Forget Me Not (#2, The Mystic Wolves) (6 page)

Peering through the glass, I leaned forward and rested my forehead on the transparent surface. The intensity of the afternoon sun had heated it, and the sensation against my skin felt wonderful. My gaze darted back and forth, looking for movement, and sure enough I caught the quickened run of a fox. My wolf also noticed, eager to chase after the animal.

“I love this view, Mason. I could stand here and stare forever.” I sighed, unable to glance away.

“I agree. It’s spectacular.” His response held a low, husky tone. Something in his voice told me we weren’t speaking about the same thing. Peering over my shoulder, I saw an appreciative, hungry expression on his face.

“I was talking about outside your window.” I laughed, wiggling my finger at him. “No funny ideas, Mister. I’m here on official business.”

“Really? Like what? I don’t remember giving you any orders. What could possibly be more important than spending some alone time with me?” He hadn’t moved from where he was leaning, his arms crossed loosely over his chest. He was the picture of sexy—especially with the strands of brown hair falling across his brow. There was a curious twinkle in his blue eyes, and I tipped my head to the side slightly.

“Of course there is, it’s not every day I get to snoop in your room. I want to see what kind of bad habits you’ve developed since the last time I was here. You can’t possibly be as perfect as you seem,” I teased, making my way back over to his dresser. I studied the photo frames, giving an extra loving stroke with my hand over Jasmine’s. Picking up a picture of Mason and me, I lifted it to show him.

“I adore this one of us.” I smiled, remembering the day it was taken. I’d loved the day we’d gone on a road trip to the ocean, the need to dig our toes in the sand, and swim in the surf, strong. It had taken us hours to get there, but it had been worth it. The second I’d caught the smell of salt in the air, and the sound of sea gulls crying as they scavenged for food, I’d squealed and tore off across the loose sand. Mason had been right behind me, both of us peeling off clothes to get to our bathing suits, overlooking the gazes of other beachcombers.

We’d laughed as our feet hit the waves, the water the perfect temperature, and I’d bent over to splash him. Grinning, Mason had picked me up, and ignoring my protests, carried me deeper into the breakers. I’d wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling completely safe.

When we finally came back to the shore, ready to find something to eat, a passerby had offered to take our picture. It may have been with Mason’s phone, but the image had turned out amazing, and I’d insisted we have it printed and framed as the perfect way to remember the day.

“We need to go there again. Take a week after the mating ritual to just lie on the beach, and soak up the sun.”

“Make love under the stars,” I interrupted.

“Sounds gritty. All that sand gets into places.” He chuckled.

“It’s romantic!” I scoffed. “You have a lot to learn, Mason. You’re not just mating anyone. I have high expectations when it comes to being wooed.”

“I know what you need, Darcy.” He started to move toward me.

“Stay where you are, I’m not done searching. You’re distracting me. Bad wolf!” Turning away, I smiled when I heard him settle back against the wall. “Now, what do we have here?”

I pulled open the first drawer, and found nothing but underwear. Rifling through the clothing, I was disappointed when my search came back empty. Shaking my head, I reached for the second, and scowled when all I found was t-shirts.  A quick check through the remainder brought the same results.

“This is wrong, Mason, so very wrong. What’s the point of being able to have hidden stashes if you don’t keep them? How am I supposed to come in and sneak things? Not even a chocolate bar.” I gave one last inspection, before returning everything to how it was.

“If you were looking for chocolate, why didn’t you say so? I keep all the good stuff in the closet, shoved at the back of the top shelf. Everyone knows that’s where you keep them,” he drawled, still in his lazy stance. “But as Alpha, I’m going to have to put your being nosey on hold. I didn’t bring you here just so I could watch you snoop. I have something else in mind.”

“You do, huh? Is it fun?” I baited, pretending I didn’t know exactly what he meant. I licked my lips, and ran my fingers through my hair. 

