Cherished Read online

  A few moments past and there was still nothing. No break whatsoever. No goofy Mason. I began turning and turning, trying to see where he was. Just as I thought my heart was about to burst from my chest, I heard the whisper.

  “Boo!” This mammoth form rose from the depths and crushed me to it, face first.

  “Ugh, you scared me!” I screamed, hitting his chest. A fleeting shot of pain pulsed through my palm. Dang, it was like hitting a brick wall.

  “You cooled off yet, babe?” he said with a grin, using his hand to wipe away the excess droplets. Gosh, he looked like a god, standing there dripping wet, muscles flexing as he moved his hair out from his eyes. He must’ve seen my intent because he suddenly pushed me away, his arm held out to stop me as I moved toward him. I sent the theme song to Jaws through our pathway as I stalked him in the water. He must have received it because he started laughing.

  “Enough of that now, Darcy. You still have questions, remember? Focus a little and maybe I’ll play with you later.” He winked at me before sending a small wave at me. I raised myself up, avoiding the splash to my face. I sent one back in return and he dipped himself under the pool’s surface.

  Not to be caught a second time, I pushed off the bottom with my feet and swam into the center. It was deep, but not enough to cause me to panic.

  It was a myth that werewolves abhorred all forms of water. Like anybody else, there were definitely some of us who had a fear of drowning, but for the most part, we enjoyed a good swim. Right now, it felt cool against my heated skin.

  Not paying any attention to Mason, I leaned back and began to float, allowing my arms to gently caress through the crystal liquid, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness. There was something calming about being suspended and I closed my eyes, tuning everything else out.

  He must have realized I needed this moment because he didn’t come after me, leaving me to my thoughts.

  My feelings were definitely different from this morning. Gone was the need to run and hide from him. While the grief for Jasmine was still there, a constant weight around my heart, he had convinced me we would be okay and nothing had changed between us. I took great comfort in that and wrapped it around me like a warm, fluffy blanket, fresh out of the dryer. I took strength from knowing I wasn’t alone, that I would always have my strong wolf mate beside me. I couldn’t help the contented sigh that escaped my lips. The pain would lessen over time. There were still matters to take care of and within the month—finally, our mating ritual.

  In the few short hours since I’d been awake, I felt lighter and I knew I owed it all to Mason. When the man set out to prove a point, he never held back and I was grateful once again for his devotion. He could’ve easily used his Alpha powers to command me to see sense. Maybe a lesser person would’ve, but not my Mason. He always lead with his heart when it came to me, never afraid to show just how deeply he felt. It was one of the many things I loved about him.

  A cold breeze wafted over my skin and I realized I couldn’t feel the sun anymore. I opened my eyes slowly, seeing it crest through the trees and I recognized time had passed. Remembering Devlin was probably waiting as patiently as a vampire could back at the house; I stood up and looked around for Mason.

  He was reclining against a crop of rocks, catching the last of the sun’s rays before it dipped fully behind the tree line. He stole my breath with his masculine beauty, the way the light played off the golden tint of his skin. Moisture collected in my mouth as I waded my way over to him, careful not to disturb him. There weren’t many moments where he was able to just relax and I loved seeing the boyish look of peace covering his face.

  Reaching up, I went to trail my fingers over his abdomen, wanting to see them tense when his hand whipped out and grabbed hold of my wrist.

  “No you don’t, Darcy. No touching. We need to head back. I can feel everyone going crazy back at the house.”

  For someone who should be moving, Mason lay still, his eyes closed. He could’ve been asleep if it wasn’t for the wide grin he was wearing. He lifted my hand to his mouth, gently kissing the back of it and slowly pulled himself into a sitting position.

  My hungry eyes took in every move, and I was pretty sure I sighed.

  “I love the way you move. Are you sure we have to go back straight away?” I tried to put a smolder in the look I gave him, but Mason was busy stretching out his muscles, looking around.

