Chapter Five: Mason

We're in trouble,his wolf said as they hiked their way back to town. He kept looking over his shoulder as they walked, smelling the air and pushing out his senses. It felt like nowhere was safe—the wolves ruled the wilderness on the outskirts of town, and the coven lived all over town. He wasn't sure if there was anywhere in Wishing Moon Bay that they could hide right now.

Yep,Mason agreed.

So, what is the plan? his wolf asked.

I don't have one, not yet,Mason replied. But I'm open to suggestions.

I'll let you know when I have one that won't end up with us being taken down by our father, if you can figure out how to avoid being caught by the coven. His wolf shuddered at the thought.

If only we hadn't given him the brooch as proof that we killed Tamsin. Mason's thoughts drifted back to the moment he handed over the brooch to his father. How his father had closed his hand around it, a look of victory on his face.

At the time, it had been the only way to convince his father that he had done what was needed. How would he have guessed it would have come back to bite him in the ass?

Yeah, because who would have guessed that our father was in league with Guinevere Gwilym? His wolf snarled as he spoke the name. Aren't we supposed to be mortal enemies? Wasn't that the whole point of the prophecy, and part of the reason we could never be with Tamsin?

Mason clenched his jaw. His father's betrayal went deeper than that. Lyril was a shifter. He'd had a mate. Mason's mom. How could he move on and forge a relationship with another woman, let alone Guinevere? His anger bubbled beneath the surface and he was ready to lash out.

"Hey, wolf," his mate said, and he jerked his head up and glanced at her over his shoulder.

"Mason. My name is Mason," he replied.

"I know what your name is," Tamsin said. "And I know who you are."

"You had a question?" he asked, in no mood for banter.

"Yes." She hurried to catch up with him as he lengthened his stride. "I thought you were going to go and get the brooch, to save me."

"That's what I said," he replied.

"Okay, I know I have been away from Wishing Moon Bay for a while, but unless your pack has moved location, they are that way." She pointed over her shoulder, back toward the forest.

"You would be right," Mason said. "They still live in the valley that has been our ancestral home for centuries."

"So why aren't you going that way?" she asked, then she stopped and planted her feet hip-width apart in the dirt. "And why are you walking so damn fast?"

Mason swung around to face her. "To answer your first question, I need to get to my apartment and grab a few things. To answer your second question, I'm walking so damn fast because my father has just learned that I betrayed him and my pack. Do you know what that means?"

"That you are going to have daddy issues real soon."

We have had daddy issues since the day we were born,his wolf grumbled.

"It means that he is going to send someone to come find me. If he hasn't already. And if they find me, then they find you." Mason ran a hand through his hair and then stared at the ground.

"All the more reason we should split up," Tamsin said.

"No," he snapped. "We stay together." There was no way he was going to let her out of his sight again until he'd found her some place safe to hide.

Even then, it would be a struggle to walk away.

"I can look after myself," she insisted. "And if we split up, we become two targets instead of one."

"And where do you intend to go?" Mason asked, and then instantly regretted it as her expression faltered.

That was harsh. Tamsin has no doubt spent a long time wishing and hoping to be back with her coven. To find out she can no longer trust them must cut deep,his wolf said.

"Please," Mason said, his tone softer. "I have a plan."

You do? his wolf asked.

I do, Mason replied.

"I know where you will be safe," Mason told her. "But we need to move fast. We need to get in and out of town under the cover of darkness because that means there is less chance of being seen. It's not just the pack we have to worry about. If anyone you know sees you, word will travel fast. We don't want that."

"Then go. I'll wait here." She met his gaze and looked deep into his eyes, reading, assessing. It was unnerving. "Out of sight beneath the trees."

"It's better if we stick together."

"Better for who?"

She's got us there, his wolf replied.

You are enjoying this far too much, Mason replied.

Are you kidding? his wolf answered. If you take away the fact that we are in mortal danger, this is the best day. Our mate is here. Right in front of us. Within arm's reach.

And that would be great if you took away the fact that she hates us, and probably wishes us dead, Mason replied.

You could tell her we are mates,his wolf prompted.

And she will still want us dead, since if we die, then the prophecy will die with us, Mason reminded his wolf. That's what Father and Guinevere think, anyway.

Mason sighed. On that fateful night, that had been his Plan B. To reveal himself as Tamsin's mate and offer himself up to the DawnLight Coven as a sacrifice.

But events had unfolded beyond his control, and before he had a chance to do that, Tamsin had been spirited away by a now ex-member of the DawnLight Coven, Sophie. Someone he thought he would need to protect to hide the location his mate had been sent to. But she really was a social butterfly, and had plenty of powerful friends, as well as being a proficient witch in her own right.

