4. Mason

Chapter four

Mason

I strode out of Shya's room, my jaw clenched, and my hands balled into fists at my sides. The taste of her still lingering on my lips did nothing to calm my anger. Nor did the memory of how her green eyes clouded with desire or how her curly auburn hair had been a wild halo around her face as she came all over my fingers. She wanted me as much as I wanted her; I was sure of it. But fucking politics and family duty were stopping her from admitting it. I could still feel the phantom touch of her body against mine, the way she'd been so fucking responsive to my touch. Shya might be fighting our connection, denying what was meant to be, but now I had a taste of her, I wouldn't give up. I couldn't. She was mine, and sooner or later, she'd have to accept that fact.

My wolf snarled in frustration, urging me to go back.

Ours. Mate.

I ignored him when I saw Michael waiting at the front door. As the other Alpha of the Bridgetown Pack, he had a reputation for being fiercely protective of his people and his family. His expression was a clear indication that he had something to say.

Fucking great.

"Mason." His chin jerked in my direction.

I didn't have time for this, had no desire to be lectured by Michael, but we had come here asking for his help in tracking down information on ripple, the drug that was wreaking havoc across all Shifter communities. We needed their help.

"Michael."

"I understand, I really do. I know you have feelings for Shya, but I need to ask you to respect her decision. She will be Alpha here someday and is doing what she was born to do: putting the Pack first."

I met Michael's stare, my own eyes hard. Couldn't they see the damage they would do to her if they forced her into a marriage with someone who wasn't her fated mate? How could they do that to their own daughter? I resisted the urge to argue, to tell him that Shya's happiness should come first, knowing it would be pointless right now. Michael's belief in his family's duty was unshakable, and any attempt to convince him otherwise would only strain the tenuous relationship between our Packs just when we needed them. I'd come back in a few days. Sit down with Michael and Camille and make them see sense.

I held his gaze a moment longer, knowing I was pushing the boundaries. He was an Alpha, and I should have lowered my eyes the second his met mine, but I was done respecting these traditions. Not if it meant Shya was going to end up in someone else's bed.

Without a word, I turned and walked out the door. Derek was waiting by his SUV, his arms crossed and his face blank. I knew he'd heard everything, but he didn't ask questions, thank fuck, just opened the driver's side door and slid behind the wheel.

I stared out the window as we pulled away from Bridgetown, my mind racing. My wolf was still restless, pacing in the back of my mind, but I pushed him down, focusing on the anger that simmered just beneath the surface. I had to get it under control.

I pulled out one of the tennis balls that were stashed in all of my brothers' cars. They knew me too well. I thought best when I had something to do with my hands. The familiar texture of the fuzzy yellow surface grounded me as I began to squeeze it rhythmically.

I hated feeling out of control. Anger was a dangerous emotion for a werewolf, especially one as strong as me. It was like a wildfire, threatening to consume everything in its path if left unchecked. I'd seen what unchecked rage could do, both to the wolf and to those around them. I'd vowed long ago never to let myself get to that point.

The ball compressed and expanded in my grip as I focused on my breathing. In, out. Squeeze, release. Each repetition helped to calm the storm brewing inside me. I could feel my muscles relaxing incrementally.

The anger wasn't gone, just contained. It was a constant battle, one I'd been fighting for years. Part of me wanted to let the rage flow freely, but the rest of me knew better. Control was everything. Without it, I was just another monster.

Derek glanced over at me, his brow lined with worry. "Want to talk about it?"

"No," I replied, my tone curt and dismissive. I appreciated my brother's concern, but talking about Shya and the clusterfuck that was our relationship was the last thing I wanted to do.

Derek nodded, his eyes returning to the road. But after a few moments of silence, he spoke again.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but maybe Michael has a point. Shya has a responsibility to her Pack, and you can't expect her to just abandon that for you."

I clenched my jaw, my fingers tightening around the tennis ball.

"She's my mate. I won't let anyone else have her. Not even you."

Derek frowned at me but kept his voice calm. "Yes, I worked with Shya. Yes, I ran her as an agent, but if you really think I have any feelings for her besides seeing her as a kid sister to look out for, then I'll pull this car over, and we can have at it."

I sighed. Derek had a point. I knew his fated mate was Sofia. Hell, everyone knew it, well, apart from maybe Sofia. But my possessive instincts for Shya were on full steam right now. She was going to be mated to someone else, for holy fucking sake.

I grunted. And that was as much as an apology as he was going to get.

"You think I don't understand? I understand perfectly, Mason. But you need to think about this. You can't just storm in and take her away from her Pack. That will start a war."

I didn't reply, hoping he'd get the message that I didn't want to talk about this.

"So, what's your plan here, Mason? You've got two options, as far as I can see."

I glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow in question. Derek could be fucking annoying with his calm precision all the time. He never seemed to have issues keeping his anger under control, not since he served in the army. It was a skill they had instilled in him and one he excelled at. I wasn't too proud to admit I envied his talent and found it unbelievably irritating at times, but it meant he was good at looking at things logically. At seeing things others didn't.

"Option one," Derek said, holding up a finger, "Shya gives up her position in Bridgetown as Pack princess and comes to live with you, a lowly PI, in Three Rivers. She becomes your mate and leaves her Pack behind. She has trained to be an Alpha her whole life, so maybe she'll be happy doing what? Being your secretary? Or maybe one day she wakes up and realizes she could be running the Pack a whole lot better than Ryan and Mai and decides to make that happen."

"And option two?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"You give up everything," Derek said, his voice serious. "You leave Three Rivers, leave our Pack, and move to Bridgetown. That means that, in time, you'll become the Alpha of the Bridgetown Pack and take your place beside Shya."

I barked out a laugh, the sound harsh and bitter. Me? Running a Pack? The last thing I wanted was that sort of responsibility.

"Of course," Derek continued, "I'm sure that'll go down well with the Bridgetown Pack. An outsider, a rival, coming in and taking over as their Alpha. I'm sure they'd welcome you with open arms."

"Your sarcasm's on fire today."

Derek dipped his head. "Thank you. Seriously, though, it would be a fucking nightmare. You'd face challenges, have to deal with a lot of resistance. You'd be isolated, constantly fighting off schemes to remove you from power."

I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. Derek was right. Neither option was viable, not really. Shya and I were caught between two worlds, two Packs, and there seemed to be no way to bridge the gap.

"You need to ask yourself if she's worth it."

My wolf snarled at the suggestion. Of course she was fucking worth it. I'd do anything for our mate. But now that I was calmer, I knew Derek was just looking out for me, like always.

"I won't lose her, Derek. But I don't know how to make this work."

Derek nodded. "Well, you've got time to work it out. The mating ceremony isn't for another couple of weeks."

He was right. I had to focus on the task at hand. We had come to Bridgetown for a reason, and I needed to put my personal feelings aside and concentrate on finding the information we needed to take down Brock.

I slipped the tennis ball into my pocket and straightened in my seat. Shya and I would find our way to each other, I was going to make sure of that, but first, I had a job to do.