Page 24 of Deep Love

I immediately stood and turned in a half-circle until Mason’s cabin came into view.

“Thank you, Solari!”

I ran as fast as I could toward Mason’s cabin, the rising sun painting the sky above Rodgers Lake a multitude of pinks and oranges. Mason and I used to sit on the end of the dock on his property to watch sunrises together, our feet dangling into the water. I couldn’t wait to do that again with him.

And our children.

I reached the back door of his cabin and knocked. I waited for what seemed like an eternity then knocked a few more times, but Mason did not make an appearance.

A trickle of unease mixed into my bloodstream and traveled throughout my body. Where was he? As far as I could tell it was still early morning and most likely still the same day.

I closed my hand around the doorknob, surprised when it turned and I was able to open the door. The interior of the cabin was bright, but I didn’t see the one person I wanted to see more than anyone else.

Memories of the times we’d spent together at this cabin flickered into my mind, one after the other after the other. Each one brought a smile to my face, but if I couldn’t find Mason, how were we supposed to make more memories in this cabin?

What if Solari had sent Mason back to Earth, but she’d messed up somehow? What if he was currently trying to find his way back here after getting dropped off somewhere else?

“Mason?” I went down his hallway, only darkness at the end where his bedroom was.

And where he was.

Mason was lying on his bed, stomach down and the blankets only pulled up to his waist so his beautifully muscled back was on display. An empty bottle of tequila was on the bedside table and a shot glass was beside it but turned on its side so a little puddle of liquor had pooled on the table top.

“So you went full Ferguson on me, did you?” I whispered. I couldn’t blame him. He’d no doubt thought Solari had dismissed his proposal, that he and I would never be together again. There would have been two empty tequila bottles if I’d been in his shoes.

I crept closer, taking a few moments to appreciate the mere sight of my werewolf mate. Goddess, I loved him so much.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I caressed Mason’s back, causing him to release a low hum.

“Wake up, Mason.” I pressed a kiss to his shoulder blade then shook him gently. “Wake up and let’s start making those babies you want.”

His eyes slowly opened and he blinked at me as he rolled to his side. With a crinkled brow, he raised a hand and slid it along my thigh. “Promise me this isn’t some bullshit goddess trick or a tequila-infused hangover hallucination.”

I laughed and leaned over him to capture his tempting mouth. Instant heat sparked between us and Mason’s arms wrapped around me as the kiss deepened. He turned us so I was lying beneath him, never losing the connection our lips had.

Mason was naked beneath the blankets and he wasted no time in ridding me of the simple white dress I was wearing. Apparently, Solari had thought the dress appropriate for this much anticipated reunion. Had she chosen it because it was so easy to remove? Whatever the reason, I was glad to have it off me and to have my naked body pressed against Mason’s naked body.

He trailed kisses along my jaw, the column of my throat, my collar bone, and between the valley of my breasts. The light scrape of his beard along my flesh sent delicious shivers throughout my entire body. Capturing first one breast for some adoration then the other, Mason primed me for making love to him. His tongue swirled around my nipples and I arched into him, eager to surround his length and drown in this love we shared.

Mason dipped his finger into my wet heat, growling at what he found there.

“I’m ready for you, Mason. So ready,” I whispered.

“I get to keep you this time, right?” He kissed my chin, my nose, my forehead then met my gaze. “For a long time?”

“Solari agreed to your plan.”

I pushed him to his back and straddled him, my fiery core rubbing against his arousal and pulling another growl out of him.

Sexiest noise ever.

“I thought we didn’t have a deal when she sent me back here alone,” Mason said. “I had to promise Sylvie that I wouldn’t intentionally drown myself in the lake. I made the promise, but honestly . . . I almost didn’t keep it.” He waved a hand at the empty tequila bottle. “I chose to drown in a different form instead, but it didn’t make the pain go away. Not even a little bit.”

I leaned down and brushed his lips with mine. “I was right on the other side of the wall of the room you were in with Solari in Seraphia. I nearly broke that wall down with my fists when she sent you back to Earth without me.”

“But you talked her into sending you too?”

I shook my head. “She’d decided to send me after talking to you, but she wanted to make sure I agreed to the terms of the deal.”