"Shit. Evin," Mason cried out between pants.
The sound of a growl reverberated in his ears as sharp teeth sliced into his shoulder. But this time, the pain that seized his mind morphed into an explosion of pure pleasure. Colors swirled before his eyes and burst into a showering rainbow on the heels of his spewing cock. Hot cum sprayed his abdomen in wave after wave of contractions until his balls were once again dry.
Dazed, Mason was barely aware of Evin sliding from him. The damp feel of his tongue gliding over the new marks on his shoulder sent another wave of shivers across his body.
"No more," Mason whispered. "Damn, I don't think I could survive another round like that."
A kiss landed on his cheek, then brushed his lips. "You were amazing, Brown Eyes." Mason reached up and threaded his fingers through his hair, holding Evin's blue gaze to his.
"You weren't half bad yourself, Wolf."
A lone, dark slash of a brow lifted. "Wolf?" A smile that was all teeth lit Evin's features. "Coming from you, I think I like it." He nodded, then leaned in and sealed his lips over Mason's, stealing his breath before jerking back on a gasp. "But only you," he growled.
Chapter Seven
Grabbing the handlebars, Evin righted the busted remains of his Ninja. The wheel was a lost cause, not to mention whatever else was bent all to shit on the rest of the bike. At a slow pace, dragging more than rolling the warped machine, Evin began the trek back toward the cabin.
There were at least three more hours till daylight, and he'd left Mason sound asleep in their bed, exhausted after all that had gone down. But sleep was a fantasy that wouldn't be fulfilled for Evin tonight.
He'd bitten Mason.
How the hell was he supposed to find enough peace inside his head to rest?
And what made it even worse was that his beautiful lover understood only half the picture. It was too soon to reveal the rest. Evin groaned. God, would Mason hate him when he confessed the whole truth? The bite was bad enough, but his DNA now swam in Mason's blood and was setting off a chain of events. Events that could not be stopped or cured. Within three days, Mason Thorne II would become one of them.
A light breeze lifted the hair off his nape, cooling the skin beneath as he approached the rear of the house. Evin breathed deep, sampling the wild scents riding the wind, then paused midstep and straightened.
"You can show yourself now, Rosa. I know you’re out there." He lowered the bike beside the deck and turned toward the tree line. A lone white wolf stepped from the shadows. At the sight of his sister, Evin couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. But inside, his gut twisted into a knot of concern that she'd taken such a chance to come here.
She trotted in his direction, her beautiful snow-white coat shimmering under the stars. Rosa had inherited her coat color from their mother, while Evin had inherited their father's dark coloration. But both had been born with the same color of eyes. Rosa slowed to a stop and then sat back on her haunches at his feet.
"Don't move. I'll be right back," Evin stated, then darted into the cabin and grabbed a blanket that he'd stored on the shelf by the door beside his spare clothes. She was right where he'd left her when he made it back outside. "Here." Evin unfolded the blue fleece and held it up, blocking his view while she shifted. Maybe some packs didn't give a shit who they flashed their naked asses to when shifting. But he did, especially when it came to his sister. He would always protect her—any way he could.
A moment later, warm, lithe fingers removed the blanket from his hands. "Thanks." He watched as Rosa wrapped the material around her.
"You shouldn't be here, sister." Evin crossed his arms over his chest.
She stepped closer and gently brushed her palm over his cheek. "You're my brother, and I sensed you needed me."
Evin covered her hand with his and then pulled it away, not letting go. "Tell me, was it you who stepped in front of Mason's car?"
A small smile played at her lips. "Mason? Is that his name?"
"Dammit..." Evin tossed his head back and released his hold on her hand. "You could have been killed," he said, bringing his gaze forward and capturing hers. "What possessed you to do such a thing?"
"I don't know." She shrugged and diverted her eyes toward the woods. "I can't explain it. I just knew I had to be there at that moment. For you." Rosa glanced back, concern written on her face. "The human...was he hurt? He seemed to be okay when I'd left."
