Blood Oath (#3, Mystic Wolves) (4 page)

Are you okay?

Mason. He’d reached out through our
connection and I could imagine him, face concerned, ready to finish
what he was doing so he could come. I shook my head, even though I
knew he couldn’t see me do it. He was needed where he was. There
were other things of importance. He had already helped me over the
worst and this too would pass.

I am. How are you doing? Meeting almost
over?
I hoped we’d be able to get a few moments alone together
before the ritual, just so I could make sure he’d at least eaten
something today. I knew he’d been on the go and he had to be
exhausted.

I could almost feel his sigh as he answered.
I’m doing okay. It’s been a long day, so once I’m done here,
I’ll come get you.

The connection closed and I spent the next
few moments soaking in the surrounding silence. I sat there in the
glow of the flickering candlelight until I found myself speaking
out loud again.

“I’m sorry, Jasmine.” I remained quiet as I
let my apology settle. “But I got justice. I wasn’t able to protect
you, or stop it from happening, but I did avenge you. That has to
mean something, doesn’t it?” My voice was small, almost childlike
in tone.

Looking over at my best friend, suddenly
there didn’t seem enough time to tell her everything my heart
contained. All those unspoken moments and thoughts were begging to
be released. How many times did I say, “Oh, I’ll tell her
tomorrow,” or, “I’ll wait until I see her next?” Staring at her, I
realized there would be no more tomorrows for us. I did something I
didn’t think I would’ve had the strength for only moments
earlier.

Careful not to disturb her, I inched myself
toward her, lowering my body down beside her on the bed. Ignoring
the cold feel, I took hold of her hand and began from the start. I
poured out my heart and shared everything, no matter how small, or
insignificant. Whatever entered my mind, I shared and soon all my
hopes, dreams, and memories filled the room.

It was our final bantering session—our last
time staring at the ceiling while baring our souls. I held onto the
hope and belief that wherever Jasmine was, she was listening and
smiling. She was at peace and missing me just as much as I was
her.

A blanket of exhaustion fell over me, making
my words jumble as I fought yawn after yawn. Soon it became
difficult to speak, as I settled deeper into the bed, and with one
final whisper, I gave in to sleep.

“Goodbye Jasmine. I love you.”

***

Something was stroking my face, leaving
trails of tingles in its path as it grazed over my cheek before
moving toward my jawline. I groaned, the sensation causing my skin
to flush and break out into goose bumps. I stretched out lazily
before remembering where I was.

My eyes opened quickly, terrified of what
might be touching me, and I squeaked in shock when I found a pair
of beautiful blue eyes staring back. I should’ve known it was
Mason.

Cautiously propping up, expecting to find
myself still in Jasmine’s room, the familiarity of my own greeted
me, and I realized what must have happened. He found me and had
carried me back to my own bed to continue sleeping. Reclining back
again, I snuggled into his body to enjoy the contact.

I loved moments like this where we didn’t
have to speak, but could find comfort and warmth from lying beside
each other.

“Good afternoon, sleepy head.” His voice
never ceased to give me goose bumps. He spoke in low tones that
rumbled a little, and I loved how sexy it made him sound. Sometimes
I wondered if he did it on purpose, just to make me smile.

“I guess the meeting is over and you found
me, huh?” I smoothed down the front of his t-shirt, enjoying the
way his muscles moved underneath.

“Yeah, I figured I knew where you were and
you looked so peaceful so I just brought you back here instead of
waking you. You’ve been out for a good hour or two so you needed
it.” Resting on his back, Mason turned his head to kiss me on top
of mine before staring at the ceiling. “What a day.”

I nodded and we lay there in silence, with
him stroking the side of my arm and me tracing the contours of his
stomach. We were lost in thought—not wanting to spoil how we were
feeling with the ugliness of events.

Releasing a tired sigh, Mason spoke first.
“It goes without saying you’re not to leave the house, right? No
trips to town, not so much as a toe off pack property.” I knew he
was trying to sound casual, but I could sense the importance hidden
in his voice. This would be something I couldn’t argue about. He
was on alert and the conditions of my safety were
non-negotiable.

