Mason angrily bursts in, eyes landing on me and filled with fire. “Go. Both of you. Now.”
He rushes to me and pulls me into his arms.
I shove but it’s no use. He starts purring.
“I’ll call you later,” Ivy whispers, crying. “I love you, Amie. I’m so sorry.” She leaves, pulling a stunned-silent Bailey with her.
I hear voices, only barely over the sound of his purring, including a male voice. The purring stops when I hear what I’m assuming is the front door closing before I hear an engine start up outside.
I try to pull away. He doesn’t let me.
“I did not draw the short fucking straw,” he grinds out, mouth buried in my still-wet hair.
I say nothing.
“I didn’t, baby.”
I shudder out a couple stuttered breaths and close my eyes tight.
He pulls the covers over us and holds me close.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I… it’s only been a couple days since you opened up to me. And so much is going on, and… shit, I know it’s excuses. But I guess I knew it’d be a tough conversation and I put it off. I didn’t think for a second someone would tell you that shit last night at your sister’s wedding, or I would’ve made sure I told you first. My part in it. But it was also complicated because of what Ivy went through. I told you alphas can go into The Rut…”
My body tightens.
“It can and does happen and it’s primal and there’s nothing anyone can do to get in the middle of it. Ty knew I had confused feelings about his mate. I didn’t know what was going on, but I was fucked in the head over the disconnected way I was feeling and he read that and went primal. The pack couldn’t stop it. Wouldn’t stop it. But they stopped us from battling until the death.”
Gross. I can’t imagine standing there and doing nothing if someone was violating a woman in front of me. The whole idea of it makes me sick.
He continues, “There are laws that are as innate as breathing for us. An alpha and his mate… you don’t interfere unless you’re goin’ rogue and ready for your pack to splinter apart and our pack finally had our missing piece back.”
I scoff.
“That’s not to say your sister was expendable to us. But that’s not the first time and won’t be the last time an alpha ruts his mate in public. And maybe … maybe I was preparing you for that truth when I made that threat after you flirted with Cade. I knew, knowing what I know about you so far that when you got that news that your sister went through it, that you’d have something to say about it and honest to fuck, wildberry, I never envisioned it’d go down the way it did last night and I never imagined for a second you’d be left feeling like you’re second choice. Because I swear to you, I knew the second I laid eyes on you in front of the gas station that you were mine. There wasn’t a shred of confusion in me. The opposite. After walking around feeling like I wasn’t myself for over a week, I was me again. Because I knew it was you. You’re mine. You’re meant to be mine. You’re the one for me. The only one for me.”
49
Mason
I lay in bed with her for a long time. She doesn’t speak to me. The pain she’s feeling keeps piercing me like painful bee stings. Or like when porcupine quills are pulled. I’ve had plenty of both those types of pain as a young wolf painting myself into corners. As much as it smarts, I’d endure it forever if it meant it’d take these emotions away from her.
I’ve whispered to her about how much I love her. I’ve told her the things I love about her. How caring she is. How fierce she can be. How good she feels in my arms. How right. I’ve talked about how our lives are gonna be. How if she wants babies, we’ll get babies. How I’ll give her whatever she wants. How no woman is more perfect for me than she is.
She says nothing. She just keeps hurting. My words make the hurt increase and it’s making me want to rip the room apart with my teeth. It’s making my wolf pace, wanting to rip apart whatever is hurting our mate.
I’ve hurt her. By omission.
And I don’t know how to fix it.
Tyson came by this morning with Ivy and Bailey, and he tried to lend comfort. And I could feel his distress, too. All this shit brought his difficulties with his mate back to the surface, I’m sure.
I’d like to get my hands around Sherry Creed’s throat. Jase stopped by late last night with Bailey when Bailey dropped by with Amelia’s bag and shoes which were found near the gas station. And I was livid. I told him I want his sister exiled from our pack. That her getting her nose busted in front of the whole pack by Bailey wasn’t enough. I told him I want it put up for a vote.