On the Run

Chapter Eight

Mason’s brows knit together. “You’ve been out for almost a week,” he revealed to me. “The doctors think whatever you attacked you was some type of demon or magic.”

“What?” I asked incredulously.

What could a demon or magical being possibly want with me? I wasn’t mated to an alpha or the Leader. I’m not even very strong. If power and strength aren’t what they are after, then what? Mason interrupted my racing thoughts, “There’s more.”

His large hands raked through his hair as he leaned back in his chair, releasing my hand. His expression softened and a grin spread across his face. “It worked,” he beamed. “You’ve got a kit growing inside of you.”

My hand instinctually went to my stomach, protecting the new life flourishing inside my womb. “It really worked?” I asked, tears of relief clouding my vision.

Mason scooted himself forward in his seat, extending his arms to rest his hands over mine. Suddenly, his expression turned mournful. “This will buy us some time to get you and Amelia back to your home territory,” he lamented.

My brow furrowed in confusion. That wasn’t what we had discussed. We were all supposed to get across the border together, we were going to be happy and raise our children together. Amelia would have a loving father figure in her life finally, and this baby would know it. “What do you mean? You’re supposed to come with us,” I said through teary eyes.

Mason removed his hand from my stomach, wiping tears that had fallen away. “They will notice if we all leave at once,” he said, supporting his argument. “The most important thing is to get you, Amelia and our child to safety. Joshua and I can join you both later when it’s safe for us all to be together. Someone or something wants to hurt you, Bethenny.”

I couldn’t argue with his logic. Our absence would be noticed if we all escaped the Marshes Territory at the same time. The anger in Mason’s eyes and his opposite hand balled into a tight fist made me uneasy. Usually, such a dark, burning look resulted in Colby accosting me verbally or punching holes in walls. A shiver ran down my spine. He was a lot taller than Colby who stood at six foot tall. He could overpower me more easily if he fell into a rage. “I-I’m sorry,” I said out of habit.

“I’m not sure what you’re sorry for, you haven’t done anything wrong, my dear,” Mason comforted me. “I am your mate now. I will never give you a reason to feel unsafe around me. I would die before I ever thought about hurting you.”

I looked down at the knitted blanket lying across my lap. I had never actually spoken to anyone about my previous mate’s true nature. Everyone in the pack believed he was just a really great guy. Our closest neighbors loved him because he would always help Mrs. Dunway by mowing her lawn and clearing her gutters a few times a year. She would sit outside on her porch and listen to him scream and throw things at me. Before Amelia was born, every single thing in our home was broken by him in a fit of rage at some point. After she was born, he calmed down his anger towards me for about a year, until she grew big enough to walk and create messes. Then, I was the lazy, good for nothing mate who couldn’t even keep the house clean. The verbal and physical abuse continued to escalate as time went on and Amelia got older. “Oh no it’s okay. Colby wasn’t that bad,” I lied. “He just yelled a lot.”

Mason gave me a look of skepticism. “Then, I’m sorry to tell you they executed him the day after you fell ill,” he stated. “I haven’t mentioned anything to Amelia. I figured that it would be best if she heard it from you.”

I expected the news of his death to hold more weight on my conscience, but all I felt was relief. He would never be able to terrorize us again. My daughter wouldn’t have to grow up with a father who constantly put her down and made her feel less than. He fooled me into believing he was a kind and loving man. It was my own fault, I suppose, I was naïve to the way of the world because my parents had always protected my sisters and me. “Thank you,” I said. “I agree, it would be better coming from me. She loved her dad so much, even though he never paid her any mind.”

Mason caught me up on the latest in pack news until the nurse came to check on me now that I was awake. After she checked my vital signs she told us the doctor would be in soon. Mason and I resumed our discussion. He informed me of the Leader choosing to pause the breeding program briefly, due to my current condition. The Leader, Randall, was in an absolute rage over it. Mason leaned in speaking in a hushed tone, “He wants to build up an army to start a war and take as many of the other territories as possible.”

My eyes widened in horror. To start a war with any one of the surrounding territories could be catastrophic and result in a massive loss of life on both sides. Not to mention be at the mercy of the Royal Territory, where the King who rules over all shifts resides. “That’s why I want to get you and the children to safety as soon as possible,” he continued. “I can stay behind and try to deter him or shift his focus to something much less destructive to us all.”

A moment later there was a knock on the door followed by a man’s cheery voice, “Knock, knock.”

I greeted him with a warm smile, thanking him for taking care of me. “We just want to keep you here for one more night to make sure that everything is on the up and up,” the doctor explained. “Your daughter can come see you now, but only until eight o’clock when visiting hours end.”

I thanked him again before he left the room and turned my attention back to Mason. “Do you mind going to get Amelia, now? I want to spend some time to talk with her alone,” I asked.