  “I’m glad I brought you here. I like the idea that this is something special—just for us. I have lots of plans involving this place.” He smiled, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

  He moved slowly, leisurely over to a pair of trees, looking behind it for something.

  What are you looking for? I whispered mentally to him. Nothing. Not even an indication he’d heard me. Mason? I tried harder. It was like talking to myself.

  Hey Mason, I think we should run away and raise cows and bunnies and all things rainbow and sunshine, I shouted mentally, focusing as hard as I could while sending images.

  That made him pause. He slowly stopped, a look of curiosity on his face. “Rainbow cows dancing with bunnies in the sun? Something you want to share?”

  I rolled my eyes at him. Obviously, whatever was happening with the mental connection between us, it was distorting things. I watched him look one more time around the trees before giving up and walking back over to me.

  “I was trying to ask you what you were looking for, but I don’t think you were hearing me.” I laughed, folding my arms across my chest. This really was starting to irritate me because it shouldn’t be so difficult. Heck, a child could learn something this fundamentally simple, but I was struggling. It didn’t make sense. Mason’s thoughts came through loud and clear every time, just not mine.

  He looked a little distracted. “I was trying to remember where I put some of my clothes I like to stash in cases of emergencies. As much as I love looking at you naked, I’m not too keen about flaunting your curves to everyone.”

  “Especially Devlin, huh?” I interrupted with a wink.

  Mason grumbled at my response. “Especially the vampire.” He slapped my butt as he passed me by, heading in the direction of the house. I stood there, still as a statue as the flaming heat in my bottom tingled. Dang that man, he knew what that did to me.

  He paused and turned around, lifting his arm out to me. “Come on, babe, back to reality.”

  I reached out, taking his hand in mine and squeezed. He was already starting to resume the look of an Alpha.

  People laughed at me whenever I said Mason had different looks. To them, he always appeared the same, but to me he had a softer, more playful side that he showed to very few. Then there was what I liked to call the don’t-mess-with-me look, where you could feel the leadership mantle he carried crackling in the air like magic. Both were sexy as hell, but when he added the mischievous smirk and wicked glint in his eyes, I was a goner.

  We started walking, side by side in comfortable silence. It didn’t last for long, however, as he let out a full chuckle. I couldn’t help look and feel a warm tingly feeling in the bottom of my stomach. I loved watching him laugh.

  “So you ever going to explain those images you sent me, or do I not want to know?” I wouldn’t be surprised if he already knew what was going on—the man had a sixth sense when it came to me. I can’t count how many arguments I’d tried to have with him where I said, “Why do I even bother telling you anything. You can just read my mind and find out!” Depending on what happened, I’d add a healthy foot stomp to my anger.

  He was always gentle in his reply, calmly reminding me he would never purposely invade my privacy like that.

  “It gets a little scary how quiet you are at times. But there are moments when you think so dang loud, you’re shouting,” he added with a grin. Seemed the key to my connection was doing it without forcing it, because whenever I tried to purposely send something, it got lost or mixed up.

  I sighed heavily, hoping I’d be able to figure it out. Somethi
ng told me things were about to get even more crazy, and I needed to know I could rely on it.

  “Mason, why doesn’t our connection always work?” I blurted out as we continued walking. “Sometimes it’s crystal clear, I hear you and you hear me, but there other times when it’s like talking to a brick wall. It scares me that if I ever need you like last night, it will fail again.”

  He seemed to take his time responding as he searched for an answer to ease my anxiety. “I’m not sure what’s happening, but I agree we need to figure out why so we can fix it. It might be related to our mating ritual being incomplete, but my gut tells me it’s something else.”

  “My gut tells me something is wrong with me. I’m broken and it worries me because it makes me feel like I’m less of a wolf. I grew up hearing about how wonderful the link between mates is and watching others enjoy their silent conversations. What if we never have that?”

