Page 18 of Mason

The flower takes on a vibrant blue that reminds me of the deeper parts of the ocean.When he hands it back to me, I try it out by turning it a yellow that resembles the color of a sunflower.

"That's amazing.Let me find something to put these in."Mason follows me as I move to the kitchen to dig around under the sink.

"They don't require water, so you don't have to worry about a vase.You can put them in anything."

But I don't want to put them in any old thing, so I keep digging into the back of the cabinet until I find what I'm looking for.

Several years ago, I found a crystal vase at an estate sale.I wasn't sure I'd use it, but I couldn't walk away without it.Now, I know why.Standing, I put the roses into the vase.Perfect.Between Mason and I, we discover the perfect place for it is in the window where the morning light creates a prism of colors in the living room.

I want to stay up and be a good host, but everything is catching up with me all of a sudden.The yawn I've been trying to stifle finally slips out.

"Go get some rest.I'll be here when you wake up," Mason says.And he is.When I come out of my room hours later, my mate is standing shirtless in the kitchen cooking us lunch.

There goes another chip in my defensive armor.If he keeps this up, there will be no way I can resist him.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Hex

"You'resureaboutthis?"Ghosts asks."He hasn't been the most reliable.Honestly, I'd take a bite out of him on principle if you let me."

Ghost has been our leader for an eternity.On the outer appearance, we look like a typical MC, but there's more to it than that.The cover of the MC gives us the vibe of a certain amount of expected lawlessness that makes it easy to hide in plain sight.People believe what they see, and most never bother to dig deeper.

"After all this time, he's decided to make an effort.If I don't give it a fair shot, I'll always wonder what could have been."

"You better make sure before we allow him in the inner circle.Having Cipher look into intel under the guise of the MC is one thing, Mason getting in on the deeper details is quite another."

"Then you understand why I have to do this.I have to step away for a while and spend time with him.It's the only way to close this loop so we can all move on – one way or another.I'm not going to risk Nefarious with something I haven't done my due diligence on."

"I know.We also can't afford to lose you, Hex.You're our only witch.We need your skills."

"It's not permanent.And if there's an emergency, you know I'll come.Besides, if this works out, we'll have a whole wolf pack and a coven as resources."I don't mention the possibility of also being able to tap into a demon legion because, while I picked up on the loose connection to the Obsidian Shadow Pack, I'm not sure it's a viable resource yet.

"Logically, I know your mating could have a strategic benefit.It's also risky.At this point, it could go either way."Ghost waves his hand toward the door."Now get outta here.You've got mates waiting."

I leave Ghost and start packing.The clothes are easy, trying to decide what magic-related supplies I might need, not so much.I've got to keep it to the necessities.There's only so much room on my bike.Not that I'm expecting trouble, but I like to prepare for it.

"Before you head out, come down for drinks," Fisher, one of my MC brothers, says from the doorway of my altar room."Me and the rest of the flurry want to send you off right."

"You act like I'm not coming back."

"Be honest, man.These are your Fated mates.If it comes down to it, they'll win every time."

I knew Mason's connection to his pack was a factor in the decision he made to let me go.But as I listen to the resignation in Fisher's voice, I think I might be starting to understand how much of a conflict he carried inside.In my mind, I've not questioned I'll be back with Nefarious once a decision has been made about the mating status.But what if Mason isn't willing to do long distance?What if Kory decides trying to decide between the Pack and Nefarious is too much?Am I willing to walk away from my life for them?

One step at a time, I tell myself.Before any big decisions are made, I need to find out if we can make it as partners and mates.Surely, there's a solution where none of us has to give up everything.

"I'll be coming back, Fish.You'll see.You assholes can't get rid of me that easily."I plaster a smile on my face and follow him down to the rec room, hoping I'm telling the truth.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Mason

I'vebeenatKory'scabin a full day, but we haven't spent much time together.He's been resting a lot, which I can't blame him for.My mate went through quite an ordeal.He needs time to recuperate from it.Rather than push myself on him, I let him approach me when he's comfortable.And while he's up and about, I make us food and work on little projects around the house.

There were some minor things that needed to be fixed from when the place was trashed, so I tackled those first.Now, I'm out on the front porch replacing a couple wood planks that seem a bit iffy.

The longer I'm around Kory, the stronger our bond gets, so I'm not surprised when I feel a twinge of lust coming through.Looking up from my work, I catch a glimpse of my mate through the front window before he whips the curtain shut.My shy little mouse.I smile to myself and make sure I send reassurance through our connection.I know I still have a way to go before I earn his trust, but he needs to know it's okay to acknowledge our pull toward each other.