Chapter 15
Mason
Morning arrived too quickly. For a few seconds after I opened my eyes, I didn’t know where I was. The ceiling above me was unfamiliar, the faint scent in the air not quite mine.
Then it hit me. Levi’s cabin. Levi’s bed.
The weight of everything that had happened yesterday came crashing back in. My chest tightened, breath catching before I forced it to steady.
Tonight. Everything hinged on tonight.
I pushed myself up slowly, careful not to make too much noise. The other side of the bed was empty, the sheets slightly rumpled, still holding the faint warmth and scent of him.
He was already up. Levi didn’t strike me as the type to sleep in, not when something important was hanging over his head.
I swallowed hard and swung my legs over the side of the bed, dragging a hand down my face before standing. My body felt off. Tense and wired, like every nerve had been tuned too tight.
I dressed quickly, pulling on the clothes I’d left folded neatly on the chair the night before. Clothes that had been moved here from Tony and Nico’s place, because I was no longer their guest.
I was a prisoner, but Levi didn’t treat me like one.
The smell of coffee reached me before I even stepped into the kitchen.
Levi stood at the counter, back to me, broad shoulders relaxed in a way that didn’t quite match the tension I could feel simmering underneath.
He turned slightly as I stepped in, eyes flicking over me briefly before settling back on the coffee pot.
“Morning,” he said, like this was normal.
“Morning,” I managed. My voice sounded steadier than I felt.
I moved toward the counter and my hands found the mugs automatically, fingers wrapping around one as I reached for the coffee pot.
My hand shook slightly. The pot tilted wrong. A thin stream of coffee sloshed dangerously close to my fingers.
“Hey.” Levi moved fast.
His hand closed around my wrist, tugging it back just before the hot liquid could spill over my skin.The pot wobbled, and I froze.
For a second, all I could feel was the warmth of his firm grip.
“I’ve got it,” he said quietly.
He took the pot from me, his fingers brushing mine as he did, and set it back upright with practiced ease.
“Let me do that for you,” he offered.
Something in my chest twisted at the softness in his voice, at the fact that it was still there even after everything.
I stepped back without thinking, giving him space as he poured the coffee into my mug. He was still acting like nothing had changed.
I glanced at him, unable to help myself, trying to read something in his expression. I didn’t know what I was looking for. Anger perhaps, resentment certainly, but there as none of that.
It confused me more than anything else. After everything I’d told him, after everything I’ve done, he shouldn’t be this nice to me.
He set the mug down in front of me and turned slightly, meeting my gaze.
“Sit,” he said, pulling out one of the chairs at the counter.
The gesture was so simple and familiar, it almost hurt. I hesitated for half a second, then sat, because I didn’t know what else to do.
Levi moved around the counter, setting his own mug down before leaning back slightly, arms resting against the edge.
“You worried about tonight, huh?” he said.
I wrapped both hands around my mug, letting the heat seep into my palms. The motion grounded me.
“Yeah,” I admitted.
There didn’t seem to be any point in lying anymore. I took a sip of the coffee, barely tasting it as my mind spiralled again.
Tonight, I was finally going to confront Daniel, and finally see my brother again. I thought about everything we’d set in motion, and everything that could go wrong. My stomach twisted.
“I can’t believe…” I started, then trailed off.
Levi didn’t interrupt, he merely waited.
“I might actually see him tonight,” I finished quietly.
Kai. My throat tightened around his name, even unspoken.
For so long, the idea of getting him back had felt like something distant, an impossible dream. Something I had to fight toward without ever really believing I’d reach it.
Now though, it was right there, close enough to touch.
Of course, I’d only see Kai again if everything went according to plan, and if I didn’t mess this up the way I’d messed up everything else.
“They’re going to bring him,” I said, more to myself than to Levi. “After everything I did…”
The guilt hit again, sharp and relentless.
The wolves, Levi and Cooper, helped reunite Kai and I, and I didn’t deserve that. Levi’s gaze softened slightly.
“We haven’t won yet,” he reminded me gently.
His words brought me back, and I nodded. “Yeah.”
I forced myself to finish the coffee, even though my stomach protested, then stood and carried the mug to the sink. It was routine, movement, something to keep me from unraveling.
I set the mug down, fingers lingering on the edge of the counter as I stared at nothing. Breathe, I reminded myself.
Behind me, I heard Levi move, felt him before he even touched me.
Levi slid his arms around me without warning, pulling me back against his chest. I froze for half a second. Then I melted against his embrace, since Cooper wasn’t watching this time.
I couldn’t help it, because my body recognized him before my mind could argue.
I leaned back into him, letting my head tilt slightly as I inhaled. His scent wrapped around me instantly, wonderful and familiar. Safe in a way I didn’t deserve.
“You’re so tense,” he murmured, his voice low near my ear.
His hands shifted to my shoulders, thumbs pressing gently into the tight muscles there.
I hadn’t even realized how bad it was until he touched me, until the tension started to unravel under his hands. A quiet sound of relief slipped out of me before I could stop it.
“Sorry,” I muttered again.
“For what?” Levi asked.
“For everything.”
The words felt small and inadequate, compared to the weight of what I’d done. Levi’s hands stilled for a fraction of a second. Then resumed, slower this time.
“It’ll turn out fine,” he said.
I wanted to believe him, but hope was dangerous.
“I hope so,” I whispered.
Hope also meant something to lose. It meant imagining a future where the two of us might still have a chance.
“Levi, I really…” I didn’t even know what I was going to say.
Should I apologise again, explain, beg? All of it felt tangled in my throat.
“Shh.” His voice was soft. He leaned in slightly, his breath warm against my ear.
