Fate’s Design

Goodbye

Mason POV

I was trying to ignore the fact that she smelled like him. It wasn’t terribly intense, but his scent was definitely there. I had seen him go after her when she went inside, but had decided I needed to let her handle it. I put my hand over hers on my cheek.

“Thanks, baby.” I ran a hand through her hair. “I saw Alex go in after you.” I said. I didn’t want to immediately jump to the conclusion that she wasn’t honoring her word, but surely she couldn’t blame me for being a little apprehensive.

“Yeah… I told him what I told you: that I’m giving us a chance to figure this out.” She said. The complete lack of hesitation in her answer was reassuring. I looked into her eyes and saw sincerity and vulnerability, something I got the feeling most people didn’t get to see.

“We will figure it out. I know we will.”

I had filled Adrian in, sharing the more sensitive bits of information over mindlink, so he understood our situation and the potential risks involved. I needed him ready to step in when Kelsey and I decided the time was right to move forward.

“I’ll give you two some space, if you’ll excuse me.” Adrian said with a polite nod, which I returned, then watched him walk away.

“You said you told him you were giving us a chance. Just talking wouldn’t put his scent on you. What happened?” I asked. She looked annoyed that I was questioning her, but she answered anyway.

“He grabbed me and pushed me against a wall and tried to kiss me. I told him to stop and he did.” She said.

I nodded, glad I had gotten a straight answer and that I hadn’t jumped to conclusions. But I still wasn’t fully satisfied. “He just walked away? What, all of a sudden, he values our bond?” I asked skeptically.

“He thinks I’ll be back.” She said with a shrug, still looking like she’d rather not have this conversation.

“And you? What do you think?” I asked, looking into her beautiful emerald eyes.

She sighed. “I don’t know, Mason. I don’t share your faith that we can make this work. I’m willing to give it a try, but I don’t think this is really going anywhere. Even if you do for some reason decide you still want to mark me, you’ll probably change your mind afterwards when you’re really feeling everything.”

I hated how much she doubted me, how much she doubted us. I wished there was some way I could make her see I was here to stay. “I won’t change my mind. I’ve waited my whole life for you. Just because it doesn’t look the way I wanted or expected doesn’t mean I’m gonna give you up. You’re mine and I’m yours. That’s how it’s meant to be.” I stroked her hair a few more times. It was clear she felt our bond, even if she was still fighting it a little. She wanted my words to be true. I just had to find a way to prove it.

“Come home with me. Meet the pack. Then we’ll move at whatever pace you’re comfortable with from there. When you’re ready, we’ll make all this official.” I said hopefully. She looked up at me silently for a moment, and I thought she would refuse to come with me. Instead, she finally nodded.

“Ok. I’ll go with you and we’ll see how things go.”

I smiled and kissed the top of her head. Hopefully soon she would want more than that. Caspian clearly was fine with taking her then and there without it meaning anything to her, but I wasn’t. This was going to be special.

“Good. Do you need help packing? I had planned to go home tonight, but given the circumstances, I’m sure I can find a place to stay close by until tomorrow.” It was just a few hours. I technically could go home tonight and come back for her in the morning, or I could just leave instructions with border patrol to let her through on her own when she was ready, but this seemed like a better option.

Kelsey waved her hand, dismissing my concerns. “Durian had a few guest rooms in the packhouse set up just in case, but it won’t be necessary. I can go pack and be ready to leave soon. Other than Jordan and Durian, there’s not much to keep me here.”

That broke my heart all over again. My mate didn’t have anything or anyone here except her brother and cousin? No wonder she seemed so closed off at first. I watched her walk away to gather her things from the house. She came back a few minutes later with a large backpack. “Is that it?” I asked with a frown.

“Yep.” She said simply. “Except for a couple things I keep in the den. We can stop there on the way out.”

After we said our goodbyes, we loaded up to head out. My dad had gone home as soon as he felt like he could without offending our hosts, so Uncle Adrian, Seth, me, and Kelsey all piled into one SUV. I opened the passenger door for her. She looked at me quizzically for a moment, then stepped inside without a word. I got in the driver’s seat and Uncle Adrian and Seth got in the back. Near the spot where she had run in front of us that afternoon, Kelsey had me pull over. She shifted and took off in the direction of her den.

“Where’s she going?” Seth asked.

“She has a burrow near here, she said she wanted to pick up a couple things she left there.”

“Seriously? Like, she dug a hole in the ground?”

“Yep. In the roots of a big ole tree.”

“Why?”

I shrugged. I wasn’t sure either. I’d never heard of a pack wolf doing that. Some smaller packs lived in a den together instead of having a packhouse and a village, but individual members didn’t have their own separate dens. Only rogues did that. It was clear that Seth and Uncle Adrian weren’t too comfortable with now a second thing my mate had in common with rogues.

“She’s just a little different, that’s all. We’ll get used to her and she’ll get used to us.” I reasoned.

“Mason, she’s more than a little different. Even you have to see that.” Adrian said.

“She’s my mate. None of that matters.” I responded, looking at him in the rearview.

“She’s going to be the Luna of Harvest Moon. Everything matters.” He countered evenly. I sighed. I knew he was right. I just didn’t know what to do about it.

“I know… I just… she’s my mate for a reason. She was made to be my Luna. Maybe there’s just a few extra steps in between here and there.”