Page 23 of Mason
I'dbarelymadeitto my bike before the wave of the finalized mate bond knocked me on my ass.At least I wasn't already on the road.
Hours of "epic sex" as Kory called it has left all of us exhausted.But while Kory sleeps, I lay awake staring at the ceiling.
"You're awfully cerebral for someone who's fucked out," Mason whispers into the darkness.
"What happens when we have to go on missions at the same time and Kory's here on his own?"
"We've already asked not to have assignments while the other one of us is out.But in the event it happens, he can stay with the club or with my pack if he wants company or feels unsafe.Despite appearances to the contrary, our mouse is not innocent or helpless.He's not fragile, love."
"I know.It's that I finally have everything.I'm scared it'll get ripped away."
"Come here."Mason wraps his arms around me, careful not to wake Kory on my other side.
"I love you, Hex.It's time to let go and trust Fate.I don't think Fate would bring us together, only to tear us apart."
We don't say anything else, and a steady pulse of reassurance thrums through the bond, lulling me to sleep.It's the first peace I've had in years.
Epilogue - Mason
We'resittingatthelunch table the day after completing our mate bond when I get the call we've been dreading – the first mission post bond.
"You're on speaker," I tell Jericho when I answer the phone."It's me, and my mates, so it's secure."
"You're still benched from external missions, but this is personal."
"What happened?"
"Andrew is loose.We have to find him before he does any damage or attracts the wrong kind of attention."
"I'm on my way."
The call disconnects and I look at my mates."I have to go help with this."
"Who is Andrew?"Hex asks.
"My cousin's mate.He's a recently turned vampire.Wyatt's had him up at one of our more remote cabins trying to get him acclimated to the change.I wish we had more time together to bask in the completed mate bond, but we can't risk Andrew getting in the crosshairs of Hunters, or making a snack out of a human."
"We could go with you," Kory says."I'm not sure how much help I can be outside of moral support, but I'm sure Hex can help."
"Baby, you are amazing."I take Kory's hand and kiss his knuckles.
"Why didn't we think of this before?We can go with each other on missions, Hex."
"We didn't think of it before because we're both used to our old lives, and we're still trying to mesh them together.Plus, we're idiots," he says with a wry grin.
"Men.Why you gotta complicate everything?"Kory asks, with a laugh.
"Alright, enough out of you, mouse."I boop him on the nose."Pack your bags.We're going on a vampire hunt."
As we grab our gear and load it into the truck, I'm filled with gratitude.I made a hell of a lot of mistakes and nearly fucked up my life, but Fate came through despite my unwitting attempts to sabotage everything.
"Thank you," I whisper on the wind.To my mates.To Fate.To any Goddess listening.
My future begins today.