Sometimes the only way to let love in is to let the wolf in,
too.

Ten years ago, Mason fell for his best friend while at
university. Little did he know just two years later, that same
friend would turn his world upside down in a way Mason
could never have imagined. Now, he lives a cursed life.

Living in solitude, Mason does everything he can to keep

people away, not only for his safety, but for theirs, too.

The night of the full moon. Niall has no idea he's a

werewolf, but fate brings him and Mason together.

A trick of the moon or something deeper, the men are

drawn to each other. Together they must find a way to deal
with what has happened to them both. But first Mason must
learn to trust Niall and realize being alone is not always for
the best.

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copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright
infringement, including infringement without monetary
gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to
5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and
do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of
copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights
is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or
are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or
locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The Good Wolf

ISBN: 978-1-77111-652-7

Cover art by Latrisha Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the
reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part
in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the
written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books

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The Good Wolf

The Lone Wolves Trilogy

Meredith Russell

To my family and friends, for your unwavering support and faith

in me.

Prologue

Eight years ago.

aving fun?”

Mason looked at the beer in his friend’s hand.

“Fun is subjective,” he said, pulling off his glove of plastic
knives and then taking the offered drink. The red and black
woollen sweater he wore was itchy and despite it being
October, the evening was strangely warm. He glanced up at
the trees and the full, orange moon breaking through the
canopy. Peach and silver illuminated the open space,
creating shadows, which danced across the forest floor.

Mason Pearce removed his brown Fedora and brushed

back his sweat-damp bangs. He rubbed tiredly at his eyes,
watching as the partiers danced, talked, and drank. He’d
already had several beers topped off with vodka shots and it
had gone to his head. He was drunk and tired and he
wanted to go home. But he couldn’t. He’d made a promise to
the host, who just happened to be his best friend, and maybe
one day, if luck was on his side, something more. Kaine
Hudson had asked him to be here and here he was.

He watched one of the many loved-up couples in

Halloween costumes—a vampire and a cat grinding
seductively against each other in front of the lights of
Kaine’s old truck. They moved in time to the base-heavy
music playing over the hooked-up sound system. The
vehicle’s headlamps lit the makeshift dance floor and the
wooded area was filled with noise and people. By the beer
cooler, a guy dressed as a ghost nodded, looking only half-

“H

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interested in what the hooker-nurse was saying, and a Jedi
raised his glass and smiled over at Mason. Maybe he had a
thing for woollen sweaters and Fedoras.

The party had been going for a couple of hours. It was the

start of a new year at the nearby university, Mason’s third of
a four-year course, and for Kaine it was as good a reason as
any to organize a party. Loud music, lots of alcohol, and
sweaty students rubbing themselves up against each other.
Sure it was fun, Mason figured, if you had someone to rub
up against. As usual, even though Mason had come with
Kaine, he had spent more time this last hour watching Kaine
drink and talk to pretty much anyone but him. It wasn’t like
Mason was unpopular, hell, he had Jedi Pete giving him the
eye. But no one could compete with Kaine. The guy was a
social magnet. Everybody loved him. It was like he oozed
some pheromone that had boys and girls falling over
themselves to line up, desperate to be noticed. Tonight was
no different, and Kaine being Kaine, he had lapped up the
attention.

“You okay?” Kaine asked as he sat beside Mason and

rested a hand on his shoulder. The black and white skeleton
face paint he wore contorted into a wicked curve as he
smiled. Sweeping back his dark hair, he leaned in closer to
speak above the music. “I saw you talking with Pete,” he
noted and nodded to where Jedi Pete had been joined by
some guy dressed as Frankenstein’s monster.

“Jealous?” Mason turned away, staring at the group of

dancing students for fear he might betray the fact it was he
who was jealous—jealous of anyone who had Kaine’s
attention. He had come close, once. So damn close to
admitting exactly how he felt about his friend. But even after
a night of booze and play-fighting, Mason couldn’t find the
courage to say anything or make his move. They’d lain
together, breathless and looking in each other’s eyes and

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then Kaine had left. Maybe one day he would be brave
enough before their degrees were over and they went their
own way.

“Of him?” Kaine said. “Have you seen me?”
Mason met Kaine’s eyes and pressed his lips in a line.

Sure he’d seen him. He just wished Kaine would see him in
the same way.

“Get over yourself,” Mason said with a laugh and

playfully pushed Kaine away. He sighed as he turned the
beer bottle in his hand. “Well, Pete’s offered me a ride. He’s
heading back to the dorm in ten or so.”

Kaine nodded. “You go if you want to, but it won’t be

long now.”

“What won’t?” Mason scratched at his chest. Damn this

stupid sweater. No wonder Freddy was always so pissed off
and had the urge to stab people.

Kaine got to his feet and nodded to a couple of guys

standing beside his pickup. “You’ll see.” He leaned down
and whispered into Mason’s ear, “It’s going to be wild.”

Mason looked curiously up at Kaine. He narrowed his

eyes as he watched his friend walk away. Getting to his feet,
he pulled at the woollen sweater. He hoped it wasn’t
fireworks. He hated fireworks. All that noise and neck ache
over a few pops, crackles, and pretty colored lights.

“Can I have your attention?” Kaine called over the song.

He and the two men moved forward and out onto the dance
area. The music was turned down and people slowly
gathered around them, forming a circle. “Are we having
fun?” he continued in a raised voice. He raised his arms in
the air as the crowd cheered.

“To a new year and new things!” Kaine roared and the

guests lifted their drinks in a toast to the start of another
year at Longwood University.

Mason nudged his way between the enthused guests to

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get a better view of his friend. He met Kaine’s eyes as the
music was turned up loud, the beat of the song kicking in.
He held Kaine’s gaze, surprised to see a glint of silver in his
deep blue eyes. A trick of the moon perhaps. With a sigh,
Mason frowned as he was pushed to one side. Finding his
feet, he edged behind the line of shouting students as they
joined in the chorus of the song and started to bounce on the
spot. His head was pounding from one too many beers and
he needed to sit down. Carefully, he wove between bodies,
seeking out space.

He didn’t get far. A scream from beneath the music

caught his attention and he turned toward the crowding
people. He wasn’t sure what was happening as he heard
more screams, and the line of bodies separating him from
Kaine suddenly pushed and knocked into one another. The
people scattered as if desperately trying to escape some
unseen terror. Mason stepped forward, confused by the
chaos around him. However, he wasn’t confused for long as
he suddenly found himself frozen with fear. Shocked, he
stared at the large animal in the clearing and then the girl
beneath it. It looked like an enormous wolf. Viciously, it
mauled at her stomach, wicked teeth and claws digging into
her pale skin. Her head rolled to one side and she stared
sightlessly toward Mason. His breath caught in his throat as
he recognized her. She lived in the room across the hall from
him.

Edging away, Mason watched the animal through wide

eyes and his heart leapt in his chest as the creature lifted its
head and settled its bright gaze on him. The animal’s eyes
were white and silver, with dark, blown pupils at their
center. The animal looked at him hungrily and curled up its
top lip as it snarled. Mason couldn’t understand what he
was seeing. The animal had the features of a wolf but this
was like no wolf he’d ever seen. Slowly, he moved back,

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keeping his gaze on the creature. He watched the animal
cautiously. The beast was bigger than any wolf he knew of,
with huge muscular legs and a thick layer of black fur. With
a growl, the wolf stepped over the girl’s body and made a
move toward Mason. The girl was dead and no longer of
interest. Mason, however, was very much alive.

Mason panicked and ran. He had no idea where he was or

where he was heading. He’d driven in with Kaine, and
anyone else who’d driven had left their cars at least a mile
away up at the highway. Managing to stay on his feet,
Mason darted for the trees, joining other people as they fled
from the horrific scene. There wasn’t just the one monstrous
wolf. Two others appeared, ripping and shredding through
human flesh as they tackled their prey to the ground. Mason
ran as fast as he could, giving a gasped yelp as a branch
scratched a line across his cheek and drew blood. He didn’t
care. He just wanted to get the hell out of there.

After what seemed like an eternity, Mason found himself

alone. Breathless, he stopped and spun around, managing to
disorient himself as he focused on a series of screams and
yells that seemed to echo from all directions. He stood for a
moment as he tried to listen, but the sound of his own heavy
breathing was all he could hear. He suddenly felt very cold
and could do nothing to stop himself from shaking. He
dared to raise a hand to his bleeding face, wincing as he
pressed his fingers to the small wound.

“Mason.”
Mason nervously looked over his shoulder as he heard his

name. “Kaine,” he said, relieved to see his friend step from
between two trees. Kaine’s face makeup was flawed from
sweat running down his cheeks and forehead. “We need to
go.” He jogged to meet Kaine and grabbed him by the wrist.
“There’s a…I don’t know. A wolf, I think. But we have to get
out of here.” He pulled on Kaine’s arm, but Kaine didn’t

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move.

“Kaine?” He looked at his friend. Something he hadn’t

noticed before scared him. Kaine’s eyes were no longer the
rich blue that Mason knew and loved. Instead, he found
them startlingly similar to that of the creature he’d seen back
at the party. The blue of Kaine’s eye had faded, leaving an
almost solid white area surrounding large dark pupils.

“What’s going on?” he managed as he released Kaine’s

wrist, only for Kaine to harshly grab his instead.

An open smile spread across Kaine’s face, and Mason

swore he saw fangs. “Why’d you run?” Kaine asked, pulling
Mason closer. “I told you it was going to be wild.” He
pushed his face closer to Mason’s and took deep breaths as,
with a low growl, he seemed to absorb himself in Mason’s
scent.

“Those things…you…” Mason didn’t understand. He

tried to twist away, but Kaine’s grip grew tighter. Wide-
eyed, he watched Kaine’s hand as it seemed to grow and
stretch around his arm. What the hell is happening?

“Running makes me hungry.” Kaine leaned closer and

ran his lips over Mason’s cheek. Lingering over the small
cut, he flicked out his tongue and licked the wound, as if to
taste Mason’s blood. “Always hungry.”

Panic clawed at Mason’s chest as he struggled to pull

away. His stomach recoiled as Kaine dragged his warm,
rough tongue slowly across his face. His attempt to escape
was short-lived as he found himself being thrown to the
ground.

With a wicked grin, Kaine quickly straddled Mason’s

thighs and pinned him firmly to the forest floor. “I want to
give you a gift,” he said. He shuffled lower and brought one
hand down to Mason’s stomach, rolling up the woollen
material of the costume Mason wore. “Up to you how it
goes.” He grinned as he ran his fingers across Mason’s skin.

The Good Wolf

Sharp claws protruded from his fingertips and he drew a
neat line of blood across Mason’s stomach.

“You’re going to like this.” He moved lower, tracing his

finger down the zipper of Mason’s pants and then across his
thigh. With a grin, he pressed down, slowly slicing through
the material of Mason’s pants and into the sensitive flesh of
Mason’s inner thigh.

“Don’t.” Mason bit down on his lip as he fought against

Kaine’s hold. He eventually gave in as all he achieved was to
drive Kaine’s nails deeper. “Please. Stop.” But Kaine didn’t
stop, not until someone else made him and wood splintered
around the side of Kaine’s face.

Mason scrambled backward as Kaine got to his feet. Fresh

blood glistened at Kaine’s hairline and he raised his hand to
the wound as he turned around. Standing behind him was
Pete, a look of sheer terror on his face as he dropped the
thick branch he had hit Kaine with.

“I…oh shit,” Pete stammered and turned to run. He

didn’t get far. Kaine was quickly on him. He dragged Pete to
the ground before slashing at his chest with his clawed
hands.

Mason watched in horror as Kaine leaned over Pete and

ripped out the man’s throat with his bare hand. Blood
pooled on the dry forest floor. Kaine seemed to savor the
moment as he arched his head toward the sky and closed his
eyes. Mason reached behind him, edging away from the
man he had known as friend for the last two years. He
couldn’t believe what was happening and he stared at Kaine.
It was as if Kaine’s body was in flux, changing and
stretching into something no longer human. As Kaine
angrily slashed at Pete’s chest, Mason flinched and averted
his eyes. He couldn’t watch any more. Kaine was distracted
and Mason took the opportunity to escape. Quickly, he got
to his feet and ran. Where to? He had no idea.

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He ran as fast and as far as he could. Scared and confused,

he completely lost his bearings.

Where the hell am I?
His feet hit something solid, causing him to lose his

balance. Tripping, he fell forward and landed with a grunt
on the ground. He flipped onto his back, horrified to see
what, or rather who, he had fallen over. The torn and
mutilated body of a girl lay beside him. Her eyes were pale
and lifeless and her stomach was shredded, her insides
tumbling outward.

Why is this happening?
There was something beneath his hands on the forest

floor and he curled his fingers in the sticky dirt. He didn’t
want to look but he had to. Slowly, he raised his hands in
front of him. His breath caught in his throat as he looked
from his hands to the ground. He thought he was going to
be sick as he stared at the thick dark liquid around him.
Suppressing the urge to vomit, he struggled to get to his feet.
His hands slid through the crimson puddle as he pushed
against the ground.

“Oh God.” He stumbled forward and out into an open

space. “Shit,” he hissed as he heard the sound of Kaine’s
stereo. He was back where he had started. He was at the
party.

The area was shrouded in darkness and bodies lay on the

ground bloodied and torn, eerily illuminated by the sliver of
moonlight. This couldn’t be real. It was a sick dream. A
nightmare. He’d wake up soon and everything would be
okay. He’d be in his bed and he’d joke with Kaine about it
over breakfast. Cautiously, he moved across the area toward
Kaine’s pickup. With a deep breath and a small prayer, he
pulled open the door and slid into the cab. He began the
desperate search for the keys or maybe a weapon, anything
that meant he wasn’t going to end up like those people out

The Good Wolf

there on the forest floor.

“Fuck,” he hissed. No keys and nothing of any use.
“Help me.” The plea came from outside.
Mason froze and strained to hear over the sound of his

pounding heart in his ears.

“Help me.”
Mason jumped down from the pickup and gripped the

vehicle’s door tightly as he nervously looked around.

“Please.”
His gaze settled on the ground and the girl lying several

feet away. She held out her hand to him, pleading for his
help. Instinctively, he rushed to her side. She wrapped her
hands around his, blood smearing across his skin as she
begged him to do something.

“Shh!” He looked her up and down. There was a nasty

gash down her side. “Can you move?” Maybe they could
hide out in the pickup. Maybe help would come. Hell,
maybe he could hotwire the fucking thing.

“I can’t,” she whimpered. “I can’t.”
Mason tried to hook his arms under hers but his hands

slipped over her bare, blood-slick arms as he failed to hold
on. Suddenly, he stopped, frozen with fear as the girl dug
her fingernails into his forearm. Something was different. He
caught his breath as he realized what it was. The music. The
music had stopped playing.

“No!” the girl screamed. Mason spun around, fear

gripping his chest as he saw what she had, a large, dark
figure on the opposite side of the clearing. “Please. Not
again.” She sobbed hysterically as she held onto Mason.

Kaine stepped forward. Menacingly, he dragged his claws

over the hood of his pickup, causing a terrible, high-pitched
sound as he scratched the paintwork.

“Kaine.” Mason returned his attention to the girl. They

needed to get out of there. Awkwardly, he struggled to get

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them both on their feet. Not that it mattered as she was
violently torn from his hold.

“No,” she screamed. Her fingernails scratched his arms as

she was pulled to the ground and dragged away between
the trees. Her screams mixed with the wild sounds of an
animal and then, nothing.

A low growl disrupted the silence and Mason closed his

eyes. He knew Kaine was behind him. Fearfully, he turned
around. A blow to his chest left him reeling, and with a
stilted breath, he pressed his hand to his stomach and fell to
his knees. Blood seeped through his torn sweater and
covered his hand. Raising his head, he looked up at Kaine.

“Please,” he said. “Kaine—” Mason was cut off as he was

pushed to the ground and Kaine forced his head to one side,
exposing his neck. He kicked out and tried to push Kaine
away, but his struggle was futile. A scream caught in his
throat as he caught sight of Kaine against the backdrop of
the orange moon. He watched in horror as Kaine threw back
his head, his jaw shifting as it widened and lengthened and
he took on the full form of one of the monstrous wolves.

Mason could do nothing but watch his friend turn into a

monster. His face was pushed hard against the dirt as a
searing pain flashed through his shoulder and across his
chest. Kaine dug his teeth and claws into Mason’s flesh and
the pain overwhelmed him. As his vision blurred and all he
could do was stare hopelessly up at the sky, he was resigned
to his fate. This was it. He was going to die.

The Good Wolf

Chapter One

Present Day

till here.

Mason raised a hand to his neck as he sat up in bed.

He knew he shouldn’t think it, but some days he wished
he’d never wake up. He kicked off the tangled, sweat-damp
bedding and leaned over to turn on the lamp at his bedside.
It was a little after midday and the afternoon sunlight shone
through the narrow gap in the drapes, casting only a dim
line across the room. Gently, he ran a soothing line across his
shoulder, a disgusted frown creasing his brow as his
fingertips traced the ridges of the old, ugly scar. Despite the
passage of time, the scars remained, forever a hideous
reminder of what he was. Snatching back his hand, Mason
shook off the unsettling feeling and got to his feet. He had
things to do before tonight.

Heading for the kitchen, he stretched away the tiredness

from his body. He felt like he’d been hit by a truck. He was
stiff and it was like every bone and muscle in his body
ached, complaining at the short walk across his apartment.
Entering the kitchen, he stood in the doorway and screwed
up his mouth as he spotted the dried stain on the tiled floor.
He’d gotten sick last night and he remembered the bitter
taste and how bad things had gotten. One more night and
then the cycle was done for another month.

