The Mystic Wolves

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Something was stroking my face, leaving trails of tingles in its path as it grazed over my cheek before moving toward my jawline. I groaned, the sensation causing my skin to flush and break out into goose bumps. I stretched out lazily before remembering where I was.

My eyes opened quickly, terrified of what might be touching me, and I squeaked in shock when I found a pair of beautiful blue eyes staring back. I should've known it was Mason.

Cautiously propping myself up, expecting to find myself still in Jasmine's room, the familiarity of my own greeted me, and I realized what must have happened. He found me and had carried me back to my own bed to continue sleeping. Reclining back again, I snuggled into his body to enjoy the contact.

I loved moments like this where we didn't have to speak, but could find comfort and warmth from lying beside each other.

"Good afternoon, sleepy head." His voice never ceased to give me goose bumps. He spoke in low tones that rumbled a little, and I loved how sexy it made him sound. Sometimes I wondered if he did it on purpose, just to make me smile.

"I guess the meeting is over and you found me, huh?" I smoothed down the front of his t-shirt, enjoying the way his muscles moved underneath.

"Yeah, I figured I knew where you were and you looked so peaceful so I just brought you back here instead of waking you. You've been out for a good hour or two so you needed it." Resting on his back, Mason turned his head to kiss me on top of mine before staring at the ceiling. "What a day."

I nodded and we lay there in silence, with him stroking the side of my arm and me tracing the contours of his stomach. We were lost in thought—not wanting to spoil how we were feeling with the ugliness of events.

Releasing a tired sigh, Mason spoke first. "It goes without saying you're not to leave the house, right? No trips to town, not so much as a toe off pack property." I knew he was trying to sound casual, but I could sense the importance hidden in his voice. This would be something I couldn't argue about. He was on alert and the conditions of my safety were non-negotiable.

"I promise. Stay at home. Be a good girl. Don't cause trouble." I rattled off each sentence like I was reading a grocery list.

He laughed at my last comment. "I don't think it's feasible for you to keep out of mischief, but at least try to keep it within the estate. I can't expect the impossible from you. Trouble is your middle name after all."

I slapped him for that, the sound of my hand thudding against his chest echoed in the room, and was followed quickly by a flare of pain in my palm. Sometimes I forgot his chest was like a brick.

"You doing okay?" Instinctively, I knew he was asking if I was all right after sitting with Jasmine. I couldn't help but smile at just how thoughtful he was. Even though we'd been together for a while, I still wasn't accustomed to how in tune he was with me, how he noticed things and genuinely wanted to help. The jerks I dated in the past couldn't have cared less. Their one focus was how soon they could get in my pants and get out.

I hugged Mason tightly, trying to convey how much I appreciated him before letting out a huge sigh. "I'm good. I just keep telling myself I can survive this, and even though it hurts, I still have you and she wouldn't want me falling apart—especially not now with everything happening. It still feels like I have a lump in my throat all the time, like something's missing, but I know she would want me to continue to live. It was just a shock seeing her—touching her. It made it real and my mind couldn't refuse it." I blew a strand of hair out of my eyes and smiled when Mason reached over to tuck it behind my ear. "I'm glad I was able to have those last moments with her. We talked. Well, I talked and she listened."