"No." Evin shook his head, then on a sigh, rubbed his face with his palms before moving to the steps that led up to the deck and plopping onto the wooden surface. "He wasn't hurt." Rosa followed, coming to stand in front of him.
"But he's not okay now, is he, Evin?" she whispered.
Slowly, Evin lifted his head, finding the unconditional love his sister always held for him in her eyes. "I made a terrible mistake tonight. Something I thought I'd never allow to happen."
"Mason’s infected,” osa spoke the words he couldn’t seem to release from his throat. Evin closed his eyes. He couldn't tolerate seeing himself reflected in her gaze. This should have never happened. Ever since his first shift as a pubescent teenager, the pack had driven into his head the dangers of infecting a human. It was strictly forbidden for fear of discovery and possible genocide if humans ever learned of their existence.
"How did it happen?" Rosa eased down beside him on the step, her calm presence a steadying force. "Can you tell me?"
He recounted the last few hours of the night to his sister—minus, of course, the intimate details.
"You care for him very much." Rosa knew him too well. Evin glanced at his sister, then turned his gaze to the calluses that lined his palms. He nodded. "You've been in accidents before—pretty bad ones—and you've never lost control. But...those situations hadn't occurred when you were with the person you love."
Evin snapped his head in Rosa's direction. "Love? I never said I was in love with him."
A mischievous grin formed on her lips. "All right, big brother." She shrugged. "I'm just saying that maybe a part of you, subconsciously, wanted to hold on to Mason. So the wolf decided to lay claim to him for you, doing something that perhaps you hadn't come to terms with yet."
Dropping his head, Evin assessed his palms again. She made a good point. Pretty much hit the nail on the head, actually. He'd been struggling for the past twenty-four hours with the fact that Mason was leaving. Maybe the wolf had decided to do something about it. Damn. He hadn't meant to alter Mason's life without giving him a choice. His stomach churned.
"There is another reason I'm here tonight. Other than the fact that I could feel your distress."
"Yeah?" Evin leaned against the step behind him, facing his sister's profile.
"The full moon will be here in two days—the first since your twenty-fifth birthday."
The bottom fell out of Evin's gut, and bile scalded the back of his throat. Could this night get any worse? He swiped a hand over his mouth and jaw. If things had been different, in forty-eight hours, he would have assumed the role of alpha for the KinKaid pack. Since that would not be happening, it would be open season on his father. Evin had been so consumed with Mason, he'd totally pushed the date to the back of his mind.
"I knew this would be a difficult time for you as well, and to be honest, I didn't know if I could bear seeing what was to come for our father. As cruel as he can be sometimes"—Rosa twisted on the step and looked his way, wearing a sad smile—"he's still my dad."
Evin reached out and pulled her into his arms. "I know exactly what you mean," he whispered in her ear. "I've been so caught up with Mason, and just for a little while, was able to think about something else. I can't believe we're only two days..." Evin wrenched back.
"What?" Rosa stared up at him blankly "What's wrong, Evin?"
"The full moon... It's in two days." Evin jumped to his feet.
"Right." She nodded. "And...?"
"Mason... Oh fuck." Evin shoved both hands in his hair and groaned. "His primary s
hift will happen in two days."
Rosa's blue eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh no..." She stood, pulling the blanket tighter around her. "The moon will tear him apart. He won't survive unless you can get him to our healers so they can guide him through the change."
"And just how am I supposed to do that?"
"Yeah...I'd like to know that as well." The sound of Mason's voice sliced through Evin's heart like a hot blade. His chest burned with regret. He bit back a curse and glanced at the shadowed image of his lover standing in the open screen door. "And when you're done explaining that"—Mason stepped onto the porch, the screen door slamming behind him—"how about telling me exactly when the hell you'd planned on informing me of the nasty little side effect of your bite?"
Chapter Eight
The next afternoon, Mason paced the small confines of Evin's home. His mind whirled, making him light-headed. He hadn't slept most of the night, and he was exhausted. After he'd overheard a portion of Evin's, and who he'd later learned was his sister, Rosa's, conversation, they'd spent the next few hours filling him in on the full consequences of his lover's bite.
