Page 2 of Sweetheart

“Well, aren’t you cute,” Mason told the rabbit.

Yes, he was talking to the forest animals. No, he wasn’t embarrassed. It wasn’t like there was another human around to hear him being silly. Mason had always loved animals even though his father had thought that made him soft.

Animals didn’t judge. Animals lived simple lives and Mason envied them for that.

Two hours into his hike and Mason was in love with his new home. The hope for the future was bright as he spotted a coupleof birds watching him. The forest of this state park was filled with life. The animals appeared curious as to what the sweaty human was doing stumbling around in their territory.

Deciding it was time for a break, Mason found a soft spot on the moss-covered ground and sat with his back to a large oak tree.

Mason pulled out a bottle of water and protein bar as he peered around his surroundings. He was only a few feet from where the state park property ended, and the private land started.

There was a buzz in the air that prickled at the back of his neck. He’d trained too long to ignore such a strong pulse.

Magic.

At this point in his life, Mason could practically taste magic.

He quickly scarfed down his snack before gulping the water. Mason kept still, trying to see if he could tell what magical being had been around. Was this why he’d felt himself being watched lately? Just last week while he’d been chopping wood for his fireplace, Mason swore he hadn’t been alone.

Mason had called himself crazy. Knew he was paranoid but couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. Even talking to his twin hadn’t calmed him down.

Stuffing his trash and the empty water bottle back into his bag, Mason began to rise when he spotted something silver glint from under a pile of leaves. He dropped his pack before carefully crawling over.

What he saw made his stomach turn.

A fucking bear trap!

There was no hunting in the state park, and he knew that the private land was protected as well. This trap had been set by someone who shouldn’t be in the area. He grabbed his bag to pull out a small tool set and went about dismantling the trap. He needed to show his boss but… He glanced through the trees.

What about the private landowner?

Mason could see a huge house with several other well-constructed buildings scattered around the property. A thought struck before Mason could talk himself out of it. He’d wanted to meet the neighbors. Now he had a reason.

He carefully set the trap inside his bag before he rose.

The minute he stepped over the invisible barrier, his core burned.

There was definite magic being used around here.

Now Mason was even more curious.

The backyard was filled with toys scattered around and a very nice deck with a large table and several chairs. It appeared his neighbors had a big family. A tall playset, pool, and sandbox were also visible. And they had kids that needed to be warned about the traps.

The back door was right there but Mason took the time to walk around to the front. He knocked on the massive door of the big house.

“Levi! Can you get that?”

“I just got back from a run!”

“The boys are finger painting! Do you want to come help in here instead?”

“I’ll get the door.”

Mason held in his laugh at the disgruntled statement before the front door opened. He stared at the most attractive man he’d ever seen. The man wore only a pair of gray cotton shorts that hung from his hips as sweat dripped down the center of his chest.

Fuck! Mason licked his lips. He wanted to chase after that sweat as it went lower and lower reaching… Damn! He forced his eyes up to the face of a man with wide gray eyes that stared at him.

Neither of them said anything. The tension strung tight between them.

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