by Jade White
Sure he ruled his house benevolently, but nothing would compare to ruling over the entire horde of shape shifters. None would dare to challenge his rule, because he would take down one of the biggest beasts in the animal kingdom.
Mason pulled his blankets up over the two of them. He wrapped his arm around her middle, and ensured himself that she wouldn’t leave again. He didn’t know the damage that could come if she left him again. Please stay.
He kissed the top of her head, and watched her sleep. Her chest slowly inclined, then declined with every breath. She hardly moved, and when she did, she shifted onto her back. Katherine seemed restless though, and her body was getting hotter and hotter. He hoped she wasn’t having another bad dream.
Mason hated what they did to her. He wanted to murder every last phoenix that ever caused her harm. Erik counseled him, and told him he would need an army for every ten of them. They died, but not for long. Every time they came back, they were stronger than the last time, and much more blood thirsty. If he timed it just right, he could catch a phoenix on their last life. He could kill them all, but there was no telling how long that would take.
Mason stroked her head, brushing her hair out of her face. When she was sleeping, she was an angel that could do no harm to anyone. Awake though, Katherine was a mischievous woman.
“No,” she mumbled in her sleep. “Stop.” She struggled against him, pushing and shoving.
Mason wrapped his arms around her, cooing to her. “It’s okay.” He kissed the top of her head again. “Mason is here.” He pulled her in close, rocking her back and forth. It was strange to see himself doing this. It was strange to see himself being so tender towards a broken woman. Broken she was indeed. I’ll chase every single bad thing away.
She sighed at the sound of his voice, trying to get a little closer to him. She couldn’t get any closer though.
Oh, so innocent and sweet. Mason ran a hand down the side of her face. “I’m going to make those bad people go away.”
*
All was well. All was calm. Kane had learned his lesson with Katherine, and didn’t dare to try and flirt with her. Mason made sure of it.
Katherine and Erik had gotten close as he studied the impossible becoming possible. Her wings were growing back, her hair the only indication he had.
Mason had learned a few things about her culture, and about her people. He learned about her sisters and how they consistently tormented her when they were children, even up until the point of her being sold.
He learned that her people were very proud, and never cut their hair. It was a form of shaming. Hair was the only thing to show strength, and Katherine had been a walking contradiction to what her people believed. At the first chance they got, they were all too eager to clip her hair, and extension of her powers.
Mason did as much as he could to learn about Katherine, and her people. She told him as much as she could remember studying. She went as gentle on the subject towards rituals and sacrifices, to incarnate beasts her people could only be born into a being as powerful as their gods. Cults were very common amongst the Phoenix.
He asked her if she had ever been a part of one, but she told him no one wanted anything to do with her. The only ones who showed any interest in Katherine was her sisters. They liked to torment her.
She had taken up his books, reading more in one day then anyone possibly could. She was curious, and grew even more so with every passing hour with her nose in his books. Mason tried to slow her down, but there was no way to stop her once she started. It kept her distracted, and kept her up at night. He considered it was better than her suffering continuous nightmares.
When nightfall came, she would wander off, tracing around his home and always getting lost. Mason had to resist the idea of putting a tracking anklet on her. His home was too big for her to be roaming about in, alone.
Tonight had been different though. He watched her find her way back to the room she burned down. She entered it, and locked the door behind her. Mason nearly broke the door down, but he didn’t want to startle her, after all she was a ticking time bomb.
He waited outside, his back against the wall. Mason could hear noises from the inside. She was throwing things across the room. He swore he smelled a fire.
The noise must have been unnerving because it woke his friends. They walked, sleepily from their rooms, yawning and stretching out their massive bodies. Mason didn’t want them to scare Katherine when she came out. If she comes out.
Kane’s normal angelic complexion was now dark and groggy. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, and hadn’t seen the sunlight one bit in his immortal life. Lucca was his normal dark self. He always looked like he didn’t sleep, so Mason didn’t expect a much different look from him.
“What the hell is your bride doing?” Torrent asked, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. “It’s two in the morning,” he yawned, stretching again.
“She disrupted my beauty sleep,” Kane grumbled. He scowled at the door, then at Mason. “As cute as she is, this isn’t cute.” He folded his arms across his chest, shaking his head.
Mason locked eyes with him, with all of them, silently telling them to return to their rooms. If they didn’t, he would have no problem making them.
There was a loud thud that came from the room, and he heard Katherine screaming and mewling in pain. There was scratching at the door, and the smell of fire got even stronger.
“Is she seriously burning the room down?” Kane asked, the veil of exhaustion disappearing from his face. “She’ll kill herself.”
“No she won’t,” Erik said, leaning against the wall. He stabbed his fingers through his hair before rubbing his temples. “Phoenixes can’t die by fire, just like dragons.” His rainbow-hued eyes locked on Mason. “She’ll be fine, just let her do her thing.”
“Kat’s probably sleep walking,”
The smell of smoke filled her nostrils, and she knew this was perfect. Every instinct that she had, compelled her to build. She was making a lair, for something she had no idea about.
