The Mystic Wolves

“There is, my most Beloved Benefactor.”

I couldn’t help it. Laughter exploded out of my mouth and I threw my head back in mirth.

“What the heck is going on? Liege? Beloved Benefactor? Royal Eminence? Since when do people address you like that, Mason? Or should I say Most Magnificent Master?”

Mason dragged me away from resting on the wall quick enough to swat my behind with his hand. “Enough! Don’t encourage him, Darcy. Daniel has gotten it into his head I’m not being paid enough respect as the Alpha and is trying to instill in the younger pack members the importance of titles. I can’t turn around without someone bowing or spouting off some crazy name. Nothing I’ve done can convince them it’s not necessary. It’s driving me insane.” He puffed out a quick breath in frustration.

“Which is why I will continue,” Daniel interrupted, ducking as another piece of my furniture went flying. Mason rolled his eyes and grinned before turning back to look at his friend.

I lowered myself to the ground, Mason letting me this time, and I fully joined the conversation. “What’s going on?”

Daniel gave a brief glance at his Alpha and I saw a slight nod returned.

“Devlin called and asked after Darcy and Jasmine. I filled him in with what happened and the mention of vampire blood raised a lot of questions. He’s on his way over with condolences from Zane and to see what needs to be done. He sounded furious.”

I saw Mason take in the information and knew he had to be thinking about what it all meant. Devlin was one of the Enforcers set up by the vampire leader, Zane, to investigate and eliminate any threats to the supernatural community. The thought of humans having access to such potent blood had to be disturbing.

“How long before he gets here?”

“Well, when we first tried to tell you, you had an hour.” Daniel checked his watch. “Now you have about twenty minutes.” He looked back expectedly at Mason, waiting for orders. All joking was pushed aside as business was approaching.

“Okay, when he arrives, show him into my office and we’ll meet you there.” I knew Mason felt the flash of fear that spun out of control inside me. I didn’t want to repeat last night’s events, in any way. He grabbed hold of my hand and squeezed it.

“Give us a moment to prepare,” he ordered.

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.