“I’m positive. Now come over here so I can kiss you.” It was nothing short of a seductive order, and it sent a thrill through my body. I loved it when Mason’s voice took on a dominating tone, but even though I wanted nothing more than to cross the room and do as he’d asked, I wanted to playing—stretch out the anticipation.

“Hmmm, I don’t think so. I kind of like it over here.” I headed to the window again, and casually brushed the curtain aside. Mason was silent, and I smiled to myself. “Besides, I’m not sure I want to kiss you.”

“I’m going to count, sweetheart, and when I reach three I better have you in my arms.” The threat caressed my senses, and I resisted the urge to give in. This side of Mason always thrilled me.

Resting against the ledge, I mimicked his stance, crossing my arms and ankles. “We’ll see.”

“One.”

I feigned a yawn, and grinned. “What comes next?”

He cocked his eyebrow, a smug smile crossing his face. “Two.”

“I think you should come over here.” I smiled sweetly, patting the space beside me. “In fact, I know so.”

“You do know I’m serious, Darcy. I don’t see you moving. Once I say the next number, I’ll be taking action.”

I laughed loudly. “You got it wrong.
Three.
You were meant to say three.” Lifting my hand, I showed him my fingers, slowing counting them. “See, first comes one, and then two. Three is next. Say it, Mason. Say three.” I straightened slowly, and placed my hand on my hip. I could see him trying to hide his grin, as he looked me up and down. “Should I do it for you?” I raised my eyebrow, enjoying the way he was watching me.

I didn’t need to. He stalked across the room, pulling me to his body, and crushed his lips against mine. The roughness—intensity—of the kiss robbed me of breath. Any thought of prolonging, or playing, was lost as I sunk against him, and felt myself softening.

I knew when the kiss was over, my lips would be bruised, but it didn’t stop me from parting them and granting him access. My tongue met him half way, eager to move against his and to savor the moment.

Being with Mason was an experience I couldn’t get enough of, and raising my arms, I clenched the back of his shirt, holding on tight. He pressed into me, anchoring me, his muscles bunching until they were hard under my touch.

Suddenly, I needed to feel his skin. Dragging my hands over the material, I slipped underneath, and released a small moan as my fingers felt the heat of his flesh. Mason deepened our kiss, tightening his arm around my waist. I felt my own shirt lifting, and jumped from the electricity that sparked as his nails grazed against me.

“Mason …,” I murmured into his mouth.

He moaned in response, moving his lips to the tender spot below my ear, tracing his tongue in circles. My mind emptied as his warm breath teased, causing goose bumps to erupt, and my stomach to dip.

“Mason ….” I repeated, trying to gather my words.

Ignoring me, he nudged my neck with his nose, inhaling deeply before placing his lips on my skin again. He began to nip, grazing with his teeth, and it sent shoots of pleasure though my body. I would never last to the mating ritual if he kept this up.

“We need to stop, don’t we?” Mason whispered. I rested my head on his chest, and I could feel his heart racing—the pounding matching my own. “I promise you this. We won’t be leaving this room for a week, no, a month, after we’re mated. Every time I touch you, it’s getting harder and harder to pull back. I want you, and it’s a struggle to keep from picking you up right now and throwing you onto my bed. I know Vivien said you had to stay pure, but this is torture.”

I paused, trying to remember the exact words I’d been told during my teens. I hadn’t questioned my mother bringing me into her room, or that the lead witch was there seated on one of the chaises. They’d spent the next hour instilling in me the importance of maintaining my virginity, and why I should wait until I was mated before giving it to a man. The lead witch had spoken of a vision she’d had—of my future where my purity needed to be safeguarded until I’d been joined to my fated mate. I’d blushed a mottled shade of crimson, and vowed to follow their instructions down to the letter. My mother had sat nervously wringing her hands while Vivien made me repeat back everything she’d shared.

I hadn’t even kissed a boy yet, but the idea of something coming in between me and my future husband resonated deeply. I’d seen some unhappy pairings in my parents pack, and the thought I’d have to endure something similar terrified me. I’d given my solemn promise, and had faithfully kept it.

