Chapter Twenty-Six
Kory
I wasn't expecting Mason to arrive so soon.
I figured he would have needed more time to work things out with his pack, but apparently not.
I'm nervous that without Hex here as a buffer, this could get awkward.
Yes, we're mates and my mouse is ridiculously infatuated with the wolf, but he's a virtual stranger.
And he doesn't have the greatest track record.
I inhale the scent of the roses again. Maybe he's turning things around. I can do this. I can give him a chance.
Mason returns to the porch, dressed now, with a suitcase and a couple other bags. I let him by me so he can set them in the guestroom. My place isn't that big, but the room should be adequate.
When Hex dropped me off, things felt off between us, not because we've had feelings change, but because it's unclear how we're supposed to interact. Usually, when Hex is over, he sleeps in my bed. But is that appropriate now that Mason is in the picture? Can we go about our relationship as usual?
Shaking off the uncomfortable feelings since I can't do anything about them right now, I dig my phone from my pocket and snap a picture of the flowers. I send the picture to Hex. He needs to know our mate is making an effort.
"The roses change color," Mason says, coming back into the living room. He takes one from me and says, "blue."
The flower takes on a vibrant blue that reminds me of the deeper parts of the ocean. When he hands it back to me, I try it out by turning it a yellow that resembles the color of a sunflower.
"That's amazing. Let me find something to put these in." Mason follows me as I move to the kitchen to dig around under the sink.
"They don't require water, so you don't have to worry about a vase. You can put them in anything."
But I don't want to put them in any old thing, so I keep digging into the back of the cabinet until I find what I'm looking for.
Several years ago, I found a crystal vase at an estate sale.
I wasn't sure I'd use it, but I couldn't walk away without it.
Now, I know why. Standing, I put the roses into the vase.
Perfect. Between Mason and I, we discover the perfect place for it is in the window where the morning light creates a prism of colors in the living room.
I want to stay up and be a good host, but everything is catching up with me all of a sudden. The yawn I've been trying to stifle finally slips out.
"Go get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up," Mason says. And he is. When I come out of my room hours later, my mate is standing shirtless in the kitchen cooking us lunch.
There goes another chip in my defensive armor. If he keeps this up, there will be no way I can resist him.