“I promise. Stay at home. Be a good girl.
Don’t cause trouble.” I rattled off each sentence like I was
reading a grocery list.

He laughed at my last comment. “I don’t think
it’s feasible for you to keep out of mischief, but at least try to
keep it within the estate. I can’t expect the impossible from you.
Trouble is your middle name after all.”

I slapped him for that, the sound of my hand
thudding against his chest echoed in the room, and was followed
quickly by a flare of pain in my palm. It was like hitting a brick
wall.

“You doing okay?” Instinctively, I knew he
was asking if I was alright after sitting with Jasmine. I couldn’t
help but smile at just how thoughtful he was. Even though we’d been
together for a while, I still wasn’t accustomed to how in tune he
was with me, how he noticed things and genuinely wanted to help.
The jerks I dated in the past couldn’t have cared less. Their one
focus was how soon they could get in my pants and get out.

I hugged Mason tightly, trying to convey how
much I appreciated him before letting out a huge sigh. “I’m good. I
just kept telling myself I can survive this, and even though it
hurts, I still have you and she wouldn’t want me falling
apart—especially not now with everything happening. It still feels
like I have a lump in my throat all the time, like something’s
missing, but I know she would want me to continue to live. It was
just a shock seeing her—touching her. It made it real and my mind
couldn’t refuse it.” I blew a strand of hair out of my eyes and
smiled when Mason reached over to tuck it behind my ear. “I’m glad
I was able to have those last moments with her. We talked. Well, I
talked and she listened.”

“So it was like normal.” His fingers began to
slowly run through my hair, twirling it in a soothing fashion. “I
can’t tell you how many times I passed her door and heard you both
in there laughing away, not knowing what you two were up to, but so
glad you had each other. As a brother, it meant a lot that you both
got on so well. It felt right.”

More silence followed as we both got lost in
our thoughts. Sunshine blazed through the window, heating the air,
and for that short period of time, everything felt perfect. It
wouldn’t be difficult to convince myself this was just an ordinary
afternoon and everything was right in the world. I lifted my hand
into the ray of light that covered most of Mason’s upper body.

Turning it back and forth, rubbing my fingers
together, it amazed me how easy it is to take for granted the
simple things. I’d grown so accustomed to seeing things every day,
always assuming they’d be there whenever I needed them. All it took
was an instant to lose it and it would be gone forever. Staring at
the dust particles dancing in the sun beam, I vowed to never become
so complacent again and learn to appreciate everything I had.

“Those are some heavy thoughts there, Darcy,”
Mason’s voice jarred me from my musings.

“Reading my mind, are we?” I poked his ribs
with my finger and was rewarded with a squirm. I loved that he was
ticklish.

“No, but this huge frown wrinkle gave you
away.” He traced my brow and I slapped him hard.

“You did not just tell me I have wrinkles,
Mason O’Connor. These are not things women like to hear from the
men who love them. You’re not supposed to see our imperfections!” I
covered my forehead with my hand, trying to hide any visible
flaws.

He gently pried my arm down, kissing my palm
before placing it on his chest, over his heart. “I don’t see
imperfections, sweetheart. All I’ve ever seen is you and you’ve
always dazzled me.”

“Smooth answer. I think I’ll let you live for
a few more hours.” I laughed and I tilted my head back to kiss his
chin. Thinking better of it, I nipped the skin lightly with my
teeth, letting my tongue flicker over the spot. Contented, I rested
back into him. I could sense the moment when he became serious by
the way his body tensed, and the feel of the air became a little
thicker.

“I can’t promise this won’t get messy. I’m
not sure who’s behind the message, or how it includes Gary and
Jasmine, but something in my gut tells me this is going to get bad.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned is to always trust my instincts,
the edge I have as Alpha, and right now, it’s screaming danger. I
need to know whatever happens you’re going to be safe. No matter
what.” He slid his arm out from under me so he could prop himself
up. As he peered down at me, I reached up to trace his brow.

“Now who has wrinkles?”