He was infected.
The word rattled around inside his brain: infected. That had been the reason behind Evin's initial reluctance to deep kissing and his insistence on wearing a condom. It appeared there were a hell of a lot more scary things in the world that could be caught from your bed partner besides STDs. Like the sudden urge to turn into a fucking wolf during the next full moon.
A groaned bubbled up from his chest, and he sank onto the sofa. Evin had said they'd talk some more when he got home from the shop and while they were on the road. It was Tuesday, and the parts for Mason's car were scheduled to arrive. Their plans were to find a way to get him to the KinKaid pack healers so they could help him through his primary shift and keep the moon's pull from tearing him apart. Mason shuddered.
Primary shift tearing him apart.
Christ, he couldn't wrap his mind around the concept.
The sound of an engine nabbed his attention. Mason checked outside the window. It was Evin, making his way up the dirt driveway in Mason's BMW. He must have decided to leave work early and deliver Mason's car. The sight of the other man's large frame behind the wheel, the top down and his long hair lifted by the breeze, had Mason's chest constricted in a vise grip. Apprehension, lust, fear of the unknown, all had him strung so tight, it felt like the air had to fight its way into his lungs. He didn't know whether to grab Evin when he came through the door and fuck him senseless, or beat the shit out of him for turning his world upside down.
On second thought, he'd do the next best thing—avoid the confrontation for as long as he could. Mason went to the bedroom and started packing his clothes. According to Evin, the KinKaid territory was somewhere near Mount Rainier National Park, so they would have close to a two-hundred-mile trip ahead of them.
The cabin's front door rattled and then clicked shut. Mason sucked in a calming breath. A moment later, Evin's six-foot-plus frame filled the bedroom's doorway.
"The repair went without a hitch. I’ve got your car outside."
Mason nodded but couldn't bring himself to meet Evin's eyes. The heat of his gaze felt like a flame licking at his flesh. Nearly impossible to ignore. But if he acknowledged the pull, what then? What was there to say? Was he really okay with what had happened? His life had been forever changed. Fuck, he wasn't even going to be human anymore. That is, if he even survived. And from what he'd gathered from Evin and his sister, the probability of Evin's father allowing their healers to help him was going to be about as successful as hell freezing over.
"Can I help?" Evin stood at his back.
"Nope." Mason folded a pair of his shorts and stacked them on top of another. "Got it."
A long sigh sounded from behind him, and then a pair of rough hands gripped his arms. "Stop." Evin's hard chest and hips pressed into him. "Please," he whispered at his ear. Mason's stomach quivered in response. "I know you're scared and pissed off. Hell, I can't even imagine why you haven't hammered into me for what I've done. But know this: I will not let you die. You hear me, Brown Eyes?" Mason couldn't help the small tremor that racked his body. Evin's palms slid down his arms, then back to his shoulders before he spun Mason around in his arms. Large fingers dug into his hair, his blue gaze boring into Mason's. "Whatever the fuck it takes, I will not let you die."
Mason gave a slight nod. He couldn't form any words past the lump in his throat. The brush of Evin's lips over his set his pulse racing.
"I only hope that one day you'll be able to forgive me for my lack of control," he breathed against Mason's mouth. Evin didn't give him a chance to respond. He dropped his hands, then grabbed one of Mason's packed bags and headed to the car. A part of him was glad, because he didn't want to have to answer that question. Not right now.
Logic said that after what Evin had put him through, if Mason survived this, he should get as far away from the man as possible. Find another shifter to help him transition into his new world. So why did his heart hurt like a mother every time he thought about leaving Evin? Mason smoothed his palm over the center of his chest. Shit, he was messed up, because if he didn't know any better, that sick feeling in his gut and the pain behind his sternum...felt a whole lot like love. Too much too fast. He was losing his mind. One minute he was madder than hell at Evin; then the next, Mason wanted to hang on to him and never let go.
"Oh God," he mumbled, closed his eyes, and slumped onto the bed beside his suitcase. Leave it to him to throw his brains away and fall for a damn werewolf.
