Intertwined Destinies: Blood Moon Series 1

18. MARRIED

As Candice shut the door behind her, Mason stood in front of the large window, his back to her, hands clasped behind him. A long silence hung in the air after she took a seat in the armchair in front of the desk, pondering what could be running through his mind.

When the door opened, she looked over her shoulder. Jared walked into the room, concern evident in his expression. He stepped closer, removing the scarf from around his neck. "You cannot truly believe that this madness will end if you hand yourself over to them. You have no idea what they want from you. Certainly, they do not intend to kill you because they could have done that by now."

She slumped in the chair, messaging her temples. All this made her head throb as if she had banged it against the wall multiple times. "What could they possibly want from me?" It was rude, but she turned away from him and moved the stapler, pile of papers, and pencils on the desk around like she was playing chess. "Part of me feels that there are many others in the pack who share Stephanie's sentiments. To be honest, I understand why they don't want us here anymore. I don't plan to stay where I'm not welcome, nor is my pack."

Her eyes lifted from the desk when he took a seat in front of her in the armchair behind his desk that had elegant tribal carvings. "They believed you were not fit to become an Alpha, but today you gained their respect."

"On the contrary. I made enemies."

"Not only did you show everyone that you are as powerful as any other Alpha, but you also showed mercy when you spared Stephanie, even though she disrespected you and deserved death." He gave her a genuine smile that warmed her heart. "Your mother would have been proud of you."

That brought tears to her eyes. When they streamed down her face, she wiped them away. "I think she would be ashamed of me. I haven't made the most intelligent of decisions."

He reached across the desk and grabbed her hand. "We all make mistakes. You have been strong for your friends and agreed to adopt Mikaela even though she is nothing to you."

Candice pulled her hand back, eyes fixed on Mason. "If I stay—"

Jared raised his hand, a sign that this was not up for discussion. "We have been allies for many years. If it was us in your position, your mother would have done everything to help us."

"Yes, she would have."

He opened a drawer and pulled out a brown folder with a wolf seal on it. After opening it, he set it in front of her. Eyes narrowed, she leaned forward to look at its contents. "Mason sent a request to the council to adopt Mikaela."

Honestly, she didn't read it at all. Instead, her eyes scanned through it to find what truly mattered to Mason and her.

Your request to become legal guardians of Mikaela has been denied by the Wolf Council of Etris.

It became difficult to breathe. Without a word, she lurched to her feet and broke the distance between Mason and her, wrapping her arms around him as if her life depended on it. Adopting Mikaela meant a lot to him. The council rejecting his request must have been a great blow to him.

"You should read it all."

Reluctantly, Candice pulled away from Mason to face Jared. He rose from his chair, then handed her the folder. She tried to read it, but the tears in her eyes made the words fuzzy. The pain stabbing her heart told her she cared for Mikaela. That she herself was looking forward to adopting her. As she handed it back to Jared, he glanced down at her trembling hand.

"Calm down. There is still something we can do."

Jared glanced behind her, and she followed his gaze. Mason had his back to her, his hands on the window frame, the cracking indicating he was putting too much pressure on the wood.