Katie | woke up, but for the first time, | wasnât alone.
Mason was sleeping soundly next to me.
After we'd kissed, Iâd pulled him into my bed and weâd fallen asleep in each otherâs arms.
âAs long as you're with me, youâre safe. And youâre home,â Mason had said.
When | kissed him, it was like coming home.
So comfortable, so natural, so secure.
But we hadnât taken it any further than that.
| wanted to, and judging by the way Lily had pawed at me, | knew she did, too.
But | couldnât, not without knowing what would happen next.
I'd panicked a bit when Mason asked me to come with him to the Constantine Packlands | thought back to Quinnâs words about Xander and the baby and wondered if there was any way in hell he could possibly be the father.
If there was even the slightest possibility, then moving to his packlands with his own f ucking brother was pretty much insane.
Then again, he hadn't given any indication that he recognized me or knew who | was when heâd seen me. So that didnât make sense, either.
Mason stirred next to me.
When he turned over and saw that | was already awake, he smiled sleepily.
| pushed his long hair from his face.
âGood morning, sleepyhead,â | said.
âGood morning,â he answered.
âWhen are you leaving?â | already missed him in my bed, and he hadn't even left yet..
âTomorrow morning. Are you coming with me?â
As soon as he asked, Lily stirred inside me.
She'd made her presence known the first time heâd asked, too.
âDo it,â she seemed to say.
Her messaging was so d amn confusing.
First sheâs telling me to trust Xander and Zane, then sheâs telling me to go with Mason. 1/3 Maybe she really was just a h or ny b itch.
And who could blame her really?
Mason and | had gotten so close, and who even knew the last time sheâd gotten any.
Or if sheâd ever gotten any âCan | take today to decide?â | asked Mason | couldn't let Lilyâs persistence influence me. Not when it would change so much for me and Stella.
âOf course,â he said, getting up from the bed.
| watched as he put on the shirt heâd discarded before curling up with me, trying to memorize every ripple of his muscles before they disappeared again.
âAs much as I'd love for you and Stella to come, | donât ever want to force you to do something you're not comfortable with.â
âThanks, Mason,â | said.
He always knew how to comfort me.
âOf course. And as much as | wish | could stay here and be with you, | need to go try to figure out this family s hit. Before itâs too late.
He kissed me on the forehead, and then he was gone Xander âYou really think bringing Mason back with us is a good idea?â
I'd been waiting for Zane to ask me this question.
The ride to the hotel from the meeting with Mason had been dead silent.
This morning, heâd barely looked at me while we were packing up our sh it.
| knew Zane wasnât a fan of the idea of bringing a rogue with a revenge plan into the manor, but he was much more dangerous out of our sights than under the same roof âHell if | even know what a good idea is anymore,â | answered, âbut what else are we supposed to do?â
âXander Zane said, concern wrinkling his face. âWhat if he really is Lanie and Isaac's father? Will the twins somehow know when they meet him? Will they be more bonded to him than us?â
âWhoa, whoa,â | said, holding up my hands âTheyâre newborns. | doubt that would even happen. Especially after all the time they've spent with usâ
He nodded, but | could tell he didnât buy it Honestly, | didnât, either. But we'd cross that bridge when we came to it 213 Zane co cked his brow â| thought you said you couldn't leave without her,â he teased.
âThat was Hunter talking.â | growled. âItâs been too long since heâs had a she-wolf. G od s knows what heâd do if she was around us all the time.â
Zane shot me a knowing look. | was sure Blade had clawed at him as desperately as Hunter had when he'd seen Katie.
If she was hanging around all the time, | had no idea how weâd control ourselves.
If Katie came to Constantine, we definitely wouldn't.