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Emerging through the trees, Mason slowly padded forward in wolf form. Head down, hackles up, he pulled back his muzzle in a terrifying snarl, revealing glistening white teeth that shone with the promise of exquisite agony.
Panic morphed into pure fear across the human’s face. He stepped back, gripping the hilt of the knife tighter in his hand. The first drop of sweat appeared on his upper lip.
Still suspended, Lacey tasted the man’s fear. She relished in it, drank it up.
He’d brought a knife to a fucking shifter fight.
And werewolves fought dirty.
Suddenly, Mason leapt forward, his teeth snapping in the hunter’s direction, but Baseball Jerk stepped to the side, narrowly missing those deadly jaws by a hair’s breadth. Mason skidded to a stop and in a fluid swirl of movement, lunged towards him again, the blur of movement faster than Lacey’s mind could process.
The human swung the knife wildly, his face an artwork of terror and impending death, the blade sweeping through the tip of the thick coat of grey fur that covered the top of his gigantic head. For the first time, Lacey feared for her mate’s safety
But not for long.
Mason lunged forward, and four gigantic paws slammed into Baseball Jerk’s chest, sending him crashing to the ground with a loud thud. A cry tore out of his mouth at the same time a grow ripped through the air.
The bastard was trapped, pinned against the hard earth by deadly claws and sharp teeth, and knew it.
Using a paw, Mason knocked the weapon from the man’s hand. It fell to the forest floor with a gentle thud, quickly followed with an ear-splitting scream as Mason’s teeth enclosed the sides of his face. With a powerful motion, he squeezed his jaw tight, and the screams turned into a piercing shriek.
Lacey’s ears rang with the sound of bone snapping, of blood spurting across the ground. Her stomach rolled with the grisly stench of death, but she couldn’t feel any sympathy for the bastard. He’d tried to rape her and then bled her. He deserved everything he got. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe.
A minute later, the familiar sensation of energy gathering on the air caressed her face. Another minute and the ropes fell from her wrists.
Opening her eyes, Mason filled her vision, fully clothed. According to Nathan, only the most powerful shifters were able to shift without losing their clothes. Which certainly came in handy when the weather was starting to drop. A cool breeze flowed through the trees, caressing the burns on her wrists from the ropes.
Unable to restrain herself, Lacey flung herself into his arms, wrapping her bloodied limbs around his neck, breathing in the scent of death and sandalwood.
“You came,” she whispered, her words trembling as much as her limbs.
Hot fingers cupped her face, holding her in place as he planted a quick, demanding kiss on her mouth. “Mates don’t let mates get hurt,” he said, his tone thick with emotion.
Lacey sucked in a breath and closed her eyes as a single tear spilled over. She had to tell him. Baseball Jerk deserved his fate. Mason and Karis didn’t deserve the ones Sam had planned.
It was now or never.
She swallowed around the tight knot lodging itself in the back of her throat. “You might change your mind when I tell you something,” she whispered, the words layered with self-revulsion.
Confusion spread across his blood-splattered face. “What do you mean?”
Dropping her hold on him, Lacey stepped back, swallowed once more, and forced herself to meet his eyes. “Sam’s on his way.”
The confusion quickly turned into something dark. “What …?”
“He hired me to find you and your sister. I told him you weren’t here, but he had my mother on the phone and she was screaming, and he was going to call the Blood Hunt on me. I’m sorry, Mason. I really am. You need to get your sister and go before he finds you.”
A storm of emotions raged over his face – bewilderment, rage, betrayal – they all merged into a violent hurricane that spilled into his eyes. He turned and walked away from her, releasing a string of hot curses that ripped through the air.
Panic tore through Lacey’s chest at the thought of him leaving, deserting her in the middle of the forest as night rapidly approached. It merged with the guilt and shame, rippling down her veins and strangling her heart.
Just when she thought he’d turn and walk away into the night, he turned back and strode towards her, his eyes gleaming with raw emotions. “Never lie to me again,” he hissed, his fists balled tight enough that his knuckled gleamed white.
Lacey released a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. Nodding, another tear fell down her cheek. She wouldn’t blame him if he struck her. She’d deserve it and more.
Instead, Mason wiped it away, his fingers warm and gentle despite the tension lining his limbs like lead.
Lacey swallowed and chewed her bottom lip for a moment before she raised her gaze. “I promise. I really am sorry. After Sam hung up, I turned to come back to warn you, but he,” she gestured to the lifeless body only a few inches away from where they stood, ripped and bloody, “knocked me out. When I came to, my only thought was that I wouldn’t get the chance to tell you how sorry I am.”
Hesitation raced across Mason’s face before he pulled her into his chest. Lacey leaned her head against the hard muscles, breathing in the scent of ginger and blood, taking comfort from both. “It’s OK. We still have time before they arrive. Let’s get Karis and get the fuck out of here.” He paused and hesitation crept along the edges of his face. “You are coming with us, right?”
The mating mark on her shoulder flared up, warming her chilled skin. Inhaling, Lacey nodded. The idea of leaving him behind was unthinkable. She could no longer deny the strength of the bond between them. “Mates don’t leave mates behind,” she whispered. “I’m yours. If you still want me.”
Grabbing her hand, Mason reached down for the knife nestled amongst the moss and wrapped his fingers around it. Streaks of purple and deep blue transformed it from a simple weapon into a thing of dangerous beauty.
Taking her hand in his, Mason started to lead her east, in the direction of the cabin.
She knew he would never let her leave again.
And she knew she never wanted him to.