A knock on his apartment door pulled him from his

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thoughts and he turned around, leaving the kitchen. He
didn’t really know any of his neighbors in the building. It
was easier and safer that way. Especially for them. Opening
the door, he gave an audible sigh as he found an all-too-
familiar face standing in the hall.

“Saskia,” he said and opened the door a little farther.

“What are you doing here?”

Saskia Kotko pulled back the hood of her red jacket and

smiled. “I got what you wanted,” she said. She held out her
hand and grinned. “It’s good stuff.” She raised her
eyebrows—a line of dark blonde playfully enticing him. “I
promise.”

Mason eyed the small bag of white powder in her hand.

He never asked where or how she got the drugs. He was
grateful but he knew he needed to find another way. “You
shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous.” He considered pushing
her away and shutting the door. But in a way, he didn’t
want her to go. Not really. She was kind of his only friend.

Saskia smoothed out her long blonde hair. “I can look

after myself. But you cannot.” Her Russian accent had
diluted over time, but was still obvious. She’d even taught
him a few words. Mainly curse words, he remembered
fondly. She pushed the door, creating a gap large enough for
her to slide through and then she was in his apartment.
Smiling, she sat on the arm of his old, worn couch. “I could
stay and keep you company.”

Mason lowered his eyes. He was aware the girl had a

crush on him, not that he had ever done anything to
encourage it. She was seventeen years old, still in school,
and well, even if she was ten years older, she wasn’t exactly
his type.

“It’s the third night,” he reminded her.
“I’m not scared of you. Besides, you’re in control, not that

thing.”

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He wished that were true. His gaze settled on the

damaged wall beside his bedroom door. “Perhaps. But you
shouldn’t keep coming here.”

He didn’t trust himself, or rather, he didn’t trust the

monster inside him. Slowly, he raised his hand and felt out
the cheap chain around his neck. Hesitantly, he moved
downward and touched the silver cross threaded on the end,
which lay against his chest above his clothes. With a hiss, he
drew back his fingers. It had been his mother’s and was a
constant reminder of what he was capable of.

“I have things to do.” He met Saskia’s clear blue eyes. He

was always amazed by how bright they were. As flawless as
sapphires. She was a beautiful girl and would no doubt
grow into an exceptional young woman. Maybe she was a
little on the thin side, but she already matched Mason in
height and was mature beyond her years, looking after her
small brother while her mom worked shifts.

“Let me help,” she offered and jumped to her feet. She

came to stand beside him and rested her hand on his arm. “I
can help.”

Though he appreciated her enthusiasm, she was just a kid

and this was something he had to deal with himself. Mason
smiled and leaned forward, brushing his lips against her
cheek in a light kiss as he slid a fifty-dollar bill into the
pocket of her jacket. “Go home.” He had plenty to keep him
busy.

Saskia lowered her head, blushing as she pulled her hood

back up around her face. “I’ll just leave this here.” She
waved the plastic-wrapped powder in the air and dropped it
on the couch. “I’ll come tomorrow. Bring you some supper.”
She cleared her throat as she met Mason’s eyes. “Mother is
making meatloaf.”

Mason smiled. “Sounds great.”
She hesitated before moving to the door. “Tomorrow

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then.”

Once Saskia had gone, Mason quickly locked the door,

leaning back as he eyed what she’d left on the couch. He
sometimes wished she didn’t know about him and his
problem. He sighed heavily, rubbed at his eyes, then slid the
chain across the door. He could already feel the familiar ache
rippling across his skin as he picked up the bag and went
through to the kitchen. Laying it on the kitchen table, he
stared at its contents. Heroin. He wondered what he had
done so wrong in his life that it had come to this. He’d been
an English major, studied hard, had a loving, understanding
family and then it was all ripped away from him. Now all he
had was his drugs, painful memories, and a teenage girl
who was the only person he’d let within touching distance
in the last six years.

Shaking his head, he turned to the sink and stared out the

window. He had several hours before sunset, an apartment
to clean and then a few-hundred-page document to edit.
Plenty to keep his mind busy until the evening. Just one
more night and then he could pretend to be normal until the
next time.

Lost in work, the night had crept up on Mason and now

the powerful pull of the moon had him aching for the
freedom of outdoors. Clearing his throat, he looked at the
powdered crystals through the plastic wrapping, before
sitting down at his small dining table. He reached forward
and pulled an open shoebox toward him. He looked at its
contents. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply as a low
sound escaped from his throat. There was no time to debate
what he was doing. Working quickly, he lined up what he
needed across the surface of the table—a metal spoon, a
syringe, a lighter, a bottle of colloidal silver and then the
heroin.

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As he began to create his poison, Mason considered each

item. He held the small glass bottle in his hand and looked at
the liquid it contained. It had taken him years to find a way
to control the change. All the books he’d read mentioned the
use of silver, more often than not as a final means. He’d
thought werewolves and silver bullets were things of stories
and make-believe, of movies and TV shows. Carefully, he
slid the needle of the syringe into the top of the bottle and
drew back the plunger, drawing the metal-heavy liquid into
the syringe. Resting the needle on the table, he then
prepared the second part of the crude mixture—crystals,
water, and heat, before combining the two halves.

Tying off the top of his arm, Mason massaged the inside

crease at his elbow, looking for a vein. He rested his arm on
the table and clenched his fist. Hesitantly, he pressed the
needle to his forearm. With a deep breath, he prepared
himself and slid the needle beneath his skin. The sting of the
silver was enough to make his eyes water. Grimacing, he
pressed down the plunger, emptying the full contents into
his bloodstream.

“Fuck,” he hissed. It stung like a bitch. He gritted his teeth

as heat, starting in his arm, spread throughout his whole
body. Damn, he felt like he was on fire.

Mason slid the syringe across the table. A growl escaped

his throat and he lowered his head to the wooden surface.
He breathed heavily, waiting for the mix of chemicals to
flow around his body. First the painful heat of the silver and
then the euphoric feel of the heroin. Closing his eyes, he
curled his hand against the table. He could feel his body
battling against the silver and fighting to change. He opened
his eyes again, squinting as he watched the tiled floor
beneath him appear to twist and arch. Slowly, he lifted his
head, his eyes narrowing as he looked at his hand.

“No,” he growled. He wouldn’t change. It was as if his

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fingers were swelling and his fingernails lengthening and
hardening. Slowly, he dragged his nails across the wooden
surface, fear rising in his chest as he dug them into the
tabletop.

With a painful gasp, Mason threw back his head, panic

fleeting through him as he caught sight of himself in the
metal door of the refrigerator. He met his eyes in the sleek
surface, watching as their human hazel coloring drained,
replaced instead with a dull silver. He closed his eyes and
kicked the dining chair from under him as he struggled to
stand. Frustrated, he managed to tangle his feet in the
wooden legs of the chair and he fell to the floor.

Please. Stop. He curled into himself. He was shaking as he

pulled his knees up to his chest. Why did it have to hurt so
much?

As the heroin kicked in the pain started to fade to a dull

ache. Slowly, he uncurled his body and pushed himself to sit
up against the leg of the table. Taking steady breaths, he
rested his chin on his knees and wiped away the tears
trapped in his lashes. He wished there was another way. He
wished it would all stop. And he wished he hadn’t survived.

The night seemed to be never-ending. Grimacing, Mason

held a hand to his stomach as he leaned over the kitchen
sink. He’d managed to sleep away the first few hours, then
distract himself with exercise and reordering every book,
movie, and CD in his apartment for the rest. He checked the
clock on the microwave as he scratched at his arm. It was a
little after four in the morning. His skin was itchy but it
didn’t sting as much as before. The silver and heroin would
be almost out of his system by now. He’d already increased
the dose from last month. He seemed to burn through the fix
far more quickly than he used to.

Mason scratched frantically at his arm, giving a low growl

The Good Wolf

as he kicked at the cupboard door. There was only an hour
until sunrise and then all this would be over for another
month. Restlessly, he stalked across the kitchen and back
again to run himself a glass of water. Slowly, he sipped at
the cool liquid, closing his eyes as he tried to ignore the
claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in his own skin.

I need to get out of here.
Thoughtfully, he screwed up his mouth. Would an hour

really hurt? He leaned over the sink and gently parted the
blind. Outside, he wanted to be outside. Looking out at the
city, he admired its vast space and silent streets before
snatching back his hand. He shouldn’t. Mason took another
drink of water and then held the glass to his inflamed and
itchy forearm. But it was only an hour.

Quickly, he downed the water and headed for the door,

grabbing his jacket off the back of the couch. He stopped at
the door and curled his hand into a fist at his side. Leaving
the apartment would be fine, he tried to convince himself.
What could possibly go wrong in an hour? Less now.

Dumbass.
Maybe he should stay inside. He totally just jinxed any

chance he had of a peaceful stroll to the city park and back.
His arm itched like hell and he was going stir crazy. He
needed out.

Fuck it.
Mason headed out the apartment and made his way

down the three floors of stairs. As he stepped out onto the
sidewalk, he closed his eyes and let the early morning air
wrap itself around him. It was kind of liberating and almost
perfect. He breathed in the cool air and welcomed the
emptiness. It would do him some good and help to clear his
mind.

The park was a few blocks over, but it would be nice to sit

and watch the sunrise. To remind himself there was still

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beauty in the world. He walked for thirty minutes, happy to
enjoy the quiet. He thought nothing could ruin the peace he
felt. But then, as he swerved down one of the side streets,
Mason stopped and listened. The hairs on the back of his
neck prickled as they rose with a shiver. The sensation of
being watched smothered him like a weighty cloak and a
familiar scent hung in the air.

It can’t be.
Mason looked around fearfully as the familiar scent filled

his nostrils. He couldn’t be here. There was no way he could
have found him. He had been so careful. Suddenly, from out
of nowhere a heavy weight crashed into him and Mason fell
forward, landing on his hands and knees. Flipping himself
over, he crouched on the ground and looked the length of
the narrow, dark space. There was something in the
shadows. He barely had any time to register what was
happening before a mass of fur and claws were on top of
him. With a grunt, Mason’s head hit the concrete. Dazed, he
grabbed at the flailing body above him and pushed hard
against its firm chest. Desperately, he wrapped his fingers in
matted fur and pushed the animal higher, narrowly
avoiding the snapping jaw of the enormous wolf. He pushed
frantically, managing to lift the wolf away from him enough
to create space to raise his legs. Through gritted teeth, he
cried out and kicked, relieved as he managed to push the
animal away. Quickly, he got to his feet and readied himself.
He watched the wolf cautiously as it got back on its feet.
Dark brown fur covered the animal’s body, sharp claws
protruded from its four large paws, and it settled its milk-
white eyes on Mason. This wolf wasn’t Kaine. Its fur was a
few shades lighter than Kaine’s ebony coat.

Mason breathed deeply. His own monster fought to break

free from within him. He raised his hand and wrapped it
around the small, silver cross outside his t-shirt, doing his

The Good Wolf

best to force away the urge to let go—to let the wolf out. He
would not change.

“You want me?” he spat, and yanked the chain from

around his neck. “Then come and get me.”

The wolf ran toward him and leapt into the air. With its

jaw wide and teeth bared, the animal pounced, impacting
Mason hard in the stomach. But Mason was ready for the
attack this time. Tackling the wolf, he wrapped his arms
tightly around its neck and dragged it to the ground. He
pressed the silver pendant to the animal’s forehead and held
on for as long as he could. The animal whimpered and
kicked out as the silver burned its skin, and the smell of
melted hair filled the air.

Mason closed his eyes, stifling a cry as the wolf sank its

claws into his thigh in a final bid for freedom.

“Fuck,” Mason hissed and twisted the animal over,

pinning it to the ground as best he could. He lowered his
head to the animal’s back, feeling the rise and fall of its chest
beneath him as he tried to calm his own desires. Where was
the sun? He held on, waiting until the animal finally gave in
to the power of the silver and fell still in his arms.

Slowly, Mason raised his head. A gasped howl escaped

his throat and he knew what was about to happen.

“No. No,” he pleaded and wrapped his hand more tightly

around the silver necklace. He had been so close. The silver
burned his palm, but it wasn’t enough. Helplessly, he
watched his fingers stretch and thicken. There wasn’t
anything of the silver left in his system and the necklace
alone wouldn’t stop his transformation.

A growl erupted from his throat as he lifted his head and

looked at the sky. He thanked God as he was met with his
salvation. The sun. The first rays of the morning light shone
over the city and relief flooded Mason’s mind. It was okay.
He was okay. In moments, he had reverted to his human

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state and breathlessly, he rolled away from the body he’d
been resting against. For a moment, he lay and watched the
sun continue to wake and then turned his head. The wolf
he’d managed to overpower shifted, gradually turning back
into a man. Paws turned to hands, strong, fur-coated thighs
turned to pale, human legs, and the once long, teeth-filled
face turned into soft, male features and dark bangs.

Mason stiffly sat up and glanced down at the unconscious

man beside him. He looked the man up and down, noting
the jagged scar on the inside of his left thigh. Curiously, he
tilted his head. The scent he had caught earlier still hung in
the air around them. Narrowing his eyes, he considered the
man again. He didn’t know the man and yet he smelled so
familiar. He smelled like—

“Kaine,” he hissed as he pushed himself up off the

ground. The smell of his old friend tormented him and clung
to the man's skin. If Kaine was back, it wasn’t safe to be out
in the open and unprepared. He should leave. Slowly,
Mason crouched beside the man and gently swept back the
hair from his dirty face. They both should leave. There was a
twisted feeling in his gut as he considered the man and also
remembered how he had once been. He couldn’t just leave
him here. Once he was sure there was no one else around, he
lifted the man from the ground. Keeping his balance, he
managed to get the man over his shoulder and held him
tight. He tried not to think about the naked man in his arms
or what the hell anyone would think if they saw him. He just
wanted to get home. Hell, he wished he’d never left.

The Good Wolf

Chapter Two

o who is he?” Saskia asked of the naked man lying on
Mason’s couch.

“Why don’t you go ask him?” Mason suggested and

closed the door behind her. If anyone was going to catch him
on the stairs carrying an unconscious, naked man it was
going to be her.

Saskia pouted and Mason sniffed a laugh. “Crap,” he

said, wincing as he pulled the material of his jeans away
from his sliced thigh.

“You want me to look at that?” Saskia stepped forward

and leaned in close to examine his torn pants and skin.

Mason weaved around her and made for his bedroom.

Seventeen and she was acting like his mother. “I’ll be fine.”
He pushed the door to his room shut and began to undress.
The wound had already closed and soon it would be like it
never happened. Quickly, he swapped the torn jeans for
some loose-fitting sweatpants and then rejoined Saskia. God
he was tired. With a sigh, he dropped down in the chair
opposite the unconscious man and gently rubbed his
swollen thigh.

“He’s very…” Saskia tilted her head in interest. “Large,”

she decided. “How did you get him up here?”

Mason shrugged. The guy maybe had a couple of inches

on him and a few extra pounds. “One of the perks,” he joked
about his condition. He could run faster, heal quicker, he

“S

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was stronger, and had an awesome sense of smell. Sounded
great if it wasn’t for the other side of the scary-ass monster
coin.

“Hmm,” Saskia said thoughtfully. “You should be a

superhero.” She held out her arms and pretended to flex her
muscles.

Mason sighed. Some hero. He rested his head in his hand

and stared at the man. “I don’t think so.”

“Oscar has all these comics,” she said of her younger

brother. “Flawed heroes, yes? All have a dark past of some
kind.” She sat on the arm of his chair and nudged Mason’s
arm. “You’d fit right in.”

Mason raised his head and met her eyes. Despite what she

knew, Saskia still thought he was a good guy. “You should
head home,” he said. “You have school.”

“I hate school.” She reached down and took Mason’s

hand in hers. “Can’t I stay here with you?”

Giving her a stern look, Mason shook his head. “You need

to go. You need to do your homework, get your grades up,
get into college, then med school, blah, blah.” He sighed as
he saw her face fall. “Hey. Who’s gonna look after me
otherwise, huh? Doctor Kotko,” he added with a smile.

“I would have to go away.”
“I’ve managed this long,” he said and gently pulled his

hand from hers. He needed to start pushing her away. She
was getting far too close and he feared that one day he might
do something they’d both end up living to regret. He didn’t
wish his curse on anyone. “You shouldn’t keep coming
round here. You don’t owe me anything.”

Saskia shook her head and it was clear the night from

over a year ago was still very clearly lodged in her mind. “I
could be dead,” she reminded him, “if you had not stopped
them.”

Mason ran his hand thoughtfully over his jaw. “I could

The Good Wolf

have killed them. Infected them.” He met her eyes. “I could
have done the same to you.”

Saskia held out her wrist and slowly pulled back the

sleeve of her hooded sweater. “Is this what scares you? This
little mark?”

Mason turned his head and looked at Saskia’s arm. His

memory was a bit hazy, but he remembered following the
men following Saskia. He had correctly predicted their
wicked intentions and had intervened. He raised his hand
and gently touched the dips of her scarred skin. “You’re
lucky I didn’t bite you.”

“You weren’t a monster then and you aren’t now. You’re

a man. A good man.”

Mason closed his eyes and rested his head in his hand. He

might not be the creature twenty-four-seven, but the instinct
was still inside him. The wolf constantly clawed at his gut.

Saskia rested her hands in her lap. “You shouldn’t be

alone. You should have someone.” She looked at the
sleeping man. “He’s like you.”

