Daniel pulled himself out of the chair and started to make his way to the door. Before he left, he stopped in front of me, bowing his head slightly in respect.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Darcy. I’m sorry about Jasmine.”
Tears began to well in my eyes again, and a knot formed in my throat. I had no other choice but to reply with a nod of my own.
With the door closed and Mason and I finally alone again, he pulled me back into his arms as more tears started to fall. He moved his hand in slow, comforting strokes against my back.
“Will you be able to come to the meeting? Heaven knows, I don’t want to cause you any more distress but it’s important Devlin hears it all from you.”
“I’ll be fine. It needs to be done. I’m just so sorry.” Sobs broke out and the feelings of contentment Mason inspired in me earlier were replaced with ones of sorrow and guilt.
I felt my chin being tilted up as he sought my gaze. “Hey, I thought we dealt with this? No guilt, remember. We’ll get through this together.” I couldn’t answer for crying.
I could almost sense the moment when he came to some decision. “You know what? More important business has just come up. Devlin can wait. Come on.”
Releasing me from his embrace, Mason began pulling me toward the door. He paused a second, stopping, and moved to the window. Opening it, he extended his hand out in invitation.
“What about…?”
“No questions, Darcy. Just come.”
I placed my hand in his and together we escaped through the pane. Moving with stealth, Mason led me into the neighboring woods that encompassed the borders of his property. This was pack land, handed down from generation to generation and it was lush with all the different shades of green and browns.
The house was set on a huge estate, the grounds designed specifically to offer protection from prying eyes. But the acres of woodlands were my favorite. It was filled with wildlife that made each full moon exciting because it offered a variety of prey to hunt.
Barely a few yards into the trees, he turned and begun undressing, signaling for me to do the same. “Unless you’d like me to do it for you?” he asked, cocking one of his eyebrows as a challenge.
The thought of changing and going for a run infused me with an infectious energy, and I grinned. I frantically began pulling at my clothes, lifting my shirt over my head and stepping out of my jeans. With a wink and a kiss, I began the process.
“Catch me if you can.”
The last thing I heard was the promise, Believe me, I will.
Chapter Six
I didn’t wait for Mason to finish before I took off running, relishing the instant sense of freedom. Happiness blazed through me as I darted in and out amongst the trees, my sleek wolf body giving me an agility I lacked when in my human form.
My wolf instantly came to the forefront, eager to assert control. Sniffing the air, she scanned for danger and when she was confident all was well, only then did she settle back down. I learned early on, the only time she would take over and push me into the background was if she determined the situation too dangerous. Last night was a classic example. I realized now I never had a chance in hell of staying in the driver’s seat once I changed. With no prevailing threat, I was able to still be me in wolf form, and I yipped with excitement.
I increased my speed, paws hitting the ground at a furious pace as I fought to race the wind itself. The constant stream of cool air blowing through my fur felt invigorating, and I bayed with delight along with my wolf as we let go to nature.
My ears flickered as my eyes scanned the surrounding area, expecting to hear the approach of Mason, but I couldn’t pick up anything other than the noises of nearby wildlife. Worry struck and I sent out my senses to see if I could feel anything.
Nothing yet. Shaking off my concern, I focused back on the task at hand-running as if chased by the Devil.
Foliage crumpled under my stride as I leapt over fallen trees and muddied patches of ground. Raising my nose to the air, I was assaulted with the aroma of freshly churned soil and the hint of a previous rain. I took the smells deep into my lungs, savoring the way they tasted on my tongue and howled with enthusiasm. This was definitely one of the best parts of being a werewolf-experiencing the world on the most basic of levels. No human cares or distractions. No judgment-just me, my wolf, and our surroundings. Mason was right to have us go on a run. Nothing could help me refocus more.
Where is he? I tried to reach for him through our connection and immediately felt a sense of nothing. Was he blocking me?
A flash of black from the corner of my eye was all the warning I had before I was attacked. My fur rose into hackles and I started to prepare to defend myself. A familiar scent bombarded me and I growled in triumph.
So he wanted to play?
I wiggled out from under him. Mason, having the element of surprise, had pinned me to the ground with his strong paws.
Swiping at his nose, I settled back into a crouch, shaking my tail in invitation. I barked out the equivalent of a taunt and sent the mental image of me standing over him, while he shook in submission.
His good humored laughter was my reply and he began to stalk me, pacing in circles, watching me carefully. All the while, I returned the best bored look I could muster. Testing to see if he could get the upper hand, he attempted a few lunges, but I saw them coming and quickly leapt out of his reach.
Tired of the dance we were doing, I took the attack to him, springing forward hard and fast, bowling him over in a mess of fur and paws. I nipped at his neck and before he could get himself situated, took off again into the trees. Mason’s howl told me the game was on.
We played, enjoying one another away from the responsibility of our lives. With all the energy we were burning, frolicking quickly gave way to hunger, and I suddenly became aware we were surrounded by wildlife.
Wait here.
He didn’t give me a chance to respond before he bounded off into the shrubbery, leaving me alone to settle into a spot to wait for his return.
I must’ve dozed off because the next thing I knew I heard a thump as something small was tossed at my feet. Opening a lazy eye, I noticed Mason crouched in front of me, a small rabbit lying by my paws. He crawled forward and with his nose, nudged the food closer to me.
I took a bite of the rabbit, my teeth tearing through fur and flesh. Normally, as a human, this would make me cringe, but as a wolf, it was as natural as breathing.
Thank you, I shared with him. Thanks for taking care of me.
Always, he replied. Now eat.
I tried rolling some of what was left back toward him, suggesting we share, but with a wolfy grin, Mason trotted over to a tree and brought out his own kill. We sat in silence as we began to dig in. Eating with relish, my stomach was soon full and content, and I moved closer to Mason, absorbing the heat of his body into mine.
I slowly began the process of licking him, making sure he was cleaned after a messy meal and then laid back as he returned the favor. There was a soothing sense of “rightness” between us and I knew this was how it would always be. I felt cherished, loved and protected.
Once we were finished, I stood up and shook out my fur, stretching out my limbs from sitting down such a long time. Mason began to pull away and once again issued a command.
Come.
We broke out into a run. Careful to follow his lead, I took every chance I could to bump my body against him as we kept a steady pace. I was curious to see where he was taking me because the house was back in the opposite direction.
I came to a screeching halt as we broke free of the trees. Before us was one of the most breathtaking scenes I’d ever seen. How I’d never known this place existed was beyond me. I started the Change and stepped forward on human feet. Everywhere my eyes looked, I saw perfection and a small slice of heaven. Mason came up from behind and wrapped his arms around me.