Chapter 18
Suddenly, the wolves weren't following me anymore. It ended with many continuous howls. I knew Elias knew I was gone now.
But I did it. I was free. As the familiar buildings of my town passed, the sun began to rise. I knew I couldn't go home. I wasn't protected there. Elias could just as easily take me again. And he could possibly hurt my family in the process.
Mason.
I drove until I was coming up on Mason's house. It was big and kind of hidden in the forest and now I knew why. He was apart of an Alpha family too. I parked the car and pushed myself to the door. Mason threw it open the second I hit the doorstep and hugged me tightly. I released a breath as my tears spilled over. He pulled me inside and let go of me like I burned him.
"You're mated," Mason noted. I hesitated before I nodded slowly.
"I didn't want to, but I went into heat and I couldn't control anything. I was in so much pain... I didn't want it to happen," I cried. He sighed and pulled me back into a hug.
"What's going on? Nova, you shouldn't be here. We've got Rigor Moon Sentinel lining up on our boarder," Mason's dad, Peter, said coming into the foyer.
"Dad, we're not throwing her to the dogs. We need to protect her," Mason defended me. "I still love her," he admitted. I instantly felt bad because I couldn't think of loving anyone but Elias. I wouldn't admit that out loud though. I wanted to feel for Mason what I used to, but I didn't.
"Okay, say we protect Nova from her mate, and she stays with us. You love her now, but when you find your mate, everything is going to change. Then you would've taken Nova away from her mate and created a rivalry for no reason," Peter retorted.
"Dad," Mason said sternly. There was a pause before Peter sighed.
"Alpha Madsen is going to go to war for her. Are you willing to put the entire pack in danger over this? Nova is his mate. She is an Alpha's mate and we are the only thing in the way of them being together. You don't think he's going to destroy as much as he can on his way in?" Peter tried to reason with Mason. I knew he was right. I saw his point. I knew what Mason's answer should have been. He should have given me up and handed me over to Elias, but he didn't.
"Nova is apart of our pack. Just because the gene skipped her doesn't mean she isn't one of us," Mason said. I pulled away from him confused.
"Mason, what are you taking about?" I asked. They were both quiet before Mason pulled me into the living room and sat me down.
"Your mother was a werewolf. She died during a fight with an organized group of rogues," Peter answered. I shook my head.
"No... I don't believe you. I would have known. She would have told me," I said confused. Peter shook his head.
"Your dad is human. Your mother, Noel, was not. When you and your brother were born, he got the gene and you didn't. You and your father are completely normal and human, your mother and Nolan are not. They are apart of our pack. Why do you think Nolan came to us when you went missing? When Mason takes the position of Alpha, Nolan will be his Beta. We knew about Rigor Moon. That's why the police weren't involved in solving your kidnapping. We somewhat knew what was happening," Peter explained. I didn't want to believe him. My brother and my mother... they lied to me my whole life.
If a human mates with a Lycan, there is a chance that their offspring will be either Lycan or human. Normally, the Lycan gene travels easier on the Y chromosome. The chances of a male offspring being Lycan are greater, but it's not impossible for a female half-blood to carry the Lycan gene.
The book said something about a human mating with a werewolf. If what they were saying was true, it was highly possible that my brother was a werewolf.
"What the hell is that?" Mason asked with a small growl. I followed his line of sight and saw he was staring at my collarbone where Kendra scarred me. I blushed bright red as I tried to cover it with my shirt. Mason moved my hands away and exposed the entire claw mark. The skin was slightly raised and discolored from the initial scratch and the stitches. I looked anywhere but at Mason's face.
"How many times have you gotten hurt there?" Mason asked. I shrugged.
"Only twice. The fist time, I accidentally fell out of the third story window and landed on my back. The second time was this claw mark. I got attacked by a were-bitch that Elias... fooled around with," I explained, cringing at the memories. Mason's eyes widened in surprise.
"Elias still fooled around with other women while you were there?" he asked shocked. I shrugged before I nodded. I felt embarrassed. "Dad," Mason said. Apparently, it was enough.
"Alright, she's staying," Peter said before he walked away. Mason set me up in a guest room before he sat on the bed with me and played with my hand. Mason eventually sighed and shook his head.
"You're not even my mate and I wouldn't dare to even think about cheating on you. You're too good for that," he said with a small smile towards me.
"So... Nolan has known that he was a werewolf the whole time?" I asked, changing the subject. Mason nodded.
"Right around the time he was about to shift, we explained everything to him. We kept an eye on you just in case, but you never showed the signs. That's how we knew you were completely human. Nolan will be here soon. You 're safe for now, Nova," he assured me. Mason made me lay down and rubbed my back like he used to do. It was nice and made me nostalgic.
"I missed you," I whispered honestly. Mason laid down behind me and kissed the back of my shoulder. My mark ached a bit, but I ignored it as it quickly went away.
"I missed you too, little one," he said just as softly. "I'm sorry I let this happen. I should've come for you sooner, or done something," he said, and I knew he truly was sorry.
"You didn't know. It's okay, Mason," I said.
"Nova," I heard my brother's relieved voice. I sat up only to be wrapped up in another bone-crushing hug. "I'm so sorry," Nolan said as well. I shook my head as he released me from the hug. I found myself glaring at him as I hit his arm.
"You're a freaking werewolf?! Why didn't you tell me!" I yelled at him.
"We can't tell anyone unless it's our mate... not even family," he tried to explain.
"But we're twins!" I yelled at him again. Nolan only chuckled and hugged me again.
"I missed you too," Nolan said. He pulled back and his eyes caught on my collar. His fingers grazed the top of the scar, immediately embarrassing me. "I can't believe he let this happen," Nolan said seriously. I felt the strong desire to defend Elias, but I knew it was just the stupid mate bond pushing me to do it.
"He wasn't there," I shrugged. "He was doing pack business or whatever," I said dismissively.
"That's no excuse. She shouldn't have been anywhere near you," Mason chimed in. Nolan sighed and kissed my head before he stood.
"Get some rest. I'll tell dad you're safe with us. When it's safe for him, I'll being him to see you," Nolan said. I grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Does dad know about all of this?" I asked curiously. Nolan nodded.
"Mom was his mate. She told him everything. She told him about me so I would have some help and he knew that werewolves were behind your kidnapping," he explained. I glared at him.
"Great, so I was literally the only one who had no idea what was going on? Awesome," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. I sighed and laid back down. That was a lot to take in on sitting. Mason pulled the covers over me and wrapped an arm around me.
"I'll stay with her," Mason said to Nolan. Nolan rolled his eyes.
"Of course you will," he muttered before he kissed my head. "Goodnight, little sis," he said playfully.
"Only by 5 minutes," I said as the corners of my mouth pulled up into a ghost of a smile slightly. Nolan smiled at me before he left. The door was closed and the lights were turned off behind him. I was in the dark, alone with Mason.
"How do I get rid of it? How do I get rid of the mate bond and go back to my normal life?" I asked quietly in the dark. There was a moment of silence as Mason hesitated.
"It's too late for that now," he said honestly. I closed my eyes as a tear rolled out. I hated to admit it, but I actually missed Elias.
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