“He’s dangerous,” Mason reminded her.
“You say that about yourself. But you’re not.” She got to

her feet and crossed the room, crouching down beside the
couch as she gently lifted the man’s hair from his face.
“Maybe he’s okay, too.” She narrowed her eyes as she
seemed to notice the dried brown stains on the man’s cheeks
and neck.

“It’s blood, and it’s not mine,” he revealed. “You

shouldn’t get so close.”

Saskia sighed as she stood back up. “You have a month.

You could help him. You could give him your medicine.”

Mason met her hopeful eyes. “Maybe. But for now, he

needs to rest, and so do I.”

“Do you want me to watch him?”
Mason shook his head and slowly got to his feet, taking

Meredith Russell

an uncertain step as pain darted up the inside of his injured
thigh. “We’ll be fine. Probably best he wakes alone. Despite
his appearance there’s still an animal inside him, and it
won’t like being cornered.”

Saskia nodded. “I guess,” she agreed. “Take care and call

me if you need anything.”

Mason gave a small smile, noticing how she hovered

beside the door as if waiting for something more. “Have a
good day at school,” he prompted and folded his arms
across his chest. “I’ll see you later.” He waited for her to
leave and then secured the door. Slowly, he turned around
and leaned back against the door. He looked at the sleeping
man on his couch. What the hell was he doing? This was
such a bad idea.

It was midday when Mason woke to the sound of

movement in the kitchen. Slowly, he sat up on his elbows
and looked at his bolted bedroom door. He listened to the
sound of running water and creased his nose as he sniffed
the air. The smell of toasted bread wafted under the door.
The guy was making lunch?

Rubbing at his eyes, Mason decided he best check on his

new friend. As quickly as he could, he dressed in a pair of
sweats and a t-shirt off the floor. With a yawn, he crossed
the room and unlocked the door to his bedroom. Cautiously,
he checked the living room, aware of someone moving
around the kitchen.

“Hello?” he said and stepped out of his room. The drapes

were open and he shielded his eyes from the intrusively
bright light. He stopped and waited, listening as the
apartment fell eerily silent. “You there?”

Mason bit thoughtfully at his thumbnail as he considered

how he’d feel waking up in a strange apartment. Sure as hell
wouldn’t be making lunch.

The Good Wolf

“My name’s Mason,” he continued. “This is my place.”

He jumped as a head suddenly appeared from behind the
kitchen door. The man’s eyes were as dark brown as his hair
and he looked Mason up and down curiously as he nibbled
on the edge of a slice of buttered toast. “And you are?”

“Niall,” he said. “Niall Allen.” The man didn’t seem all

that fazed about waking up in a stranger’s apartment.

“Well, Niall Allen, do you remember what happened last

night?” Mason did his best to broach the subject calmly.

Niall wiped his hands together and shrugged. “I guess I

was drunk. We hooked up I presume and…” He nodded
and blushed, holding the kitchen door tightly to his body. “I
couldn’t find my clothes.”

Mason opened his mouth and closed it, frowned as he

realized he had no idea what to tell Niall. “We didn’t,” he
said. “And your clothes aren’t here.”

Niall raised an eyebrow and gave a weird smirk. “Okay.

What did you say your name was again?”

“Mason.”
“Right. Mason, as amusing as this is, I could really do

with getting out of here. Clothes would be good,” he said as
he stepped out into the open and rested his hands on his
hips. “They’d also make this situation a lot less awkward
than it is right now.”

Mason cleared his throat and averted his eyes from where

they had been drawn to Niall’s groin area. Saskia had been
right. He was large and in more ways than one. Attraction
sparked in his chest and he sought anything other than Niall
to look at.

“Seriously, I don’t have your clothes. We didn’t hook up.

You kind of tried to…” Mason pursed his lips and tried to
find the words. “Say,” he guided the conversation, “your
thigh? What happened?” He glanced at the wound.

Niall looked down at his leg, pressing his thighs together

Meredith Russell

as he turned slightly. “You saw that, huh?”

Suspiciously, Mason narrowed his eyes. “What

happened?” he asked again.

“Bad date,” Niall said and leaned against the frame of the

door.

“A person did that?”
Niall pursed his lips as he considered his answer.

“Actually no. Not a person. A fucking asshole. Some people
need putting down.” He let out a huffed breath as he
stepped forward. “So, are you an asshole, too?”

Raising his head, Mason looked at Niall. “You know

nothing about me. I don’t think you even know yourself
right now.”

With a sigh, Niall moved toward the couch and ran his

hand across the cheap, worn material. He stopped,
narrowed his eyes, and looked at Mason. “Something seems
familiar.” He turned his head as he investigated the room.
“And I don’t mean you.”

“Familiar, how?” Mason asked. Did Niall feel something,

too? This strange and all-too-sudden attraction?

Niall shook his head. “It’s nothing. Look,” he said as he

turned to Mason again, “I really need my clothes.”

How many times did he have to say it? “Your clothes

aren’t here. I don’t know where they are.” Though he was
kind of enjoying the view. Niall was certainly easy on the
eye.

“So, I just wandered up to your apartment naked?”
“Not exactly. I carried you.” That didn’t sound creepy at

all.

Niall gave Mason a doubtful look. “We’re three floors

up.” He pointed to the window.

“And you’re heavy,” Mason replied through a strained

smile.

A frown creased Niall’s forehead as he clearly tried to

The Good Wolf

remember last night. “How did we meet?” he suddenly
asked. He stared at Mason. “I don’t even remember going
out last night.”

Mason shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the

other and then folded his arms across his chest. Was honesty
the best policy? Right now, he wanted Niall out of his
apartment. The sight and smell of the man was alluring in a
way Mason hadn’t felt with anyone before.

“I want you to answer my question first,” he bartered.
“Question?”
“The bite. Who did that?”
Niall stood behind the couch, his fingers digging into its

firm back. “I met some guy at a club. He wasn’t as nice as he
made out to be.”

“Do you remember his name?”
Niall met Mason’s eyes. His curiosity at Mason’s

questions was obvious. “Called himself Kaine.”

Fear swept through Mason and his heart stuttered in his

chest. He’d hoped what he’d smelled last night had simply
been some reaction to another wolf, like having a memory
triggered. “When was this?”

“A couple of weeks. He was all…” Niall lowered his eyes

and looked to the floor as he seemed to search for an
explanation. “It’s going to be wild is what he said, and I
guess he was.”

“I need you to listen to me,” Mason started. “Kaine

Hudson is a dangerous man. You’re lucky you’re alive—”
He stopped. He wasn’t sure he really considered Niall lucky.

“You know him?”
“Knew,” Mason corrected. “Look, I need to tell you

something. Something you’re going to find insane.”

As if it wasn’t clear Niall didn’t find this whole situation

crazy enough already. How the hell could he tell him what
Kaine really was? What they both were?

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“Kaine is…he’s…” Mason leaned his head back and cast a

fleeting glance up at the ceiling before closing his eyes. “He’s
a werewolf and you are, too.” He lowered his head and met
Niall’s eyes. “I know you don’t believe me. I wouldn’t
believe me.”

The smile on Niall’s face was clearly fake. “A werewolf.

I’m a werewolf. Of course. A completely sane reason as to
why I’m butt-naked in some random guy’s apartment.” He
looked unsettled as he curled his fingers around the back of
the couch.

“The situation is anything but sane,” Mason said. “You

were down in the street. I incapacitated you and the sun
came up. I didn’t know what else to do, so I brought you
here.”

Niall pinched the bridge of his nose. “You sound like a

freak.”

Mason stepped forward and wrapped his hand in the

neck of his t-shirt. “I am a freak.” He pulled down the dark
material to reveal his savaged neck. Despite every other
wound healing since becoming a wolf, the mark of his maker
always remained. “Kaine did this to me, and now he’s done
it to you.”

Niall frowned as he looked at Mason’s marked skin. “He

did that?”

Mason released his t-shirt. “He did.”
“But it looks like—”
“An animal mauled me?” Mason clenched his fists at his

sides. “You have no idea.” Mason pressed his lips in a line as
he suddenly realized something. “What do you remember
from the other nights?”

“Other nights?” Niall asked. “What do you mean?”
“For three nights a month. It’s not just the full moon. It’s

the night before and after as well.”

Niall glanced down at the floor. He looked uneasy.

The Good Wolf

“Werewolves,” he said quietly. “This sounds crazy. You
know that, right?”

Of course he did. Eight years ago, he would have thought

himself crazy. Hell, he did for a couple of months until he
came to accept something terrible had happened and he had
changed.

“I do. I didn’t understand it either. Not at first. I’d wake

up in strange places without my clothes—parks, woods,
alleyways. It’s scary.”

With a sniffed laugh, Niall leaned forward against the

back of the couch. “Can I borrow some clothes? I’d like to
leave now.”

Mason bit at his lower lip. He was too tired for this

anyway. “Sure.” Clearing his throat, he turned and went
back in his room. He’d had to figure out what had happened
for himself. He guessed Niall would, too, eventually.

It was late afternoon when Mason woke for a second time.

He rolled onto his side as he lay in bed and stared at the
open window. Letting Niall walk away had played on his
mind, causing him to have a restless few hours sleep. But
what was he supposed to have done? Not let the man leave
until he came to accept he was a wolf and that he needed to
take responsibility, chain himself to the radiator three times
a month? He listened to the bustle of sounds from the street
below as people got on with their lives. At least Niall had
another oblivious month of feeling normal. He let out a sigh
and considered what to do with the remaining hours of the
day. Eating would be a good start, he decided, then a
shower.

Slowly, he sat up and pulled his knees up toward his

chest. He was finding it harder and harder to care about life
between full moons. One day blurred into another as he
strolled through his cursed life. It was strange. At college,

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he’d had such dreams and ambitions—the career, the salary,
family and friends. Now his dreams had turned into
nightmares with Kaine and his pack plaguing his nights.

Reluctantly, Mason got out of bed. He still wore the

sweats and t-shirt from earlier and he stretched as he tried to
shake away the tiredness. Tomorrow the countdown would
start over again and he would fill his days with editing work
and obsessive research. He’d known from the start the
colloidal silver could never be a permanent solution. As each
month passed, its effects became weaker, and there was only
so much higher he could increase the dose. He’d gotten a
good two years out of it, but it was time to find another way.

Mason crossed the room to his dresser and picked up a

sheet of paper that rested against the rectangular mirror. He
looked down at the photocopied page from a book he’d
found in the library and examined the sketched drawing.
Screwing up his mouth, he wondered if anything he’d read
on werewolf lore was true. There was just so much out there
in TV shows, movies, and fiction. It was hard to distinguish
anything that might be based on truth. Slowly, he folded the
sheet of paper in half and slid open the top drawer of his
dresser. He lifted the folded clothes and placed the paper
beneath them. Though he knew the monster inside him was
capable of such a gruesome act, he wasn’t sure he ever
wanted to try the cure it depicted. He wasn’t the monster. Or
at least that’s what he wanted to believe.

The Good Wolf

Chapter Three

askia knocked on Mason’s door. Another month had
gone by and Mason had already been through two nights

of dosing himself with the silver. She knew she shouldn’t
worry, but she couldn’t help it after hearing the news reports
that morning. So here she was, standing at Mason’s door,
worried sick something had happened to him last night.
Had he stayed in? Had he managed to keep himself safe and
from turning all night?

“Mason!” Saskia called. She banged hard against Mason’s

apartment door. “You in there?” She continued to knock on
the door. “You better be in there.” She stopped, biting on her
thumbnail as she waited. Where the hell was he? “Mason—”
She jumped as the door flung open to reveal a tired-looking
Mason standing on the other side.

“Saskia? What the hell?” Mason rubbed at his eyes. His

dark blond hair was disheveled, and he was dressed in
oversized clothes.

“I just…You’re okay,” she said, relieved. Smiling brightly,

she stepped inside. “I was so worried.” She wrapped her
arms around his neck. He was warm and solid and very
much alive.

Mason grunted as she squeezed him tightly. She’d been

so scared something had happened to him.

“Whoa, there! Squashing me!” he complained.
Saskia released her hold and looked sternly at Mason.

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Placing her hands on her hips, she started her reprimand.
“Where have you been?” She had hardly seen him through
the month, and not at all in the last week. “I’ve been worried
sick. You don’t answer my calls,” she ranted as she pushed
past him and farther inside. “I thought it was maybe…”

“Thought what?” Mason asked as he leaned back,

pushing the door shut with a click. He looked confused.

With a deep breath, Saskia raised her eyes to Mason’s.

“There was an animal attack downtown. A girl died and the
cops shot and killed the animal. Reports said it was a big
wolf.”

Mason relaxed and smiled. “I stayed inside all night. I

promise it wasn’t me.” He held his hands up as he joked and
then moved away from the door.

How could he act like he didn’t care? It wasn’t a joke.
“A girl died. One of your kind died.”
“They aren’t my kind,” Mason said harshly. Venom flared

in his eyes as he walked past her to the couch. “They are
nothing like me.”

“You must wonder?” she said. Mason sat down and let

out a huffed breath. “It could have been anyone. Like that
Niall guy. He was nice, right? Not everyone knows what
they are.”

“What? A monster?” He turned and met her eyes.

“Besides, a big wolf doesn’t necessarily mean it was Niall or
anyone else for that matter.” He shrugged. “Maybe it was
just that. A big wolf.”

Saskia folded her arms. Mason could be frustratingly

stubborn. “Of course. Silly me.” She pressed her mouth in a
line and looked around the apartment. Something seemed
different. “Have you done something in here?” She sucked
on her lower lip as she considered the room. “It seems…”
She smiled. “You really cleaned up this time.”

“I was bored,” Mason said. He leaned back his head and

The Good Wolf

stared up at the ceiling. “I had to keep busy to take my mind
off…things.”

Saskia sighed and moved to the couch. “You didn’t let me

get you anything. Did it hurt?” She didn’t like drugs and
would never dream of touching them herself, but it was
what Mason needed to be able to deal with what happened
to him each month. She wanted to help any way she could.

Mason looked at her as she sat beside him. “A little. But

like I said, I kept myself busy and my mind off it.” He
smiled but Saskia was far from convinced. She doubted he
was as okay as he claimed. “So, this attack. Anything else
you want to tell me?” he asked.

“No. You’re safe and I’m happy.” She cared. She couldn’t

help it. He had saved her from something terrible last year
and for that she was incredibly grateful. If only there was
something she could do to really help.

“There were no survivors, right?” he asked.
She shook her head. The reports had only mentioned a

girl. Some waitress taking out the trash. Shitty timing, she
figured. “Just the girl and she died at the scene.” Curling her
legs up on the couch, she asked, “So, if it was a wolf like
you, what happens when you die?”

“What do you mean?”
“If you die as a wolf. Do you stay a wolf or change back?

I’ve watched movies and both happen, but which is true?”
In the last year, she had asked him dozens of questions.
Unfortunately, Mason had no real answers to give her.

“Oh.” He rested his arm on the back of the couch and

turned to face her. “From what I know, you stay a wolf.”

“Have you seen it?”
Mason lowered his eyes. “Once.”
She was suddenly filled with a weighty sadness. “So, a

person’s family and friends, they’d never know they were
dead,” she stated. “That’s horrible.”

Meredith Russell

“I guess,” Mason said as he looked away and toward the

window.

“Sorry,” she apologized. Mason didn’t like to talk about

himself, but he had shared some facts. She knew what had
happened to his family and as hard as she tried to convince
him otherwise, he would never believe it wasn’t his fault.
They were dead at the hands, or rather claws, of Kaine and
him.

Mason gave a sad smile and rested his head in his hand.

“It’s okay.”

Saskia sighed and met his eyes. He had the prettiest eyes

she thought she had ever seen on a guy. Such a beautiful
shade of hazel, all flecked with gold. They suited his heart-
shaped face and gentle features. Sometimes she found it
hard to believe there could be anything wicked about him.
He was too damn shy and sweet.

“You said this happened downtown?” he asked.
“In the alley behind that cute little Italian place, Rocco’s.”

Saskia frowned. “Though maybe not so cute now.” She
raised a hand and twisted a finger in her hair. Two nights
down. “There’s another night, right? I could get you some
stuff. I mean, you’ve nothing left to clean.” She knew a guy
at school who had this brother who dated some girl who
knew a guy.

Mason looked tempted but shook his head. “I’m fine.”
He didn’t look fine. “You sure?” She didn’t like the idea

of him hurting.

Clearing his throat, Mason insisted, “I’m fine. Plus, I need

to keep myself sharp.” He chewed on his lower lip.

What isn’t he telling me?
“Saskia, I need to be honest with you. I don’t know how

much longer I can stay here.”

What? No. He couldn’t mean that. “Why? Did I do

something?”

The Good Wolf

Mason smiled and gently rested his hand over hers on the

couch cushion. “Of course not. It’s just the silver, it doesn’t
work like it used to.” He seemed relieved by his confession.
“I need to be in control and lucid, not high.” He squeezed
her hand. “Each month it gets that little bit worse and I can’t
be here and risk being near you or anyone else. I won’t be
able to stop myself from changing forever.” He looked sad.
“If I ever hurt you or your family—your mom, your
brother—I would never forgive myself.”

“You wouldn’t.” He was gentle and kind and her friend.
“No, I wouldn’t. But this,” he pulled her hand to his chest,

“in here. It can’t be trusted.”

She curled her hand against Mason’s warm chest. She

wished there was a way to fix it. To stop Mason from hating
a part of himself so vehemently. “I could stay with you.
Distract you. You could help me with my homework.”