My chest tightened, but not in pain.
“Focus on tonight’s operation first,” he continued quietly. “Okay?”
I closed my eyes for a second. Let myself lean into him just a little more. Because I didn’t know how many moments like this I had left.
“Okay,” I said. It came out steadier this time, and more certain. “I can do that.”
His hands lingered on my shoulders for a moment longer. Then gave a final, gentle squeeze.
Then he pulled away, and the warmth faded, but not completely. It stayed somewhere under my skin.
Despite the tension, the broken trust, the uncertainty, he hadn’t let go of the prospect of us. That meant there was still something left to fight for.
* * *
Night finally settled over the pack compound.
The trees stood closer. The shadows deeper. Even the air seemed to press in, thick with anticipation and something colder beneath it.
I crouched low behind a cluster of overgrown brush just off the gravel road that led to the south gate. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a neglected service entrance.
They would see rusted fencing, a weathered gate.
The kind of place no one paid attention to. That was the point. To anyone watching, it would seem quiet and unprotected. An easy target.
My pulse wouldn’t slow. It hammered against my ribs, loud enough I was half convinced everyone could hear it. My hands curled into fists against my thighs, then relaxed, then curled again.
Focus, I reminded myself.
Levi was beside me, and the warmth at my side made it easier to hold myself together.
He hadn’t said much since we took position, none of them had.
Two trackers were spread out farther back, barely visible even to my eyes. Two enforcers were positioned opposite them, their presence hidden but unmistakable if you knew what to look for.
This was the trap, waiting to snap shut, if everything went right.
Kai. The thought of him was a constant ache under everything else. A sharp, persistent pull that refused to be ignored.
He was coming, he had to. Daniel had agreed, but Daniel wasn’t a man who played fair. He was a man who liked making false promises. I swallowed hard, trying to force the fear down.
Beside me, Levi shifted slightly. Then his hand found mine. My breath hitched for a second. I hadn’t even realized how cold my fingers had gotten until he wrapped his around them.
“You can do this,” he murmured, low enough that only I could hear.
I turned my head slightly, catching the outline of his face in the dim light. His eyes were on me, steady and unwavering.
There wasn’t a hint of doubt there, even now and even after everything.
I squeezed his hand back, then forced myself to let go, because I had to. If I didn’t step out there now, this would all fall apart.
Headlights appeared in the distance, butting through the dark like knives. My entire body went rigid. They were here. This was it.
I inhaled slowly, filling my lungs, then exhaled just as carefully. Don’t run or hesitate, I reminded myself, don’t give them a reason to suspect anything.
I stepped out from the brush. The night air felt colder immediately, the open space making me feel exposed in a way I hadn’t felt before.
The gravel crunched under my boots as I walked toward the gate, every step deliberate. The headlights grew brighter as the vehicle approached, until they were almost blinding.
I squinted against the glare, forcing my body to stay loose, to move like this was exactly what I was supposed to be doing.
The jeep slowed as it reached the gate. I didn’t stop. I pulled the key card from my pocket, holding it up to the scanner mounted beside the gate.
For a split second, my hand hovered. This was it. No going back. I pressed the card against the reader. A soft beep sounded, then the gate began to slide open with a low, mechanical groan.
I stepped back, heart slamming against my ribs, as the jeep rolled forward into the compound.
The headlights washed over me as it passed, forcing me to turn my face slightly.
I kept my expression neutral, my posture loose, even as every instinct in me screamed to run towards the jeep like a fool, grab Kai and get him out.
The vehicle came to a stop a few feet inside the gate. The engine idled. Then, the back door swung open. A man jumped out first.
He wore a bulletproof vest, and there was a gun in his hand. My stomach dropped. Then he turned, and shoved someone out after him.
The world narrowed to a single point. Kai. He stumbled forward, nearly falling as his feet hit the ground.
He caught himself at the last second, thin arms shaking, dark hair falling into his face. He looked smaller, too thin and tired, but he was alive. My pulse roared in my ears.
For a second, everything else faded. The plan, the trap, the men with the guns, the wolves behind us. All of it.
There was only my brother, who blinked up at me. Recognition hit his face like a spark.
“Mason!” Kai cried out in relief and ran straight at me.
I caught him without thinking, arms wrapping around him tight enough to hurt. He clutched at my shirt like he was afraid I’d disappear if he let go.
“You’re okay,” I breathed, my voice rough. “You’re okay.”
“I thought,” His voice broke. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“I’ve got you,” I said, tightening my grip. “I’ve got you.”
For a second, everything felt right, like it used to, before Daniel and the lies I had to tell Levi and his pack. Then more doors slammed, boots hit gravel.
I looked up, seeing six men. All of them were watching us, and they were armed.
Finally, he stepped forward. Daniel held a shotgun in his hand, the metal gleaming faintly under the headlights.
His expression twisted into something that might’ve been a smile, if it hadn’t been so full of contempt.
My body tensed instinctively, pulling Kai slightly behind me. Daniel’s gaze flicked between us, lingering for a moment on the way I held my brother.
Then he sneered. “What a touching reunion”
My jaw clenched. “I did as you asked.”
Daniel’s eyes gleamed. “You did. Good dog.”
The night seemed to still. Behind me, hidden in the shadows, I could feel the pack waiting. Daniel took a step closer, raised the gun, and pointed it straight at my head.
Kai froze behind me, his grip tightening.
“You promised, Daniel,” I whispered, my pulse spiking.
“I promised you can see your brother again,” Daniel pointed out. “I didn’t say I would let the two of you live.”
My breath caught. Time stretched, and everything slowed. This was it, the moment everything tipped.