  “You’re not broken, Darcy. But if it helps, when this business with Devlin and the vampire blood is resolved, I’ll send for Vivien and see if she knows anything. You can’t be the only wolf this has happened to. We’ll get to the bottom of it, babe.”

  Vivien was the local witch everyone went to when they had questions. She was an incredible wealth of knowledge on all things supernatural, fully versed in all kinds of myths and legends. If there was anyone who could solve this, it was her.

  “I hope so because it was terrifying last night when I tried talking and I didn’t know if you were going to come. I felt so alone and helpless. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t arrived when you did.” I stopped dead in my tracks, a hint of curiosity in my voice. “Actually, how did you know we needed you? One minute I couldn’t sense you and then there you were.”

  Mason stroked his hand through his hair, causing it to spike a little and make it look messy. A look of anger flashed in his eyes and it was now his turn to pace.

  “I can’t begin to describe how frustrating it was. One moment I was in the kitchen cooking you a surprise dinner, and next this overwhelming sense of urgency and fear coursed through me. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced, and frankly, I never want to again. I could feel my wolf banging against my skin like a fierce warrior ready to fight, his howl like a battle cry in my ears. I had no way of knowing what it meant, just that it was from you and you were terrified. I almost ripped Daniel to shreds when he walked into the room, I was that feral. I wasn’t getting any words or clear sentences—just a lot of emotions. It wasn’t until I stopped and focused that I started getting images. That’s when all hell broke loose.”

  I rubbed the side of my arms, as if warding off the cold, and walked into Mason’s embrace. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  I knew he hated feeling helpless and this must’ve been extremely painful. It would’ve gone against every instinct he had—wanting to rush out and protect me, but not having any directions.

  “It took Daniel a few minutes and a level head to help me see reason again. Darcy, I’ve always been able to keep calm in a crisis. It’s what makes me a formidable opponent and great Alpha. But seeing images of a gun and feeling your fear, it almost drove me insane.”

  “All the more reason for us to figure out what’s happening with the connection, right?” I felt him nod against the top of my head.

  “We finally decided to jump in the car and patrol the streets between here and the store, trusting you’d keep to your usual route. I had Daniel and the boys come with me and sent the others to circle around in case we missed you. I could feel the change in emotions when you shifted and your wolf took over. She’s amazing, Darcy, truly. I’ve never felt such sheer determination and courage. It was only then I was able to relax and think clearly.”

  “I don’t know what I would’ve done without her, Mason. I can’t help wondering if I had let her out sooner, would everything have turned out differently. Jasmine would be here and ….”

  He lifted my chin and tilted my head back. “Shhh. We’re not going through that again, remember? What happened, happened and all the “what if’s” in the world won’t change it. Focus on the fact you survived and were able to bring Gary to justice for Jasmine. She can rest easy now.”

  “How can you do that?” I asked skeptically.

  “Do what?” Mason replied as his brows furrowed.

  “Talk about Jasmine’s death as if it doesn’t hurt.”

  Suddenly his hand flashed, becoming wolf-like before quickly changing back to human. I looked at it stunned because although I knew Mason he had the power to partially change, I’d never seen him lose control like that. Staring up into his face, it still held a wolfish quality with his mouth turned into a snarl, revealing razor sharp fangs. His eyes blazed with a fury that made me stagger back slightly from their intensity.

  The air sizzled with electricity and magic. Our surroundings suddenly became frightfully quiet as if all the animals and birds sensed the immediate danger.

  The strain on his face was painfully visible as I watched him struggle to control his change. It caused my own wolf to howl and chomp as she pushed to join her mate. I’d never felt anything so severe and concentrated from him before and it broke my heart.

  All this time, he’d focused on me, making sure I was okay with what happened and all the while he was dying inside. I pushed out my senses and almost crumpled under the bombardment of excruciating pain and grief. Tears began to streak down my cheek again as I beheld my beloved Mason battle for his sanity.

  I stretched out and touched him, my fingers tingling from the energy pulsating off his skin. I caressed him and cooed softly, trying to help him find his balance.