“I can’t let you do that.” Mason shook his head. She knew

he would never put her in danger. “I have things I can do.”

Saskia pulled her hand from his and gave a slow nod. “If

you’re sure.”

Mason nodded. “But thank you. You’re a good friend.”

* * * *

The street outside Rocco’s was a hive of activity. Crime scene
tape cordoned off the alleyway at the side of the restaurant
and police stood guard as others moved around in the
shadows, examining and checking over the details of the
attack. Mason stood among the crowd of curious spectators
and watched. He crammed his hands in his pockets as he
smelled the lingering scent of blood and also the scent of
something distinctly wolf. Mason breathed in deeply and
tried to ignore the contraction of his stomach muscles. The
smell was both alluring and nauseating. It had definitely

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been someone like him, though he hated to share the
comparison. Beneath the blood and smell of wolf, there was
another scent. One that had his heart beating loud in his ears
as he breathed in its seducing warmth.

“Mason?”
Mason opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder. He

wasn’t sure what to say. “Niall,” he managed as he found
himself meeting curious brown eyes. “I didn’t expect to see
you again.” He hadn’t. In fact, he’d prayed he never would.
Though right now, he kind of felt relieved to find the man
was alive and well, and not shot to death and lying on a slab
somewhere, an enormous mystery of fur and muscle to be
solved by the authorities.

Niall glanced at the alleyway and then gently wrapped

his hand around Mason’s wrist. “I need to talk to you.” He
pulled at Mason’s hand, guiding him away from the rest of
the crowd. He stopped after a few feet and looked
uncomfortable as he eyed the cops. “Can we get a coffee or
something?”

Suspiciously, Mason eyed Niall. He hadn’t seen the man

in a month, but he was as he remembered him, tall, broad,
and handsome. Niall seemed on edge and there was the
undeniable scent of Kaine on him and his clothes. The smell
of Kaine seemed stronger than before, so much so, that
combined with Niall’s own alluring smell, Mason felt
somewhat lightheaded in the man’s presence.

“Why are you here?” Mason asked.
“Why do you think?”
Mason shrugged. “You had nothing better to do with

your Saturday afternoon?” he said with disinterest. He
didn’t want to get involved. Not now. He had his own shit
to get in order without figuring things out for Niall as well.

“Do you know what happened here?” Niall nodded

toward the taped-off alley.

The Good Wolf

“No. I was just walking by,” he lied and folded his arms

across his chest. “Do you?”

Niall hesitated a moment before saying, “We need to

talk.”

* * * *

Niall stood beside the window in Mason’s living room and
stared down at the street below. He held a mug of milky
coffee in his hands and smiled to himself as he felt the heat
against his skin. Slowly, he turned around as he heard a
sound behind him, and found Mason standing on the other
side of the room.

“I won’t bite,” he said, addressing the distance Mason put

between them.

“So this is all a joke now?” Mason looked pissed.
Niall sighed and shook his head. “I didn’t mean it like

that.”

Mason narrowed his eyes. He really didn’t trust him, did

he? “Why are you here?”

“I believe the last time we met you mentioned something

called werewolves,” Niall said. It sounded so ridiculous he
had begun to wonder if it might actually be true.

Mason raised an eyebrow. “And?” It was like the

proverbial stone with this man and for some reason his
stubbornness ignited a spark in Niall’s chest.

“I want you to tell me what you know.”
Mason simply laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Niall asked as he watched Mason.

This was fucking serious. Weird shit was happening and he
needed some answers, even if those answers were from a
guy he swore was verging on crazy.

“From what I remember you said it was insane,” Mason

reminded him.

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“I still think it is,” Niall said in a low voice. He looked

down at the mug he held. Shame it only held as many
answers as Mason right now.

“I’m not in the mood for games. What do you want? Why

were you outside the restaurant before?”

“I was looking for you.”
A scoffed sound seemed to catch in Mason’s throat. “And

you just happened by?”

Niall swallowed uncomfortably. It sounded ridiculous,

but it was the truth. “It’s hard to explain. It’s as if…” He
shook his head. He sounded like an idiot. “I just thought of
you and suddenly I was at the restaurant and there you
were.”

A dubious look passed over Mason’s face. He breathed in

deeply and then looked at Niall firmly, asking, “When were
you with Kaine?”

“Kaine?” Niall was confused. The guy that bit him? What

did he have to do with what was happening now?

Mason lowered his eyes. “You reek of him.”
That wasn’t possible. “You’re wrong.”
Mason stepped forward. “He’s all over you. Can’t you

smell him?” He tilted his head as he critically looked at
Niall. “Are you here because of him? Did he send you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He really

didn’t. “I haven’t seen him since that night.”

Slowly, Mason raised a hand to his neck and fingered the

scarred wound. “When you woke up this morning, were you
alone?”

Niall turned to the window as he thought about his

answer. It was how he had woken up that had had him
running out the door in search of Mason in the first place.

“I suppose the other question would be, where did you

wake up?” Mason was watching him as Niall turned
around. “It wasn’t your own comfy bed, was it?”

The Good Wolf

How did he know?
Niall bit at his lip as he shook his head. “The last two days

have been wrong. This morning I woke in a motel room.
There was blood in the bed but it wasn’t my blood.” He
slowly rolled up the sleeve of the hooded sweater he wore to
reveal thick bruises disturbingly in the shape of a handprint.
“I have no memory of last night. I don’t know where I was
or who I was with.” He pulled the gray material back down
his arm. “And now you say I smell of him.” The thought he
might have been anywhere near that animal made his
stomach turn over itself. His whole body ached and he
feared what he may have done with that disgusting man.

Niall wondered aloud, “He did this to you, too?”
Mason didn’t need to answer in words, the look on his

face said it all and it left Niall feeling dirty and used.

“What do you want from me?” Mason asked as he met

Niall’s eyes. He seemed reluctant to get involved, and yet
something behind those hazel eyes gave Niall hope. There
was a flash of compassion.

“I don’t want anything. I just…I thought maybe you

knew a way to—”

“Cure you?” Mason interrupted.
Niall held Mason’s gaze. There had to be something,

right? Anything? He couldn’t keep living like this. “You
stopped me before. You remembered that night and you
were you, right?”

“There is no cure, Niall. Or at least none that actually

works. I have searched for a way to fix what Kaine did to
me. I can’t.” He looked sympathetically at Niall. “I can’t cure
you.”

“But—”
“Silver,” Mason said bluntly. “It’s not a cure but it can

affect the transformation. Not forever, but it could help
you.” He walked into the kitchen and returned with a small

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vial of liquid. “It’s called colloidal silver. Stings like a bitch,
but with a high enough dose…” His words drifted off as he
looked down at the bottle. “It should be good for a couple of
years.”

“And then what?”
Mason shrugged. “My body has built up a resistance over

time. There’s only so much higher I can take the dose before
it becomes lethal.” He lowered his head.

Niall tried to figure out what it was he had just seen in

Mason’s eyes. The fact that the only real way out was death?
The fact Mason had thought about doing the unimaginable
and ending the nightmare they now found themselves both
trapped in? Rubbing a hand over his forehead, Niall looked
at the bottle Mason held in his hand. “Two years. Is that it?”
That wasn’t enough. There had to be something else.

Mason seemed to pre-empt the question. “You have no

idea how long I’ve been searching for something, anything.
There is so much lore out there. Some of it is true but there’s
so much that’s not. Silver, for instance, hurts like a bitch but
won’t necessarily kill you. Silver bullets? Actually, any
bullets will do. Axes, knives, a truck. Like with anything,
you inflict enough damage to the body and destroy the heart
or the brain, then it’s dead.” Mason folded his arms across
his chest. “Literature is scattered with ridiculous cures.
There’s call a wolf by its birth name three times, have a holy
man stick nails in your hands, exhaustion, or my personal
favorite, roll in dew.”

Niall raised an eyebrow. Dew?
“I’m serious. Look, I’m not sure there’s anything I can do

for you. I’m not exactly dealing with all this myself.”

“How long has it been?” Niall asked.
“Long enough,” Mason said.
Niall sighed as he looked down at the floor. There had to

be an answer. Maybe Mason just hadn’t found it yet. “Will it

The Good Wolf

happen tonight as well?”

With a nod, Mason informed him, “Three nights each

month.”

“How do you do it?”
“Do what?” Mason looked at him curiously.
“Deal?”
Mason’s gaze drifted toward the window as he shook his

head. “Like I said, I’m not. I never really have.”

* * * *

Mason sat on the couch and gently ran his finger over the
curved stitching on the cushion. Silently, he watched Niall
pace in front of him. It was getting late, and through the
window he could see the darkening sky.

“Niall,” he said, breaking the silence. “What do you plan

to do tonight?” The man needed a plan. Either the silver or
something else, either way, he had to decide soon.

Niall stopped his pacing and leaned back against the

ledge of the window. “I’m still hoping I’m just going a little
crazy. Doesn’t seem real.”

Mason pulled his feet up onto the couch and curled his

legs beneath him. “I can’t decide for you. If you don’t believe
this then—”

“I do. I think. It’s just hard.” He took a deep breath as he

shifted, seemingly trying to get comfortable against the hard
edge.

With a sympathetic look, Mason met Niall’s eyes. “I could

lie and say it gets easier.”

Niall gave a small smile. “Thanks, but right now I think

the truth is best. Lay it all out and try to get my head around
it all.”

The man looked lost and Mason wished there was

something he could do to make things better. The

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temptation to wrap the man in a hug was overwhelming,
and in some way he wished someone had done so for him.
“Then it doesn’t,” he said honestly.

Niall closed his eyes and leaned back against the glass

pane. “Can I stay here?” The request surprised Mason. “And
you show me how to do whatever the hell this is?”

Mason bit thoughtfully on his lip. He hadn’t spent time in

the company of another werewolf in a long time. He knew
what horrors his wolf had been encouraged to act out. As
soon as he was free from Kaine’s influence, he had avoided
all contact with anyone else under the same affliction.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” he said. “I’ve always

been alone in this.” Completely alone. I miss you, Mom.

“Please,” Niall said as he opened his eyes. “Just tonight. I

don’t think I can do this alone. I don’t want to hurt anyone,
assuming I haven’t already.”

An uncomfortable feeling crept over Mason. He’d never

wanted to hurt anyone either. “Just tonight,” he finally
agreed and looked over at Niall. “But then you’re on your
own.”

The Good Wolf

Chapter Four

blood-chilling cry was torn from a delicate throat as flesh was

stripped from bone and blood sprayed, crimson and heated,

across the once perfectly laid-out living room. A dog barked

frantically as its female owner was dragged across the carpeted
floor and deposited in a bloody tangle of limbs. Bones cracked and
the horrid sound of flesh being dined upon echoed around the room.

Mason shot awake as he felt his guts contract. The smell

and taste of blood hit his senses in a metallic haze. It was just
a dream—a bad memory. Panicking, he scrambled from his
bed and fumbled with the bolt, managing to escape to the
bathroom just in time to fall to his knees and watch the
contents of his stomach spatter around the toilet bowl. He
retched violently as he held onto the rim of the toilet, and he
shut his eyes tightly as he strained as he coughed. Tears
caught in his lashes as he threw up for a second time and
then he slid to the floor, exhausted. He rested his head
against the edge of the toilet, grimacing as he imagined the
taste of blood in his throat. That was one memory he did
have. The day he woke on his bedroom floor naked and
covered in the blood of his parents and his kid sister. He
remembered the taste, the smell, and the sight of his blood-
covered hands. That was when he knew he was a monster
and there was no way to stop it.

There was a knock on the bathroom door. “Mason?” Niall

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asked. “You okay in there?”

Mason slowly repositioned himself against the cool tiled

wall. What must the man think? “I’m fine,” he managed in a
hoarse voice. He hadn’t convinced himself so he doubted he
had convinced Niall he was okay. His stomach hurt and he
felt shaky. “Just a minute.” Or maybe ten.

“You need me to get you anything?”
“No.” He didn’t need anything. He sat quietly for a while,

aware that Niall hadn’t moved from his spot outside the
bathroom door. It was strange how he knew Niall was close.
There was a connection he hadn’t let himself acknowledge
before. “I’m fine, Niall,” he said again and looked down at
his trembling hands. Narrowing his eyes, he turned them
over and looked at their shape and size. Something didn’t
seem right. “What time is it?” he asked. A sense of urgency
shot through him as he pressed his hand to his aching
stomach.

“Three,” Niall replied through the wooden door. “I was

wondering if we could do something to help distract me. I
feel like my skin’s on fire.”

Mason gasped as a pain coursed through his hands, and

every bone and muscle seemed to ache. “I’m dreaming,” he
whispered to himself. It was part of the same dream. It had
to be. He gritted his teeth as the familiar sensation of bone
stretching and twisting shot through his arms.

No. God, no. God wasn’t listening.
“Mason? I hoped we could talk about things. I know you

said I was on my own, but I’d like to learn everything I can.
Maybe even help you, and find some other solution to all
this.”

Not a dream. Not a dream. Mason got to his feet and

stumbled toward the door, landing heavily against it before
sliding the lock firmly in place.

“Mason?” There was clearly fear in Niall’s voice. “What’s

The Good Wolf

going on? Are you okay?”

“Just leave me alone!” Mason hissed as he moved over to

the basin. He needed to stay in control. He’d felt different all
day since meeting up with Niall again, a long-suppressed
instinct lingering at the back of his mind. Heat sparked
throughout his body and his head felt like it was about to
explode.

“Fuck.” He wrapped his hands tightly around the

washbasin against the pain and raised his head. He met his
eyes in the mirror as the color drained from them. Laughing,
he lowered his head and bit back the pain that shot through
his body. Niall called to him from outside the bathroom and
he could hear the rattle of the doorknob as Niall tried to get
inside.

“Stay away, Niall,” he called over his shoulder. “Stay

away.”

Mason closed his eyes, arched his back, and opened his

jaw as he raised his hands to his mouth. He pressed his
fingertips against his top lip, grimacing as he felt the familiar
lumps along the line of his upper jaw. Pain flickered through
his mouth as bones cracked and transformed.

“No!” he gasped, his legs giving out on him as he slid to

the floor with a heavy grunt. Throwing back his head,
Mason cried out and scraped his clawed fingers across the
tiled floor. There was nothing he could do. The wolf was
awake and there was no way to stop it.

* * * *

So, now what?

Niall stared at the bathroom door. Something was wrong,

he knew that. He just had no idea what to do. He was
scared. Fuck, he was beyond scared. It had been several
minutes since Mason had fallen silent on the other side of

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the door. He wondered whether he should go in there.
Maybe Mason needed help. Surprised, he flinched as a
heavy weight hit the back of the bathroom door. He
swallowed nervously as he felt fear bubbling in his gut.
There was another thud.

Slowly, Niall stepped back. He hesitated, listening to the

strange sounds from inside the bathroom. He jumped as
something slammed into the door and the sound of
splintering wood echoed through the apartment.

“Crap. Mason—” He shut up as a frustrated noise came

from the bathroom, accompanied by a deep scratching
sound running the length of the door. “Werewolves can’t
open doors,” he assured himself. “They’re dumb animals.
Big, hungry, lots of teeth, but dumb.” He bit on his lip as the
door flexed under another blow.

“Okay.” Niall laughed nervously and made his way to the

bathroom door. He held onto the door handle. He knew it
was locked, but he had no idea how intelligent these animals
were. Did it stand on two legs like in horror movies, all half-
man, half-wolf? He held on tightly. Just in case. Heat
coursed through him and his stomach turned over itself.
Sunrise would be in a couple of hours, he remembered. He
just hoped the door would hold.

Please, Mason. I don’t know what to do.
With a steady breath, he rested his head against the wood.

A frown creased his forehead as he looked down at the floor
and curiously watched the dark shadow beneath the door.
Something was definitely moving around. Niall closed his
eyes as the door took another blow. The wood shook and
bowed, but Niall’s interest was still on the shadow. A noise
came from the gap along with a snorted breath before the
sound of claws could be heard on ceramic bathroom tiles.

Oh shit. This was fucked up. Mason was a werewolf. A

real live werewolf. Niall tried to calm himself down. Fuck,

The Good Wolf

he was hyperventilating. What to do? There must be
something. Niall glanced around the apartment and then
toward the kitchen. The silver liquid was just in view on the
dining table through the open door. He caught his breath as
wolf-Mason slammed into the door again, this time
splintering one of the wooden panels close to Niall’s face.

“Mason!” he called loudly. “Mason!” What the hell was

he doing? Mason had told Niall he had no memory of his
human self when he changed. There was no way to reason
with the beast. Desperately, he held onto the door handle,
shocked as it moved beneath his hands. Not so dumb after all.
“Shit.” He held onto the handle some more, but had to
release it as Mason slammed against the wood. He jumped
away from the door. Two thick claws sliced through the
weakened wooden panel, barely missing his face.

Crap. Not knowing what else to do, Niall ran for the

kitchen. As he reached the table, he heard a terrible sound
behind him. He turned around and watched the large
animal jump through the destroyed bathroom door.

Oh my God. Niall stared open-mouthed as the man-sized

wolf found its feet. He was in awe of the animal. It wasn’t
hideous or some mutated crossbreed of man and animal.
The wolf was just that, a wolf. A very large, but beautiful,
auburn and gold wolf.

Slowly, Niall edged backward, holding a syringe and

bottle of the silver behind his back. “Mason?” he said calmly.
He swallowed nervously as the wolf looked at him with
large milk-white eyes, flecks of silver catching the light as
the animal moved forward.

“Nice, Mason. It’s me. It’s Niall.” This was completely

insane. Suddenly, he thought himself a werewolf whisperer.

