Delaying Destiny

4. Due Diligence

Anthony Mason Whittaker

The she-wolf that he had stumbled upon that morning now sat in front of him at a local cafe. Sunlight caressed her face in its golden glow as they sat at the patio, her honey eyes trained on the one-page menu in front of her.

"I can't even remember the last time I went out for breakfast." She murmured excitedly, tapping a long fingernail against the paper, "An omelette has never sounded so good."

Mason was positively entranced by her, watching her movements like he was watching a play. He quickly looked away as she raised her head, looking at him with a funny expression, "What?"

"Nothing," he shook his head, fighting a smile, "I guess it's been a while for me too. I usually just grab something quick at the coffee shop by my apartment before going to work."

He felt her gaze on him, finally gathering the courage to look up and meet it. The playful smile on her lips and the slight crinkle of her nose as she giggled made his chest pound. She finally broke their gaze to order as a waiter came up to greet them. She ordered a veggie omelette with a side of bacon and he got his usual order - cinnamon rolls.

As she handed back the menu, she mused, "I didn't take you for a cinnamon roll type of guy. Thought maybe you'd get a big plate of...ham or something."

His brows shot up, fighting a chuckle, "A big plate of ham? Is that really the kind of guy I come across as? A meathead?"

Rose grinned, "Maybe."

Oh I like her. Rothans grumbled within Mason's mind, scratching the surface of his brain, I wonder what her wolf is like. I'd very much like to meet her.

"I'm sure you would." Mason murmured under his breath, eyeing the woman in front of him as she stared out to the street. Even he wanted to know more about her, everything about her. Their pull was something he had only felt once before, when he had met Lana. But it was off, something was just a little different. It was almost like the pull wasn't strong enough, like something was holding them both back. Mason wondered if this was the Goddess's way of easing them both into a second chance.

As they ate at the cafe, Mason told her about Whistling Winds, their royalty, and the general dynamic of the pack. They were far more complex than Astral Twilight from what Rose was telling him. Whistling Winds was closer to human cities and towns. Many of their packmates were mated with simple humans. A small handful of those humans didn't even realize their mate's true origins. But in this way, their pack was far more intricate and complex than Astral Twilight.

"So how do humans justify the pack house and Omegas and royalty?" Rose asked as she took a bite of her bacon.

"Whistling Winds territory is essentially a town, so royalty is seen as our Mayor. For the most part, humans don't even realize the Betas and Gammas even live there too. But it helps explain the Omegas as butlers or maids." Mason finished off his plate, throwing his napkin on top as he leaned back, "But there are enough small businesses around to make the economy less questionable."

Rose paused as she finished off her omelet, looking thoughtful before nodding, "And what about you? What's your day job supposed to be?"

He shrugged, "I work for the Alpha. I guess I don't hang out with too many humans so I never really had to-"

"Mason!" A voice interrupted him, drawing their attention away to two males who jogged across the street to meet them.

"Felix, Reiner." Mason sat up a bit, extending a large hand to shake, "Good morning."

"Good morning!" Reiner grinned, his bushy brows wiggling as he turned to face Rose, "And who might you be, pretty lady?"

Rothans bristled a bit at the attention and Mason found himself fighting to control the bile of jealousy that gathered at the back of his tongue, "This is Rose. She's new to the pack."

Rose offered a curt smile, her indignance palpable as she extended her own hand, "Rose Donahue."

Felix jumped the small patio gate, pulling an empty chair from a nearby table and seating himself between them, "Nice to meet you. I'm Felix Anzo, a close personal friend of Mason. That's Reiner Scott."

"Close personal friend, huh?" Rose looked amused as she shot Mason a look, "Please tell me more."

"Oh, we go way back." Reiner mimicked Felix, forcing another chair into the small two-top table, "Even when we were just pups running around causing havoc."

"Pups?" Rose c****d a brow, feigning confusion, "Like puppies?"

Reiner paused, stiffening his spine as he coughed awkwardly, "I-I mean babies. Since we were kids, I mean." He desperately looked to Felix, wondering if he just slipped up and exposed them as wolves to a seemingly ignorant human.

"You can't fool me, Rosie girl." Felix leaned towards her, inhaling deeply and dramatically, "I can smell the wolf on you."

Before he could lean in closer to her neck, Mason shoved his foot under the table directly into the side of Felix's leg, a warning growl in his throat. Felix and Reiner looked at him expectantly, daring him to say something. Mason's nose twitched, suppressing the incessant need to create a six-foot barrier around his woman so no one else could even try to steal her scent from him.

Reiner grinned as he got up, putting a hand on Felix's shoulder, "I think we have a patrol to get to, huh Felix?"

The two left, looking far too ecstatic over the encounter as they said their goodbyes and almost immediately started gossiping like two elders. Mason felt his cheeks warm at the bit that his wolf hearing could catch, "Good to know his d**k still works."

If Rose had heard, she only let it show through the slightest smirk on her lips. As the waitress cleared their plates, she teased, "They seem nice."

"Bunch of assholes is what they are." Mason fought embarrassment as he pulled out his wallet and placed a few bills down on the table. He was a bit surprised when she didn't offer to pay, didn't even try to do the song and dance of arguing over who got the bill.

He looked at her a little expectantly, "What? No, 'let me get this as a thank you for taking me in'?"

Rose's eyebrows shot up, not even a hint of embarrassment as she retorted, "You found me naked in the forest and practically begged for me to become an Omega. In what world did you think I had the money to pay for this?"

He burst out laughing, "Fair enough!" As she turned to leave, he admired the slight sway in her hips as she walked away, shaking his head a bit. He didn't know what he was getting into, but he sure as hell was going to see it through the end.

Luna Rhea Boseman

"Hi, yes, this is Luna Rhea from Whistling Winds pack." The Luna leaned forward in her armchair, balancing her cellphone between her cheek and shoulder as she painted a toenail.

"Luna Rhea, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The voice on the other end was light and friendly.

"My Alpha and I recently came across a runaway from Astral Twilight and I just wanted to reach out before we took her in." Rhea continued, capping the nail polish bottle and leaning back, "She seems harmless enough but I wouldn't be a very good Luna if I didn't do my due diligence."

As she explained the runaway's story and the voice on the line responded, Luna Rhea took the phone in her hand, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the crackling fire in front of her, "I see... how utterly disappointing."