Moon God Mates

Chapter 22

MASON’S POV:

Perhaps I acted without thinking, but how could I have known she would be safe if she wasn’t here?

I'm beginning to realize that nothing will unfold as planned with my mate. This isn't how I envisioned our first night together, yet I can't say I'm disappointed. After all, she agreed to stay.

"Thank you for everything," Iris tells Ellie as she lays clean blankets on my bed.

"Don't even worry about it," Ellie says with a smile. "Hey, would it be okay to take James on a tour of the house? I might have some paint lying around too."

"Paint?" James asks and he jumps up and down in front of his mom.

"Would you like that?" Iris bends to get eye level with him as he nods enthusiastically.

"All right, only for a little while. I'll be down in a minute to check on you." Iris kisses James's cheek just before he takes off running with Ellie in tow.

"She's good with kids; she's good with people too. I haven't met a person who hasn't loved Ellie," I attempt to ease the concerned look that crosses Iris' face.

"So, have you two known each other long?" Iris shoots me a look, trying to conceal the jealousy in her voice as she unpacks the clothes Ana bought for her.

I can't help but smirk, "Just about our whole lives, our mothers were best friends. They lived every day together, and eventually, even died together. Ellie has been with the pack ever since." I cringe internally as I recall our mothers' deaths. We lost them both in the war with the Blood Bloods. But even before their deaths, Ellie has always been like a baby sister to me. Our mothers were inseparable, leaving Ellie, Cole, and me just as close. She was too young when she lost her mom, and as the Alpha, stepping up for her is what I had to do; it's what I wanted to do.

"I'm so sorry, Mason." Iris’s hand rests on my arm as a friendly gesture to comfort me, and it does just that. Her expression loosens a bit before she pulls her arm away and I know our contact comforts her too. "Why am I staying in your room? I thought you had plenty of rooms?"

"We do." I give her a dark smile as she squints her eyes at me. Closing the gap between us, I lean to whisper in her ear, "Maybe I just want to smell you in my bed."

Her sharp inhale of breath sends an electric surge through me, I move her hair over her shoulder and kiss her ear. It's the truth; the thought of her in my sheets alone is turning me on, but it is not the whole truth.

My room is on the second floor, and Luke is staying on the third with the rest of the pack rooms. I don't want him anywhere near her.

She clears her throat, "A-and where do you think you will be sleeping?"

The Door swings open to reveal Ana, "When the hell were you going to tell me that Luke is here!?" I sigh as Iris jumps out of my arms; she might be the girl version of Cole.

"Um, give us a minute?" Iris shoots me an apologetic look.

"Of course." I kiss her forehead. "I will be downstairs if you need me." As I turn the corner, I hear a loud "eeekkk" from the girl version of Cole, and I can't help but smirk.

Once downstairs I spot Luke sitting on the black leather sectional, watching James argue with Ellie about red paint. Ellie says it is red; James says it is blue. I look over James’ shoulder. The paint is most definitely red.

"Blue," I say, leaving James with a huge "Aha!"

Cole occupies one armchair across from the sectional, his eyes never leaving Luke. Near the office door, I call Luke in, and Cole follows right behind him.

With all three of us in the office, I can feel how annoyed Cole is as he leans against the wall with his foot up. "Does he know?" I question as I take one last look at James before I pull the sliding door shut.

"Uh, no." Luke scratches the side of his head, taking a seat in the chair opposite my desk. "Iris wants to wait until I get to know him better before we tell him anything." I walk around my large mahogany desk and take a seat on the black office chair. Cole hovers in the corner, arms crossed.

"You know you aren’t welcome in my territory," I say sternly.

"I know. I just need some time."

"Time? Time for what?" Cole shoots, pushing himself off the wall and closer to Luke, "To track down your next prey? You and your father are murderers; you kill in cold blood! And I’m not going to let..."

"You think I knew?" Luke jumps up, lunging at Cole, who pushes him back down on his chair. Both men are panting at their chests, but no one says a thing.

It is Luke who finally breaks their stare off. "That was the only life I knew; my father raised me on what he believed was right. Both of you should understand being raised into a role. We don’t get to choose." Luke stands from the chair and walks to gaze out the window where a few pack members are training. We sit in silence as he gazes out at my pack.

"I didn’t grow up in a pack, or with anyone at all besides my father. So to me, he could do no wrong and what we were doing was right." He turns, now looking between Cole and me, a shimmer in his blue eyes. "It wasn’t until my father’s death that I found out we were on the wrong side. People wished me dead. Packs from all over saw me as an enemy. I had to run from my unborn son because just being around him would bring him harm." Luke turns to gaze out the window again when a tear falls from his eyes. "I didn’t choose the life I lived before, but I can choose now. These past few years have been hell. But I have made amends with a lot of people and have cleaned up my life." He clears his face and turns to me. "I’m ready to be with the only family that I have left; I am worthy of my son now. I don’t plan on staying in your territory, but I will not leave him again. I want to take Iris and James with me."

Rage; all I can feel is rage. My wolf is on high alert, just at the mention of her name. I will kill him before he takes my mate. So what if he changed his life around? He was one of the deadliest mercenaries known. Does he think I would hear his story and just let him leave with my love? She wouldn’t want to leave with him anyway. Right?

Cole looks stunned. "That is all you came for? The human and her son?" He looks between the two of us like he has the simplest solution in the world. "Take them then! I'll even help them pack if it gets you out of here faster."

Luke doesn’t move, and neither do I.

We stare at each other, a secret bouncing between the two of us before Luke scoffs.

"If only it was that easy," he says, "Does he know?"