The wolf raised itself up onto its hind legs and jumped up

onto the couch. It seemed to be observing Niall, sizing him
up as if to discover if he was a threat. There didn’t seem any

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urgent desire from the wolf to attack. Slowly, it crossed the
couch, jumping down to the floor and then heading in the
direction of the kitchen.

Niall considered his options as he eyed the space between

him and Mason, then the open kitchen door. Even if he
managed to close it, it wouldn’t take Mason long to break it
down like he had the bathroom door. Niall looked at the
wolf aware it was looking at him. Did Mason know him?

“Mason? You in there?” He cautiously took another step

back and slowly moved behind the table. He watched as the
wolf moved from side to side, taking its time as it crossed
the room. Niall stopped beside the refrigerator and raised a
hand to the door. “You hungry?” Maybe there was a nice
steak it could chow down on instead of one of his legs. He
looked at the wolf and narrowed his eyes. The animal didn’t
seem all that bloodthirsty to him.

Wincing, Niall pulled open the refrigerator door. The

sound caused Mason to prick up his ears and stare at Niall.
Niall stood very still and cast a glance inside the
refrigerator—vegetables, fruit, cheese, milk, fresh pasta.

Niall looked back at Mason. “I don’t suppose you’re a

vegetarian, are you?” Quietly, he pushed the door shut and
squeezed his hand around the syringe and vial. He had no
idea what a second dose so soon would do, but he wasn’t
sure if he was going to have much of a choice.

Slowly, he continued to back away until he reached the

far wall. He leaned back, trying to make himself appear as
insignificant as possible. It seemed to work, as Mason turned
and wandered around the apartment as if searching for
something. Maybe he’d had a large supper, Niall wondered,
trying to lighten the moment. Uneasy, he shifted his weight,
leaning forward to spy on Mason. He moved very slowly so
as not to draw Mason’s attention back to him. There was no
way he could fight the wolf and win. He was tired and had

The Good Wolf

the urge to vomit. The silver had really done a number on
him.

Before this, Mason had shown him the dose of the silver

that was safe and where he should start. From what he could
tell, it was working. He hurt and it itched like hell, but at
least he wasn’t some three hundred pound animal prowling
the apartment or, worse, the streets. With an uncomfortable
shift of his body, he slid down the wall until his ass hit the
cool floor. He focused on getting a dose of the colloidal
silver into the syringe. He hoped he wouldn’t need it, but
better to be prepared than torn into itty-bitty pieces. There
was a growl from the other room and Niall sat very still. He
had no idea what Mason was doing, and he wasn’t sure he
cared. So long as he kept doing it in the other room.

Taking a deep breath, Niall stretched out his arms and

looked up at the microwave clock. It had been over an hour
since Mason had transformed into a wolf. Slowly, Niall
leaned forward, ducking his head as he crawled to where he
could see Mason through the legs of the dining table. He
raised an eyebrow as he found Mason, still a wolf, curled up
against the base of the couch. Niall sat back on his heels and
looked at the resting animal, his eyes settling on the torn
material it was lying on.

My jacket. He looked again, realizing his jeans and t-shirt

were there as well. Tiredly, he rubbed at his eyes. He felt like
he was dealing with a mischievous puppy, not some wild
monster. Scratching a hand through his hair, Niall slid back
to his waiting place and pulled his legs up toward his chest.
He rested his folded arms on top of his knees and kept the
syringe in his hand as he shifted to make himself
comfortable.

He wasn’t sure what Mason had had against his clothes,

but he was glad Mason had loaned him the slightly-on-the-

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cozy-side sweat pants and plain white t-shirt after the use of
his shower. He sniffed a laugh as he suddenly had a
thought. He was wearing Mason’s clothes. He smelled like
Mason. His own clothes on the other hand smelled of him.
He paused for a moment as he remembered what Mason
had said before. It wasn’t him the wolf could smell, it was
Kaine. Chewing on his lip, he considered what it meant that
Mason was asleep on the torn clothes. Was that hate, or
maybe something else? Though Mason hated the man, did
his wolf long to be reunited with its creator?

Slowly, Niall moved forward again and looked back to

where he had found Mason sleeping. He froze. Mason was
no longer lying in the space. Fearfully, he looked around the
room. He couldn’t see anything from where he was. A
scuffled noise had him catching his breath and he flinched as
something landed heavily on the table above him. He closed
his eyes and stayed motionless as he could hear the tapping
of claws on the wooden surface. There was a growl, and
Niall felt the table shift violently to one side before it and a
couple of chairs crashed to the floor. Panicked, he scrambled
to his feet, not daring to look back as he ran across the
apartment. He didn’t get far.

A heavy weight slammed into the small of his back. He

fell forward and slid across the floor, smacking into the
apartment door. Dazed, he pushed himself to sit up. He
leaned back against the door and froze. Mason was standing
in front of him, only this wasn’t the Mason of moments
before. There was anger in the animal’s eyes.

“Mason,” he said breathlessly. “Please. You’re so close.

It’s morning.” He rolled his head to one side and looked at
the dim outside world through the half-drawn blind. “Just a
little longer, Mason.” He looked up at the wolf in front of
him. “So, close.”

Mason stared at him and hunkered down. The wolf

The Good Wolf

growled loudly and bared its teeth. It seemed to ready itself
to pounce, bending its back legs and keeping its body low.

Niall brought his hand out in front of him and held up the

syringe. Would he even stand a chance? And if he did
manage to inject the silver, how long would it take to kick in
on an already-transformed wolf? He readied himself and
covered the plunger of the syringe with his thumb. He could
do this, but as the wolf leapt forward all Niall could think
was oh fuck.

Meredith Russell

Chapter Five

ason stretched his arms above his head and slowly
opened his eyes. He felt strangely rested. Rubbing at

his eyes, he rolled over, surprised to find Niall lying behind
him. He looked over the sleeping man. His medium-length
dark hair spread out across the pillow in shaggy locks, his
jaw was square cut and twitched slightly as he slept, and his
long face and strong features gave him a very masculine and
powerful appeal.

Cautiously, Mason reached out and stroked a line over

Niall’s cheek and jaw. “Niall?” Niall opened his eyes and
sleepily gazed up at him. “What are you doing here?”
Mason asked. He was confused and had no memory of the
last few hours. He’d been in bed and then it had gotten a
little fuzzy. He lifted his head from the pillow and stared
toward his bedroom door. Flashes of chaos shot through his
mind and he threw back the covers, getting out of bed.

“Mason, wait,” Niall called after him.
Pulling open his bedroom door, Mason groaned. “What

the fuck happened?” Mason asked as he stared at disturbed
furniture and the busted bathroom door.

“You don’t remember?”
Shit. Mason pushed the door closed and returned to bed.

Sliding beneath the comforter, he sat against the headboard.
“I was having a dream. A nightmare.” A memory. He shook
his head. “I thought I had a few months yet and time to look

The Good Wolf

into other options.”

Niall leaned closer. “What were you dreaming about?”
He didn’t want to talk about his dreams. About hearing

the cries of his family as he and Kaine tore them apart. He
wasn’t ready to share that with Niall. He barely knew the
man. “I didn’t get out of the apartment, right?” Mason
steered the conversation.

Niall shook his head. “No.”
“Good. And you? Did I hurt you?” he asked. He studied

the man lying beside him. There was no visible sign of
injury, but that didn’t mean nothing had happened. Unless
serious, most wounds should have closed and healed by
now.

“No. I’m fine. I still can hardly believe it was real.” Niall

looked apologetic as he added, “I gave you a second dose of
the silver.”

Mason laid a hand across his chest and felt the steady

beating of his heart. “A full dose?”

Niall nodded. “I think so. You came at me and I didn’t

know what to do. But then you started convulsing. I really
thought I’d given you too much. You scared the crap out of
me.”

Maybe it would have been better if he had. “But I didn’t

hurt you?”

“No, and if it helps, before that you were kind of docile.”
“Docile?” Mason snorted a laugh. Not exactly how he

remembered his first encounter. The wolves at the party had
only been interested in one thing—tearing their way through
each and every guest.

“I swear,” Niall insisted. “You just walked around the

place and pretty much ignored me.” He frowned and added,
“You shredded my clothes.”

Mason looked Niall up and down. “I did what?”
“The ones you said smelled like Kaine.”

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Mason closed his eyes. Kaine. Would he ever be free of

that monster?

“Then you lay down with them. What happened with you

two? You said he did this to you, too.” He edged forward
and gently rested his hand on Mason’s shoulder. “He knows
what he is, doesn’t he? He did this on purpose. He did it to
both of us.”

“Kaine likes to be in charge and likes to have people

around him. I guess you’d say he has a pack.”

“Were you in his pack?”
“Not by choice. He tried and for a while I stayed with

him. But in the end, I couldn’t. I wasn’t like him.” It had
taken him several months to really understand and accept
what had happened to him and what Kaine wanted from
him. “Once I realized what I was, I moved around a lot. I did
my best to stay out of his way. But somehow, he always
seemed to find me.”

“When did you see him last?” Niall asked.
“Almost two years now. Ever since I started taking the

shots. I’m harder to track if I stay human.” Here in this
apartment was the longest he’d ever stayed anywhere in the
last eight years. He’d wanted to be near them, his family
again.

Niall pulled back his hand as he must have realized

something. “He’s here now,” he stated.

“And he’ll know that I changed last night. I don’t know

how, but he will and he’ll come looking for me.”

“Did he use me to get to you?”
Mason shrugged. “There was no way he’d know you’d

find me.” Though he figured in some way they were all
connected, anyone Kaine turned. Even having showered and
wearing fresh clothes, the scent of Kaine lingered on Niall,
and though Mason hated to admit it, the smell was doing
things to him and reawakening feelings he’d worked to

The Good Wolf

suppress. Niall was nothing like that man, that monster, and
he really didn’t want to compare the two. But the way he
smelled and his presence, Mason didn’t know if he wanted
to kiss him or kill him.

Biting thoughtfully on his lip, Niall seemed lost to his

thoughts. He asked, “Will you tell me what happened to
you? And let me try to understand what’s going on? I just
feel like I’m going insane. Last night you actually turned into
a—” He paused as if preparing himself to say the word. “A
wolf. How is that even possible?”

Mason stared at the window, watching the line of light

extend across the room. “I don’t think there’s anything I can
tell you, Niall. I don’t remember anything. Not when I
change. Not like Kaine and the others can.” Kaine and his
friends enjoyed the hunt, enjoyed the killing and the fear.
They had accepted exactly what they were and reveled in
the delicious horror of it all. With their wolves, they had
become a single, united force driven by the wild instincts of
the animal and the wicked focus and murderous minds of
men.

“Are you sure? I mean, when you looked at me, I really

thought you recognized me.”

“You can’t trust this thing inside me. It’s violent and

angry, and…” Slowly, he turned to meet Niall’s gaze. “It
would rip your throat out without a second thought.” He
looked into Niall’s deep brown eyes. Kiss or kill? “You saw
that.”

“I don’t know what I saw,” Niall said with a heavy sigh.
Mason looked at Niall. He wished there had been

someone to help him when this first happened eight years
ago and he didn’t mean the unfortunate influence of
someone like Kaine. Making a decision, he gave a short nod.
“Okay. What exactly do you want to know?” he asked.

Niall smiled and said, “Anything, everything you can tell

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me.”

If Niall thought Mason had all the answers he was going

to be disappointed.

“Okay.” What should he say? He guessed he should start

from the beginning. “Ten years ago, I met Kaine Hudson.
Eight years ago, my life ended.”

* * * *

Niall sat quietly on Mason’s couch and stared at the
crumpled piece of paper in his hands. It had been nearly an
hour since Mason had finished telling his tales and asked for
some time to himself. He talked about Kaine and his family
and everything he had found out. Almost everything.

After, Niall had been left to entertain himself and he had

spent the last five minutes staring at the photocopied page
from a book. He wondered why Mason had kept this from
him and why out of all the lore he’d searched through, he’d
held onto this one possible solution. Slowly, he read the cure
again and stared at the hand-sketched scene. It showed a
werewolf spread out across a stone surface, another
werewolf standing over it, a heart torn from the first’s chest
held in its clawed hand. He narrowed his eyes, noting how
the standing wolf showed signs of human features. Fur was
missing from an arm, a leg, and one side of its face.

“It won’t work.”
Niall looked over his shoulder, surprised to find Mason

standing behind him. He looked exhausted and his hair still
had that just-got-out-of-bed look about it, all dirty blond and
sticking up in all directions.

Mason folded his arms across his chest and nodded

toward the piece of paper in Niall’s hands. “You’ve been
through my things?” he said. He didn’t sound annoyed, just
tired.

The Good Wolf

“No,” Niall insisted as he folded the paper back in half.

“Maybe. I didn’t mean to. I was looking for some clothes for
you earlier and it was in your dresser.” He ran the folded
edge of the page between his finger and thumb. “Is this
real?” he asked. “What this says?”

Mason gave a shrug as he rounded the couch. “I doubt

it.”

“Then why do you have it?”
Slowly, Mason sat down on the arm of the couch. He

looked stiff and sore, and a pained expression crossed his
face. Reaching over, he took the paper from Niall’s hand and
looked at its contents. “Because,” he simply said.

“You’d even consider it?”
Mason sniffed a laugh and stared at the page. “I tried

once, but it’s not who I am. I found that kind of ironic.”

“You’re not a killer,” Niall stated.
Mason rested his hands in his lap. “Kaine stood there and

laughed. He knows I can’t do it, and even if I did, there’s no
saying it would be any different from any other piece of
make-believe I’ve come across.”

“What if it did work?”
Mason sighed. “I hate him, I really do. But I can’t. I’m

sorry for what he did to you, for what he’s done to so many
people. But I can’t kill him.”

“I know,” Niall said as he took back the paper from

Mason. “But what if I could?”

Mason gave him a sideways look.
“Would it save us both?”
“He’d kill you before you even got close enough to try.”
Niall read the words beneath the sketch. “The curse is

lifted.” The idea of killing someone didn’t sit easy with him,
but if it meant he and Mason could be normal again. He
looked at the image. Kill the werewolf that created them.
Kaine was a monster. Whether it worked or not, he

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shouldn’t be allowed to do this to anyone else. “Will you
help me find him?”

Mason shifted uncomfortably and raised his hand to his

neck, feeling out the raised edges of his scarred skin.

“Please.”
Mason got to his feet and rested a hand on Niall’s

shoulder. His eyes softened as he met Niall’s. “I won’t have
to,” he said. His voice was unsteady, edged with sadness
and fear. “After last night, he’ll find me.”

* * * *

The city library was uncomfortably busy and Mason felt
tense sitting among the array of strangers. He wasn’t really
sure what they were doing here. He was still tired from
turning last night and just wanted to sleep the week away.
He’d already exhausted the resources here, together with
ploughing through hundreds of pages on the internet.

“How about this one?” Niall said as he pointed at the

book that had stolen his interest for the last twenty minutes.

Mason shook his head. “It just made me sick. I still

turned,” he said as he looked at the image of the Wolfsbane
plant.

Niall gave a heavy sigh and turned the page. “Is there

anything you didn’t try?”

Mason smiled. “The dew one,” he said, trying to lighten

the mood.

Closing the book, Niall turned to look at Mason. “I was

being serious.”

“Too serious,” Mason said with another smile and rested

his hand over the closed book. “Thank you for trying, but I
already know there isn’t anything else.”

“I don’t believe that. The silver works. That isn’t just a

fairytale.”

The Good Wolf

Mason gave a shrug. “I don’t know why it does, but it

does. At least there’s some kind of basis for it in the medical
world.”

“And the fact we’re werewolves?” he said in a low voice.

“Is that based in the medical world, too?”

Lowering his eyes, Mason chose to ignore Niall and

instead pushed back his chair. “I should get home. I have
things to do.” The library closed in thirty minutes anyway.
He nudged his chair beneath the table and briefly met Niall’s
eyes. “You should go home and get some rest, and I don’t
mean the kind where you’re scouring the internet for more
crazy solutions.”

Niall reached out his hand and gently wrapped it around

Mason’s wrist. “How can you just give up?”

Mason shook his head. “I’m not giving up, I’m just being

realistic. In a month, I’m going to turn and apart from
cuffing myself to the kitchen sink, I’m kind of limited on
ideas here.”

“I’m trying to help you,” Niall insisted as he tightened his

hold on Mason’s wrist.

“I know.” Mason sighed. “Just don’t let me, this, stop you

living your life. It’s not all you’re about. You have the silver.
You don’t need to stick around.”

“Maybe I want to. Maybe I want more than my two

years.”

Mason rested his hand on Niall’s and said, “I wish there

was something I could do.”

With a firm nod, Niall insisted, “There is.”
Mason looked at him curiously. There was nothing either

of them could do.

“Let me do this with you. I’ve been thinking. I know you

can’t increase the initial dose much more and once it’s out
your system and safe to re-dose, you’re kind of past being
able to do it yourself. If I was with you, I could do it. That

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would give you more time to find something permanent,
right?”

Mason pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I can’t ask you to do

that.”

“You’d rather turn and risk your neighbors’ lives?”
“It’s not like that. Silver’s a poison, too. You saw what

happened last night. Eventually, it will kill me.” And there it
was, the one permanent solution Mason had dared to
consider. He lowered his head. He didn’t want Niall to see
what he was thinking. However, it was too late.

“You can’t do that.”
“What?” Mason said, feigning ignorance.
“That’s never an answer,” Niall continued. “You’re not a

coward.”