"You need me, don't you?" Tamsin had no idea how true her words were.

"You're a powerful witch," Mason said. "So, after we leave my apartment, I need you to cover our trail. There's a cabin I know of where no one would think to look."

You are making this up as you go along,his wolf said.

I am, but that doesn't make it a lie, Mason answered.

"Cover our trail to a secret cabin." Her eyes narrowed as she continued to stare at him in the unnerving way of hers. "So, why are we standing around here? I don't want to get caught, do you?"

He smothered a smile as she marched toward him and he turned on his heel and carried on down the winding trail toward the gleaming lights of the town, his senses pushed out to their limit as he searched for danger.

The only danger that's close right now is our mate, his wolf said, a little too happily. By the way she looks at you, she would not take much persuading to smite you.

Us,Mason reminded his wolf.

No, no, no, his wolf said. I was the one very much against the idea of even pretending to attack her.

Yeah, I'm sure she'll buy that one, Mason said dryly.

"Keep close," he said the words over his shoulder as they reached a ridgeline that ran around this side of the town, marking one boundary of his pack's territory. The trail would cut down through it and across the increasingly well used roads that led to town.

She stopped beside him, still keeping some distance between them, which hurt him to see.

They belonged together. She should know she could trust him with her life. But he could not risk exposing the truth. Not yet.

Mason forced himself to tear his mind from his mate and focus on the situation at hand. He was torn between wanting to move quickly, and wanting to make sure Tamsin was safe. He took in the scent of the air around him—the smell of grass, a herd of deer not too far away, and the faint smell of sea salt. Nothing suspicious.

He nodded at her, and they both made their way down the steep section of the trail and across the road below them, and into the long grass on the other side. He kept low and alert, as if he were hunting, even though they were the hunted.

There is no one close by, his wolf assured him.

That changed as they approached town. He began to sense the townsfolk. There were so many that it was hard to focus on each and every one of them and tell if there was anyone he recognized, but the vast majority seemed to be asleep in their houses. Thankfully, it was the early hours of the morning. There was still plenty of time before daybreak, so he was confident that they would remain unseen, or at least confident that he would tell if they were being followed.

Once the town got busy, his senses would become overloaded. There would be no way to pick out individual threats. He picked up the pace, a sense of urgency growing inside of him. One Tamsin must have picked up on since she matched his pace, without complaint, even though she had to half jog to keep up with him.

However, as they passed by the first few streets of houses and began working their way through alleyways, he could sense people in the streets.

No doubt going about their work. Some legitimate work. Others, not so legitimate.

He'd often wandered the streets in those first days, weeks, and months after she'd gone from his life, torn from his senses. In those times of wanderings, he learned about the secret underbelly of Wishing Moon Bay, the side of the town most inhabitants never saw.

Smugglers, thieves, secret assignments...

He'd seen it all, while remaining unseen.

He'd even witnessed that tavern disappear, only to return hours later and slot itself into place between two other buildings where it did not quite fit.

He'd often wondered why it chose that particular spot. It could go anywhere in the town, anywhere in the world, so why stay there?

As he'd pondered this, he'd developed an odd affinity with the tavern. Because he too did not fit and yet he chose to always remain.

Because we want to change things, his wolf said, referring to the DuskWood Pack, of which he was the true heir. However, after what his father had learned this night, he might have been disinherited.

Or banished,his wolf replied.

Mason did not relish the idea of exile. But for his mate, it was a price he was willing to pay.

"How much farther?" Tamsin asked as they hurried along cobblestone streets, heading deeper into town.

"Not much," he hissed in reply.

She sounds tired, his wolf said.

She has had a surprisingly eventful night,Mason said as he ducked left down an alleyway and then took the first right before taking another left. Then he stopped, peering out from a narrow alleyway to check if it was clear.

"Don't you have shifter senses?" Tamsin whispered from close behind him.

"I do," he replied. "But you can't be too careful. Witches and all."

"You give us too much credit," she replied. "It's not easy to get around a shifter's senses."

"All the same..." Confident the route was clear, he stepped out onto the street and headed for a squat building, split into six apartments. It was a far cry from the wild packlands he grew up in, but it was home for now.

Without pause, he opened the front door and pushed past it into the wide hallway. He headed for the stairs and took them two at a time, swiftly climbing toward his floor, but paused as the distance between him and his mate grew.

Once she reached him at the first-floor landing, he carried on up, his senses stretched thin. Everyone seemed to be at home, where they should be, quietly sleeping and unaware of the events that were transpiring. All except for that curious old man in the apartment beneath him. Mason could feel him moving around. As he passed his apartment, he could hear his light footsteps as he paced back and forth.

