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“We can step back,” Adam interjects. “If that’s what you need us to do…”
Fuck, that’s the opposite of what I want. I want to be with them all. I want them all to be with me forever. I grip hold of Sledge’s hand because he’s the one closest to me. I refuse to let him go as a silent communication because I don’t know if I will ever be able to get these words out. They’re much too hard. How can I really ask them to all be with me? It’s insane. The sort of fantasy thing that I might not be able to be truly honest about ever.
If me and Mason do make this work, and we end up back together, then how will I look any of the guys in the eyes again? How can I be in the same home as Cain, knowing how much I crave him? How can I eat near Adam when all I want to do is taste him? I know I won’t be able to stand near Sledge without experiencing this intense sizzling chemistry between us. It’s absolutely wild. I can’t stand it. Ilovethat feeling. It’s phenomenal.
“Come on,” Sledge finally declares, trying to talk some sense into all of us. “Mason really is waiting for us. I think we need to go and have this meeting.”
This meeting means so much more than I thought it would. I knew it was going to be a heavy one, but now it might be the end of everything. I might lose all four men in one go, and then my pack will hate me as well. If we have to leave Chicago because of this, then I’m going to become enemy number one. Daniella might still be on my side, but the women who have laid down roots here, are going to be really mad at me.
That will kill me. My first few weeks as alpha and I will already be letting them down.
But the guys are all moving. They are ready to push everything that just happened to one side so we can have this meeting. I guess it’s better to tear the band-aid off so we can get this over and done with. See what Mason says about everything…
I follow behind them all, making sure I’m at the back so none of them can see how badly I’m still crying. I don’t want them to know how badly I’m aching with agony…
The sight of Mason sitting at the head of the table makes my heart skip a beat. I don’t know what that expression is on his face. Is he angry at us? Did he hear what was going on in the gym? I can only imagine that would have him fuming with endless rage. Or is there something else going on in his mind? Is he sad that everything is about to implode?
“Clara, finally, you’re here.” He’s speaking in a mono tone, which confuses me even more. “That’s good, because there is something that we need to talk to you about, and it’s one of those things that I’m going to try discussing with you. Face to face, like an adult. The last thing we want is any more bloodshed. We’ve been through too much as is.”
Bloodshed?My heart is pounding as I take a seat at the table with my eyes still fixed on Mason. Is he actually threatening death already? We haven’t even talked yet.
“What are you talking about?” I just about manage to ask in a rasping voice.
“It’s your necklace.” He points to the charm hanging around my neck, causing the air to whip out of the room. I don’t think anyone dares to breathe. “The necklace that you were wearing on the first night I met you, but I didn’t know what it meant then.”
I turn the charm over and over in my hand. “What it means? I don’t get it.”
“Right. I know what it means, Clara. You don’t need to hide it from me anymore.”
I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. “I’m not hiding anything from you.” Anything about the necklace anyway. But we don’t need to get into that right now. “I inherited it. It’s been passed down my family line forever. For as long as I know. I don’t know why this led to me being the alpha, but I guess it does. That’s what I was told anyway.”
Mason’s eyes widen in surprise. “You really don’t know? You aren’t lying to me? No one told you why you inherited that necklace and what it symbolizes?” I shake my head, bewildered. I really didn’t think that I was going to end up talking about my charm today. “Well, I have been doing some research into it, talking to the pack elders and everything. I know what it means…” He seems to pause for dramatic effect. “It means you have royal blood surging through your veins. I know we haven’t had a royal family for a very long time, but you are related to that family. Which of course puts you in danger.”
I suck in a sharp breath. I have always been told that the charm is important, but the reason why has never been explained to me. I never thought to ask, either. But this could be it, right? Because I always read historical stories about the wolf royal family as a child. Something else that I didn’t understand the significance of, until now. Now I’m starting to think that it’severything.Iam royal? Fuck, not only does that put me in danger, but my whole pack as well. We will all be wiped out if anyone gets the information that I’m royal…
“What do I do?” Everything else goes flying out of my mind as I realize that I have a freaking spotlight on me. If Mason found this out, it means anyone can. I can’t give up the necklace, but I also understand that it puts me at risk wearing it. Yet… it’s mine. My history.
“I think you should let me take it,” Mason says easily, letting me see that this is something he’s been thinking carefully about it. “I can destroy it and keep you safe.”
I glare at him, anger flashing in my eyes. “How will that keep me safe? I need it.”
“You don’t know?” I can see him testing me again, so I shake my head. “If the necklace gets destroyed, then the lycanthropy curse will be lifted for you.”
“Curse?” I rise to my feet rapidly. “You want to take my wolf away? Why?”
“You don’t want it gone?” Mason cocks his head curiously to one side. “I thought you might want to live a normal life. I can make that happen for you if you let me.”
“You’re talking about taking a part of me away.” I can’t believe that these words are even leaving his mouth. Doesn’t he care about me at all? Doesn’t he want to know whatIthink about myself? I know he’s asking me, but I’m still finding this hard to process. If I lose my wolf then who knows what will happen to my unborn child? I love my baby already, and there’s no way I’m going to let anything happen to my child. “This isn’t what I meant, Mason, when I talked about co-existing. That isn’t what I was talking about.”
“You want to live alongside one another, I get that. It’s what I want too,” he replies as if we haven’t already argued about this. “I just want to find a way to make it safe.”
I grit my teeth together as irritation surges through my veins. “Mason, this better not be your male ego talking. You better not be trying to stop me from being a wolf because you want to be the only alpha. That’s fucked up. I don’t want to hear that shit…”
He blushes a little awkwardly. “Maybe a little to begin with. Perhaps that is how it started, but now I’m thinking that I just want to keep you safe…”
“Harming the necklace won’t keep me safe, Mason. That makes no sense at all.”
“You don’t know that,” he pleads. “Please, hear me out, just for a moment…”
