Chapter 5 #2
“That he did.” He paused. “You must realize this is a double-edged blade. A wolf mate can never walk away, never leave you alone. A human? There is nothing to stop them if they grow bored, no way to keep them from looking elsewhere to find someone new.”
You mean the way Jerome is allowed three other mates? Fuck that.
Kip could bang every girl he met, for all I cared. He was doing this to help me.
“I am aware, Alpha. I cannot help myself, though. I love him and have since not long after we met.”
“Tell us about him.”
Talk about Kip? Sure, I could do that.
“In school, Kip was a star athlete. He holds several records in football, baseball, and swimming.” I paused to take a breath. “However, beyond that he was immeasurably kind. He would stand up for anyone in need against those who tried to take power away from them.”
Alpha Donnelly blinked. “Indeed?”
I nodded. “Once he told his coach he would quit before he’d be part of a team that would bully their equipment manager.
The coach was incensed to hear that his people were picking on someone who was an integral part of the team, and did such an important job, keeping others from having to pick up the slack.
” I looked him in the eye. “He kept me from being picked on as well. He told the others that if they wanted to try bossing me around, they’d have to go through him first.”
Both stories were true. Kip was—is—an amazing person, and anyone who had him as a partner would be lucky indeed.
Alpha Donnelly rubbed his bearded chin. “And will he become an athlete?”
“No, Alpha. He said he’s going to do something else, something he feels is worthwhile. He knows he’s a decent player, but he’s also aware he’s not the best out there.”
“Hm. So he’s self-aware.” He peered at his son. “Jerome, perhaps you could learn something from him.”
The color drained from Jerome’s face. “Father, you can’t seriously—”
“I will do what I think is best,” he snapped, and Jerome froze.
Alpha Donnelly squared his shoulders. “Clearly that is not you. If we went before the council and aired our grievances, I’m sure they would side with us, but I don’t want my son in a marriage that is devoid of love.
Therefore, I am willing to accept the vow between Kip and Mason. ”
Holy fuck.
“Father, you can’t do that!” Jerome wailed.
“I already have,” he said. “However, there are things I feel must be addressed to keep everyone happy.”
Oh, I did not like how this was sounding.
“Mason, the two of you will share a house in your town. Everyone must see the two of you together, as a couple. You will eat out publicly, be affectionate, and—”
I knew I was going to hate myself for this, but I had no choice. “But Alpha, Kip isn’t out of the closet. This could be putting him at risk with his family.”
“So then you’d help him live a lie?”
“Well no, but—”
“There is no but here. If Kip feels as strongly as you claim he does, then he should step up and show it.”
I swallowed. “And what if he’s unable to do so?”
“Then you will return to Jerome and marry him without further protest.”
Well, fuck.
I might just as well go with Jerome now.
No way would Kip be willing to do this. And, if I was being honest, I didn’t really want him to.
I wasn’t into Kip, except as my best friend.
There was no spark between us, and the thought of any form of affection left me kinda grossed out.
He was more of a brother than anything else.
“I understand, Alpha. What about talking with him and explaining what we are?”
“That is forbidden.”
“So how will I make him understand why I have to leave home for three days each month during the cycles of the moon? How will I answer his questions about where I go, what I’m doing, who I’m with?”
His brow furrowed. “I… see your point. Allow me a few moments to confer with your Alpha.”
The audio was muted. I peered over at my parents who had been awfully quiet during this exchange. Mom smiled and Dad gave a thumbs-up. I had no idea what that was all about, but it made me nervous.
Everything about this situation made me nervous.
The audio came back on. “Do you trust him?” Alpha John asked.
Did I? Would I trust anyone outside of the pack enough to risk all our lives? Inviting humans into the town had been a huge risk, but it needed to be done if we were to survive. I wouldn’t say I trusted any of them enough to admit what we were, however.
But Kip? The way I felt about him was totally different. He was a good guy, with his head on straight—no pun intended—and he was able to roll with the punches. I didn’t think this would affect him one way or another.
It didn’t mean my stomach didn’t clench at the thought.
“There is no human I trust more than Kip,” I said at last.