“What are you talking about?” Mason said tiredly as he

twisted his arm from Niall’s grasp.

“Death. Killing yourself.”
Mason took his coat from the back of the chair he’d been

sitting on. “I need to go.” He was surprised as Niall quickly
got to his feet and was beside him.

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid,” Niall said,

quietly. “Please.” There was a warm affection in Niall’s eyes.
Whatever Mason had been feeling, he guessed Niall felt it,
too.

Pulling his coat on, Mason met Niall’s eyes once more and

saw the warmth had turned to desperation. Niall was scared
and clearly didn’t want to be left alone to deal with his
condition.

“I’m just going home, Niall.” He tried to sound

reassuring, but even he thought he sounded weary. “I’m
tired and I have work to do.” He smiled. “Silver doesn’t
grow on trees you know.”

“Work? I never thought.”
Mason shrugged. How was he talking about himself

The Good Wolf

again? “It’s nothing. I edit manuscripts. I have a friend I’ve
kept in touch with from college. He went into publishing
and he’s understanding of my situation.”

“He knows?”
Though it hadn’t lasted long, Mason had returned to the

university for a couple of months. “Hard to share a room
with a guy and him not notice certain things. He was sweet,
I guess, about things. Look, I need to get back.”

“Okay. But promise me you won’t ever think death is the

solution to all this.”

Mason sighed and fastened the middle two buttons of his

denim jacket. “Fine. I promise. Nothing stupid.” He gave a
small smile before turning away from Niall and heading
toward the exit. He’d never been very good at keeping
promises.

Mason pushed his hands deep into his coat pockets as he

descended the library steps. The line between afternoon and
evening had arrived with a cool breeze and Mason decided
he’d enjoy the quiet Sunday with a slow amble back to his
apartment block via the city park. The fresh air would
hopefully wake him up a little so he could continue work on
the latest manuscript he had been sent. He turned the corner
and headed down a side street for a shortcut to the park. He
hadn’t expected to see anyone, so was surprised as he found
someone blocking his way. He stared at the dark figure
ahead of him. It wasn’t until he breathed in the familiar scent
of the man that he realized who the hooded figure was
standing before him.

Kaine. This was too soon. He wasn’t ready to face the man.

Not yet, not here.

Kaine lifted back the hood of his coat and stepped out of

the shadows. He gave a wicked smile as he met Mason’s
frightened stare. His blue eyes flashed teasingly as he tilted
his head and looked Mason up and down. He wore his dark

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hair long and loose. His slightly waved locks fell about his
face, softening his square jaw and prominent cheekbones.

“It’s been a long time,” Kaine said. Kaine’s voice was all

smooth and seductive and deeper than Mason remembered.
“I’ve been looking for you. We all have.”

Mason glanced over his shoulder, not all that surprised to

find Kaine’s two most trusted pack members blocking the
alley behind him. They were both dressed in black, both
over six foot, and both looked ready to tear him a new one if
he so much as looked at Kaine wrong.

“Sian. Evan. How you been?” he said as calmly as he

could. He wondered how far he’d get if he just made a run
for it. Would he even get out of the alley? He looked back at
Kaine, the man moving closer and invading his space.

God the smell of him.
“What do you want?” Mason stood tall and firm. He

would not show Kaine just how intimidated he was and
how having the man close was driving his emotions and
senses crazy.

With a sniffed laugh, Kaine turned his head and lifted his

hair from the side of his face to reveal a long jagged scar
from his hairline to the lobe of his ear—pink and new
despite its age. “Silver. Doesn’t seem to want to heal
properly.” He leaned forward and whispered in Mason’s
ear, “Thought I’d return the favor.”

Mason gasped as a burning pain sliced into his side. He

stepped back, half falling against the two people behind him
as he looked down at the knife jutting out of his body. His
legs gave out and he fell to his knees with a grunt. Sian and
Evan steadied him as Kaine crouched down in front of him
and wrapped his hand around the handle of the blade.

“Stings, huh?” Kaine said as he twisted the knife, before

pulling his arm sharply back and withdrawing the short
blade.

The Good Wolf

Mason gasped and pressed his hand to his side. Blood

oozed between his fingers and he swore his insides felt like
they were about to tumble out of him.

“See you soon,” Kaine said as he got to his feet. He pulled

the hood back up around his face. With Sian and Evan close
behind, he walked out of the alley as if nothing had
happened.

Mason slumped to one side and reached out for the side

of the building. Turning around, he sat on the floor and
looked up at the sky as he caught his breath. Groaning, he
pressed firmly against the wound. He needed to move. He
needed to get home. Awkwardly, Mason moved onto his
hands and knees and struggled to his feet. Resting against
the wall, he waited until the worst of the pain had passed.
Pawing the building for support, he moved forward and
took deep breaths as he held his side. Kaine had been right.
It did sting.

Meredith Russell

Chapter Six

he didn’t know what to do when Mason had turned up at
her door, bleeding and feverish. If she was honest, she

still didn’t. Saskia pressed the towel to Mason’s side. She
didn’t think she’d ever seen so much blood.

Where is he? Where’s Niall? He’d been the only person she

could think to call on.

“What should I do?” she asked as she wrapped her blood-

slick hand around Mason’s.

Mason shook his head. He didn’t seem to know either. “I

don’t know,” he said between panted breaths. He looked
pale, too pale and she worried this was something even he
couldn’t get over.

“I put in stitches. It should have helped.” The wound

didn’t seem to want to close. She had seen how easily Mason
could heal. Within minutes, injuries would close and start to
heal.

A knock on the door made both of them flinch and Mason

wrapped his hand tightly around Saskia’s.

“It’s okay,” she said. It would be Niall. “He’ll help.”
Mason didn’t look convinced, but released her hand.
Saskia wiped her bloodied hands on her jeans and walked

to the apartment door. She hesitated, looking back at Mason
lying on the couch, before unlocking the door.

“Thank God,” she said as she wrapped her arms around

Niall’s neck, crossing her wrists as she held onto him, but

The Good Wolf

not wanting to touch him with her stained hands.

“What’s wrong?”
She felt his body tense as he obviously looked beyond her

and saw Mason.

“What the hell happened?”
Saskia stepped back and shook her head. “I can’t get it to

stop.” She headed back to Mason’s side and pushed her
hands over his against the wound. “I’ve put some stitches in,
but it’s made no difference.” She looked up at Niall, waiting
as he closed the door and came to her side. “It was silver. I
don’t know what to do.”

Crouching down, Niall leaned against the side of the

couch and looked Mason up and down. He looked from
Mason to Saskia and back again.

“Do you want us to help you?” he asked solemnly.
“Of course he does,” Saskia said. Surely that was obvious.

Mason was hurt, dying, and they couldn’t let that happen.
Not to Mason.

Mason looked at Saskia. His fear had turned to sadness.
“I need to know, Mason,” Niall pressed. “This is serious.

You could die.” He leaned close. “Do you want us to help
you?”

Mason didn’t look at Niall, instead he looked at her. What

was he thinking? What wasn’t he telling her?

“For her?” Niall said.
Something flickered in Mason’s hazel eyes before they

softened. “Help me,” he managed. “I don’t want to die.”

Niall got to his feet and pulled Saskia with him. “Saskia, I

need you to pull out those stitches.”

Take them out? “What?” He wasn’t healing as it was.

Without the stitches there was no way the wound would
close and start to heal. “No,” she objected.

“Trust me,” Niall said firmly. Could she really trust him?

“He’s going to need you. We need to move him first. And

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then you take out the stitches,” he ordered and looked
toward the kitchen.

Saskia looked worriedly at Mason. She just hoped

whatever Niall had in mind, he did it soon. Mason was in a
bad way.

“Fuck!” Mason arched up off the kitchen table and

clenched his fist tightly around Saskia’s hand.

Saskia grimaced, but refused to cry out as Mason

squeezed her fingers. God his grip was strong, crushing
almost. She looked worriedly across at Niall as he held the
blade over the flame of the hob for a third time. Saskia
pressed Mason back to the kitchen table by his shoulder and
soothed comforting words in his ear. None of them could
think of any other way to speed up the healing. Screwing up
her nose, she looked at Mason’s side, remembering the smell
of burning flesh as Niall had cauterized the wound.

“Hold him,” Niall said as he brought the hot metal back

to the table. “Mason, you still with me?” He waited as
Mason settled and nodded. “Just one more.”

Niall turned to Saskia and checked she was ready.

One more. Just one more.
She closed her eyes and held on tight. She didn’t want to

see the pain on Mason’s face again. Niall pressed the metal
to Mason’s side and Saskia listened to the horrid hiss of heat
against Mason’s skin. Mason fought against the pain,
twisting his body as Saskia tried to hold on. Eventually,
Mason fell still. Saskia opened her eyes and carefully pulled
her hands away. Fondly, she brushed back the unconscious
man’s hair from his forehead and laid a gentle kiss to his
brow.

“Thank you,” she said in a small voice. She looked up at

Niall. Sweat clung to his brow and he seemed pale and
rattled.

The Good Wolf

Niall lowered the blade and looked at Mason. He

appeared relieved but there was also something else. His
eyes softened as he looked at Mason, and Saskia could see
the affection he held for the man.

“We should get him to bed,” Niall said.
Saskia nodded. They should make him comfortable and

she knew he’d want to be in his own bed when he woke up.

Niall gently rested his hand on the small of her back and

encouraged her to her feet. “He means a lot to you, doesn’t
he?” he said.

Saskia wiped at her face with the back of her hands.

Mason’s blood still stained her fingernails and knuckles. “He
saved me,” she said, allowing Niall to guide her out of the
kitchen and toward the bedroom. Those men could have
mugged her, raped her, killed her. All she knew was Mason
stopped whatever evil thing they had had in mind for her.
“He’s a good man.”

Niall rubbed her shoulder as he tried to comfort her.

“He’ll be okay.”

Saskia bit lightly on her lip. “I know,” she said. Niall

looked at her, seemingly interested to know how she’d
reached that conclusion. “He’s going to be fine.” She smiled
at Niall. “Because he has you now.”

* * * *

For two days, Niall and Saskia had taken turns to sit at
Mason’s bedside, hoping he’d wake and tell them exactly
what had happened. Finally, when Mason did open his eyes,
Niall was disappointed to find he wasn’t as willing to share
as they had hoped.

“You hungry?” Niall asked as he stretched his body

uncomfortably in the small chair he’d been sitting in for the
last hour. “Saskia was going to bring over some of her

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mom’s soup. It’s pretty good.”

Mason grimaced as he struggled to move. “You had

soup?”

Niall nodded. “It was chicken.” He moved to Mason’s

side and offered him a hand to sit up. “Here.” He eased
Mason back against the pillows.

With a groan, Mason held his side and shuffled

backward. “Damn,” he hissed as he settled. “I take it back.
Let’s go find his ass and rip his heart out.”

“So it was Kaine. Saskia wasn’t sure. You were pretty out

of it by time you made it back here.”

With a heavy sigh, Mason rubbed at his forehead. “Yeah,”

he said. “Kaine.”

“What happened? Apart from the obvious.”
Mason looked down at his side. “He was kind of pissed.”
“So, he did this to you?” Niall nodded toward Mason’s

side.

Mason winced as he leaned to one side slightly. “We

didn’t exactly part on good terms. He’s pretty good at
holding a grudge.”

“He could have killed you.”
Mason closed his eyes. “Like I said, things didn’t end well

between us.”

“Did he say anything?”
Mason shook his head. “Not really. Just that he’d see me

again soon.”

“And that doesn’t worry you?”
Mason opened his eyes. He looked weary. “Of course it

worries me. Which is why, as soon as this damn thing is as
close to healed as it’s gonna get, I’m gone. It’s safer for
everyone. If Kaine knew about you or Saskia and her family,
he wouldn’t stop until you were all dead.”

“What do you mean?”
“That’s what he does. He hurts me by hurting the people

The Good Wolf

I—the people in my life.”

Niall rested his elbows on the side of the bed and

considered what Mason had said. “What happened between
you two?”

Mason looked uncomfortable, but he continued, “He’s a

monster, Niall, and he tried to turn me into one, too. He
doesn’t like that I was able to say no to him. He thought I’d
be his little lapdog and run around in his pack of freaks.”

“You didn’t want to?”
Mason laughed. “How could I? He killed all those

people.”

Niall lowered his hand to Mason’s. “And you’re no

killer.”

“Not on purpose. But Kaine, he likes it. He hunts and

kills, and he doesn’t seem to care. The worst part being, he
knows what he’s doing. He’s always aware.” Slowly, Mason
turned over his hand and threaded his fingers between
Niall’s.

Niall looked at their hands, surprised by the heat he felt

from Mason’s gentle touch. He squeezed Mason’s hand
comfortingly, happy when Mason squeezed back.

“It’s like the wolf rotted him from the inside. He let it in. I

don’t know where Kaine stops and the wolf starts anymore.
I haven’t in a long time. He infects people as if it’s nothing.
It’s like he collects them, some for strength, aggression,
beauty, and anything else he sees as desirable for his pack,”
Mason said angrily. “He wanted me, but he couldn’t have
me. I played him and the first chance I got I ran away.”

Thoughtfully, Niall looked at Mason’s dressed side. “You

said he held a grudge. So I presume there’s more to it than
just running away.”

Mason pursed his lips as he looked to choose his words.

“When I said I ran away, I meant I tried to. Of course he
found me, holed up in some dive of a motel. We argued, we

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fought, and I hurt him. I cut his face with a silver blade.”

“Like the knife he used.”
“Like I said before, I don’t know what’s with this silver

thing, but it hurts us. This wound, it’ll never really heal. If
he’d really been trying, he’d have used something a hell of a
lot bigger and driven it much deeper. Maybe hit an organ or
two, or nicked an artery.”

“Internal bleeding. You are okay, right?” Niall asked,

concerned.

Mason nodded. “You fixed it fine, Niall. Don’t worry.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We?” Mason asked, curiously. “There is no we.” He tried

to pull his hand away.

“There is now,” Niall insisted as he held onto Mason’s

hand. “You can’t keep running away.”

Mason snorted a laugh. “You have no idea. This is the

longest I’ve ever stayed in one place.”

“What made you stay here?”
Mason smiled. “Like with a lot a stories there was a girl.”
“Saskia,” Niall said with a smile. “How’d you two end up

meeting, anyway?”

Mason suddenly looked serious. “There are plenty of

other kinds of monsters. I can’t remember why I was there,
but I was. I followed her through the park. She had this
bright red jacket on, her iPod playing, and this delicate sway
to her walk.” He met Niall’s eyes and obviously saw the hint
of a smirk on Niall’s face. “I happened to be walking the
same way, all right?”

“I didn’t say a word,” Niall protested.
Mason sighed and shifted his position slightly. “I wasn’t

the only one in the park. Two men came from a path on the
right and filled the space between us. They fell in right
behind her. As soon as the first one laid his hand on her that
was it. She ended up pulling me off them.”

The Good Wolf

“What happened?”
Mason shrugged. “I was so angry. I lost it. It was as if that

moment the wolf took over.” He shook his head. “She keeps
telling me I’m a good person. Her hero.”

Niall moved his thumb in a soothing motion against the

back of Mason’s hand. “You are. She’s okay, and that’s
because of you.”

“Maybe, but I could have killed them. I could have hurt

her. I let the wolf in.”

“You saved her. You protected her,” Niall said.
“You don’t understand. It’s always there, Niall. The wolf.

And I’m scared that one day I’ll lose myself to it.”

“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. This isn’t your

fault.”

Mason looked away. “You don’t know anything about

me.”

“Then tell me.”
Mason shook his head and pulled his hand from Niall’s.

“I’d like to sleep now.”

Mason was pulling away, keeping Niall out. Niall knew

that. He just wished he knew how to stop it from happening.
Niall sat back in his seat. “Mason, you don’t have to do this
alone.” Let me stay.

“Leave, please,” Mason said dismissively. “You shouldn’t

come round here anymore.”

“You don’t mean that.” He’d seen the way Mason had

looked at him. The way Mason still looked at him. He knew
they both felt the pull of attraction.

“I don’t need your help and you don’t need mine.”
“If this is some noble act thinking you’re keeping me safe,

I have to say you’re a little late.”

Mason shook his head. “This is me saying goodbye. Take

the silver and get out.”

Niall didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t what either of

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them really wanted. Niall knew that. Knew exactly what
Mason was feeling.

It was as if Mason read his mind. “This is it, Niall. Don’t

come back here.” His words sounded final.

Deflated, Niall got to his feet, only for Mason to look

away. Sure, he could argue, tell Mason he couldn’t stop him
coming round, and be just as stubborn as Mason seemed to
be. But Niall didn’t have the energy. He really didn’t. So
much had happened in only a few days.

No, fuck him. After everything that had happened, Mason

shouldn’t be able to just tell him to leave. He looked at
Mason and did the only thing he could think of. Angrily, he
stepped forward and held Mason’s face, pulling the man
into a rough kiss. All he wanted was for Mason to kiss him
back. A sign that maybe Mason actually cared.
Disappointed, he pulled back and met Mason’s eyes.

Just one look. One small look to contradict what Mason

had insisted he wanted—for Niall to leave. But there was
nothing there. Nothing to give away how Mason might
really feel.

“If that’s what you want,” Niall finally said and pulled his

chair back to the corner of the room. One last chance. He
hoped Mason would say something and tell him he was
sorry and wrong and they could figure it out together. But
that wasn’t going to happen, and Mason looked toward the
window. Resigned to that fact, Niall silently slipped out of
the room and then out of the apartment. He was on his own.