“I’m positive. It was a prophecy she had. ” I watched Mason’s brow wrinkle into a frown. “Why?”

“I was just hoping for some kind of loophole.” He grinned, pulling me in tight. “Needing you to wait a year, before we can perform the mating ritual, as a requirement to join with an Alpha was tough enough. Not being able to have you the way I want is just an extra torture. Have I told you today how impatient I am to have you… all of you… to myself?” He feathered a soft kiss on my forehead. “I always prided myself on having control, but you—you test my limits.”

“Enjoy the anticipation. It won’t be much longer,” I answered softly, stroking the side of his jawline.

“It’s the cold showers I don’t like.” Mason chuckled, pretending to shiver.

“You’re such a baby. I hear it’s good for the soul.”

“I’ll show you what else is good.” He cupped my face, brushing his thumb lightly over my cheekbone. “This.”

Leaning in, he placed the gentlest of touches on my lips. It was like a whisper, and I closed my eyes, releasing a soft sigh. Mason added no pressure—there was no hunger this time. It was slow and careful, a kiss worthy of those found in fairytales.

I was like liquid in his hands, letting him mold me to his body. The way his tongue traced the crease of my mouth was decadent, and as he gradually heightened the kiss to bring more intensity. I held on.

The moment was broken by the vibration against my stomach, followed quickly by the sounds of a generic ringtone.

“What happened to
Hungry Like The Wolf
?” I asked, stepping away so he could remove the device from his pocket to answer. I’d thought it was cute when I’d uploaded it. It made me laugh every time he had to explain to others it was because he loved
Duran Duran
.

“I changed it. I got tired of Daniel’s smart ass comments,” Mason answered, and took the call. Taking the opportunity to relax, I sat on his bed and waited to hear the news.

I couldn’t fault the interruption. I knew it was part and parcel of what it meant to be mated to the Alpha, and there would no doubt be more times in the future when he’d be called into business. Watching him run his fingers through his hair, I wondered whether it was about Amber. The call didn’t take long before it was over.

“That was Daniel. People are on their way back, so if we want any more alone time, we might want to go out somewhere. Judging from some of the talk, people are curious about our new house guest, and even though he’s been answering questions, they’ll want to seek me out.”

“We need to stay then. If they need reassurance, or even to hear from you, let’s take care of it.” Offering his hand, I accepted his help to pull me to my feet.

“Can you see why you make the perfect mate? You understand, and think of the pack first. If I’m going to be up talking most of the night, I’m going to call for an official meeting. It’ll help show a united front, and dispel any rumors.”

“Want some help notifying everyone?” I asked, enjoying the last few minutes of being together.

“Yeah, let’s head over to the office. You can use the phone while I use my cell. Between the two of us, it shouldn’t take long.”

We left his room, and walked through the house to his office. Grabbing the list of numbers from the top drawer, I settled into Mason’s chair, and started working my way through the member directory. He was right—it only took ten minutes before everyone was alerted. I relaxed into the comfortable seat, and turned my head to look at him.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Darcy.” He smiled. Sitting on the edge of the desk, he nodded. “It’s going to be a long night.”

Chapter Seven

Everyone arrived on time, the seats we’d arranged quickly filling. As I glanced around the garden, it was good to see my pack brothers and sisters. I knew it was short notice, but from the look of things, people were eager to find out what was going on. This was a good move on Mason’s part to call for the gathering, and the easiest way to dispel any rumors.

Walking toward the front, Mason stood quietly, waiting for everyone to find their places so he could commence. Daniel made his way through the crowd, and stood beside his friend. When my gaze caught Mason’s, I smiled with encouragement and his face softened for a brief second before returning to one of seriousness.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming at such short notice. I’m hoping this won’t take too long, and we can all get back to our plans for the evening.” He looked over the group. “As most of you may know, or have heard, the Pack has a new guest, and this is the reason why I’ve called the meeting. I wanted to personally share what this means for us, and give you a chance to ask any questions you might have.”