Chapter 2
TWO
Mason
What was she doing here? My head and my heart pounded, threatening to burst from my body.
The urge to shift and escape filled me. I’d found it nearly impossible to walk away from her five years ago, and the time since had only added to her allure.
I wasn’t sure I could do it again, but I needed to. Too much stood between us.
Declan’s head swiveled back and forth, his narrowed gaze seeing too much. I had to keep him from realizing who she was to me. Otherwise, my brothers and their mates would be relentless in throwing us together.
I cleared my throat. “How can I help you?”
“Mason?”
“Do I know you?” It killed me to pretend she was a stranger.
Even before I first saw her in person, I felt like I knew her.
Aaron had told countless stories about his baby sister, younger by three minutes.
I could have passed an exam about her. Her likes and dislikes, her dreams, the trouble the two got into together.
“You and my brother Aaron were in the same special ops squad.” The line of her shoulders was tight, and she drew in an uneven breath. “He mentioned you in an email to me.”
“Oh, Aaron. Yeah, he talked about a sister once.” I kept my voice casual, light and dismissive. “I don’t remember your name, though.”
“It’s Brooke.” She folded her arms across her waist and glanced at Declan. “Do you mind if I talk to Mason alone for a minute?”
He looked at me, and I shrugged a shoulder, giving no indication of my inner turmoil.
My bear was itching for me to claim my mate, but I shoved him down, calling on all my special forces training to keep him at bay.
I’d had to learn greater control than most shifters, as I couldn’t just shift whenever I wanted or needed while on deployment.
Declan held up her bag. “I’ll drop this off at your cabin. Mason can show you the way when you’re done.”
“Thank you.” Brooke gave him a small smile, and my bear roared in my head, wanting all her smiles for himself. Declan tipped his hat and left.
I gritted my teeth and leaned against the worktable, arms crossed over my chest. “What can I do for you?”
She bit her lip and stepped closer, resting her hand on the workbench that ran down the side of the workshop before turning to face me. “I’ve thought hard about how to ask my question, but I’ve realized there’s no good way, so here goes. How did my brother die?”
Even my breath stilled at her question. A bang sounded in my head, followed by crashing and yelling, threatening to drag me back to my last mission.
I couldn’t let it. Not now. I let my fingers shift, just slightly.
Just enough for the bite of claws to dig into my palms. The pain grounded me in the moment.
“The army would have notified you of the details.”
“They’re claiming it was a training accident. But he wasn’t on a training exercise.” She shook her head at me when I started to disagree. “Don’t bother repeating the army’s line. Aaron and I had a code. He was on a mission.”
I inhaled deeply, and her scent filled me. I swallowed hard, resisting the urge to go to her and claim her as my mate, knowing I had lost any chance I might have had with her long ago. “If you know that much, you know I can’t tell you anything.”
“I’m not planning to call the army out on its lies. I just need to know.” Her voice held a pleading note. “Was it quick or did he suffer? Was he alone? I lose sleep wondering these things.”
I dropped my gaze, unable to look her in the eye. How could I tell her? I couldn’t. Even though I’d given up any hope of claiming my mate, just thinking about the look in her eyes if she learned the truth broke me. She was better off not knowing.
“I can’t answer your questions.” My heart cracked at the despair on her face. “Let me show you to your cabin. Dinner will be starting soon.”
Her jaw tightened, and she jerked away from the workbench. “Just point me in the right direction and I’ll find it.”
I told her where to go, and she gave a stiff nod, turning her back on me and walking toward the door. She paused, hand on the doorknob, and threw one last question over her shoulder.
“Why didn’t you go to the funeral?”
“I did.” The words left me before I stopped them. Her gaze lifted to me, a question in them. One I didn’t answer. I couldn’t tell her I hadn’t belonged at her brother’s graveside. That I’d watched from a distance. Grieving not just Aaron but any hope of a future with my mate.
She waited a beat, but when I offered no more, she left, the door closing behind her with a soft click that echoed through my soul.
I dropped my head into my hands, taking several deep, shaky breaths as I wondered if fate was punishing me by putting my mate back in my life.
I didn’t know how I’d get through her stay.
Maybe she’d leave now that I’d refused to give her answers.
My heart ached. I’d never wanted anything as much as I wanted her.
Knowing she was my mate had put a lot of things in perspective. Aaron and I had clicked immediately, and the first time he’d pulled out her picture to show me, I was smitten, as if something in me recognized her for who she was to me.
That had been the start of my problems with Vince. The closer I got to Aaron, the more Vince pulled away. We’d been best friends throughout our teen years and signed up for the army together. But something about my relationship with Aaron had bothered him.
Then came that final mission.
Familiar noises invaded my head again. I growled, spinning on my heel and flipping the table behind me, tractor parts flying to the floor with a crash. My shoulders heaved as my breathing intensified. I needed to run.
I yanked my shirt over my head and left out the back door, dropping my pants and shifting into my large brown bear.
I kept enough control to prevent him from seeking his mate but otherwise let him take over.
My thigh ached even in this form, but despite the limp we shared, we were strong and could run for miles.
I’d pay for it later, but I needed to stop thinking.
