Triangle of Love

You won't understand

First night sleeping on the floor wasn’t too bad, getting up off the floor stretching my body, paws out to the front, chest to the ground and butt in the air… A… AA… AAAhhhhh… then a nice good shake for the body to wake up, that felt good. Checking to see if there are any changes with my sleeping angel before I head to the bathroom to wash up and nothing’s changed.

I couldn’t have brushed my teeth, washed my body and put my clothes on any quicker than I could, wanting to hurry up and give my angel a good morning kiss before I start my day.

“Morning beautiful.” Giving her a kiss on her cheek before taking a seat “sorry, it’s not how I pictured our first night would be like together but it’s definitely a step up from the last few nights.”

Nik…

Ugh Mase some people are sleeping

What’s the time?

Oh my gosh seriously you woke me up to ask for the time! It’s six!

Can you come stay with Kali while I go do my rounds?

Fine. Coming.

“Niks going to come stay with you. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Nik comes walking into the room like some royalty and leaving the door open behind him, wearing a red kimono with flowers on it, a matching eye mask on his forehead and black fluff slippers. I’m watching him drag his feet past me and around the bed to jump in next to Kali.

“What the hell Nik!”

“Uh zip it! I’m still tired and hell no am I sleeping on the floor or on that chair and this isn’t the first time I’ve slept with your girl.” Sliding the eye mask down to cover his eyes.

“Ni…” he cuts me off.

“Zzzz…” with his hand up all four fingers together and the thumb beneath, like a mouth quickly closing it’s mouth meaning to shut my mouth, then pointing to the door for me to leave.

Standing there annoyed that he’s in bed with my mate, I'm just lucky it's my brother and that he is gay and I have nothing to worry about but I can't even sleep in the same bed as my mate right now which is what is really annoying me.

I take a few steps towards the door then stop and smirk, as quiet as I can I quickly walk up to the foot of the bed and quickly punch his leg then run out of the room like a little kid who just stole a toy and close the door behind me, laughing down the hall.

OWWWW!! I’m telling mum on you when she gets here!

Oh s**t I forgot mum was coming today, oops I’m going to get told off for punching her baby, it just makes me laugh more. I don’t reply.

Looking down the hall and see Penny’s bedroom door. I’m reminded that she too is finding this all difficult with Kali’s state. Reaching her door I pause to listen if I can hear anything, it’s silent, knocking on the door lightly waiting for answer.

“Penny. It’s Mase. You awake?”

No answer. I knock again and wait and still no response. I decide to open her room and look inside but she’s not there and the bed looks like it hasn’t been touched. I try to mind link her but it’s still blocked. Closing her door and make my way down to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

“Morning Sharon!”

“Morning master Mason.”

“Sharon please call me Mason or Mase. You are practically family.”

“Alright, Mason it is.” With smile “what would you like for breakfast? I can quickly whip something up.”

“Is the lasagna finished? I’ll grab me some of that.”

“Here let me do it, take a seat.”

Moving around the kitchen to heat up my lasagna for me while I take a seat. Noticing that there is a lot of left over food in the refrigerator from yesterday’s lunch and dinner.

“I’ll take some of that food downstairs and get one of the boys to come get the rest if you could put it on the counter please. We also have some more wolves to feed so if you want to bring in more help please let me know.”

“Will do.” placing a plate of lasagna in front of me.

Sharon goes back to doing whatever it was she was doing in the pantry. While I begin eating my lasagna.

“I’m looking forward to seeing your mother. It has been a little while since we last saw each other. She being busy with pack business and I with my grand pups and the café.”

Sharon continues talking while pulling out the food and stacking it on the counter, a bit surprised at how much food she cooked. Finishing my plate and putting it in the dishwasher I take what I can carry and thank Sharon before leaving.

Kyle comes over to help with the food by taking some. He looks tired like he’s been up all night.

“Let everyone know to help themselves with the food and send someone up to get the rest. Call James to come so we can have a brief meeting in one of the rooms, before you go sleep.”

“I’m fine boss.”

“Kyle you look tired. Have something to eat, shower and then bed. I need you and James well rested.”

Putting the food away. Deciding to pace the hall just to check it out, I pass some vacant rooms and some that are obviously no longer vacant with the doors closed. Feeling happy that this floor is finally being used and looking good.

“Boss.”

I nod for them to step into one of the vacant rooms following behind them and closing the door.

“ok give me an update.”

“the prisoner is still healing, the wounds were pretty brutal,” Kyle’s looking pretty proud of himself “but since his weird behaviour nothing else has happened with him since, I just checked with the guys that’s when I saw you.”

