“Fine. I’ll take my enforcers and leave town. You won’t be hearing from me again.”
Mason almost asked Keith for an apology, but he knew that was pushing it. Besides, now that the danger had passed, there was only one thing he wanted to do. He ran toward the boulder. “Lila!” he shouted as he took her into his arms.
“You’re crushing me, Mason.” She coughed.
He chuckled because, of course, she would say the very last thing he expected.
“You’re okay,” he whispered against her hair. “It’s over.”
Cohen came up beside them, shaking his head as he watched Keith and his wounded panthers limp away. “You are so lucky he didn’t decide to destroy you,” Cohen grumbled. “He could’ve, and he would’ve been well within his rights.”
Mason didn’t agree, but he didn’t want to open a whole can of worms. Instead, he just pretended to agree. “Nope. I am in the clear!”
“Hardly.” Cohen shook his head. “I specifically asked you not to bring your shit into my town, and you did.”
“What are you saying? That you’re gonna whoop my ass now that Stevens didn’t kill me?”
“I just might.” There was not one ounce of joking in his brother’s tone or look.
Mason rolled his eyes and clapped a hand on his brother’s back. “Would you chill? No harm. No foul.”
“I’m just going to point out that you’re being very flippant right now, but only because Lila is safe.” He pointed toward her. “There was almost harm, Mason.”
“I really can’t let myself think about that, Cohen. I just can’t. It hurts too much. If anything, be comforted with the knowledge that I would never do anything to hurt Lila. Ever again.”
Cohen studied him for a moment. “You know, I think I believe you.”
Mason turned toward Lila, and his gut clenched with fear.
EIGHTEEN
LILA
The two brothers continued to bicker, but they abruptly stopped when Mason noticed that Lila had suddenly started to shake from head to toe. She wasn’t trembling because it was cold, but rather because her entire body was going through a whole lot.
She had beentaken. She was forced to leave her sick grandmother alone in the woods by the graves of her husband and son.
Then her boyfriend and his brother showed up to save her.
As wolves.
Two huge and very capable wolves.
Lila had actually watched an intense fight between two wolves and three panthers like her life was suddenly an episode of a nature show.
Lila’s body was shaking because the truth of shifters was now clear as day. There was no denying it now. Not when she had seen it with her own eyes. Her man could shift into a wolf.Cool. No big deal.
She shook her head and ran her hands down her arms. Mason held her to him, sharing his body warmth.
“Shh, darling. You’re okay. You’re fine. I’ve got you.”
“Mason, you’re naked,” she said through chattering teeth.
“Yup. It happens when I shift.”
“Okay.” She snorted with difficulty, still trembling, though she didn’t really understand why. She wasn’t cold, but she also couldn’t make her body stop shaking.
He pulled away and looked at her with a quirked brow. “Are youlaughing?” he asked, stunned.