Angelina blinked.
Her eyes felt heavy.
Her memory was a little fuzzy as she glanced around her bedroom- the one she had at the Silver Dawn Pack.
She blinked again, trying to make sense of her rushing thoughts. Her temples were pounding as she approached her bed on quiet feet. Her bare feet sank into the carpet with each, slow step. She briefly wondered where her boots had gone.
Each step drew her closer to her bed.
She froze mid step when she realised that there was a lump sprawled on her bed.
Mason.
He had her lampshade switched on. It effectively casted a hazy glow upon the book he held between his palms. He was sleeping on his side, with the covers still tucked beneath his form. He only had his towel on. She noted that his hair was still damp from a shower he must've taken a little earlier. Droplets had slid down his neck and settled across the tops of his shoulders.
In the back of her mind, Angelina knew there was something not quite right happening. Something cold slithered along her spine, wrapping around her middle like a vice.
She closed the gap between them, eyeing Mason's chest that lifted and depleted with each breath he sucked in and out.
Her fingers itched to run through his hair but she didn't want to wake him up.
Instead, she simply watched him for a while until she could no longer just observe. She leaned over him and carefully grazed the pad of her thumb against the high peaks of his cheeks. His lashes twitched. She retracted her touch just as the man opened his eyes.
Angelina held her breath.
Mason abruptly sat up and reached to touch her but his fingers went right through her.
Angelina stared wide eyed at Mason.
Mason narrowed his gaze and reached for her again but his hand went right through her again.
Panic started to simmer in her chest.
Before she could speak, she felt herself being sucked back by an invisible but powerful force. A scream tore through her lips as she felt air rush by, tugging at her clothes. She was airborne before she fell like a bag of bricks without resistance into a hole of nothing. She had to close her eyes to prevent her from tearing up from the rapid downward movement her body was experiencing.
It felt like she hit a hard wall when she finally reached the bottom of the dark abyss.
Angelina woke up with a gasp and pounding headache.
The walls were vibrating. She thought it was her imagination but the walls were really thrumming. Confused, she examined the room. Her memories told her that she was vaguely familiar with it. She tried to gather her memories but they kept sifting through her fingers like specks of sand.
She flinched when she spotted the needle in her hand, attached to a tube filled with blood. She made a move to remove it but a hand gently took hold of hers, stopping her.
"Mason." His name left her lips. Panic laced her tone. "Where is he?" She scanned the room frantically. There was a thick blanket tucked around her. Whoever did it, must've wanted her to not fall off the bed. She felt like a burrito.
"You're safe Luna. We've almost finished with the blood transfusion." A familiar voice startled her from her foggy state.
"Blood transfusion?" She muttered in confusion, following the feminine hand that led to Dani.
The woman offered her a small but tired smile. Angelina noted that the woman looked weary but happy as she watched her. Her short hair was slightly rumpled, as well as the blue cotton pyjamas she had on. Her clothes were stained with all sorts of things but she looked as well as she could be in that moment.
"You're safe." Angelina whispered. Relief welled within her chest. She was glad Casper obeyed her words, although she hadn't given him much choice.
Dani nodded, "Thank you for coming for me."
Angelina shook her head. "May knew where you were. She led us to you."
Dani nodded again, avoiding her gaze. Angelina had caught the misty sheen of her eyes before she hid them. She felt her emotion.
It took both of them long minutes before they could get a hold of her emotions. In her already vulnerable and weak state, her feelings had a stronger, more tighter grip on her control.
"You've been out for a while. You lost a lot of blood." Dani informed her softly, like she was a frightened child. "Casper gave you some blood. I would've done it but I'm a bit too weak at the moment." She explained quietly.
Angelina blinked and spotted Casper sitting on the edge of a chair, near the bed she was currently sprawled on. His head was lolled to the side, as he slept away with quiet breaths. There was dry specks of blood against his cheek and neck. She didn't want to know how much blood was soaked dry in his dark clothes. She could still smell the iron in her nose but that could've just been the blood running into her veins. She glimpsed the need in her hand again. She was genuinely surprised that Casper had given her blood. She'd never expected him to spare even a single shred of care for her.
"I managed to get the bullets out of you before it could do more damage. You really should be fine. Do you feel funny?" Dani asked, regarding her closely with concern.
Angelina tried to speak but her throat was parched. She licked her lips but there was barely any saliva to dampen her lips. Dani came forward with a glass of water. She'd even stuck in a straw. "Here, take this. It'll soothe your throat." Angelina took a careful sip from the straw, instantly feeling better once the water slid down her throat.
"Better?" Dani inquired.
Angelina nodded, "Thank you but how are you feeling?"
Dani arched an amused brow but conceded a nod, "Don't worry about me. I'm good. A little tired. They didn't hurt me much. Only a few scrapes and bruises but still alive."
"And traumatised." Casper had woken up at some point. His voice sounded rough and equally groggy from sleep. He rubbed at his eyes and stretched his arms over his head, ridding his back of aches. "Those fuckers are lucky they had a quick death." He muttered. "I would carved their balls up and played tennis with it while they watched- "
"-Casper." Dani warned but she had a small smile on her lips. Casper immediately took her by the hip and gathered her on his lap like she was a little delicate flower. He then placed a chaste kiss just behind her ear. Dani feigned annoyance but she clearly was endeared by him all the same since she had her hand lovingly tangled in his light hair.
