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Mason was no doubt intrigued by Ash’s presence. It was a nice distraction from all the rumors flying as of late. The stress from it had created a tightness in his shoulders. He’d stopped himself many times from tensing them to no avail.
Yes, Ash was far more interesting than dealing with some bullshit accusation. Not to mention, she wasn’t entirely unpleasant to look at with a firmness that he already admired. She could likely contribute to the pack if she was able to settle in and detach herself from the toxic lone-wolf mentality.
So Mason agreed, much to his beta’s chagrin, to allow her into the pack temporarily.
“I don’t think this is a great idea, Mason.”
Ash had gone to retrieve the few things she had brought with her from her travels that Derek made her leave outside. Mason had told Ash that they would meet her on the front porch.
Mason shrugged, flashing Derek a little smirk.
“I don't see why not. She is rather adamant, which is a good trait to have as a wolf. We can use her around here.”
Derek took a seat on the desk and began cutting up a glossy apple with a small knife. It wasn’t like him to brood, which was why Mason found it so amusing.
“Some people might call that stubborn,” Derek replied, slipping the tip of the apple slice into his mouth. “And that isn’t a much sought-after trait for a pack.”
Mason shook his head and walked out to meet his guest. It took a moment, but Derek fell in step behind him.
Ash stood on the steps with her backpack and roll pad. It wasn’t much, but it made sense for a lone wolf. Derek stopped cutting his apple when they stepped outside and shoved the knife into his pocket.
“I’ll show you where you’ll be staying …”
“I got this, Derek,” Mason said, clapping his beta on the shoulder.
Generally, newcomers would stay in a safe house just outside the pack grounds. There was vetting that needed to be done before the transient was to be embraced. It was important to Mason that his pack always be welcoming and compassionate toward the downtrodden, but he also wasn’t an idiot. He knew that there were lone wolves out there who were cunning, ready to take advantage of the next fool who left their door ajar.
But something was different about Ash. He didn’t want to let Derek know too soon, but he felt something familiar about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He wanted to keep an eye on her while also following his intuition that believed her contribution to the pack could be something major.
“There’s an empty cottage around the bend there,” Mason said, lifting his chin to the right. “We use it for events, sometimes for guests. You can stay there for now, and we’ll see what happens.”
“That sounds great,” Ash said.
Evading eye contact, she swiveled around with her backpack and trotted in the direction of the cottage.
Mason could feel Derek burning a hole through the back of his head. When the alpha turned to look at him, Mason raised a single finger to his lips, then shook his head.
“We’ll talk later. Finish that apple.”
Derek’s demeanor returned to that of a loyal subject, gnawing into the apple with a dramatic crunch before heading back inside.
Mason knew what was waiting for him when he returned to his office. One of the many things that he loved about Derek being his beta was his brutal honesty. A leader needed to often hear things they didn’t want to hear. Derek never lacked compassion, either, which was also vital.
But sometimes, his candidness was scathing, venomous almost. Mason didn’t see himself as a particularly reactive person … as an alpha, he couldn’t be … but Derek had a hard time understanding that. Which made him a great beta … but never an alpha.
In Mason’s opinion, though, it was what made their partnership blossom. And the majority of the time, Derek was right … but he was just going to have to trust Mason to be right about Ash.
Mason caught up with her as she headed down the paved road, noticing her impeccable posture and doing his best not to notice the solid strength of her thighs in those jeans. It was unprofessional and distracting in a way that wasn’t fruitful.
“It’s been a while since you’ve been in a pack then?” Mason asked.
The sun was beginning to set on the horizon before them, spilling tangerine orange and burning vermillion at their feet. Ash’s eyes were luminous in their brilliant green, a grayish sage color that felt surreal.
“Yes,” she said, rather curt. “It wasn’t something that really appealed to me. But now I realize that I have to embrace it as it’s only natural with our kind.”
“You’re right, it is. It must have been hard for you out there all on your own."
Ash’s eyes darted sideways at him, then quickly returned to the paved pathway. Her shyness only intrigued him more.
