35. Mason

Chapter thirty-five

Mason

S hya went stiff next to me. "You haven't buried him?" she whispered.

The look on Camille's face softened, thank fuck. I knew she was grieving, but she'd been acting like a complete bitch. At least she still recognized when her children were in pain.

"I wanted to wait for you," Camille said softly. "I knew you'd be found. That you'd come back to us. I wanted you to be here when we said goodbye."

Shya looked stunned. It obviously never occurred to her that they wouldn't have buried Michael.

At that moment, Edmond strode out onto the veranda. His dark eyes swept across the gathered group, lingering on me with thinly veiled contempt. "And when we bury him," Edmond declared, his voice carrying a note of finality, "it will be a Pack affair. No outsiders allowed."

The fucker. If Shya wanted me here, there was no fucking way he could keep me away.

"You must be Edmond, the fiancé," Sam said. "I have to say you live up to everything I was expecting."

A flash of uncertainty crossed Edmond's face; as with most people when they met Sam, he wasn't quite sure how to take him.

"And you are?"

"Sam Shaw. Wolf Council representative."

Edmond's face went guarded. I could almost see the thoughts going through his mind; pissing off someone on the Council could close a lot of doors for him, but Sam was also a Shaw, and right now, Edmond despised all Shaws.

"Is the Council getting involved in this issue?"

"We're hunting Tristan and his witch if that's what you mean. And you, Edmond, are you hunting Tristan?"

Edmond bristled, obviously annoyed at the insinuation that he was sitting on his ass and doing fuck all.

I smiled. My brother always could assess a situation and work out someone's pain points.

"I have our enforcers on it. I have full confidence that they will find Tristan, and we will deal with him. Our focus right now is on seeing Michael laid to rest and making sure Shya is recovering well."

Sam showed Edmond his teeth. Yeah, Sam didn't like Edmond any more than I did.

"That's okay, Edmond. You shouldn't feel bad. Some of us just have better skills in this department. And on that note, I need to go see one of my contacts." Sam's tone was all businesslike.

Mai stood. "As you're my lift back, I'm going to take that as my cue."

"I'll show you out," Henry offered.

Mai hugged Shya one more time, whispering something in her ear that I didn't catch. Then she thanked Camille and nodded to me and Derek.

Sam glanced at Derek and then at me. "I'll be in touch soon."

They disappeared round the side of the house, leaving me, Shya, and Derek with Edmond and Camille.

I turned to face them just as Derek murmured under his breath, low enough that only Shya and I could hear. "Remember, whatever happens, we need to keep the peace."

I nodded, steeling myself.

"It's time we got this sorted," Camille began, her tone brooking no disagreement. "Neither of our Packs can afford conflict between us right now. I appreciate that you have feelings for Shya—"

"It's not just feelings, Camille. She's my mate."

Camille's smile was condescending. "I see. And Shya agrees?"

We all turned to look at Shya. She looked like a rabbit who had just seen me and my brothers in our wolf forms trotting along a trail straight toward her.

She opened her mouth, glancing between me, Edmond, and her mother, and then something in her eyes hardened, and her mouth clicked shut.

Camille sighed. "As you can see, Mason, Shya does not share your confidence in this regard. I think we all appreciate that her emotional state is extremely fragile right now. She needs time and space to heal on her own terms without you clouding the issue."

My heart clenched at her words, but I remained silent, allowing her to continue.

"Our Pack is in a precarious position," she continued. "We must have clear leadership. Shya is supposed to be mated to Edmond. Having you here … it sends the wrong signals, dangerous signals, to the rest of the Pack. This arrangement will undermine Shya. Until she makes her choice, she must appear to be neutral. If she eventually chooses Edmond, then you being here now will cause her problems when she tries to exert her authority as the Alpha. There must not be any doubt as to her dedication to this Pack or her mate. Can you understand that, Mason?"

Of course I understood it; I just didn't give a fuck. Shya did, though. Camille was right; I couldn't just think about Shya and me. She was in line to be the next Alpha. I couldn't, I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that for her.

Camille nodded, her expression softening slightly when I didn't argue with her. "I know you care for her, Mason. But we must do what's best for our Pack now. What's best for Shya and her future."

"You've seen the toll that conflict and bloodshed have taken on our community. Our people are on edge; they are scared. We need to prioritize peace and stability above all else," Edmond said, his tone calm and reasonable. I fought the sudden urge to drive my fist right into his mouth.

"Give us time as a family to heal and move forward. Shya is too confused with you here. Tensions are running too high. You've already pinned one of mine up against the wall." A hard look settled on Camille's face. "If you insist on staying, you‘re risking a war with the Bridgetown Pack. Is that what you want?"

I stared at Shya, willing her to look at me, to say something, anything. But she kept her eyes fixed on the ground. She looked so vulnerable right then. Had I done that? Was I making things more difficult for her?

"Shya, look at me."

She lifted her chin, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Mason," she said, then took a deep breath. "I think Mom's right. You should go."

The words hit me like a gut punch. I felt my wolf howl in anguish inside me, clawing at my chest.

"Shya," I started, but she shook her head, cutting me off.

"Please," she said softly. "I don't want any more fighting. Not now. Not after everything. We need to say goodbye to Dad. I need time to heal. To find myself again. I can't do that when I'm relying on you all the time."

I clenched my fists, fighting every instinct that screamed at me to stay, to fight for her. But the pain in her eyes … fuck, I couldn't add to that. This wasn't about me. It was about Shya, about what she needed right now.

"Fine," I growled, not bothering to hide the anger and hurt in my voice. "But this isn't over. I'll go, give you the space you need. But I'm not giving up on us."

Edmond snorted, but I ignored him, keeping my eyes on Shya. She nodded, a small, almost imperceptible movement.

"That's up to you," she whispered.

I turned to leave, Derek following close behind. As we walked away, I heard Camille's voice, soft but clear.

"You did the right thing, Shya. It's for the best."

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself not to turn back. Every step felt like I was leaving a piece of myself behind, but I kept walking. For Shya. Always for Shya.

As we rounded the corner of the house, out of sight from the others, Derek spoke up. "What now?"

"It's time we honor our promise to AJ," I replied. "We need to help him find his mate … and kill Tristan."

Derek nodded, and I felt his eyes studying me. "You okay, bro?"

I let out a harsh laugh. "What do you think?"

He nodded, understanding in his eyes. "We'll figure this out, Mason. We always do."

I didn't respond. Right now, I couldn't see how. All I could feel was the growing distance between me and my mate and an almost paralyzing fear that I might have just lost her for good.