“We ran the normal perimeter but since Alpha sent some more wolves we were able to cover more ground by reaching the boarder. I also spoke to those that were sent from the Northside and said they had a few rogue attacks also, about the same time as ours.”

“cause the group was large enough for two patrol teams we split it into two groups me taking the night team and James for the day. So we could have around the clock watch.”

“We caught two more rogues and they’re in the cells as we speak.” James goes quiet and looks at Kyle “boss… Penny wants to put a team together to go beyond the boarder.”

“What!? What for? It’s too dangerous and we don’t know what is waiting for us out there!”

“When Penny and the boys were at the boarder yesterday they picked up more rogue scents, they said it was pretty thick, and the prints left in the dirt were fresh and most probably left when they saw Penny and the boys. I double checked and they were right.” James explains.

“The night shift team had a full on night of playing cat and mouse with the rogues. It’s like they were toying with us and trying to find their way through. They always got away, almost like it was coordinated.”

“What do you want us to do?”

“keep doing what you guys are doing. Kyle call in your crew to get something to eat and rest. James, kill any rogues you catch on sight. I’ll check to see if the same thing is happening at North and Southside.”

“Yes boss.” They reply in unison and leave the room.

Now to find Penny. Why does she still want to cross the boarder! I’m already worried about Kali and I can do without worrying about her too I try again to mind link her but it’s still blocked, damn it!

Brett where are you guys?

North perimeter line.

Are you with Penny?

We were with her, before she knocked us out cold. Woke up and she was gone.

Rushing out the room, down the hall to the gym exit, outside James is talking to a few of the pack members,

“James, you three, come with me.”

Running as quick as I can around the west side of the house, past Kali’s room, through the trees to the north of our perimeter. We find Brett and Mike standing there rubbing their necks and still looking dazed.

“How long ago did you both wake up?”

“A few minutes before your mind link.”

“You three go with James to the end of the north perimeter, circle out and we’ll meet back in the middle.” Stopping and looking at Brett and Mike, disappointed and wanting to kick their ass again “…and you two… better pray she is ok. You both are coming with me.”

Both of them looking contrite but don’t say anything. James and the others leave in the direction as instructed and us the other.

Jumping over logs, running past trees and bushes. With Dane’s where about unknown makes more worried. Every minute that passes the more anxious I get, the further we get the more my concern grows, five minutes pass, six, seven minutes still no Penny. Fifteen minutes later I hear crying.

Putting my hand up for us to stop, motioning for the boys to wait here. As quiet as I could I walk around the a boulder and there’s Penny on the ground, knees close to chest with arms wrapped about it, and crying into her knees. Feeling sad that she had to come here this far to let her feelings out alone with no shoulder to cry on, Penny the only person I know never wanting to show weakness in front of anyone. Not wanting anyone to see her like this, I mind link the rest to go back including Brett and Mike.

Without saying a word to her, I sit next to her pulling her in for a hug. Never have I ever seen her cry this much. I never knew how close her and Kali were, only finding out the last few days how Penny is Kali’s emotional support person and trusts her without a doubt. I’m reminded of how Penny is the first person Kali will call. Then I remember that sadly Kali is currently in a Coma, and we are both a missing her, both hurting, I tighten my hug and let a tear drop fall, sad for Penny, and missing my mate.

After some time of silence, Penny moves from my arms to sit up, now calm and wiping her face dry from all the tears.

She’s looking at me with daze like eyes, feeling better that she has stopped crying, I give her a smile and cup her cheek with my hand, Penny closes her eyes leaning into my palm.

“You alright?”

“mmm yeah…”

“You want to talk about it?”

She doesn’t say anything but a tear rolls down from the corner of her eye, I wipe it away with my thumb. I know this could be about Kali, but I have this feeling it’s something else also, I just can’t put my finger on it.

“Is this about Kali?”

Penny gets up and puts a little distance between, looking unsettled.

“No. I mean Yes. I mean… I don’t know, I just feel confused.” Looking like she’s having an inner battler with herself.

“Talk to me please.”

“you won’t understand.”

“Penny…”

She turns her back to me, I get up and walk up to her putting my hands on her shoulders and slowly turn her around. Face to face, her eyes are closed and her face is wet again from her tears.

“Penny… please I can’t help you if I don’t understand. So please talk to me and make me understand.”

Keeping her eyes shut for a little while longer, she takes a big inhale and exhales, then opens her eyes and with her big brown eyes she’s staring straight into my eyes, in a strange way.

I felt like this moment lasted way too long and everything was going in slow motion. And then she takes a step forward to close the space between us.

Mase