Shadowed Choices

Chapter Three

"No, I think this time you owe me a dance." Those were the first words that came out of his mouth and there it was, that pull. Mason had that magnetic pull that was already getting harder and harder to resist. I felt it, he felt it; I was sure our company felt it too.

"Not going to bother saying 'Hi'?" Derek. I don't think Mason was paying anyone else any mind. He had that 'eyes only for you' look. Now usually this would be romantic, but my heart trembled more out of fear. Call it insecurity, because after all, my last two relationships didn't end well. They say third time's a charm, and I guess we'll have to find out some day.

Mason barely held out his hand before I unconsciously took it without question. See what I mean about it becoming harder to resist? He took my hand in return without question. I also could have sworn I heard Petr snort the words "Have fun".

Mason moved us out of earshot, or was it because he wanted me all to himself? It was hard to say, but with Mason, he went straight for the point.

"We'd been researching the coven who took you." I may have winced at that. Sure he could have sugar coated it, but by now, I knew Mason wasn't the type to sugar coat anything. Mason told you things for what they were. Usually I admired that quality in people, but this particular subject, let's just say, I still had the occasional nightmare -- being tied up, unable to see, listening to nasally voices discuss how they were going to kill me. I hadn't told anyone this of course. My secrets seemed to be piling right up on top of each other lately. I surprised myself by making it all seem so easy.

"The Daughters of Lillith? Petr already explained them to me."

"No, The Daughters are merely pawns in this whole attack. It goes deeper than that, Alex."

"And?" I prompted.

"And we know them as the Dominion, the Powers and the Thrones." He said and we started a kind of dance one would see at Prom. We were dancing slower, hand in hand while keeping hands at each-others waists. I think we might be standing a little too close but then again, as far as I knew, we did have a couple of werewolves in the room with excellent hearing.

I know I could have said something smart, maybe even act surprised, but as usual, I held my cool to say, "Then I guess we'll just have to have our hoses ready. Everyone knows that if a bad witch gets wet she starts to smoke and withers away into nothing."

Mason gave me the strangest look at first. Like he didn't get the joke, heck, I don't think I fully understood what I said either. I just said it without thinking. Mason's cheeks puffs out, giving a slight cough before trying to cover it up with a cough. I amused him, for the first time. Mason came close to a laugh but hid it. I guess not much could make Mason laugh.

I think I finally cracked a smile in return. At least we were finally starting to get along.

"Anyways," he was definitely smiling now, "how are you?"

So I guess we were going to change subjects now.

"I'm fine," I said but I don't think I convinced even myself. "Ok, maybe not entirely."

I think that's when I started to unload, really unload on to him. The more I unloaded, the darker his eyes seemed to get. I was amazed we weren't hearing thunder by now. I was sure some of the things I unloaded were things I'd already said to Petr or to Mason already. I talked without breathing at certain points that I had to stop to catch my breath.

Mason never interrupted or prompted me to continue. He let me speak when I spoke, and waited patiently while I caught my breath.

Petr rushed forward with a, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey -- arms length apart mister!"