I lie in bed tracing Mason's scars as I enjoy the peace surrounding us. It's been four years since I'd been with anyone. During those four years, I never even considered entertaining the idea of allowing someone to keep me company in my bed. Having him back again, I'm going to have trouble leaving the bed at all.
I turn my head and press a kiss against his peck and smile when I feel his muscle twitch beneath my lips. I've missed this.
"I've missed you," I whisper as I settle deeper into his hold. I feel his fingers trace patterns over my lower back.
"I've missed you too, Red. If we never had to leave this bed and deal with the outside world, I'd be completely content." I giggle with a nod. His hand flattens against my lower back as he presses me closer to his side. I sigh and shift closer until most of my body is resting against his side. "As much as I want just to lie here and fall asleep with you in my arms, we have things to discuss."
"Right," I breathe as I roll out of his hold and slide my body until I'm leaning up against the headboard of the bed. When I look over at him, he's scowling from his spot on his pillow. I can't help but throw my head back in laughter before pulling the covers up to rest over my chest. "Don't look at me like that. The longer I'm lying down there with you, the harder it gets to not just climb on top of you and forget our problems. We do have things we need to talk about."
He grunts but stays where he is.
"How does your head feel?" I ask tentatively as I reach over and thread my fingers through his hair. He leans into my touch.
"I feel fine honestly. My head doesn't even hurt anymore. It's like there's nothing going on inside my head anymore."
"When Siyanna did the spell," I start as my mind goes back to that room when he seemed to be in such pain, "did it hurt? Because it looked like it was very unpleasant," I note as I focus down on him.
"I don't remember all of it." I watch his eyes focus on the ceiling as his eyebrows fur. "I remember her coming to stand behind me on the couch, and then I could hear her voice in my head but I couldn't understand what she was saying."
"It was some foreign language," I interject quietly. "We couldn't understand her either."
He nods his head once before continuing, "I could hear her voice, and then suddenly, there was another voice speaking back. It wasn't so much like a conversation but more like whatever the fuck was already in my head was fighting back against Siyanna." His Adam's apple bobs up and down as he swallows. I notice his hands beginning to shake slightly and I can't stop myself from shifting closer and nudging his shoulder. He glances at me and quickly shifts himself so his head is resting against my chest.
"Take your time, sweetheart," I whisper as I press a kiss against his head. "I know this can't be an easy thing for you to talk about."
"It's not, but if it's something you want to know then I am going to do my absolute best to give you an honest answer. No more keeping secrets, remember?" I nod my head and press another kiss against his head, this time keeping my lips pressed against his head. "When the other voice started speaking, it was like my head was being split in two. All I remember is the pain being so excruciating that I couldn't think of anything other than that. That's all I remember. After that, it was like everything just went blank in my mind until I woke up in our room back here."
I sit quietly as I contemplate his words. If blocking Dynea's spell caused that much pain, I'd hate to have to think of him going through that more than once. My wolf whimpers at the thought of our mate being in pain and there being nothing we can do to help him.
"I just hope Siyanna's spell lasts long enough to find a way to end all of this," I whisper as my fingers convulse in his hair. I close my eyes and work to slow my heart rate back down knowing he can hear it clearly.
"Me too," he whispers back.
"Mason, what you said earlier in the kitchen, do you really expect me to make all the decisions regarding the witches?"
He sighs as he pulls away from my hold and moves to sit beside me against the headboard. Once he's settled, he reaches over and grabs my hand, linking our fingers. I let myself get briefly distracted by the tingles shooting down my arm as I try my best to prepare myself for this conversation.
"We don't know how long this block is going to last in my head, Red, and if it doesn't last as long as we hope it will..." he trails off on a sigh. "Then we'll have to be prepared to deal with the fallout of that. Siyanna can't stay in the territory, we all know this, but what I don't think any of us took into consideration when she explained that is that we'll have to wait for her return to put the block back in my mind."
I inhale sharply as his words strike true. I hadn't even considered that. Since we don't know anything about how spellwork actually works, we'll most likely either have no warning signs that the block is slipping or we won't be able to recognize the signs there are. I can't even imagine what it's going to feel like to go from this, having him back, to seeing his blank eyes staring back at me again. That just might break me even if I know it's not his fault.