Katherine could sense all of their presences outside. Katherine wanted to leave the room, her business was done. She couldn’t though. The phoenix told her it wasn’t safe. The phoenix told her the only way out was through death, or loneliness. She’ll either let them leave on their own, or she would kill them. Katherine didn’t want to kill anyone.
She fidgeted with what use to be the headboard of a bed. Everything needed to be perfect. She had broken up every piece of wood, and torn to shreds every remaining piece of cloth, and every book that was around the room. She piled them up near the window, and waited for something.
Eventually, Katherine had gotten tired of waiting, and decided to sleep in the pile she made. Apart from splinters that threatened to stab her, and burned clothes, it had been comfortable. Whatever her intentions were meant to be, they were clearly in the right place.
Katherine laid her head down on a pile of paper, and ignited a fire around her pile. It was enough to keep her warm and protect her, but not enough to destroy what she had created. She nuzzled her head into the crevasse of her arm, and slept.
In the gist of things, Katherine didn’t remember what she dreamt of. All she could remember was the faint echoes of laughter, and a gentle caress. She knew she saw Mason in her dreams, but everything was so jumbled up.
It had been the first night she had gotten a full night’s rest, and wasn’t plagued by nightmares. She had woken up, and felt renewed and refreshed.
Her muscles ached, and her body creaked at every quick movement she made trying to get out of her pile. Katherine extinguished the fire before leaving the room, and broke some holes through the ceiling and floor, protecting what her consciousness wouldn’t tell her.
She continued on with her day, trying to focus hard on getting the ash off her hands. The only downside of being a phoenix was the consistent ash that laid on their palms and in their nail beds. Katherine must’ve washed her hands a thou
sand times, and it still didn’t come out. When she finally gave up, she could hear Mason chuckle behind her.
“Having a hard time?” he asked with a sultry voice. Mason looked her up and down, almost like she was a snack. She wouldn’t mind being a snack for him. Good things happened when he nibbled on her.
“More than you know.” She wiped her palms on her apron, smearing wet ash all over the white fabric. Katherine frowned. “This is becoming really annoying.” She put her blackened hands up to show him.
Mason sighed, shaking his head. He walked towards her, taking her hands in his. “It’s a part of who you are, and what you are.” He kissed her temple. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a baby,” she sighed with a bright, toothy smile. “That was some of the best sleep I’ve ever gotten.”
He frowned at her. When he frowned, it always made her stomach turn and knot. She yearned to make him happy, to make him smile again, just so they could both be happy for once.
“What’s wrong?” She reached up to cup his jaw. Katherine even gave him a kiss, but that did nothing to bring his smile back. It was frustrating.
“You slept in my old room, the one you burned down.”
Katherine tried to imagine being there. She tried to imagine herself probably sleeping on the floor, curled up in a ball. She had been sleep walking, because she wouldn’t remember a damn thing about not being with him last night. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
She didn’t know. The last thing Katherine remembered was closing her eyes last night, and leaving their room. Katherine resumed her everyday routine. She cooked, she cleaned, and she studied all that she could. Nowhere in her mind, did a memory of her being in that room, stand.
“You locked the door behind you, and I was worried sick about you. You screamed most of the night, Katherine.” His green eyes darkened, and his frown got deeper. “I didn’t know if you were okay.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. Katherine wanted to give him comfort, but most of all, she wanted comfort of her own. Everything was coming off as a bit of a shock, and she didn’t like it. “I’m here, now. Aren’t I?” Katherine held him even tighter.
Mason put his hands on her hips, gently pushing her away. He looked her in the eyes. “I just got you back. If I lost you again, there would have been no telling what I would do. You are mine. Mine to love. Mine to cherish. Mine to protect, and nothing will get in the way of that. No one will keep me from you, not even you.” His nostrils flared. Mason was possessive, and downright sexy. He meant every word he said, and she heard it in his voice.
Katherine nodded, brushing a kiss against his lips. She smiled, but faintly.
Return. Her phoenix cooed in her ear. The beast’s voice was like a hypnotic melody, leading Katherine away from her mate. Return. It said again, mildly nudging Katherine forwards.
Everything around her turned to shadows. The floor beneath her disappeared, falling from beneath her feet. She felt like she had been falling, like she had become completely weightless. It was the best feeling and the worst feeling.
Katherine didn’t know where she was. She didn’t know where everyone had gone. She was alone, and that was one of her greatest fears. She didn’t want to be alone. The sound of clashing objects and the smell of embers became her friends. They kept her company in the loneliness she grew used to.
Protect. The phoenix screeched at the top of its lungs, clawing at her from the inside out. Must protect. It rammed its head up against her skull, making Katherine cringe at the brief pain. She wanted relief.
Protect what? She asked, trying to keep calm though she was filled with dread.
Must protect. Need help! It screeched even louder, crumbling to its knees in defeat. Need help. The phoenix whimpered.
Katherine didn’t know what she had to protect. Katherine didn’t know what she had to protect it from. Or whom. She had no answers, therefore could only give the support that she had. What about Mason and his friends?
NO! The phoenix hissed with disgust. Too weak. Need someone stronger.
