Chapter 7 Mason
Mason
Nico was waving his arms from side to side like a windshield wiper.
I frowned but kept pushing the lawn mower forward another few feet before glancing up again. I caught a faint “hey,” but nothing else. He had his hands cupped around his mouth, clearly yelling something across the yard.
I rolled the mower to a stop and cut the engine.
Pulling off my headphones, I called back, “What was that?”
Nico jogged across the lawn toward me.
“You really didn’t have to do this, you know.” He gestured broadly at the yard in front of the house.
I followed the sweep of his hand.
Only about a third of the lawn was mowed. The rest was still an overgrown mess of grass, weeds, and stubborn little bursts of spring flowers.
The truth was, I kind of did have to do this.
Nico had caught me snooping around again. This time I’d been lingering near the garage, pretending to look around while actually trying to figure out what else the building was used for, if there was anything more to it.
When he’d asked what I was doing, the only excuse I’d managed to come up with was that I’d been looking for the lawn mower because I wanted to help out around the house.
So here I was.
I waved him off with a small laugh. “It’s nothing, really. Besides,” I glanced around the yard, “I’ve kind of been wanting to do this ever since I got here.” That part wasn’t completely untrue, though.
Something was caught under the mower deck. A tough stem had wedged itself into the metal. I crouched down, making sure the engine was fully off before pulling it free.
A minty scent hit me immediately.
I sniffed the crushed stem, then looked back over the area I’d just cut.
The whole patch looked like it used to be an herb garden before it went feral. Mint had taken over everything, spreading wildly and choking out whatever else had once been planted there.
Nico followed my gaze. “Oh. That.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish chuckle. “Yeah. We tried growing some stuff out here for a while, but turns out keeping up with it takes actual effort.”
I straightened and gave the stem one last sniff before tossing it over my shoulder.
“Well,” I said, “let’s just say you definitely succeeded in growing a mint garden.”
Nico laughed. The sound was loud and easy. I found myself smiling back before I even realized it.
“Hey, you want to take a break?” Nico asked. “I brought some juice out earlier.”
He pointed toward the small round table on the porch. A glass jug and a couple of glasses sat there, catching the sunlight.
I raised an eyebrow. “So you’re not going to tell me to stop? Or take over?”
“Why would I?” Nico shot back, already turning toward the porch. “Free labor is free labor.”
I huffed out a quiet laugh and followed him up the steps.
The wooden chairs creaked softly under our weight as we sat down. Nico poured two glasses from the jug. A sharp, tangy scent drifted up the moment the liquid hit the glass.
I took a sip, then another.
I must have been thirstier than I thought, because I ended up draining the whole glass in one go. The drink was cold and refreshing, tart enough to make my tongue tingle.
Nico watched me finish it with an amused grin. “Wow. Should I bring a bigger jug next time?”
I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth, a little embarrassed.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “That might not be a bad idea.”
I glanced over at him. If Nico had any suspicions about me, he wasn’t showing it.
The past few days had followed the same pattern. He slept late, rarely coming up from the basement until close to lunch.
Most evenings he disappeared again until around nine, when he finally wandered upstairs to grab dinner. Other than that, he was usually running errands in town or out on the packlands.
He never looked at me strangely. Hadn’t even hinted that he’d caught me poking around again.
Though, he could just be good at hiding it, keeping things friendly so I’d lower my guard while he watched, waiting for me to slip up. The thought made the back of my neck prickle.
But another part of me didn’t buy it.
I wasn’t sure why. It could’ve been the way Nico laughed too loudly at his own jokes, or how easily he offered people food. Or how he’d shoved an extra blanket at me my first night here, like he already knew I’d need it.
Somehow, it didn’t feel like an act.
And maybe I just wanted to believe that today.
Of all days, I didn’t want anything going wrong. I didn’t want tension or suspicion hanging over everything. I just wanted the day to pass quietly and smoothly.
I checked my watch for the umpteenth time today. Soon. It should be soon.
“Hey,” Nico said suddenly, glancing toward the driveway. “He’s back.”
A car rolled into the driveway, slipping into the empty garage spot that had been vacant ever since I’d arrived.
The driver’s door opened, and a tall, lean man climbed out. He wore a denim jacket over a faded T-shirt that looked like it had a picture of a cat on it, gray sweatpants loose and comfortable.
He moved around to the passenger side, lifting a backpack, a laptop bag, and a hard metal case about the size of a shoebox with a handle on top.