“Then as far as I am concerned, this is settled. You have my permission to explain to him what we are, but you are responsible if this doesn’t go well. And do keep in mind, if this goes badly, we will have no choice but to eliminate him to preserve our secret.”
He was openly admitting to me that they would kill Kip. My stomach knotted violently at the thought of seeing those pretty eyes cold and lifeless. I was dragging him into some awful crap for my own benefit, and all because Alpha Donnelly’s son disgusted me.
“I don’t know if I can—” I began.
“Then return to town with Jerome and prepare to be wed.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “Alphas, I would rather marry Jerome than put Kip in danger. He has been my best friend, my most stalwart companion, and someone I love deeply. I won’t have him hurt.”
This was one hell of a gamble.
The two men onscreen smiled. Alpha John addressed me. “That speaks volumes about your commitment to him. We trust in you, Mason. If you tell us your faith in Kip is that strong, then we will allow this to proceed.”
“So I can tell him what I am?”
“You may, yes.”
“And if he speaks out about it?” Except I already knew the answer to that. They would kill Kip to protect us all. I had to impress that on him when we spoke.
Alpha Donnelly spoke instead. “This meeting is adjourned. Jerome, return home. We’ll talk when you arrive.”
“Yes, Father.” His tone was sullen, his lips curled into a snarl. The screens went dark, and Jerome stalked to where I stood. “I don’t know how you did this, but I don’t believe it. You will be mine, you can count on that.”
Then he turned and stormed out of the room. As soon as we were alone, my parents descended on me.
“Why didn’t you tell us about you and Kip? We would never have pushed Jerome on you if we’d known.”
“But the town….”
Dad sighed. “Honestly, that’s Alpha John’s problem. We’ll help him, of course, but not at the cost of your happiness.” He smiled. “Now, tell us all about how the two of you got together. We adore Kip and can’t see you in love with anyone else.”
Well, that’s just freaking great.
I was standing at the center of a storm of lies, and I was dragging everyone in with me.
I just hope when the storm is over we’ll all be able to stand one another.
Kip
This is freaking maddening.
An hour had passed since Mason’s parents and Jerome had marched him out of the auditorium and over to our hotel.
I swear, Mason’s expression made me think they were leading him to the gallows.
I followed, because what else was I gonna do?
Sit in my parents’ hotel room and count the stripes on the wallpaper?
I stood across the street, watching the door to the lobby, admiring the Shelby GT500CR in the parking lot, and casting frequent glances at my phone for any messages.
Nothing.
I’m going over there. I can’t wait any longer. I have to know what’s going on.
But as I was about to cross the street, Jerome stormed out of the hotel and got into the Shelby.
He may be a douche but he has great taste in cars.
Which was possibly the only positive thing I would ever have to say about the guy. So if he was gone, that meant Mason would appear any second now.
Any. Second. Now.
Twenty minutes after Jerome had left, I was still saying it.
Okay, now I was worried. What is going on?
After another twenty minutes passed, I’d had enough.
I stomped over to the hotel, ready to do battle if necessary.
I checked my phone for the message Mason had sent that morning, telling me what room he was in.
When I got to it, I pounded on the door and called out for him.
It opened, and he stood there smiling at me. “Hey,” he said in a bright tone.
I blinked. “Hey? That’s all I get? What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t have to go back with Jerome.” He sounded almost chirpy.
“Yeah, I saw him leave. He was not a happy bunny.”
“Oh, he wasn’t. He—”
“Is that our future son-in-law?” Mason’s mom called out, her tone cheerful and just a bit scary. “Let him in!”
“Sorry,” Mason said in a low voice. “For everything.”
I stepped into the room and was instantly set upon by Mason’s parents, who hugged me and clapped me on the back, welcoming me to the family. My head spun, but I tried to retain my composure.
“Where are your parents?” Mason’s dad asked.
“They’re staying in another hotel, Mr. Devlin A lot of them were booked up because of the graduation.”
His dad snorted. “I think we’re past the Mr. and Mrs. Devlin stage. I’m Donald, and this is Rachel.”
I gave them both a polite nod. Mason was staring at me, but instead of unnerving me, I found it calming.