Katherine didn’t know how much stronger it got after shape shifters. There were gods, yes. Katherine didn’t know any gods. She hardly knew any people. The one person that she met outside of her home, she killed her. Horribly. He isn’t weak. None of them are.
Yes they are! The beast snapped at her, gnashing its teeth. Too weak. The smell of fire grew stronger. Overpowering. It almost made Katherine want to cough from inhalation.
She felt the weight of something heavy in her hands, but that was only moments before she laid it in place. Its weight was released, and Katherine’s vision began to clear.
She didn’t know what she had done. She didn’t know why she was doing this. It was a nest. Cinders and ashes burned in the center, creating a vortex of heat. Part of her yearned to look inside of it, part of her warned herself not to. Katherine couldn’t help it though.
She peeked her head over the ledge of the deep nest. Apart from ashes and burning cinders, there were splinters and sharpened edges that protected a resilient treasure at its heart. An egg.
It was pale gold, the shell seeming to crack and ooze with fire and blood. It was translucent, and on the inside was an obvious growing figure. Her stomach churned, and her body ached. Is this what we must protect?
The phoenix nodded its head, seeming to gaze down at the egg in aww. Precious. It forced her to reach down.
When her fingers brushed the surface of the shell, it was leathery like skin. There was a faint pulse that vibrated under her fingers, and it was the sweetest thing she’d ever felt. There was a sense of pride that bloomed in her chest. Katherine was connected to this thing, the fetus that grew just inside the shell. Precious.
The longer she gazed at it, the more features she could make out. A cute little nose, and round eyes that looked ready to open at any moment. There were two arms and two legs that were ever so small. A small pair of wings were blossoming from two thin slits. As much as it resembled a phoenix child, it was also monstrous. Powerful.
What is this? Katherine asked.
It’s your baby. Her phoenix replied. Our baby. It smiled wide, from ear to ear.
CHAPTER EIGHT
His blood was boiling way past its breaking point. He needed answers and he needed them days ago. She wasn’t acting herself, and it infuriated him. Every time he saw her go into that room, he wanted to confront her. He wanted to lock that room and keep her from ever going inside again. His friends had strictly told him that he couldn’t make her do anything she didn’t want to do, no matter how hard he tried.
No one knew what she did in that room for hours on end. What they did know, was that she always smelled like burning wood, and was regularly covered with ashes after leaving the room. Erik had brought the idea of her killing herself to make herself stronger. Against Mason’s demands, Torrent and Lucca tested the idea out. Then took it out of the equation.
They had gone through every book he possessed, but he had very little information on the phoenix, and even less on their activities. The race or immortals were highly secluded, and killed any outsiders that threatened their sanctuary. He only knew that because of what Katherine told him.
Mason looked at his friends. They all looked exhausted. No one had gotten any sleep with Katherine’s consistent sleep walking, and fire starting. Mason didn’t sleep because he worried about his woman. He didn’t know what to do to help her.
“Doesn’t she have sisters?” Erik said, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. “Why can’t we just call them?”
Mason had thought of that idea, but after learning of what they did to torture Katherine for most of her life, he opted out from that option. “No.”
“Why the hell not? We might finally get some sleep then,” Kane grumbled. He was at his absolute worse. Sleep deprivation was not too kind to him, and he was starting to age. Unlike most shifters, lion-shifters required sleep to retain their youthfulness, their mojo, and their immo
rtality. If he didn’t sleep, Kane would be better off dead than alive.
“There’s no telling what those sisters can and would do. I’m not risking any of your lives or hers on a whim.” Mason’s nostrils flared as he looked his men up and down.
“You’re risking mine,” Kane grumbled.
“I’m willing to risk yours after you threatened my claim to my woman.” He locked eyes with the man. “If you wish to challenge my authority, I implore you to try.” Mason’s blackened pupils spread across his eyes, consuming the whites and all. They quickly muted to their original colors, clearly a warning for Kane.
“You’re still throwing a tantrum about that?” Kane rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up in defeat. “You’re only acting like a child because of her. Before her you were more caught up in your need to become alpha of the horde than anything else. That Mason, I could handle. I don’t know about this one.”
Mason frowned at him. He didn’t know what to say. Yes, he knew he had changed. He knew he wasn’t the same man he was before Katherine was ever brought into his life. Anyone would’ve changed for that woman though. She was the type of woman that made a man change for the greater good. Of course though, Mason didn’t give up his aspirations to be the alpha of the horde. He would never give up on it. The title was rightfully his. “If you didn’t bed every breathing woman you saw, and decided to settle down, you would feel be the same way that I am.” He tilted his head to the side, cocking a brow at him.
Kane shook his head. “You bought her. That’s not exactly settling down. Who’s to say that isn’t as bad as ‘bedding every woman you see?’” He quoted Mason’s phrase. “You’re as bad as I am. She’s just a bit more of an expensive whore than the ones I find.”
Mason was ready to rip this man’s head off. He would have if Erik, Lucca and Torrent hadn’t held him against his seat. He could feel the wooden fibers giving way beneath his weight and his friends’ strength. Once it broke, nothing would keep him from killing the bastard before him. “She’s not a whore. She is my wife.” Mason struggled a little harder against his friends.
