Howl / Black [book 1]

ten

"How 'bout you shut up now, Embry?" Jared cut him off.

"You know Jacob's gonna fill her in." Embry snapped.

"Yeah, I know every stupid thought he has." Jared rolled his eyes as he spoke. He looked up at Mason and smirked. "Wanna know what he thinks of you?"

"Like you need special powers to know that." Emily joked from her place in the kitchen.

"It's another wolf thing. We hear each others thoughts. Good for hunting. Embarrassing for everything else." Embry explained to Mason.

"Freaking out yet?" Jared challenged.

"Shutting up yet?" Mason rolled her eyes and then met his gaze with a sweet smile.

Embry burst out in laughter. "Jacob's right, you are a bad ass."

"But i don't get it. How-Why?" Mason tries to find her words.

"Because there are bad things here." A voice spoke behind Mason. Turning around, she sees Sam standing in the doorway. "And they're getting worse."

Those words send chills down Mason's spine. Walking past the girl, Sam makes his way towards Emily.

"Hey Em." He smiles before kissing her scared face adoringly. 

Mason tries her best to look away, which wasn't hard as Jacob and Paul arrived. They laugh and jab one another. She is relieved to find Jacob unscathed. Jared and Embry instantly look up, seeing a scar on Paul's arm.

"Ha! Pay up." Embry yelled to Jared, making Mason laugh. Jared reluctantly hands Embry five bucks.

"Hey Mason, i'm sorry for being a dick." Paul says before sitting down and eating.

Jacob's eyes then find Mason's. He nods solemnly to the door; signaling that she should follow him outside. All of the wolf's watch as she starts walking towards the door and stops in front of Jacob. Jacob then looks at the boys, telling him he's going for a walk.

●●● 

The sun is just beginning to rise, reddening the clouds overhead. Mason keeps her distance, trying to control her emotions. 

"How-How long have you been a..... a-"

"A wolf?" Jacob finished her question. Mason nodded. "Technically, all of my life. I was born into it but i didn't start phasing until a couple of weeks ago."

"A couple of weeks ago, as in when you stopped talking to me?" Mason turned around and asked, squinting her eyes to block out the sun.

Jacob put his hands in his pockets and looked down sadly. "Yeah."

"An-And you couldn't tell me because Sam told you that you couldn't?" 

"It's more complicated than it sounds."

"I'm sorry i was so mad." Mason apologized.

"You don't have to apologize Mason, if anyone should be apologizing it's me. I wasn't there when you needed me, and i hurt you." Jacob was now standing in front of her. He grabbed her hand, that now had a scar across the entire palm. "I'm so sorry Mason. You will never have to think about doing this again."