Page 48 of The Renegade Mate

Understanding dawned on me. I recognized my own possessive feelings for Mai. The all-consuming need to safeguard my mate, to make her mine alone, was something I understood intimately.

“You think Shya is your mate?”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know. Maybe? It feels different from anything I’ve experienced before.”

“Have you talked to her about it?” I asked.

Mason shook his head. “And say what? ‘Hey Shya, I know we just met, but how about you abdicate, come live with me, a PI from a rival Pack who lives with his three brothers, and we get down to mating for live’? After what Tristan has been doing to her, she’d laugh my ass out of the door.”

“Maybe,” I agreed. “Doesn’t change what you’re feeling, though. It's not just going to go away because it’s inconvenient.”

“Fuck,” Mason muttered.

“Give it time. Get to know her first, outside of all this chaos. The bond will reveal itself when the time's right.”

Mason nodded, though he still seemed conflicted. “I know she doesn’t want me to step in and protect her, but I can’t help it. Whether she likes it or not, keeping her safe is the only thing that’s important.”

“You’ll figure it out. For now, just follow your instincts. Even if it annoys the hell out of her.”

That drew a laugh from Mason. “Easier said than done. You might have noticed but she’s not exactly the type to stay quiet when annoyed.”

“All the more fun for us,” I teased, clapping him on the back as I stood. Mason had always been the protector of our family; his utter dedication to those he cared about was an unwavering constant. His dry humor was reserved only for his inner circle. Others thought his imposing physique and no-nonsense demeanor made him seem aloof, but I knew beneath that tough exterior lay a deep empathy for others. He needed to be brought out of his shell. Shya was exactly the type of woman Mason needed to keep him on his toes.

Chapter twenty-eight

Mai

The house seemed eerily quiet after Mason and Ryan left. Their lingering scent of determination and unwavering resolve mixed with the homely scent of pine and woodsmoke from Thomas and Wally’s home. Jase and I were left in the relative safety of its walls, but I was worried about the rest of my renegade Pack.

Every tick of the clock echoed in the silence, each second a reminder of the dwindling time we had before the Pack Meet. We were running out of time.

Sofia had left after breakfast and gone to use her web of contacts in search of valuable information about Brock, Hayley, and Tristan’s plans. She didn’t want to use the phone—said many of them would only give up information if it was face-to-face and she was alone. I trusted her judgment, her ability to uncover the truth. But the lingering uncertainty gnawed at me. Was this what being an Alpha was? Learning to live with the worry and guilt when you sent others into danger?

Ryan and Mason were next, slipping out to find their enforcers. Mason was doing much better. He’d eaten more in one sitting than I could eat in a week, burped loudly, and declared he was ready. Thomas wasn’t so sure, but Mason was as bull-headed as Ryan sometimes, and Ryan knew there was no stopping Mason from going with him.

They’d only been gone an hour when Thomas’s cell rang. It was Martha, one of Brock’s new enforcers. Thomas was needed up at the compound. Wally went with him to watch his back while Thomas dealt with whatever crisis was going on up there. I shivered at the thought, my gut churning. Thomas was needed to heal the wounded, but being in the Alpha compound with Brock and Hayley was risky. What if they knew that Thomas and Wally were helping us? I could only hope that with Wally at his side, they’d look out for each other and stay safe.

That had been ninety minutes ago. Since then, between checking on Sam, Jase and I busied ourselves around the house. I’d sat and watched Sam for a bit. His breathing was steady, and his color looked better. I couldn’t tell that he was in a coma; he just looked like he was sleeping, except for the tubes running into his arms and the regular beep and whirr of the machines he was hooked up to.

I didn’t stay long in the room. I kept moving methodically through the house, checking every window, every door, making sure they were securely barred. Jase was following me around like a lost puppy.

“What do you want to be, Jase?” I asked him, my tone playful, hoping to lighten the heavy atmosphere. When I left four years ago, Jase had been at the top of his class in every subject. “I somehow doubt it’s being a delivery driver for Takymora for the next five years?”

His brow furrowed as he glanced my way. “I wanted to be an enforcer for Jem and Hayley. Jem brought in a new rule that you have to be twenty to apply. I’ve got another year to go, but now all I want is to be an enforcer for you and Ryan.”

“You know, before you become the next werewolf Vin Diesel,” I shot back, a smirk playing on my lips, “why don't you go see the world? Have some adventures?”

“My place is here, Mai. I don’t want to be anywhere else. And I’ll fight for it with my life if need be.”

Okay, too serious.

I nudged him with my elbow. “Haven’t you ever thought about it? Being anything else?”

He was quiet for a moment. “I guess … I guess I've never really thought I had a choice.”

“Choices are what we make them to be, Jase,” I said softly. “Don’t let the world decide what you become.”

“But what if what the world wants me to be … is what I want to be?” he challenged, turning his gaze toward me.

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