My wolf surged forward, teeth bared. I barely forced it down.
“Have you forgotten about Kai?” Daniel asked.
Mason began to tremble. I stepped in close, my hand coming up to the back of Mason’s neck, grounding him.
I leaned in, pressing a brief, deliberate kiss just below his ear. I wanted to remind Mason that he was no longer alone in this. His entire body went still, then Mason straightened.
“I know how much you need this,” Mason said, tone confident. “You won’t get another opportunity to infiltrate the Pecan Pines Pack this easily. Take it or leave it.”
Daniel didn’t say anything yet.
“I want my brother,” Mason said, each word clear. “And once I have him, you can do whatever you want.”
The lie hung in the air, and it sounded convincing enough. We all waited. One second, two, three.
“Interesting, so you do have balls after all, Mason,” Daniel said. He didn’t laugh this time. “Deal.”
The word landed like a detonator. Mason’s hand dropped slightly, the phone lowering as the call ended. For a second, no one moved. Then Mason exhaled shakily.
I didn’t realize how tense I’d been until my shoulders loosened. Cooper stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
“That was well done,” he said. “But don’t relax yet.”
Mason and I both nodded.
Chapter 15
Mason
Morning arrived too quickly. For a few seconds after I opened my eyes, I didn’t know where I was. The ceiling above me was unfamiliar, the faint scent in the air not quite mine.
Then it hit me. Levi’s cabin. Levi’s bed.
The weight of everything that had happened yesterday came crashing back in. My chest tightened, breath catching before I forced it to steady.
Tonight. Everything hinged on tonight.
I pushed myself up slowly, careful not to make too much noise. The other side of the bed was empty, the sheets slightly rumpled, still holding the faint warmth and scent of him.
He was already up. Levi didn’t strike me as the type to sleep in, not when something important was hanging over his head.
I swallowed hard and swung my legs over the side of the bed, dragging a hand down my face before standing. My body felt off. Tense and wired, like every nerve had been tuned too tight.
I dressed quickly, pulling on the clothes I’d left folded neatly on the chair the night before. Clothes that had been moved here from Tony and Nico’s place, because I was no longer their guest.
I was a prisoner, but Levi didn’t treat me like one.
The smell of coffee reached me before I even stepped into the kitchen.
Levi stood at the counter, back to me, broad shoulders relaxed in a way that didn’t quite match the tension I could feel simmering underneath.
He turned slightly as I stepped in, eyes flicking over me briefly before settling back on the coffee pot.
“Morning,” he said, like this was normal.
“Morning,” I managed. My voice sounded steadier than I felt.
I moved toward the counter and my hands found the mugs automatically, fingers wrapping around one as I reached for the coffee pot.