Still, no matter how much I ran, I couldn’t outrun the thought of her.
Brooke
I maneuvered myself to sit next to Emily, Vince’s sister, at supper. She had come up in my research, and I recognized her immediately.
My eyes had sought Mason the second I walked into the pavilion, but I didn’t see him anywhere. There was a twinge in my chest at his absence, though I didn’t understand why. He had been less than receptive when I questioned him.
He claimed he’d been at the funeral, but I found it hard to believe I hadn’t seen him. He had a presence that drew me in. Grief had consumed me that day, though, so I might have missed him.
“How do you like your cabin?” Emily batted her mate’s hand away when he tried to steal a slice of meat from her plate. “Austin, go get your own. Hannah and Mae make enough for your shifter appetites.”
She shook her head as he gave an exaggerated pout and headed back to the buffet. “Sorry about that. So, the cabin?”
“It’s lovely.” It really was. It contained a cozy sitting area in front of a fireplace and a huge, very comfortable bed. Everything was decorated in a charming rustic style that wasn’t too masculine. “The artwork is incredible.”
“Sierra curated the pieces. She runs the art gallery. The paintings are mostly Gabriel’s, and the photographs are Chloe’s.” She took a sip of water. “You should definitely make time to see the gallery while you’re here. It’s amazing.”
“I heard about the gallery. Didn’t it have to be rebuilt?” I asked casually, like I hadn’t read all the news articles about it during my research on the ranch.
Her eyes shadowed. “Yes. That was before I came here.”
I waited a beat for her to say more, but she didn’t mention the sabotage or her brother.
I’d hoped she’d volunteer the information, which would allow me to ask about Vince, but I might need to be more direct.
“We actually have a connection. Our brothers were friends and squad mates in the military.”
She paused, hand on her glass, before twisting on her chair toward me.
“Is it a coincidence that you’re here, or…
” Suspicion colored her expression as she trailed off, looking at me to fill in the blank.
She was sharp, and I immediately realized I needed to be honest with her.
She’d see through any attempt to pry info out of her.
“Not a coincidence. My brother died while they were in the service together. I was hoping to find out what really happened.” I saw the sympathy flash through her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying my nerves. “All I have to go on is his last email to me, which mentions Vince and Mason.”
Emily took her time responding. When she spoke, she did so with a sigh.
“Vince was never the same after he came home. He was always serious, but it was the kind of serious that came from being the eldest, from being groomed to take over our family ranch one day. He still had friends and would laugh and joke… But when he got back, that changed. His seriousness had an edge of darkness to it. He no longer joked around, and he and Mason never spoke again.”
“He never talked about his time away?”
She shook her head. “Never. And we learned quickly not to ask. He has a grudge against Mason, which is why he’s targeted Shifter Ranch.”
“Do you know what the grudge is about?” I picked at my food, appetite gone.
“No. Mason’s the one you should talk to about this.”
“I tried.” I pushed my plate away. “He wouldn’t answer my questions.”
“I imagine it’s a difficult subject.” She put her hand on my arm. “Try asking him for stories about your brother. It’s not what you’re after, but it might help soothe the ache of not knowing.”
Her head tilted, and she peered around me. “There’s Mason now. I’ll get him to join us.”
I turned in my chair and watched Mason enter the pavilion. His gait was uneven as he walked over to the buffet. I frowned. “Is he injured? I thought shifters healed quickly.”
“They do. He got hurt while away, and it never healed properly. It’s why the army discharged him.” Emily waved and called out, “Mason! Over here.”
He stopped, his gaze cutting to us. Something flashed across his expression when he saw me, but it was gone too quickly for me to read. He shifted on his feet, looking like he was going to turn away from us, but then Austin slung his arm around his shoulder and guided him to our table.
Mason and Austin sat opposite us, but I sensed Mason’s reluctance. He wanted nothing to do with me.
Pain shot through me, but it made little sense. I wasn’t here to build a relationship with him. I was here to get information. But try as I might to convince myself, I still ached at the distance from him.
“So, Mason, got any good stories about Brooke’s brother?” Emily dove right in. I was grateful to her, as speaking felt impossible right now.
Mason’s fork paused mid-air while Austin’s eyes darted between us, brows furrowed. “You know Brooke’s brother?”
“We served together.” Mason’s voice was clipped.
“Oh.” Austin sent a warning glance Emily’s way. “We should talk about something else.”
“Or we should leave them to talk alone.” Emily stood and motioned for Austin to follow her. She placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed lightly before leaving.
Mason’s shoulders were tense as he ate, gaze locked on his plate. I waited for him to finish before saying anything, my voice soft. “I’d love to hear about my brother. What he was like while deployed. I just miss him so much.”
He swallowed and fisted his free hand on the table. When he finally lifted his eyes, they were filled with regret. “I’m sorry. I have nothing to say.”
He pushed his chair away from the table and walked out of the pavilion, the dark swallowing his broad frame. I let out a shuddering breath, holding the tears at bay. Despite not knowing what to expect when coming here, I had hoped for more.
I allowed myself to wallow for a moment but then straightened my shoulders. I hadn’t come this far just to give up. If Mason thought I was done with him, he had a surprise coming.