"Are you about ready?"
Evin's deep voice dragged him back to the task at hand. "Yeah," he said and glanced over his shoulder. "This is the last one. Besides my guitar."
Thirty minutes later, they were in Mason's car and headed northwest toward KinKaid territory.
"Hungry?"
Mason looked over at Evin, who was behind the wheel, and shook his head. He couldn't think about food. The whole idea made him want to retch.
"I know eating is the last thing on your mind. But it's important to keep up your energy supply." Evin tilted his head, catching Mason's gaze, concern written on his features. "You're going to need it."
"I don't know if I can keep anything down."
"I bought some protein bars on the way home and stashed them in the glove box." Evin motioned with his hand in the general direction of Mason's side of the dashboard. "Grab one, take small bites, and chew real slow. I remember my mother giving my sister and me something like that when our time was close."
Mason unlatched the small compartment and pulled out one of the bars. With a shaky hand, he unwrapped it and nibbled on a section of the granola-and-peanut-laden snack.
"How's it going?" Out of the corner of his eye, Mason could tell Evin watched every grind of his jaw.
"Fine," he muttered around a mouthful of crunchy unknowns that seemed to grow larger with every passing second. Mason pushed the mouthful to the back of his throat, then chased it down with swig off his Dasani.
"It's going to get better. I promise." Evin's large hand covered Mason's thigh. He squeezed the muscle there, then smoothed his palm over the surface. Mason nodded, the knot in esophagus loosening, allowing his food to pass. Just like that. One touch from the man had a way of soothing his nerves and making everything a little bit better. Mason lifted his hand and placed it over Evin's. He could have sworn he heard Evin's breath hitch right before his fingers laced with Mason's. Damn. Nothing ever felt more right.
They sat like that for what felt like an hour, neither saying a word. The sound of the engine grew to a near deafening intensity inside the cabin until Mason couldn't take it anymore.
"So tell me about Jocelyn," he said, his words cracking the tension between them.
"What?" Evin did something like a double take in Mason's direction.
"I need to talk." Mason twisted in his seat. God, he needed a distraction—something else to pr
eoccupy his mind other than the what-ifs that plagued his brain.
"Okay." Evin pulled his hand from Mason's and fisted the steering wheel. "What do you want to know?"
"You mentioned you were supposed to 'mate' her, and by refusing, you ended up banished from your pack." Evin nodded. "But you said she had no feelings for you and that Jocelyn only wanted the title, so why risk everything when the mating would have been a front?"
Evin's chest rose on a deep breath, and then he glanced Mason's way. "In our world, a pair being joined isn't like a human marriage. When a male shifter mates, he is truly bonded in such a way that he physically can’t ever be intimate with anyone other than his mate." Mason straightened in his seat. Had he heard him right?
"You mean...can't ever get...?"
Evin nodded.
"You would have never been able to get an erection for anyone else other than her?"
Again, Evin nodded. "Right."
"Shit. No wonder you had to back out."
"That, and it would have been such a lie. She deserved more than a marriage based on money and position. And dammit, I wanted more too."
Mason's heart hammered in his chest at Evin's declaration. Evin had been through hell. He could so relate to feeling the pressure of family expectations. Mason cringed internally, remembering the phone call he'd had to place a few hours ago, informing his father that he wouldn't be home as planned. Mason Sr. had been livid, threatening to disinherit him if he didn't return soon. Like he fucking cared about the money.
"So, out of curiosity, and since this will be my future as well, how does one go about...mating someone on that level?" Mason dried his suddenly damp palms on his jeans. His mind was conjuring all kinds of images from late-night television that involved full moons, big fangs, and wild wolf sex.
Evin worked the steering wheel under his palms. "There's a ceremony the couples go through with one of our spiritual leaders. They drink from a cup filled with a brew that opens the mind. It's done under the full moon, when the pull of the wolf is at its greatest. Partially shifted, the two will bite each other's wrist, marking each other and combining their blood. An ancient chant, passed down through our generations, is recited by the priest and repeated by the pair."
Jessica Lee Page 8