He noticed us watching from the porch and tipped his chin in greeting before heading over.
Up close, he dropped most of the bags at the foot of the table. The laptop bag and the metal case, though, he handled with care, placing them on the wicker loveseat near the front door.
“You must be Mason,” he said. “I’m Tony.”
“Oh, hey.” I pushed up from my chair, suddenly unsure if I should shake hands or just nod. “Nice to finally meet you.”
Nico leaned back in his chair. “Everything go okay?”
Tony shrugged. “Eh.”
Then his gaze drifted toward the yard. He froze, then slowly turned back to us.
“…Who mowed the lawn?”
I raised a hand slightly. “Uh… I did. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind?” Tony snorted, jerking a thumb toward Nico. “I’ve been telling this guy to handle it for months.”
Then he paused, his eyes narrowing into daggers as they fixed on Nico. “Did you make him do it?”
Nico shot upright so fast his chair creaked.
“Of course not!” he exclaimed, genuinely horrified. “What kind of person do you think I am?”
Tony shrugged, like it wasn’t completely unreasonable to ask.
“It was my choice,” I said quickly. “I just wanted to do something. Since, you know, you guys took me in and let me stay here.”
The words came out more genuine than I expected. And the weird part was that I knew I meant them.
Tony waved a hand dismissively. “It’s no big deal. But you don’t need to feel like you owe us anything.”
I nodded, even though part of me didn’t entirely believe that.
“Tell you what,” Tony continued, stretching his arms above his head. “Why don’t we go out or order something nice for dinner tonight? My treat. I’m too tired to cook anyway.”
Nico scoffed under his breath. “When have you ever cooked?”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.
Then my phone buzzed in my pocket. I shot to my feet so quickly the table wobbled. I grabbed the edge to steady it before the glasses could tip over.
“I—uh—I have to take this call. I’ll just—” I gestured vaguely toward the side yard behind the house.
I didn’t bother waiting for their reply. I hurried down the porch steps, jumping the last two in a single stride.
My phone buzzed again in my hand as I tried to walk normally, forcing myself not to break into a run as I headed around the back of the house.
When I reached the far side of the yard, I glanced back toward the porch. Nico and Tony were still at the table, partially blocked by the corner of the house. Good. From here, they couldn’t see me.
I answered the phone. “Kai?” My voice wavered before I could stop it.
“Mase?” The sound of my brother’s voice hit me like a punch to the chest.
“Kai! Are you alright? Is everything okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” he said quickly. “But where are you? I keep asking them where you are, but they won’t tell me anything.”
A knot tightened in my stomach. I had to keep my voice calm, had to make sure he didn’t panic too.
“Don’t worry about me,” I said. “Just… just stay safe, okay? Don’t do anything rash. We’ll see each other soon.”
“But Mase—”
Then his voice cut off.
I pulled the phone away, staring at the screen. The call was still connected.
“Kai?” I tried again, bringing the phone back to my ear.
“Mason.” The low voice on the other end made my blood run cold.
Anger surged through me. “Put Kai back on, Daniel,” I snapped.
“That’s all the time you get.”
I gripped the phone hard, wanting to say more. The cheap plastic creaked faintly under my fingers. I had to loosen my hold before I crushed it.
“Good dog,” Daniel said lightly.
I hated it. Hated how I could hear the smugness in his voice through the line.
“Now,” he continued, “tell me what you’ve found out. Anything new?”
I bit down hard on my lip.
“It’s confirmed,” I said finally. “Both Tony and Nico handle the pack’s security and IT.”
A soft hum of approval came from the other end.
I squeezed my eyes shut. It wasn’t easy saying it, but they already knew anyway.
They’d seen Tony before, back at the dog show incident last year. I could pretend I wasn’t sure, but there was no point lying now. If I did, they’d catch it immediately.
And the only reason they’d even let me talk to Kai today was because I’d shared my suspicions about Nico.
“What about the group who picked you up from the cabin?”
My heart stopped. He was talking about Gino. And Levi.
For a long moment, I didn’t answer. Didn’t even realize I was holding my breath.
“Mason,” Daniel said again, sharper this time. Still, no words came.
“You know,” he continued mildly, “the others have been wondering why Kai gets his own room.” Ice flooded my chest. “They think it’s unfair.”
Panic hit me instantly. “Don’t,” I said quickly. “We had a deal.”
“We did,” Daniel agreed easily. “Now tell me about the others. Especially the one who went back to the old logging roads with you.”