true.” He sighs, surprising me when he doesn’t argue the point. “I could give you a long list of things I regret in my life but that won’t change anything now. “The fact remains that most members of our pack don’t even believ
Asher I thought watching Elena leave with Mason and my twin would be the hardest thing I’d ever do but I was wrong. It turns out, waking up this morning knowing she isn't here, that I won’t see her today or any day soon, is much much worse. All I want to do is pull the comforter back over my head and pretend the world doesn’t exist. Instead, I grab my cell phone off the bedside table and check it for messages. Ignoring my disappointment when I don’t find any, I decide to swallow my pride and send her a message instead. Me: Hey gorgeous! Hope you had a good trip to Sacred Moon. Please call or text to let me know you’re safe. I wait a few minutes but the message remains unread. Telling myself she’s probably still sleeping, tired from her long journey, I toss my phone aside and head for the shower. If I’m going to be separated from the love of my life, I might as well do something useful with my time. The problem is, Elena’s scent still permeates every corner of our house and i
Aspen “Where is she?” Mason roars, pulling at his short blond hair in frustration. We’ve scoured the entire packhouse in search of Elena with no luck and Mason is going to lose his damn mind if we don’t find her soon. Taking pity on him, I tap into my Fae side of the bond and feel for her presence. I could have done it sooner but he kinda deserved to panic. Now though, I’m getting a little worried too. “She’s fine. I know where she is. Let’s go.” I say, earning a venomous glare from him. “How do you know and why are you just now telling me this? You saw me freaking the fuck out!” It’s more of an accusation than a question. “Now that I have my wolf, I have to focus more on my Fae side to use those senses. I didn’t do it sooner because I expected to find her here somewhere.” I explain. “Besides, you deserved to worry a little. Can you even imagine how she’s feeling right now?” “What the fuck are you talking about?” He barks. “Come on, Mace! I don’t need a bond with the
Mason “I, Elena Stone, daughter of the Glass Lake Alphas, reject you . . .” Aspen and I both reach for her at once, slapping our hands over her mouth before she can finish the rejection, my hand landing on top of his. Holding it there so she can’t speak, I take a minute to breath before I say something I’ll regret. Fury rips through me, thinking about what almost happened. When I consider how quick she is to always assume she’s the problem, a burden for others to bear, all I feel is rage. At her parents, and myself for the things I said to her before I left. I swallow back the growl threatening to escape and try not to bark as I say what I need her to hear. “I’m going to talk now and you’re going to listen!” I can’t help the command in my tone, my Alpha side riding me hard. “What I said to my grandfather was insensitive. I didn’t stop to think about how it would sound to you. But you also misunderstood what I meant. “I only wished that I had left someone more capable in charge
Elena Lying here snuggled up between my mates, the feeling of total peace overwhelms me. Once again, Mason proved he knows me better than I know myself. His “lesson” was just what I needed, taking me out of my own head long enough to really see myself the way he sees me. Lesson learned. My mates go out of their way to show me I’ll always come first to them. Old habits die hard, but I know I have to do better, they deserve better. I have to stop jumping to conclusions, assuming the worst and instead, give them the benefit of the doubt the way I know they always will for me. What’s the worst that could happen? If I’d confronted Mason instead of running away he could have confirmed my fears and torn my heart in two but isn’t that what happened anyway? If I’d bothered to ask, I could have avoided the heartache and spared them the panic of finding me gone. With that resolution, only Asher’s presence could make this moment any better. But I choose to believe he’ll be with us soon.
Elena “Mason!” I gasp, panic rising to a boiling point inside me, my hands coiled in the back of his shirt. “Aspen, don’t fucking move from her side!” He barks the order then softens before speaking to me. “Nothing to worry about, little one. I’ll handle this.” Aspen steps up beside me and bands a protective arm around my waist, plastering me to his side. “I’ve got you, shortcake. I have every faith in our Alpha to settle them down but there’s always my backup plan.” The hand resting on my arm heats ever so slightly to demonstrate exactly what he has in mind. Mason’s chest rumbles with a dominant growl, silencing the crowd. They all wait with bated breath to hear what he will say, though the weight of their intense stares never leaves me. They’re looking for someone to blame and Mindy gave them the perfect scapegoat. “I completely understand your fear given the unfortunate circumstances.” Mason addresses the crowd. “I had planned to call you together later this morning wh