Page 172 of Luna: Posy 2

Mason

After the reception dwindled to nothing, I looked around for Angelo. I wanted to check in with him about how the pack bond and link were working for him since he didn't have an animal spirit.

To be honest, none of us knew how much or little he'd be affected by the moon magic. Tyler had done some research in the alpha library and found that it was a crap shoot. There weren't too many cases to study, maybe fifty animal-less shifters in the whole of our recorded history, but it looked like about half of them had links and bonds only with their mates while the other half got the full pack experience.

I found him, Tyler, and King Julian chatting about bird shifters, which seemed like perfect timing.

"So you're the one who told Lilah about the shifter my grandfather kept in a cage?" The king raised an eyebrow at Tyler.

"Uh, yes, your majesty." Tyler's cheeks and the tips of his ears glowed fire red.

"Are you talking about Menno?" Angelo chimed in. "I met him once."

"I don't know his name," Tyler said. "The book I read didn't go into much detail. It was sort of a side note."

"Menno got stuck in bird form," the king explained. "A very unusual situation. No one could figure out why or how, but he was never able to transform back to his human body. He wasn’t happy, and Grandad offered him mercy, but he wanted to live. So Grandad took him in, and he became the advisor no one knew about until he finally passed away, oh, maybe four years ago now."

"Speaking of unusual situations," I butted into the conversation, "Angelo, can you feel the pack bond? Are you able to link anyone other than Emerson?"

I can and I am,he linked me with a grin.

Oh, that's great!I said.

"I take it that's a yes?" King Julian snickered, and I nodded.

The talk turned more general after that, and Emerson came to claim his mate, saying Thoreau was asking if they could go home now. Tyler asked if he could catch a ride, seeing as the O was on the way, and left with them. Then the king's attention shifted to his queen, who was chatting with Gamma Rio and his mate, a human girl named Emmeline.

"She wants me to meet them," King Julian said. "She's curious about how a human is fitting into a werewolf pack."

"Then I'll catch you tomorrow, your majesty." I nodded. "I think I'm going to head home now, too."

"See you tomorrow, Mase."

I turned and started walking toward the door when thelastvoice I wanted to hear called my name.

"Alpha Mason? May I please have a moment of your time?"

31: Discoveries

Mason

"Is it official pack business,Mr. Price?" I spat, not even turning to look at my father.

Let him talk to my back.

"I want to congratulate my son and alpha on finding his mate and luna."

His voice was calm and even, which threw me off. I was too used to the harsh, biting voice he used to criticize me.

"Thank you." I nodded my head curtly and figured even that was more than he deserved.

"I'd like you to come to my home office, please, if you have time," he said before I could escape. "I have something to show you as well as something to say to you."

I hesitated. I did not physically fear him, but the little boy in my heart still feared his disapproval and belittling words. I didn't want to hear any more of them. Add in the explosive rage he'd stoked to an inferno over the past couple of years, and I wasn't sure that I could hold back if he began to poke and pick at me in the privacy of his office.

On the other hand, what I felt toward him was a heavy and exhausting burden. It stewed in my gut constantly, and I had better things to focus on now that Posy was in our lives. I couldn't forgive him like she forgave her brothers, but I couldn't carry on like this, either.

Of course, that didn't mean I wanted to rebuild a father-son bond like we had when he taught me to ride a bike on my sixth birthday. What I wanted, what Itrulywanted, was to move forward into a bright future with my mate and brothers, and I couldn't do that so long as I stagnated in the past, draining my energy to feed the anger and hate I had toward my father.

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