Angelina observed the couple for a few seconds, content they both were safe and mercifully alive.
"Thank you Casper, for the blood." Angelina told the man.
Casper speared her with his murky gaze. She wasn't prepared when he relented a nod and said in a gruff tone, "You're welcome."
Angelina blinked in surprise.
Dani laughed, tucking her face into his neck. "Oh, you're too cute sometimes Casper. You make me want to pinch cheeks."
"And which cheeks are you referring to woman?" Casper asked with a secretive smirk.
Dani snorted, "You're insufferable."
Casper simply grinned, hiding the tilt of his lips behind Dani's locks of hair he lifted and inhaled.
"Thank fuck you're awake."
Angelina glanced up to see Lucien enter the room. Her brain cleared as she finally clicked that this was his office in Red Spot.
She was at Red Spot.
Casper and Dani had somehow taken her to Lucien's club when she passed out.
The man himself was donned in dark blue slacks that appeared to be expertly ironed as the creases were sharp and defined. He had decided on pairing the bottoms with a pristine, white dress shirt and a deep maroon vest with small, black buttons running down the front. "You had me worried there Luna."
Angelina didn't know what to say. It had been a while since she saw the man.
Lucien seemed to be comfortable, as he took a seat on the edge of her bed. He craned his neck and gave her a quick scan, "Hmm, if Mason knew how close you were to being in danger, he'd be here right now."
Angelina found relief in Lucien's words. She didn't want Mason to be worried about her.
She made it, didn't she?
She cringed when she remembered the feeling of the bullets penetrating her skin.
Yeah, that would leave a mark in her memory.
"You all seem to be in adequate health to travel back home." Lucien informed them all, clasping his hands together. "Please don't return to my club covered in blood again. I lost a few customers because of you idiots." He flashed them all a tight lipped smile that definitely translated to, 'Now get the fuck off my property guys.'
For once, Casper appeared sheepish as he ducked behind Dani.
**
"I'm fine." Angelina reassured Casper and Dani for tenth time.
May clung to her hand, following them back as she swung their interlaced fingers back and forth between them, while she hummed an unfamiliar tune.
Within a few minutes, they would be back at home.
"I was worried for you Luna but I knew you were strong." May beamed up at her. Her green eyes sparkled. Angelina returned her joy. Lucien had warned her to take it easy and that her body would do the rest in the healing process. The spot in her chest ached the most since the bullet had come too close to her heart. Lucien had called in a Healer from another Pack that was an ally of the Silver Dawn Pack. After Dani had taken the bullets out, the Healer began to heal her wounds. It was only before they left Red Spot, the Healer finished closing the holes in her body. Casper's healthy blood in her system had helped speed up the process. There was still a little ache where the bullet wounds had been but other than that, there was no mark to mar her skin. The Healer took care of the rest, reassuring her that not a single scar would be left behind. She hadn't minded if it had been otherwise but the Healer was adamant to heal her completely.
She would have to tell Mason what had happened but she was incredibly relieved that Dani was with them.
Casper and Dani walked ahead of her, holding hands as they softly communicated to each other. They kept checking up on her every few minutes, to ask if she was good. She found it sweet when they had done it twenty minutes ago. She'd already reassured them several times that she was doing fine but the duet seemed to be overly concerned for her wellbeing. Even Casper kept slowing his pace with the excuse that his boots had rocks in them, so he had to shake them out.
Dani snorted at his antics.
May face palmed a few times.
Angelina wasn't sure if she should have been disturbed that Casper cared for her, even if he didn't outright say it.
"He's so embarrassing." May tutted. "He gets that from daddy."
Angelina snickered, which earned her a side eye glance from Casper.
The four of them continued until they reached the edge of the Pack's territory.
May squeezed her hand, pulling her to a stop. Angelina glanced down, catching her emerald gaze. "What is it May?"
"It's the Alpha's birthday today, did you know that?" May asked.
Angelina had completely forgotten that Mason had mentioned that his birthday would be in a few days. The man was tight lipped. It didn't surprise her that she only knew his birth date was today.
Angelina remembered that the man had stated that he was partial to citrusy things. He'd also mentioned that he wouldn't mind lemon meringue slices. She would need to make him something. She warmed at the idea of making something for Mason.
Would he like it?
The question made her want to puke. Since when did she start doubting herself?
Apparently, the answer was when she met Mason Ward.
She'd never made him anything and it wasn't due to the lack of willingness. There just hadn't been time.
And the other fact that she had spent most of her time avoiding the Pack in general.
She was trying now.
Not only for her.
But she had begun to develop feelings for a certain Alpha.
The prospect made her chest fill with warmth, as well as caution.
She'd never loved anyone before.
Only her sisters.
She truly didn't think herself capable.
She was Arabella Montgomery's daughter, her spitting image in the flesh.
Arabella Montgomery had a cold heart.
Being near Mason warmed her heart. Some days, he even made her heart feel hot.
She felt things she'd never felt for any other person.
It was something that made her heart tighten, flutter, and loosen all at the same time.
Angelina tightened her hold on May's smaller hand, finding strength in the girl's reassuring smile as they continued walking abreast each other.