“I’m serious, Darcy. I can’t give my entire
focus if I’m worried about you ignoring orders.”

“Are you ordering me?” I raised my
eyebrow.

“In this? Yes. As Alpha and your future mate,
I’m ordering you stay on the property.” He looked so solemn and I
felt the weight of his command rest on me. Even if I wanted to
disobey, I couldn’t.

“I love you.” I smiled up at him, those three
words letting him know I’d heard and would follow. Last night
scared me, and no amount of independence was worth a repeat. “Now
can you finally kiss me?”

My insides melted as I watched the slow
progression of a heart stopping grin cross his face and the way his
eyes turned to instant smolder. I licked my lips in anticipation,
slightly breathless as I waited for him to lower his head and press
his lips against mine.

“What is it about you that I can’t resist?”
he asked, inching painstakingly lower until he hovered just about
my mouth, barely touching. His breath was hot, seductive, and it
caused a ripple of excitement to course through me.

“Must be my sparkling personality,” I
whispered back, struggling not to close the distance between us.
Electricity charged the air, the chemistry of our connection
wreaking havoc on my hormones.

He feathered his lips lightly over mine, just
the ghost of a touch and I whimpered as he retreated without fully
claiming my mouth. “Must be because I can barely remember my name
when you look at me like that.” His fingers drew a soft line down
the side of my cheek.

“And how is that?” I purred softly, a sultry
tone to my voice. My body felt as if it would explode from the way
he seemed to drink me in.

“Like the world doesn’t exist, but for the
two of us. How did I deserve you?” He kissed me again. This time a
little slower, pressing harder, and I followed him involuntarily as
he moved back. He was teasing me and driving me crazy with it.

“You talk too much, Mason.”

Done with being tormented with waiting, I
grabbed hold of the back of his head and crushed his mouth down
onto mine. I didn’t wait for an invitation, my tongue eagerly
twining with his and I groaned as his taste filled me.

As quickly as passion ignited, I reined
myself in, slowing the tempo of our kiss and turning it into the
languid kind of touch we both reveled in. I loved it because it
felt like it shattered me from the inside out, liquefying my bones
and left me breathless all at the same time.

It was impossible not to move, the pull of
the moment acting like a magnet as our bodies fell into perfect
alignment. Hands gently teased, causing moans of pleasure, and when
it was time to break apart, I tugged on his lower lip, reluctant to
let go. I sucked it into my mouth, tracing it with my tongue before
fully releasing him, a contented sigh bubbling out from me.

“Can we just stay like this forever?” I
couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day.

“You like kissing me, huh?”

I snorted. I couldn’t help it. Of all the
crazy things I’d ever heard him say, this was too much. I followed
my unladylike response with a roll of my eyes and a shrug of my
shoulders. “It’s okay, I guess. It wasn’t completely horrible.”

I was rewarded for my blatant lie by a round
of relentless tickling, Mason showing no mercy as I screamed and
begged for him to stop. It drove me nuts he knew my weaknesses,
certain parts of my body that responded wildly to the right
touch.

“Just as well I think your kisses are kind of
okay too. Who knows what would become of us if we couldn’t tolerate
each other.” He crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out the side
of his mouth, pulling a face before adding, “Complete torture if
you ask me.”

“You liar! My kisses are divine. You live for
every single one I give you, and I know they make your knees a
little weak. Admit it!” I laughed out loud, scolding him.

“Babe, that’s something you girls do. Men
don’t get weak kneed or whatever dramatic term you want to use.
We’re manly. We kiss and dominate, leaving our prey defenseless to
our advances.” He leaned in and kissed me. Not a deep, soulful one,
but definitely enough that when he leaned back, I was wearing a
goofy smile.

His hand grabbed hold of my leg, fondling it,
and a look of triumph blazed from his face. “See, just as I
expected. Your knees are weak.”

“You’re such a dork, Mason. But you’re mine,
so that’s okay.” I fingered the locks of hair that curled behind
his ears. “You need a haircut.” I started to brush the strands out,
moving across the rest of his head, measuring in my mind how much
would need to go.