* * * *

The month slipped away and Saskia was anxious. Mason
had pretty much kept himself locked away, day and night.
And Niall? She had no idea where he was and it scared her.
He hadn’t visited the building, her or Mason, he wasn’t

The Good Wolf

returning her text messages, and she in turn was close to
freaking out.

“Five days!” Saskia said frantically. Did she need to bang

the men’s heads together? She rested her hands on her hips
and watched Mason pour cereal into a bowl. The first night
of the next cycle was less than a week away. Why didn’t
Mason seem to care? “And you have no idea where he is?”

Mason lowered the box of Frosted Flakes to the table and

looked at Saskia firmly. “He’s a big boy. He can look after
himself,” he said of Niall. “And besides, when did you start
caring what he did?”

“Since psycho wolf-boy stabbed you. He turned Niall, too,

right? He knows his scent and he knows your scent. And
he’s probably smelled you all over each other.”

Mason raised an eyebrow. He seemed confused. “There is

no all over each other.”

Saskia shifted her weight and looked at Mason

doubtfully. “I know you like him. You let him in your
apartment.”

Mason laughed and opened the refrigerator, getting milk.

“I know I’m rusty on this whole people and relationship
thing. But I’m pretty sure letting a guy into my apartment is
way off first base.” He smirked.

Saskia got annoyed. “He’s a wolf like you. You have

things in common.” Why didn’t he appreciate her
matchmaking?

Mason poured the milk over his breakfast. “What?

Getting screwed over by the same guy? Not exactly a basis
for a relationship, Sask.”

Saskia ran a hand back through her hair and pouted as

she found her recently washed hair was drying in a frizz.
“Well, I think he likes you. He was really worried about
you.”

Mason was clearly trying to ignore her and seemed far

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more interested in his breakfast than any normal person
should be.

“You’re both good-looking and gay and furry.”
Mason coughed, half choking on the cereal he’d crammed

into his mouth. “Furry?” he managed as he lowered the
bowl to the table.

“Wouldn’t it be cute? All curled in a basket with your tails

wrapped together?”

Mason closed his eyes and pressed his finger and thumb

to the bridge of his nose. “Sask, it isn’t going to happen. You
know that. Yeah, sure, he’s nice and everything. But right
now I have bigger things to worry about.”

With a shake of her head, Saskia stepped forward. “You

told Niall there was more to him than the wolf, right? You
should take your own advice.” She wrapped her hands over
the back of one of the wooden dining chairs, her fingers
brushing rough scratches in its frame. “Why is it one thing
for him and another for you?”

“You don’t get it.”
“What? That you’ve hurt people?”
Mason sighed and lowered his head. Why wouldn’t he

look at her?

“You didn’t have a choice. You fought it and because of

that you don’t remember. You and that thing inside are two
very separate things. You’re not like him and I don’t think
you ever will be.” Saskia looked firmly at Mason, waiting as
glassy hazel eyes eventually met hers. “You should find
Niall and then…” She hesitated. “You should leave. Both of
you, together.”

Mason looked at Saskia, he seemed surprised by her

suggestion. “Sask.”

Saskia shook her head. “It’s dangerous for you to stay—

for you and him, and for me. Kaine is a bad person. And I
love my family.” She bit lightly on her lip. She loved Mason,

The Good Wolf

too, like a brother, just like she did her own brother, Oscar.

Closing his eyes, Mason slowly nodded. “I never meant to

hurt anyone.”

“I know,” Saskia said. She tightened her hands around

the chair. It was hard to say, but she needed to. Mason
shouldn’t stay because of her. “I’ve been selfish asking you
to stay this long. You made me feel safe and it was all
exciting.” She gave a small smile. “I should go. Oscar needs
his bath.” She turned to leave, stopping briefly as Mason
said her name. “It’s okay. Maybe one day, when I’m a
doctor, I can find a way to help you. Find a way for you to
come back and stay again.”

“If anyone could,” Mason said with a smile and then

Saskia left. He needed to make the decision to leave on his
own. If she stayed, she wouldn’t be able to let him go. She’d
only end up convincing him to stay with her and that wasn’t
safe for either of them anymore. Mason had to make the
right choice for him, for her, no matter how much it hurt to
say goodbye.

Meredith Russell

Chapter Seven

he motel off the interstate looked like it had fallen
straight out of the movie Psycho and landed at the

roadside at a slightly skewed angle. Niall looked down at
the text message he’d received from Mason. He never
thought he’d hear from the man again, but then last night,
there it was, his message. Today was the first night of the
full moon and maybe Mason just wanted to keep an eye on
him. To make sure he took the silver and didn’t hurt
anybody.

Where did the month go?
He looked back at the motel, wondering where Norman

Bates might be hiding. There was no one else around. He
crossed the parking lot and made his way to room nine,
tapping on the flimsy wooden door with the back of his
hand. He hoped the hour drive hadn’t been a wasted
journey.

“You rang?” he said drolly as Mason pulled open the

door as far as the chain allowed. Even through the narrow
gap, the smell and sight of the man sent his heart racing in
his chest. Why did this keep happening to him? He just
wanted to grab the man and kiss him silly.

Mason nodded and quickly pushed the door closed and

took off the chain. “I was starting to wonder if you were
going to show.” He stepped to one side and waved for Niall
to enter the room.

The Good Wolf

Niall shrugged as he stepped inside and looked around.

“I wasn’t sure if I should come.” He turned as he heard the
door close behind him. “What are you doing out here?”
Mason crossed the room and sat down on the end of the
neatly made bed. “Mason?”

“I’m sorry,” Mason suddenly said.
“For what?” Niall asked curiously.
“I’ve been alone for a long time. I didn’t mean to act how I

did.”

Stepping forward, Niall came to sit on the bed beside

Mason. “I don’t know what you mean. You haven’t done
anything.”

“For pushing you away. I don’t do people very well. It’s

always been easier when it’s just me.” He looked at Niall
and smiled. “Saskia became the exception to that rule and
then all of a sudden you found your way into my life as
well. I just want to apologize if I’ve ever said anything that
made you think I don’t care.” He cleared his throat. “It’s
been strange having someone else like me around, but I kind
of appreciate it, too.”

Heat spread through Niall as he watched Mason. He

seemed so vulnerable and all he wanted to do was wrap the
man up in his arms and see him through safely to tomorrow
morning.

“I’m leaving, Niall. It isn’t safe for me to be here anymore.

I should have left the moment I knew Kaine was in town.
From that first time I smelled him on you.”

“Where will you go?” Niall asked.
Mason shook his head. “I don’t know. Another city.

Another state. I should have made my mind up sooner.
Found somewhere safe and away from people.”

“Why did you wait?”
“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this. Kaine had

followed me across the country and I just wanted to be able

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to call somewhere home again, even if just for a little while.”

“And tonight?” How was the month up already?
“There’s a National Park an hour out. I figured head out

there. I have the silver and I can re-dose early if I have to.”

“That’s risky, Mason. Two doses so close together, I don’t

think our bodies can handle it. What if you seize again? It
was fucking scary that last time. You can’t do this alone.”

Lowering his head, Mason reminded Niall, “It’s not like I

have any other choice here.” He looked at the carpeted floor
and ran his bare foot over the worn threads. He looked lost
and like a man out of options.

“What if there was?”
Mason looked at Niall. “There isn’t. Not unless you’re

planning on joining me on my little road trip,” he said,
dismissively.

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Niall decided.
“What? You can’t. You have your life here. This is your

home.”

Then why didn’t it feel like it was? “It hasn’t felt much

like home these last couple of months. I’m an only child
whose parents don’t really agree with my life choices. If they
knew this, I think there’d be a little more than just a we told
you so. Though I doubt getting bitten by a werewolf was
high on their list of reasons why I shouldn’t be gay.”

“They have a list?” Mason said with a grin.
Niall chuckled. He hoped not. Turning to Mason, he

looked firmly at him. “I want to come with you. Give me a
few hours to get back and grab some things.” He looked
hopefully at Mason. As twisted as it sounded, meeting
Mason was actually one of the best things to happen to him
in a long time. “There’s nothing to keep me here. My friends
have turned into casual acquaintances and my job at the
store sucks. Weird as it is, I feel like this was meant to be and
I’ve seen you more these two months than I have my parents

The Good Wolf

in over two years, and honestly, it’s been a hell of a lot
easier.”

“I don’t want you to do something you might regret,”

Mason offered as another excuse. “We’d be running away.”

“But we’d be together. We can do this together. Maybe

even find a real answer.”

Mason shook his head. “There is no cure, Niall.” He met

Niall’s eyes.

“You just need to have a little faith,” Niall suggested, as

his gaze fell to Mason’s mouth and then drifted lower to the
scarred skin of his neck. “Will he ever give up?”

Mason turned his head trying to hide the mark, but Niall

didn’t let him. Gently, he held Mason’s shoulder and
touched his face, guiding his head. He ran his fingers in a
feather-light touch over the scar at the crease of Mason’s
neck.

“Niall,” Mason said breathlessly. “Don’t.”
Niall leaned closer and dared to kiss Mason. It was a mere

touch of their lips in the lightest of kisses, but it sent heat
radiating through him as he looked into Mason’s eyes. Gold
seemed to spark in their hazel and he wanted to lose himself
in their depths. He breathed in deeply, a smile curling the
corners of his mouth as he absorbed Mason’s scent. “You
smell different,” he noted. There was something more
alluring about Mason than he had noticed before. The man
smelled so good.

Clearing his throat, Mason slowly pulled away. “You

should go get your things if you really want to do this.”

“I do,” Niall said and reached for Mason’s hand.

“Promise me you’ll wait for me.” He held onto Mason. He
was scared that he might return to find Mason had already
gone. Mason looked like a man ready to run.

Mason lowered his gaze.
Wait for me. “Mason?” Niall pressed.

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“Sure.” The gold flared in his hazel eyes and Niall

desperately wanted to believe him. “I’ll wait.”

Niall knocked nervously on the door of Mason’s motel

room. He wasn’t sure what to expect, he’d been gone for
four hours and he feared that he’d given Mason too long to
think about running on his own. He was relieved when the
door swung open and Mason was standing before him
dressed in jeans and a pale blue t-shirt.

“You’re here,” Niall said and stepped inside, casually

looking around the motel room as Mason shut the door
behind him.

“Yeah,” Mason said. “I am.”
Niall closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, something

strange hung in the air. “What is that?”

Moving quickly across the room, Mason busied himself

with his cell phone. He kept his head down, seemingly
trying to ignore Niall’s observation.

Niall stepped forward as he realized what it was. “You.”

He reached out and wrapped his hand around Mason’s
wrist. “What is that?”

Mason allowed Niall to pull him forward and then

cautiously looked up into Niall’s eyes. “Niall, we need to
talk.”

“Now?”
Mason nodded. “It’s the first night, Niall. Your senses are

heightened right now. Your hearing, your sense of smell,
and your emotions, too. The first night’s the worst. But
you’ll get better at controlling it with each month. Over time
it passes and with the silver it won’t affect you so much,
and…” He looked at Niall thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s not
such a good idea you being with me. Maybe—”

“No,” Niall insisted. “You aren’t doing this alone.

Whatever this is, I can work through it.”

The Good Wolf

Mason froze and seemed surprised by how forceful Niall

had suddenly become. He wasn’t going to let Mason do this
alone.

“Niall, this isn’t you.” He looked firmly at Niall. “Like I

said, your emotions are screwy right now. Your instincts are
kicking in and you have to calm down.”

He could do that.
“What do you feel?” Mason asked. “Anger? Fear?

Hunger?”

Niall took a steadying breath and held Mason close. “All I

feel is…” He closed his eyes and leaned forward, taking
another breath as he moved his face close to Mason’s. “I’m
sorry,” he suddenly said and pulled back, his eyes flying
open as he realized how intense his reaction to Mason was.

“Niall, it’s okay,” Mason said, clearly trying reassure him.

“These feelings are crazy, I know. I’ve been there. I won’t
leave you, okay? But you have to promise me, if you can’t
control them, then you tell me.”

Niall swallowed uncomfortably. “What do you mean?”
Pressing his mouth in a line, Mason seemed to think on

his answer. “Like I said. I’ve been there.”

“Kaine.” Niall lowered his head and looked at his hand

around Mason’s wrist. “I would never hurt you. You know
that, right?” Slowly, he released Mason’s arm.

“I know. Go bring your things in from the car. It’s getting

late.” He put some space between Niall and himself.

Niall nodded. Sure he’d get his things and then take a

cold shower.

* * * *

Well, this wasn’t awkward.

Mason sat and stared at the double bed in the middle of

the room. He really hadn’t thought through agreeing to let

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Niall stay with him.

“It’s okay. I’ll take the couch,” Niall said from behind

him.

Mason wondered if he had said something out loud. But

as he turned around and saw the thoughtful look on Niall’s
face, it was more the fact they’d thought the same thing. His
gaze drifted downward and he quickly turned away as he
realized Niall was fresh from the shower and dressed only in
a towel.

Clearing his throat, Mason focused on the bed. “I hadn’t

thought. We can see if there’s a twin they can move us to.”

“Sure,” Niall said.
“Or we just keep to our own sides,” Mason suggested.
“Sure,” Niall said again.
Mason glanced over his shoulder. He kept his eyes high

and tried to ignore Niall’s bare chest and the droplets of
water running down from his washed hair. Niall’s body was
perfect. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay.” He came and sat on the end of the bed

opposite Mason, pulling the towel tighter around his waist.
“Mason, I was thinking.” He leaned forward. “About this
thing I feel. I wondered…” He shyly lowered his head. “Is
any of it real?”

Mason met Niall’s eyes and gave a small shrug. “I don’t

know.”

“Was it real for you?”
Mason chewed on his lip. “It was different for me,” he

admitted. “The feelings were there before this happened.”
He vaguely pointed toward his neck.

“How long were you with him?” Niall asked.
Mason shook his head. He was never really with Kaine.

“He didn’t do this because he loved me. He did it because he
could. It’s all about power for him.”

“Is the saying true? Wolves mate for life.”

The Good Wolf

Mason sniffed a laugh. “God I hope not!”
“So you’re not with Kaine.”
“Kaine? You’re even asking that? After everything I’ve

said.”

“Sorry,” Niall said, looking embarrassed. “I wasn’t sure if

you had a choice.”

“Ten years ago, I would have given anything for him to

think of me the way I thought about him. But the reality is
he’s a monster. I did some things I’m not proud of. More out
of convenience and his influence. But it wasn’t something I
wanted.” He pressed his hand to his chest. “There’s nothing
in here for him anymore.”

“I’m sorry,” Niall said again.
“For what? It’s not your fault.” Mason got to his feet and

moved to sit with Niall on the bed. Hesitantly, he rested his
hand over Niall’s. He wondered when he forgot how to act
around people and how to comfort them. “Don’t worry
yourself with things that can’t be changed. What matters is
what we do now.” He tilted his head slightly. Niall was
smiling. “What?” he asked.

“You said we,” he pointed out.
“I guess I did.” He returned the smile. “I promised I

wouldn’t leave you behind.”

“You did,” Niall reminded himself. “Mason, will you do

something for me?”

Mason looked at Niall suspiciously, aware that Niall’s

other hand was now over his. “I guess.”

“In the morning, let me buy you breakfast.”
Mason raised an eyebrow. “Breakfast?”
Niall leaned in. “I don’t expect anything from you.”
Mason met Niall’s eyes and waited as Niall moved closer.

“Niall. I don’t think this is a good idea. This isn’t what you
want.”

“How do you know what I want?” Niall said and gently

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ghosted his hand over Mason’s face. Mason closed his eyes
and tried to relax. “Just let me be here. Please.” Gently, he
guided Mason forward and leaned in to kiss him.

Niall’s mouth was warm and inviting and Mason stopped

fighting his emotions. He couldn’t deny there had been
something there from the moment he had seen Niall naked
and standing in his apartment. He wanted this, no matter
how brief.

Niall let out a low growl as he kissed his way over

Mason’s jaw and neck. “I want you so bad,” he mumbled
into the side of Mason’s face as he nuzzled his mouth against
Mason’s skin just above his scar.

Breathing in deeply, Mason opened his eyes and looked

up at the ceiling. The sensation of Niall’s lips on his skin was
electric and it ignited something within him. He
remembered the feeling. He remembered how it had felt to
be with Kaine.

“Niall, wait,” he said and pushed against Niall’s chest.
Niall pulled back and stared curiously at Mason.
Mason looked into Niall’s dark eyes. Was it just the moon

that had them feeling like this? Gently, he ran his fingers
over Niall’s chest. The man was warm to the touch and
deliciously firm. Keeping his eyes on Niall’s, he ran his hand
downward and teased at the edge of the towel Niall wore.
He hadn’t been with anyone in years, too scared something
might happen. A silly mistake, a nip of skin in the heat of
lovemaking and he would be inflicting a lifetime of misery
on that person. No one should have to live with this curse.

He leaned forward, kissing Niall as he moved his hands

lower and pushed back the towel from Niall’s groin. He
loved to kiss. He remembered his first kiss, all nerves and
saliva.

With one hand, Mason gently held Niall’s jaw, and with

the other, he circled Niall’s thick erection. Niall’s skin was

The Good Wolf

towel-dry and slightly clammy as he moved his hand back
and forth. Niall groaned into the kiss and Mason tested and
teased with varying pressures around Niall’s hard dick. The
feel of the man beneath his touch was amazing and he dared
to dream they were normal. That’s all he’d wanted for the
last eight years. To be able to turn back time and be normal
again.

