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Mason felt the anger rise in his chest. It was unlike any other kind of rage he’d felt in his life and threatened to control him. It wasn’t a nice feeling.
Mason turned and placed a hand on Derek’s shoulder. His friend’s eyes glittered in the dim light. He knew his beta only wanted what was best for the pack. He swallowed his gurgling rage.
“It sounds like someone has been lonely,” Mason said, raising an eyebrow. “Do you think you might be projecting a bit here, brother?”
Mason gave an overly dramatic look to his beta, who pulled back with a laugh. They knew each other far too well to stay mad. Even if the words he spewed weren’t always the most delicate.
Derek drank the rest of the whiskey and then began to leave, but not after one more piece of advice.
“I don’t want us swimming in shit’s creek here, Mason. That’s all. Keep yourself busy tonight without her. Please.”
Mason gave Derek a sarcastic salute, then as soon as he heard the screen door slam shut, his grin melted away.
The alpha was certainly in trouble. But not in the way that Derek was afraid of. He hoped, at least.
FIVE
ASH
Ash felt an electric surge through her body the second she and Mason’s hands touched. It wasn’t a feeling that happened to all shifters, but it came with great significance. It was impossible to shake off because it was designated cosmically, in the universe and stars above, as much as it was inside their bodies.
Mason was her mate. She knew it within every inch of her body. It was still humming after he left, and she had to shake it off and try to quiet her mind.
“Dammit,” she muttered under her breath.
Ash had only brought a few things to keep up with the rogue wolf image. She dragged the bag into the bedroom, which was directly next to the kitchen. It wasn’t a big place, but it was cozy. She hated that she continuously had images popping up of Mason in the living room with her, getting snug while the fire blazed…
Mason, being her mate, complicated things astronomically. The entire point of her mission was to get close to him in a disingenuous way for the sake of the Interspecies Council.
And there was a good reason why she was chosen for it. Her detachment from the usual wolf way of life gave her anobjective perspective. She was good at her job, tapping into her investigative and observational skills, all wrapped in a pretty bow of a lean woman batting her eyelashes.
But Ash could feel all of that already beginning to thaw. Her resolve to catch Mason in the act of his supposed cruelty was withering, and it wasn’t just because he was her fucking mate.
The man simply didn’t seem like the villain the various reports painted him to be. Perhaps he was two-faced and good at behaving a certain way in front of women, but she was generally good at sniffing out that bullshit.
Ash unpacked furiously, unsure of her next move. Her mind and body spun with her attraction to Mason, rendering it difficult to center and focus on the mission. Mason’s allure was also a fly in the ointment of Ash’s conviction to keep away from wolf packs that had in the past not only felt utterly pointless but altogether harmful. There’s no way she could be a part of one, especially with a bad alpha.
But despite her protest, being attracted to Mason made her feel somewhat drawn to the concept of being part of a wolf pack. It was as natural as breathing for shifters, but Ash had made a solemn vow to herself years ago that she would never let anyone … men in particular … try to seduce her into one of their fucked-up cults.
But all of that had been flipped on its head. And Ash was angry.
The sun had nearly completely disappeared below the horizon. Her stomach grumbled, and she decided that food would be a perfect distraction. She checked out the pantry and the fridge, which was supplied with the usual staples, and chose to cook some cheap noodles in the microwave.
Ash was thirsty for something more adult than chocolate milk and sparkling water. A beer would do, but it was the only thing that the sweet little cottage hadn’t been prepped with. Shescooped her noodles into a bowl and yanked out a bottle of sparkling water when a knock at the door jolted her from her reverie.
She knew exactly who it was before she opened the door. She could feel him and smell him, that musky, natural spring water, smokey fragrance. It made her heart go mad in her chest.
Ash went to the door, semi-reluctantly, and found Mason there in all of his glory. He was wearing a gray T-shirt and jeans, holding a six-pack of beer. It was enchanting and terrifying how connected they already were.
“Hey, so I had the realization that there wasn’t any booze stocked here,” he said, flashing a handsome grin. “Not to make any assumptions, but I figured you may need one after your long journey.”
This is the guy that is supposed to be conniving? Vicious?
“Oh, that’s very nice of you, thank you,” Ash said, holding out her arms. “I got this.”
“I can bring it in."
Ash stepped aside, wishing she had been adamant about taking the case out of his hands. But he looked far too good to resist, especially when he passed her, his thick arms brushing against hers.