He stopped, slowly approaching the door.

"Okay?" Her voice was barely a whisper, but her eyes carried her concern.

"Fine," he answered and continued his ascent. He reached the second floor and strode to his apartment door, key in hand. Without pause, he inserted the key, unlocked it, and slipped inside, with Tamsin close behind him like a second shadow.

Only when the door was closed and locked behind him did he exhale deeply and let go of the tension he'd been carrying since they had entered town.

Not that they were safe here. But they were safer than out on the streets, thanks to a protection spell he'd paid a witch to cast on his apartment on the day he moved in.

"Hungry?" he asked.

She nodded.

"There's food in the fridge. Help yourself while I grab what we need." He nodded toward the kitchen on the one side of the living area, while he darted for the bedroom.

He kept his senses locked on her as he went to his closet and pulled out his bug out bag. It had everything they needed to survive where they were going.

Unless his pack tracked him.

Or unless he failed in his attempt to get the brooch from his father before he gave it to Guinevere Gwilym.

He dumped the pack on the bed and opened the flaps. He checked the contents regularly as a matter of routine. Perhaps he always knew, at some point, this day would come.

A quick glance told him everything was in order, and he didn't have time to take everything out and repack. Instead, he went back to his closet and grabbed another backpack. Into this he stuffed a selection of warm clothes, which should fit his mate along with a thick jacket. After adding a couple of new toothbrushes and some other toiletries, he glanced around his bedroom to check if he'd missed anything they might need.

His gaze rested on the bed. As desire threaded through his veins, he wished things had been different. That he'd met his mate under different circumstances, and that their only concern was how many children they planned to have.

Not whether they would live long enough to mate.

Move,his wolf told him, and he did.

Mason carried the packs in his hands as he went out into the living area and placed them down next to the apartment door. "We shouldn't wait too long to leave."

"Pity, this is good," she said, forking spaghetti and meatballs into her mouth.

"Thanks." A small smile appeared on his lips. It was the first nice thing she'd said to him.

And maybe the last if we don't get moving,his wolf said. We do have a brooch to steal.

She prodded at her food with her fork as she spoke. "I haven't eaten anything but fish and plants and berries I could forage since..." She looked at him. "That night."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Are you?" Tamsin studied him closely, and then forked up the last of the food from her bowl and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. "Let's go."

Mason nodded and headed for the door. He paused, listening before he opened it and stepped outside into the hallway. He went to the stair rail and looked out. There was no one lying in wait for them.

Back in the apartment, he grabbed the packs and lifted one on each shoulder.

"I'll take one." She held out her hand.

"I can manage," he replied.

"Not if you have to fight, or we have to run," she said. "I'm guessing our survival kind of depends on what's in those packs and if you have to drop them, then we're in trouble, so hand one over."

He passed her the lightest pack containing the clothes and helped her put it on her back and adjust the straps. When he was sure it was secure, he nodded, and she gave him a half smile.

Taking that as a sign she was good to go, he headed down the stairs, his senses pushed to their limit.

They should be here by now,his wolf said.

If he sent anyone, Mason answered.

Why wouldn't he?his wolf asked.

Because he does not know that we know Tamsin is back in town, Mason said. He thinks he has all the time he needs to decide what he wants to do with us—confront us or cover it all up to save the family name.

Of course, his wolf replied. How could we know? He only knows because Guinevere sensed Tamsin's return and told him.

Which gives us the upper hand,Mason said. There is a chance that we can continue the ruse and get the brooch without him suspecting us.

Mason reached the ground floor and headed for the door. Time was of the essence. He needed to get Tamsin to safety and then head straight for the ancestral home of the DuskWood Pack.

"Hello!" The guy from the ground-floor apartment was in the street outside.

"Hello." Mason's hackles rose. He'd never spoken to the guy before. They had always passed like ships in the night. But now the guy's pale eyes were full of curiosity, especially when they rested on Tamsin.

"I'm just watering the roses." The guy held up a blue watering can decorated with flowers. In some ways, it was one of the most disturbing things Mason had ever seen.

"We're just going for a stroll to enjoy the night," Mason replied evenly, although the guy gave him the creeps.

"Then I wish us all a very good evening," the guy said as he whistled a merry tune and took out a pair of pruners and snipped the heads of the fragrant red roses.

With a shudder, Mason cast a look over his shoulder at Tamsin, who seemed undisturbed by the creepy guy. Then he led her into what was left of the night.

And hopefully to safety.

Although, he got the distinct impression Tamsin was more than capable of taking care of herself.