  He fought a little against my attempts, but gradually, we were able to calm the savageness of his beast to the point where Mason was completely human. He stood there, angry and defeated, his head hung low with his fists clenching slightly. He was still on edge, but nowhere near as volatile. Had he decided to leave earlier, I shuddered to think the damage he would’ve done to anyone foolish enough to get in his way.

  I stooped a little to catch his gaze, sweeping the strands of his hair away from his eyes. This man was just so magnificent and I wanted nothing more than to take this from him. It was only now, as we stood in silence, I realized the full weight of his responsibilities as Alpha, and what astonishing strength it took him to maintain his calm façade. It also made me wonder just how much he hid from the world—or even me.

  “Talk to me, Mason. Please.” I took him by the hand and lifted it to my heart. “Let me in.” I stared in amazement as a solitary tear streaked down his cheek. His eyes were rapidly filling and I watched as he fought to clamp down hard on his emotions and push out a stoic expression.

  “Don’t you dare try to hide yourself from me. Talk to me. Yell, rage and cry. Anything but shut me out!” I released his hand and placed my own on his chest. I could feel the violent pounding of his heart and the deep sobs that were churning inside. He was ready to explode and with what we were about to face, I knew he couldn’t afford to lose this battle.

  Had I not been standing so close, I would’ve missed his whispered reply. “I’m a failure.”

  The sound of despair and anguish was soul crushing and sent my mind reeling. “What …?” I couldn’t even finish the sentence the idea was so beyond my understanding. Here stood the most courageous man I’d ever been blessed to know. He was so selfless, putting everyone’s needs before his own, making himself available to help anyone who needed him. I’d seen a few Alphas up close during my life and none of them came close to the kind of integrity and honor Mason showed. He went beyond, seeing his role as more than just a job, but a calling. He was fair, honest, and loyal to a fault. You couldn’t look at him and doubt he gave everything. How he thought he was a failure stumped me.

  “I thought you accepted there was nothing more you could’ve done, that the true villain was Gary. Or was that just a line to calm me?” I asked, not caring I was throwing his words back at him.

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nbsp; Mason drew in a deep breath, as if trying to pull courage from the air. “I’m just waiting for my heart to catch up, Darcy. That’s all.”

  “Then we’ll talk about it. Tell me what’s happening here.” I gently tapped his chest again. “And don’t say “nothing” because this doesn’t feel like everything is fine.”

  More tears began to stream down his cheeks and he raised his fist to rub them away. “No, we need to get back and take care of business.” He put steel into his voice and went to move me, but I refused to budge.

  “Oh no, you don’t. You wanted to talk so we’re not going anywhere until I know you’re okay.” I added a stern edge to my voice. “Don’t make me order you.”

  He snorted loudly at that. “With what authority, Darcy? Last time I checked, I was the Alpha here.”

  “The if-you-don’t-talk-you’ll-spend-an-eternity-sleeping-on-the-couch kind of authority, Your Royal Grouchy Pants.” I slapped his bare chest for emphasis. “Don’t be a jerk, you know what I mean.”

  That earned me a small soft smile and it warmed me. “I can’t afford to go into this right now. We’ll deal with it later.” He moved again to pull me toward the house.

  “No, we’ll deal now.” I dug my heels into the ground.

  “Why are you being so stubborn about this, Darcy?” He demanded hotly, fire lighting in his eyes.

  “Stubborn? Isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle black?” I retorted, my hands resting on my hips to match my attitude. “You, Mister I-won’t-talk-about-it, are the epitome of stubbornness. Now spill.”

  “No.”

  “Oh, heck no, you did not just deny me.” My own temper began to rise.

  “Please, Darcy, I know what you’re trying to do, but just let it be. I can’t.” The pleading in his voice pierced me and I avoided looking into his eyes.

  “You can’t what? Confide in your mate? Explain why you think this is your fault? Share how you feel?” I threw my questions rapidly at him.