Chapter Five
Mason didn’t move. He stayed as quiet as possible and hoped whoever knocked would move on. But then it happened again. “I’ll go.”
He extricated himself from Sebastian’s warm and welcoming body and went into the bathroom. He should probably clean up before he answered it. He doubted whoever banged insistently would appreciate him wearing nothing but a used condom and a smile.
“Hold on. I’m coming!” He searched the floor for his pants. Finally, with his crown jewels covered, he made his way to the door. One sniff of the scents emanating from the other side and he almost didn’t answer.What are they doing here?
“Mason James Taylor, I can tell you’re there. Open up right now.” His mother’s stern do-as-you’re-told tone of voice used to work on him when he was a child, not so much anymore.
“I will break this down if you do not open it right now.” The harsh tones of his father sent a shiver down his spine.
He turned to Sebastian who still laid spent and gloriously naked on the bed. “I’m sorry, but we are about to have visitors. You might want to get some clothes on.” He waited as Sebastian grabbed his clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.
He pulled on the handle. Without even waiting to be invited, his parents stepped inside.
“You could have at least gotten dressed,” his mother admonished.
“Hello to you, too, Mother.” He shut the door with a little more force than necessary. “A few minutes ago, I was very happily naked, so you should think yourself lucky I bothered with the pants.” His mother looked around and the moment she noticed the rumpled bed, her scowl deepened. “So, are you going to tell me why you’re here, or do I have to guess?”
“Do not take that tone with us.” His father’s turn to tell him off, obviously. Guess he hadn’t hidden his annoyance as well as he’d hoped.
“I’m sorry, but I’m in the middle of a date, so excuse me if I am a little annoyed with the interruption.”
“Yes, well, your date is over now.” His father looked at him like he was still twelve and too frightened to disobey.
Before he could respond, the bathroom door opened and Seb stepped out. “Hi. I’m Sebastian Cooke,” he said, offering his hand to my father. He pulled it back when it became obvious Dad had no intention of accepting the gesture.
“Sebastian, I’d like to introduce you to my parents, Marcus and Felicity Taylor”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Sebastian said.
“It’s true.” The look of abject horror and disgust on his mother’s face had Mason stepping a little closer to Sebastian. Just in case his parents did something stupid. “How could you embarrass us like this? How could you be withhim?” His mother’s last word was spat at him with so much venom it would have felled a lesser man.
“Don’t speak to him like that,” Sebastian admonished.
Mason took another step toward his date, who had no idea the danger he tempted. “It’s all right, Seb. My mother has her views. They, however, are not mine.” He loved that he’d tried to stand up to them.
“You have no idea how awful it was when Mrs. Rankin rang to tell me she was sorry about my son. And me, the fool, had no idea what she was talking about.”
His mother was trying his patience. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Her daughter, Rochelle, works at the reception desk here at the hotel. She rang to tell her that it all finally made sense why you wouldn’t marry any of the women who have offered foryou.” The penny dropped. The pack member who’d checked him in had ratted him out. “You were on a date with a man, one ofhiskind, no less.”
Mason caught Sebastian flinch out of the corner of his eye. He probably thought she meant being gay, but that was the least of it.
“I’m going to say this once and once only….” Mason stood to his full height and puffed out his chest to make himself look as big and imposing as possible. “What I do with my life is nobody’s business but my own. You will not come in here, spouting your prejudices and expect me to go along with them.”
His father, who had remained quiet, spoke up. “You will not talk with such disrespect to your mother.”
“Oh and what are you going to do about it, Father?”
“You are not too old for punishment.”
He probably should be scared by his father’s threat, but he could no longer raise a hand to him as pack beta without cause. “Go ahead, Father. See how much shame you bring on the precious family name.” Glancing down, he could see fur sprouting on the back of his father’s hands as the shift started to overtake him..
“You know we could have dealt with you being gay, but to take up with a human? You’re no son of mine,” his father spat with utter disdain.
“I’m not gay,” Mason yelled, his reaction a knee jerk to his mother’s taunting. He realized too late how awful his words sounded.