"If we keep me out of the plans for the most part, or at least make it to where I'm not the one deciding anything, then it'll be safer for everyone involved. As I said, we don't know the extent of the spell linking me to Dynea so we have to take every precaution we can think of. This is one of them," he continues as he swipes his thumb along my knuckles. I shake my head, not liking the idea of pretty much keeping him in the dark, but understanding why we have to do it this way.
"I don't like you not knowing what's going to happen," I comment as I turn my head to look at him. His eyes lock on mine and he gives me a tight smile. He doesn't like it either.
"It's the best option we have," he speaks softly, almost like he's having to talk me into this. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and lick my lips instead. "Do you think you can't make those decisions?"
This time I don't resist the urge.
"Baby, I love you, I do, but you do realize that I was making every decision for this pack for the last four years, right?" I can't keep the snark out of my voice. He chuckles softly, apparently taking no offense to my tone.
"I know that, Red. You just don't seem that happy with the decision. I just want to understand where you're coming from with it is all."
"It's not that I'm not comfortable with making the decisions, that's my job for this pack and it always will be," I answer as I direct my gaze down to our intertwined hands. "What I'm not comfortable with is the possibility of having to keep things from you. I'll do it, you know I will, but it is not something that I want to do. We're a team, Mason. We're stronger together. It just doesn't feel right for you not to be included in the decisions for our pack."
"Red," he starts when we hear another crash downstairs. We both stare at the door before he chuckles. "I hope whatever you put in that room isn't something special because it sounds like there might not be anything left by the sunrise." I nudge his ribs and shake my head but I can't keep the smile off my face.
"I hope they work things out," I murmur. "If she can't go home, then going with Ace is going to be the safest bet for her."
"Yeah, I'm sure his pack will love that. Him showing up with a mate that isn't a wolf," Mason scoffs.
I jerk my head to look at him with furred eyebrows. It doesn't matter that she isn't a wolf, she's his mate. The pack is going to have to accept her for what she is.
"Do you really think it's going to be a big deal?" I ask, keeping my eyes on him to watch his reaction. He turns his head to me, eyebrows raised as if he can't believe I'm asking him this.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious!" I exclaim as I nudge him again. "She's his mate, it doesn't matter what she is." Mason rolls his eyes and I can't help but pull away slightly as I look at him. "What if I weren't a wolf?"
"This is ridiculous, Alaina. You're a wolf and that's the way it's supposed to be."
"So Siyanna being Ace's mate isn't what's supposed to happen? Are you serious Mason? Mates are not something that just happens. It's our fate to be with our mates, and Ace's mate is Siyanna. Species do not play a part in our fate."
"Fine, you're right. His pack is going to have to find some way to deal with a witch being their Alpha's mate, but I'm telling you it will not be easy for them." He sighs and shakes his head, using our entwined hands to pull me back flush against his side. "Now, we need to get back to what we were discussing because that seems a bit more pressing than Ace's love life at the moment."
I sigh and let the conversation go for now. He's right, we do have more pressing matters at hand than my mate being a pigheaded ass who can't understand that love knows no boundaries, but that can be dealt with later.
"So what you're wanting," I start as I turn my attention back to him, "is for me to make the decisions and just not tell you?"
"Do you think that would be best?"
I purse my lips and tilt my head to the side slightly as I contemplate his question. Keeping him out of the decisions altogether would be the safest way to go about this, but then that could put him in danger of not knowing what's going on.
"I think it's six one way and half a dozen the other, Mason. Keeping you clear of the decisions keeps everyone safe. However, it leaves you vulnerable to not knowing what's going on," I explain softly as I try to come up with a better solution. When I can't I close my eyes and let the weight of knowing what's going to be going on for the foreseeable future settle on my shoulders. "I'll make the decisions. I'll tell you only the vital information that way you'll be both in the dark and as prepared as we can let you be for whatever is coming."
Mason studies me quietly for several minutes before I'm quickly pulled down the bed as he settles his weight over me. My hands automatically go to his waist as I let out a shocked laugh. He leans down and kisses me hard on the mouth. I sigh into his touch and melt into his hold. I can't stop the grunt in disappointment as he pulls away.
"Leading suits you, Red," he whispers against my lips. I smile up at him softly as my arms move farther around his middle. "Maybe I should have been letting you make decisions long ago."
"Yeah, well I tried to tell you I wasn't going to be pushed aside," I joke with a shrug of my shoulders. Mason's laugh fills the room and he keeps laughing even after he's pressed his lips back against mine.