“So what happened?” I asked.
Rachel tugged Donald’s arm. “We should go. I know you two have a lot to talk about.”
Donald smiled. “Sure. Ask your parents if they’re open to having dinner later tonight, okay, son?”
Rachel giggled as they left the room, closing the door behind them.
What is up with her?
I could hear them talking as they walked away, the words becoming more indistinct with every step. Finally, I turned to Mason.
“What the hell is going on, dude? I need to know, especially about Jerome.”
“The good news is I don’t have to marry him.”
It was as if a huge weight rolled off my chest. “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”
Mason bit his lip. “I wouldn’t be too happy if I were you. There’s a healthy dose of bad news in there too, and yeah, it involves you.”
I frowned. “Me?”
“The part about us making promises to each other? They bought it. That’s why they’ve changed their mind about me marrying Jerome, but….” His gaze dropped to the floor.
My skin prickled. Uh-oh. “You’ve gotten this far. Don’t stop now. Gimme the bad news.”
“They’ve agreed we can be a couple, but…I have to be tied to you.”
“Wait. What?”
“You’ll become my dominant partner.”
I gaped at him. “No. No fucking way. We did this so you wouldn’t be submissive to anyone.”
He raised his chin and I could see tears in his eyes. “It’s our way. You have to understand, my position dictates I have a dominant partner. It’s not just a rule, it’s a necessity.”
My head was spinning. “Position? What the hell are you saying?”
He sighed and pointed to the armchair in the corner. “Have a seat, and I’ll do my best to explain.”
I plopped my ass on the chair, my mind muddled. None of this made sense to me. What made even less sense was when Mason knelt beside me.
I glared at him. “Dude, what the fuck are you doing?”
He smiled. “What’s expected of me. You are now my Dominant, so I have to bow to you in all things.”
Okay, now I was pissed. “Get your ass up,” I hissed. “I am not your Dominant, I’m your best freakin’ friend.”
He blinked slowly, ears glittering down his cheek. “Does it have to be one or the other?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Acid churned in my guts. “And why are you crying?” I’d never seen him cry. Ever.
He wiped his cheeks. “Because with you, I’ve always been able to rein in my emotions.” He pushed out a sigh. “It’ll be easier if I explain things to you. Maybe then you’ll understand.”
“Well, someone better tell me what’s going on. Otherwise I’m gonna get real pissed off.”
Not like I wasn’t already. Seeing Mason, tears on his face, made me want to kill whoever had hurt him or made him feel like he was less than he was.
Mason swallowed. “Before I can tell you, I need you to make me a promise.”
I folded my arms and stuck out my chin. “Nope. No way. I’m not promising anything until I know what’s going on. I mean, look at you. You’re here, kneeling in front of me, tears in your eyes… This shit is not okay! So I won’t be saying yes without knowing what you’re expecting of me.”
“I understand.” He closed his eyes and drew in a breath, then opened them, his gaze locked on me. “You know I told you my people are religious?”
I nodded.
“Well, we have a hierarchy. We always know who is in charge, who serves, who… submits. John, the mayor? He’s our leader. Our… Alpha. Me? I’m the Omega… the servant.”
I leaped out of the chair. “What the fuck are you talking about? You are no one’s servant!”
He didn’t move, but stared up at me. “Do you remember that day in the cafeteria? When the guys were telling me to clear their table? If you hadn’t stepped in, I would have done it because it’s my place.
Seeing you there, standing up to them, telling them no?
That gave me the courage to stand up for myself. You helped make me what I am.”
“Nope, you can’t blame that mess on me.”
He gave me a sad smile. “Please, don’t play with me right now.
My emotions are all over the place. I just lied to our leaders.
John for us and Jerome’s dad for the others.
I told them I was in love with you.” My breath caught, and he held his hand up.
“Don’t worry, I’m not. They asked if I trusted you, and I said yes without reservation.
That is what’s allowing me to tell you the truth.
” He took another deep breath. My people are Homo sapiens lycanthropus, or what humans refer to as… werewolves.”
Just when I thought I couldn’t be shocked anymore, Mase proved me wrong.
“Did you say… werewolves?”