Chapter 182: Chapter 181

Mason Lanie was looking at me like | was crazy.

“We can’t leave this place!” she cried. “It’s not safe!”

“Says who?” | jammed my finger toward the cabin. “The wolves in there who stole my pups from me and have been plotting to steal my mate?!” | waved my hand off toward the dark woods. “Or the ancient vampire and his hot young minion who keep promising to “keep us updated” but never tell us a f ucking thing?!”

Xander and Zane’s lies had pushed me over the edge. Why the hell were we trusting any of these people? What good had they ever done for us?

I'd made a mistake coming here, thinking | could make Xander and Orion pay for what they’d done to me. But they were already self-destructing without my help. Maybe if I’d never come here, things would've imploded anyway, and | could've slipped in quietly after the dust had settled.

We should've just stayed in Stillwood, stayed hidden, stayed in the dark.

“Mason, if they hadn’t helped us, we would’ve been kidnapped...or worse,” Lanie said.

But | turned my head away from her. That's what they wanted us to believe. That we needed them. So they could keep us here long enough to carry out whatever plans they had for us.

Maybe they were all working for Orion, maybe this was some elaborate plan to take me out of the picture for good. | bent down and held my head in my hands. Did | really think that? Or was Colt so riled up that he was making me believe crazy sh it?

Unless | got away from all this and cleared my head, I’d never know.

“Look, Mason.” Lanie stepped closer to me and took my hands in hers. She held my gaze intensely. “You know Orion could easily find us in Stillwood. We're not hidden there like we are here. We're not safe,” she said again.

“So you feel safe with Xander and Zane and Braden, but not with me?”

| knew it was a petty thing to say, but it felt impossible to control my anger and jealousy right now.

Lanie shook her head. “Don’t do that, Mason. | feel the safest with you, and you know it.” She fell into my arms and | held her tightly.

It still amazed me, how right it felt having her in my arms.

“| feel horrible about what happened with the twins. It’s f ucked up that they didn’t tell you,” she said “But it's important that we all try to work it out and not do anything crazy.”

A twinge of annoyance crept up the back of my neck. Why was | the crazy one here? Why did Braden and some old-a ss vampire know what was right for Lanic and Stella but | didn’t?

“Lanie, | want to do this because | love you,” | said, pulling back and searching her face “I don’t want anything else to happen to you, or to our children.”

She s swallowed hard and tears sprang to her eyes.

“| love you too, Mason.”

| leaned down and kissed her slowly and deeply. Our tongues intertwined, and my hands were in her hair, and her heavy, intoxicating scent was wrapping around me, squeezing all the sense out of me.

| couldn't leave her, | needed her, needed to have her.

We broke apart and she shook her head. “But | can’t go to Stillwood with you.”

She wouldn't meet my eyes. It felt like a spell had broken.

Was she saying no because she genuinely thought she was safer here? Or because she didn’t want to leave Xander and Zane behind?

“And, Mason... | don’t want you to go, either. | want you to stay and protect me and Stella. You owe us that. You know that if you hadn’ She trailed off and looked at the ground, but she didn’t need to finish her sentence. | knew what she meant. If | hadn't dragged her here, none of this would’ve happened.

Awell of rage and sadness rose from deep within me, but | gritted my teeth and nodded my head. | said nothing, and let Lanie lead me back inside Lanie | led Mason through the cabin and past Xander and Zane without another word.

We entered the bedroom and climbed into the bed, still not speaking.

Mason wrapped his arm around me, but even though we were pressed together, it seemed like he was miles away. I’d hurt him by saying | wouldn't go to Stillwood, but leaving this place and its magical safety was way too scary and uncertain.

Anxiety gripped me, my breaths coming short and fast. | didn’t want to leave with Mason, but | didn’t want to live without him, either.

| awoke suddenly and felt the emptiness of the bed immediately.

| flipped over and sure enough, Mason was gone. My heart thudded hard. Maybe he was outside or in the living room with Stella.

But something in me knew that was wishful thinking.

| slowly tiptoed out to the living room where Xander and Zane were sound asleep. | pulled back the curtain to check on Stella. She was there, sleeping soundly.

But both of the twins were gone.

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