Wild and Free

Chapter 10: A Battle of Wits

(Mason's POV)

If someone told me that I'd be spending my night in a high school gym, painting go team! and red, black, white! on colored paper, with a bunch of perky teenage girls, I'd say you were crazy.

Unfortunately that is exactly where I ended up.

After the seemingly non-optional invitation to participate in the particular boring activity, Greyson, Riley, and I felt inclined to go. Amelia and her friends, whose names I still had yet to learn, chatted about anything and everything. All the guys there just messed around and sloppily painted letters, most of which were thrown away by the girls because they were not 'suitable' enough.

Everything about the night had been totally and utterly boring all together forming the most cliche night that a human guy my age would have. It was disgusting. But in the end the boys and I felt like everyone was accepting us more into their group.

The girls were packing up the painting materials and admiring their actually decent posters. I was helping Amelia packing the supply closet.

She tried to put a box filled with large bottles of paint in it, on top of a shelf but her grip slipped. The box started to fall but I shot my hand out, using my ability for a split second before it collided with her sandaled feet. I let it fall into my hands once I was sure it wouldn't fall.

She gasped and jumped back, all of it happening in a second.

"Oh my god!" she shrieked, "how'd you catch that?"

I shrugged and used my extended height above her to easily put the box on the shelf, "Quick reflexes."

It wasn't really a lie but more one of the perks of being and Alpha along with increased speed, strength, and a couple other hidden talents.

"Well thanks," she breathed, smoothing out her skirt. I nodded in response and grabbed a poster, wet with paint, and set it on the drying rack before grabbing another and repeating the process. She followed my lead and did the same thing.

I could feel her calculating brown eyes studying me intently.

"Spit it out," I said, not looking at her.

"What?" she asked defensively.

I sighed, "Whatever is swirling around in that head of yours, just spit it out."

Amelia set a poster down and turned, leaning against a supply shelf.

"I just don't understand you and your friends," she stated.

"What's not to understand," I replied blankly.

She scoffed, "Well for starters who willingly comes to White Chapel? Why are you and your family, or friends whatever, here?"

"I told, you Greyson, Riley, and I all have families that-"

"-work for the same land developing company. Yeah, I remember. But what kind of company moves here? White Chapel is in the middle of nowhere so why would there any reason to start a project here?"

"Well maybe they want to turn this town in the middle of nowhere into somewhere," I suggested, brushing it off. Her prodding wasn't unexpected but it was good lying practice.

She rolled her eyes, "Okay well then how do you and Greyson and Riley, know each other so well?" her arms folded over her chest, both of us sort of forgetting what we were in the closet to do in the first place.

"We grew up together because of our parents,"

"What about your sister? Are you guys close?"

"Extremely,"