I sigh. “I’m swearing you to secrecy.”
“Okay. Consider me sworn.”
“I mean it. I don’t know you very well and I’m having a couple issues with trust at the moment. But you need to know, if you break my trust on this I’ll never trust you again. Never ever.”
“Got it. Tell me!”
“Mason shifted in front of my ex-fiancé to protect me because he was waving a gun around, trying to drag me off to marry him because of a stupid clause in a will that would make him very rich. It’s all really weird but yeah… that’s what happened.”
“What happened exactly?”
I recount the story.
“All seven of them were there?”
“I don’t know. I think there were more than seven,” I say.
“Shit. The out-of-towners saw?”
“I don’t know. There were all sorts of wolves when Mason carried me inside, but it happened so fast. I don’t know how many were here.”
“Shit.”
“What’s gonna happen?”
“Your ex is likely in a holding cell. We’ve got three of them downstairs in the emergency bunkers under the town hall. They’ll have to decide what to do.”
“What would they do?” I ask.
“Mase broke a fundamental law, Amelia. He might have to go in front of a tribunal. Especially if Mitchell was one of the ones that saw.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning they’ll decide on everything, including what happens to your ex as well as a punishment for Mase.”
I blink a couple times and feel panic setting in.
“Especially if those were who I think they were with them. If it was Mitchell, he sits on the supernatural council which oversees all supernaturals in the alliance and even if they find a way to do damage control so that it doesn’t get out, there probably will be punishment. If it was just our guys, we might have been able to find a way to cover it up. But… I don’t know.”
“Oh God,” I whisper.
“Thank you for telling me. I won’t tell anyone anything and I’ll keep you posted based on what I hear.”
“Okay. I’ll do the same. I mean… if I hear anything.”
“Talk soon. Hang in there.”
“Thanks.”
I hang up.
I phone my sister.
She doesn’t answer.
I phone Mom.
It goes straight to voicemail.
Hours go by in slow motion and I’m feeling absolutely sick about what’s happened. So many thoughts cross my mind. Thoughts about what might happen to Mason. What they might do. Is there a supernatural prison? Would Mason go to prison for this? And what will they do to Rick for seeing what he saw? I shouldn’t care about Rick, but I don’t want to think about someone getting murdered because of me. Would they go that far?
***
It’s early evening. I’m sitting in the bed, eyes on my phone as I try to get lost in an e-book. It’s not working, and I’ve read the same line over and over multiple times. The TV is playing Schitt’s Creek and not even the Rose family can help get my mind off everything.
The bedroom doors open and Mason comes in. His eyes sweep over me.
“Have you eaten anything today?” he asks.
I blink in surprise.
“I’m just gonna take a shower and then I’ll make you something. Please don’t make me chase you down right now. Please.” His voice doesn’t sound right. It sounds very wrong, in fact. He goes into the bathroom and closes the door.
I stare at the door for a long time.
Food is usually my go-to when I’m stressed. And I’m feeling more stress than I’ve ever felt. But food is the last thing on my mind with all that’s happening this past forty-eight hours.
All I can think about right now is what might happen to Mason. And how he looks and sounds wrong. I hate it.
He comes out of the bathroom in a towel and goes into the closet. Then he leaves the room dressed, closing the doors on his way out. And I sit still, thinking I should do something. Say something. But I’m frozen, glued to my spot. Paralyzed with fear.
“What now, Auntie Nelle?” I ask softly.
There’s no answer from the universe. None at all.
***
It’s late. It’s after midnight and I’m tossing and turning. He hasn’t come up. Bailey texted me and told me she talked to her brother. Things are on hold. Whatever that means. She doesn’t know.
Ivy sent a text a few hours ago and said she was home, back from our old house where she went with Mom to do a little more packing and to take some furniture from Mom’s to hers and Tyson’s place. I replied to say I was tired and I’d call her tomorrow. She messaged back that she heard from Tyson about this morning and said nobody knows what’s going to happen, but if I want to talk to call her, day or night.
The last message I got from her said,
Try not to worry. All of this will work out somehow. If there’s anything I can do – anything at all, tell me. Love you.