Lucifer's Keys

Research

The two of them walked for hours.  The sun would be up soon but he didn't want to leave her alone.  He asked her about her family, about her likes and dislikes, her favorite color, how long she had been able to defend herself so well, if she ever wanted a mate, where she had gone to school and any other question he could possibly think of.  Her favorite colors were black silver and deep purple.  She had gone to college but had hated it.  She got a degree in exercise science and had spent a significant portion of her college years taking random self-defense, fitness, and martial arts courses. She figured she may as well have gotten something useful out of school.  She didn't have a great relationship with her parents and didn't want to speak about them much at all.  Her favorite food was, coincidentally, sushi and she could watch the 1986 cult classic Labyrinth over and over regardless of comparative film quality.  She didn't come from, nor did she have any money or financial security to speak of but she refused to ever accept handouts and worked part-time in a gym teaching self-defense to human women and part-time as security at a local club.  Nothing had been handed to her.  

"Can I walk you home?" He asked her.  "I want to make sure you get there safely."

She gave a sudden short, but loud laugh.  "Awe, you're very sweet but I'm sure I'll be ok.  Are you sure you don't need me to walk you home?"

He smiled at her, he knew she could handle herself, and probably him too, but he wanted to be a gentleman. 

"You could stay at my place.  We're close anyway.  I promise I wouldn't try anything, " He raised his hand in front of him in a mock boy scout swear. "Scout's honor.  You could have my room, I'll take the couch."

She hesitated, narrowing her eyes at him, and gauging his sincerity.  They were mates, but she had no intention of being mated any time soon.  She knew if she waited too long, she would go into heat, but she had friends who could offer her homeopathic remedies for the symptoms.  She needed to be sure he was sincere.  Mate bond or no, some wolves wore sheep's clothing while others kept their claws extended.  It was the ones who hid behind sincerity that worried her most. 

"No.  I don't think so.  I'll head home.  I need to get some sleep and I do that best when I'm alone." She said.

Her tone seemed to have suddenly gone cold.  All the laughter and intrigue had left her eyes.  It was as if he were talking to someone else entirely.  

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly, "Is it something I said?  I didn't mean to overstep.  I'm not trying anything with you I promise!  Not until you're ready and never without consent." He rambled trying to save the great night.  He felt he was making it worse, but couldn't make himself stop talking.

"...I mean not that we would have...but when we do, I mean if we ever..."  He sighed, feeling defeated.

"Well, I've definitely made this way more awkward than I ever intended..." he admitted.

They walked in silence for a while before she finally spoke.

"I don't know you, Mason.  One day is not enough.  I know we are bound, Sage feels it and so do I.  We aren't ready to be mated and we don't know when we will be but we also do not plan to reject you and Cyrus.  I promise you, we will not entertain being with anyone else physically either.  When I, " she paused and corrected herself, "When we are more comfortable, when we are ready, we will let you know. "  She thought for a second more, then said,

"And if you ever tried to do anything without consent, we would crush you both without hesitation, mates, or not."    She finished.

The last part surprised him. He and Cyrus weren't sure if it was surprising more because she could say it with such certainty and conviction or because she could ever think that they would try to hurt her and betray her trust.  They couldn't and they wouldn't.  He reached out and took her hand gently in his.

"On my life Nyah, we would never do anything to hurt you.  Cyrus and I will spend as long as it takes proving that to you and to Sage.  Hurting you would only hurt us."  He looked into her eyes and was as sincere as he could be.  Mason knew that neither of them would or could ever intentionally hurt their mate.  He couldn't believe he felt this way now.  Just hours ago he and Cyrus had briefly considered rejecting his mate once they found her.  Now the thought alone hurt him to the core.  

They walked in silence the remainder of the way to his apartment.  

"I have access to the campus library," Mason told her, finally remembering the keys.

"I'll do some research on them and see what I can dig up."

"I have some connections in the city with older wolves who may have some idea about these," Nyah replied.  "My grandmother may have some good insight into what any of this means and if it has anything to do with us finding each other.  It may just have been a coincidence but the way Sage was acting..."  She trailed off and Mason suddenly remembered something.

"Cyrus!" He almost shouted, his eyes wide with realization.

"Cyrus said that "He is calling us."  I have no idea what that means or who "He" is but it may have something to do with all of this."

"Maybe," Nyah admitted. "I'll talk to her about all of it and see what she has to say.  If she doesn't know anything then she may know someone else who does.  This seems like it has something to do with Magic which makes me think outside wolf-kind." 

"Vampires or Witches?" Mason asked incredulously. "Why in the world would they want to toss you through a magic door though?"  He paused, then tried to lighten the mood. "Is there something about you, you aren't telling me?  Are those amazing eyes of yours doorways to an alternate dimension or something?  I could believe that."

She smiled at him playfully.  It was as if all the frigidity had left her and he felt warm again looking into her smile.  

"No," She said.  "not that I'm aware of anyway."  She looked away and looked down at her watch.  It was already nearly 5 am and she had to be at work by 9.  

"I'll stop by and see my grandmother before work and ask her about all this.  Weird keys don't pay the bills though so it may have to wait if she isn't up yet. "

Mason nodded.  "I don't have any assignments due until Tuesday so I'll consider this extra credit.  Anything that gets me more time with you.  All this time and I didn't even ask for your phone number.  I'm an i***t," Mason pulled out his phone and turned it on, then looked at her with his best sad puppy pleading face, and tried his hand at flirting.  It was awkward but he felt ok about it.  

"You are gorgeous ma'am, I don't normally do this, but, can I have your number?  I'd love to take you on an actual date.  Maybe I'll do a better job of asking next time."

Two could play that game.  She crossed her arms and scanned him up and down, "I don't know, I normally don't give my number to strangers that I meet in alleys."

"How many strangers do you meet in alleys?" He countered with a smirk.

"Well, there are ones that I knock unconscious then there are ones that I consider dating.  I haven't knocked  you unconscious yet, so I suppose you could have my number," she smirked back, "You did ask so nicely after all."  She chuckled.

She read off her number and he saved it immediately, shooting her a test text with his name.  She sent him a thumbs up. 

"Ok," she said, becoming serious again, "I'll speak to gran and you do some research.  We'll exchange information and get together in a couple of days to discuss what we found if it is too much to text." 

"A couple of days?!" He protested dramatically, grasping his chest and pretending to go weak in the knees.  "But that's like...forever!" He said childishly, making her laugh.

"Okay, okay," She said between breaths "We'll see what we can do to make it sooner.  I've got to get to work."  With that, she turned and jogged off, not even saying good-bye, giving him a hug, or anything.  He felt strange, having her take off so abruptly and Mason and Cyrus instantly wished she hadn't gone.  They felt the pull of the bond and it was almost painful. 

"She is going to ruin our life" Cyrus told him.

"Uh huh..." Mason replied dreamily, the two of them still staring after her, though she was out of sight now.  

Mason turned and walked up the steps to his apartment.  He unlocked the door and stepped inside.  He could hear Kevin snoring from the living room.  Suddenly, all the fatigue hit him at once.  He walked to his room like a zombie and let himself in, closing the door behind him.  

He flopped onto the bed and closed his eyes, seeing nothing but Nyah.  He drifted off to sleep and dreamed of her.