Breaking the kiss, he slid off the bed and to his knees. He

knelt between Niall’s legs and ran his hands up and down
Niall’s thighs, brushing the scar. The animal inside him vied
for control, desperate to lay its own mark on Niall. The wolf
would have him stripped naked and Niall buried balls-deep
inside him. That one image made him instantly hard.
Leaning forward, he nuzzled the side of Niall’s erection. The
man smelled amazing. Mason kissed a line across his
stomach and hips before taking Niall’s dick in his mouth.
Holding the base, Mason quickly went to work, hollowing
his cheeks as he teased and sucked and tasted. He took Niall
deep inside his mouth, from tip to base.

Niall arched backward, leaning his head back as he

spread his legs a little wider. He lifted his hips, steadily
fucking up into Mason’s mouth as he clearly sought out
release. Mason could sense the rise of Niall’s orgasm and
knelt higher, releasing Niall’s dick from his mouth and
instead wrapping his hand firmly around the length. He set
a strong rhythm, eliciting primal sounds from Niall as he
brought him to the edge. A few more swift, firm strokes and
Niall was tumbling over, a steady thread of white coating
his stomach as he fell back against the mattress.

Mason sat back on the floor and looked up at Niall. He

waited as Niall caught his breath and then sat up. Wiping
his stomach with his towel, he slid, naked, to his knees and
nudged Mason’s legs apart. He moved over Mason,
lowering him to the floor and lying over him. He kissed

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Mason passionately, sliding his tongue in Mason’s mouth as
he held his face and pulled him close. His body was hard
and the friction of his naked crotch pressed against Mason’s
through his pants had him unbelievably hard.

“You’re amazing,” Niall said. He stroked his hand over

Mason’s hair and looked into his eyes. “I’ve never felt like
this about anyone. Is this what love feels like?”

Mason pressed his mouth in a line at the word. He stared

up at Niall. It had been fun, but this was a little too sudden.
What he and Niall were feeling wasn’t love. Was it? Mason
shook his head and pushed at Niall’s chest. This shouldn’t
have happened. He’d been stupid and caught up in the
moment.

“We should get things ready,” he said. He pressed his

hands more firmly to Niall’s chest, relieved as Niall’s weight
lessened and the man moved away. He sat up and looked at
Niall. There was no denying the man was beautiful. His
body was muscular and flawless. He tilted his head as he
caught sight of the scar again. Almost flawless.

“I’ll get dressed,” Niall simply said. He grabbed one of his

bags and stalked into the bathroom.

Mason closed his eyes and lay back on the floor. This was

going to be a long night.

The Good Wolf

Chapter Eight

hatever you want to say, just say it.”

Niall had been sitting opposite Mason for the last

ten minutes. As of yet, Niall hadn’t said a word and had just
stared out the window. “I don’t want you to hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, Niall.”
“I would for what I did,” Niall decided.
“I think you’ll find it was me who did the doing,” Mason

said and frowned at his clumsy sounding words. Not
looking at Niall, he picked up one of the vials of silver.

“Maybe. But I came onto you first.” Niall leaned his

elbows on the edge of the small dining table as Mason raised
his eyes and looked at him.

“I’m sorry, too,” Mason said. He really was. He hadn’t

been with anyone in a long time. If he was honest, it was
kind of a relief to finally move from under Kaine’s shadow.
Niall had offered him a chance of something better,
something that felt good. “You’re the closest I’ve been to
anyone in a long time and that scares me. I mean, is there
anything real here? Or is there no choice in how we feel?”

Niall leaned forward and gently rested his hand on

Mason’s shoulder. “Of course we have a choice. This thing
inside us can’t dictate our feelings.” Smiling, he cupped the
side of Mason’s face. “I have feelings for you that I know are
my own. “

“You really believe that?”

“W

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Leaning over the table, Niall pressed his lips to Mason’s

in a light kiss before telling him, “Yeah.”

Caught in the moment, Mason jumped as his cell phone

vibrated in his pocket. “Jeez,” he huffed and lifted his hip,
fighting to free his cell from his jeans. Eventually, he
managed to and looked down at the caller ID. “Saskia,” he
said and got up, heading toward the window for better
reception.

“Hey, you,” he said cheerfully and leaned against the

window ledge. “Sask?” She wasn’t talking. He lowered the
phone and looked curiously at the screen. The call was
definitely connected. “Saskia?” He waited, surprised when
there was a sudden burst of sound. He held the phone away
from his face. Waiting for the high-pitched squeal to fade,
which was then replaced by whimpered breaths.

Mason quickly pushed the phone to his ear. “Saskia!

Saskia, what’s going on?” There was no answer, only the
low sound of someone crying. “Saskia?” He held his cell
tightly in his hand. Panic built in his chest. Saskia was not
one to play silly games.

“Help me,” a voice that was not Saskia’s said. “Help me!”
The words were said in a mocking, childish tone, which

caused Mason’s skin to crawl. “Kaine?” he said warily,
praying he was wrong.

“It hurts. The big bad wolf hurt me.”
“Kaine, what did you do?”
“I think he—” Kaine stopped and Mason could imagine

him grinning on the other end of the call. “Broke my arm,”
he added in his own deep voice. “She should probably get
that looked at, don’t you think?”

“If you’ve hurt her, I swear to God—”
“What?” Kaine asked.
“Why are you doing this? She’s not part of this,” Mason

said angrily. He looked toward Niall who was on his feet.

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Kaine laughed. “And there it is. The one thing I needed to

know. You care about her.”

Mason’s mouth went dry. “Please don’t.”
“I’ll be at the Maxton Theater on Park. Maybe you can

bring your other little friend with you, too.”

“What?”
“Niall, right? He’s there?” Kaine asked, though he

obviously already knew the answer. “Bring him along. We
can have a party.” The call ended.

Mason felt numb as the line went silent. What the hell

was he going to do? His knees felt weak and he dropped his
cell in favor of the window ledge and staying vertical. His
phone hit the carpeted floor and bounced sideways.
Hopelessly, he looked at Niall.

Niall stepped forward and bent down to pick up Mason’s

cell. “What do you want to do?”

Mason looked at Niall. There was only one thing he could

do.

“You shouldn’t have come,” Mason said as he stared out

of the passenger window. “This was a mistake.”

“Thinking you can go after him alone, that was the

mistake.” Niall sounded bitter and Mason didn’t blame him.
He should never have broken the trust they had built. But it
was for Niall’s own good. He wouldn’t see the man hurt, so
when Niall refused to take the silver, Mason had had to get
heavy-handed.

“It was for your own good.”
“I’m not abandoning you to that monster. Besides, you’ll

need my help. You have what? An hour if you’re lucky?”

With a sniffed laugh, Mason looked at Niall. “You have

no idea what he’s capable of, him and his pack.”

“How many are they?”
Mason shrugged. “Last I heard, it was Kaine and five

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others. Not that it matters. Kaine alone is capable of tearing
us both apart, and that’s before he changes.”

“Then what?”
“We have to get in there before the transformation starts.

Kaine has some control and will be able to put it off long
enough to say his piece. He wouldn’t want to miss that
chance.” He looked down at the folded fabric in his lap and
gently pulled it back to reveal the line of syringes he’d set
up. “We need to get this into them, all of them, before they
have a chance to change fully.”

“Right,” Niall said. “Any idea on the how?”
“I’ll go in the front and distract them.”
“Just walk in?”
Nodding, Mason secured the syringes. “There are three

entrances to the theater. The building’s been condemned for
years. I would imagine he’ll send a couple to meet me at the
door and take me inside. That leaves two, three others for
you to find.”

“I don’t like it. Splitting up is never a good thing. You

watch movies, right?”

Mason sighed. “I’m not sure we have a choice. I won’t

risk Saskia with a room full of wolves. I won’t risk you.”

“But you’ll let me go off alone.”
“You handled me fine,” he reminded Niall.
“But I don’t think you actually wanted to eat me. These

guys will.”

Mason chewed on the inside of his mouth. “Then what?”
“We go in together. See what the situation is and take it

from there.” He met Mason’s eyes and firmly said, “We do
this together.”

Mason wasn’t so sure.
“Together,” Niall said again and got out of the car.
The Maxton Theater had opened in 1906 and had then

closed its doors in the 1930s during the Depression. In the

The Good Wolf

1980s it had been bought up by some big company that
planned on a huge restoration of the grand building. Thirty
years later and the theater still waited for its savior. Mason
stood and looked at the large sign, a few of the letters still
visible as flakes of red and yellow paint clung desperately to
the wooden sign.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” he said and pushed his

hands into the pockets of his jacket.

Niall nodded toward the full moon above the building.

“This whole thing is a bad idea,” he stated and joined Mason
at the front entrance. The door was bolted with a huge
padlock and he shook the rusted chain. “I don’t think we’re
getting in this way.” He glanced at Mason. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he said and curled his hands into fists in his

pockets.

“Can you do this?” Niall asked.
Mason took a steadying breath and met Niall’s eyes. “I’m

fine,” he repeated and turned to look the front of the
building up and down. He knew Kaine was inside. “I’m
going to go try round the back. Wait here.”

He didn’t wait for Niall to object and took quick steps

around the side of the theater. When he was out of sight, he
slowed his pace and investigated the building, looking for
any sign of a way in. As he stepped around the back of the
building, Mason was surprised as he was greeted with a fist
and he fell back to the ground. He looked up fearfully into
bright blue eyes.

“Hello, Mason,” a silky voice said.
“Sian,” he said and looked the six foot two woman up

and down. She was dressed in high-heeled boots that made
her even taller, with tight dark jeans and a leather jacket.

Sian smiled sweetly, bright red lips parting slightly to

reveal pointed teeth. “Thought you’d never show,” she
purred as she stepped forward and pulled back her arm. She

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threw a second punch, her fist hitting Mason square in the
jaw. “I feel better now.” She grabbed Mason by the back of
his neck and dragged him to his feet and around the
building.

Mason didn’t fight. He let Sian push him inside, her hand

firmly against his back as he was guided through an array of
corridors and out onto a rotting stage. Stumbling, he fell to
his knees, though he quickly scrambled forward as he found
Saskia bound to a chair a few feet from him.

“Saskia,” he said urgently and raised his hands to her

limp head. He felt her neck and said a small prayer as he
found a pulse. “Can you hear me?” he tried again and gently
pushed her hair back from her dirty face. “I’m here.”

“How touching.”
Mason twisted his head as he heard Kaine’s voice. “What

did you do?” he spat as he held Saskia to him.

Kaine held open his hands and shrugged. “Things got a

little heated. Not totally my fault. She’s real feisty.” He
slowly stepped forward from the shadows as Evan appeared
from the right with Niall. “Ah, and now we’re all here.”

Mason narrowed his eyes and looked from Kaine to Sian

and then to Evan. “What happened to the others?” he dared
to ask, only to have Sian step forward and strike him once
more around the face.

“Search him,” Kaine said as he slowly crossed the stage

and stood behind Saskia. “You want to know about the
others?” he said. He curled a piece of Saskia’s hair around
his finger as he watched Mason get dragged to his feet and
Sian reach inside Mason’s jacket. “Travis went last month.
The cops shot him to shit behind some restaurant,” he
started and gently stroked his hand over Saskia’s hair.

“That was Travis?” Mason winced as Sian pressed her

hands against the still-tender wound at his side. She
grinned, clearly having done it on purpose before yanking

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the roll of syringes from the waistband of his jeans.

“He always was an idiot,” Kaine said matter-of-factly.

“Let’s see, who else? Max, right? Well, he got himself a
Puerto Rican stripper and headed for the coast.” Kaine
grinned. “And Donnie. You remember Donnie, don’t you?
He seemed to think you weren’t worth my efforts. We got
into a small disagreement and, well…” He rested his hands
on Saskia’s shoulders. “But never mind, plenty more where
they came from.” He looked across the stage. “Isn’t that
right, Niall?”

Niall frowned and struggled to free himself from Evan’s

hold.

“I knew you two would hit it off,” Kaine declared. He

pressed his lips in a line as Sian held up the roll of syringes
she’d found. “I’m disappointed. I expected something with a
bit more spirit.” Slowly, he leaned down and draped his
arms around Saskia. “What do you reckon? Think she’d like
to join our merry band?”

Mason tried to get to Saskia, but found himself thrown to

the ground as Sian quickly wrapped her arm around his
throat and dragged him downward. Coughing, he rolled
onto his side and met Niall’s eyes. Shaking his head, he
stopped Niall’s attempt to break free and rush to his aid. No
matter what, Niall wasn’t to get involved.

“Don’t you want a family, Mason? After all, you ate your

last one,” Kaine tormented.

“It wasn’t my fault,” Mason reminded Kaine. “It’s you

who took them away from me.”

Kaine pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I guess it was. I

should really make that up to you.” Before Mason had the
chance to say or do anything, Kaine opened his mouth wide,
sharp teeth on show as he slammed his mouth against
Saskia’s shoulder.

“No!” Mason watched in horror as Saskia’s head snapped

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back, her eyes wide in pain as Kaine sank his teeth into her
shoulder.

Saskia screamed and tried to fight the restraints that held

her to the chair. Blood stained her thin blouse and she
screamed again as Kaine tore his mouth away from her and
blood splattered across her cheek.

“Mason,” she croaked and spat blood from her mouth.
Mason looked fearfully up at Kaine, watching as he

wiped at his bloody mouth. “Kaine. You didn’t have to do
that.”

Kaine grinned and locked his milk-white eyes with

Mason’s. “I think I did,” he said and lowered his head,
pressing his face to the side of Saskia’s. “What do you say,
sweetheart? You want to join Team Mason? You can brood
in dark rooms together. Or maybe you’d prefer me to just rip
your throat out.” Slowly, he wrapped a hand around her
throat and drew his clawed fingers over her exposed neck.
“What do you think?” he asked Mason. “Put her out of her
misery?”

Mason shook his head. “Don’t.”
“You’d let her become like us?”
“We are nothing alike,” Mason snarled as he took in

Kaine’s twisted form.

Kaine turned his head and breathed in Saskia’s scent. “I

can already smell it rushing through her veins—hunger and
desire.” He carefully dragged his hand across Saskia’s throat
and scratched thin lines across her skin with his claws.
Standing up, he looked between his two companions. With a
swagger, he walked around Saskia and toward Mason. He
smirked as he took the roll of fabric from Sian.

“So this is it? Your quick fix?”
Mason was forced down onto his knees as Sian placed her

hands firmly on his shoulders. Helplessly, he watched as
Kaine dropped the bundle of syringes to the ground and

The Good Wolf

slammed his heavy boot against them. He listened to the
splintering sound and looked venomously up at Kaine.

“What do you want, Kaine? What is all this for?”
Resting his hands on his hips, Kaine leaned down to

Mason and looked him over through bright eyes. “You said
no to me. Nobody does that.”

Turning his head away, Mason closed his eyes. “What

happened to you?” he asked. “When did you become so…”
He met Kaine’s eyes again, frowning as he felt hot breath on
his face. “I let myself believe for so long there was something
in you that was redeemable. But I was wrong. And I realize
now just how much I hate you,” he calmly said. Cautiously,
he watched Kaine, aware of how warm the air suddenly felt
around him. “You’re sick.”

“Takes one to know one.” As he stood, Kaine nodded

toward Evan. “I guess we should end this,” he announced.
Turning his back on Mason, he seemed to consider Saskia
thoughtfully. Mason knew Kaine had lost interest in the trio.
“I guess this is goodbye,” he said and raised his arm in the
air, clearly a signal for Sian and Evan to end the meeting.

“Now,” Mason yelled to Niall. He had figured Kaine

would have him searched, expecting the silver. He’d hoped
that, distracted by the larger find, Kaine wouldn’t think to
have them searched further—a single syringe taped to the
inside of both his and Niall’s inner arms. As luck would
have it, he’d been right. He spun around, slamming the
concealed syringe in Sian’s neck and injected her with the
large dose of silver.

Spinning around, Kaine stood wide-eyed as Evan and

Sian fell to the ground, both screaming painfully as they
grabbed at their chests. Evan crashed to the stage floor,
dragging Niall down with him. Kaine growled furiously and
rushed angrily forward, grabbing Mason by the arm and
pulling him away from Sian.

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“What the fuck?” he yelled, surprised as the empty

syringe fell to the wooden boards. Grabbing Mason by the
throat, he lifted him from the floor and tightened his hold on
Mason’s arm as he forced it backward.

Mason sneered as he held onto Kaine’s hand. Pain shot

through him as he felt Kaine’s long nails digging into his
neck. “Spirited enough for you?” he spat as Kaine pulled
him close.

“I’m not gonna kill ya,” Kaine said harshly against

Mason’s cheek. “I’m gonna let you watch me kill them.” He
tightened his hold on Mason’s throat, waiting for Mason to
stop struggling, and then threw him forcefully to the
ground.

Mason coughed roughly as he rolled onto his back and

watched as Kaine stalked across the stage to where Niall and
Evan continued to struggle. He tried to turn himself over, his
eyes meeting those of Sian as she convulsed next to him,
foam forming at her lips as she reacted to the silver shot.

“Kaine!” Mason called, pain shooting through his guts as

he curled into a ball. “Not now,” he groaned into the stage.
“Please, not now.”

Leaning his forehead to the stage, he yelled against the

dust-covered floor. He rolled his head slightly and met
Niall’s panicked eyes. Kaine was almost upon Niall, his
clawed hands held out from his body as he prepared to
attack. Kaine wouldn’t fully transform, not yet. It was far
more fun to torment his prey verbally along with the
mindless violence.

There was nothing he could do. His hearing was muffled

and a terrible pain coursed through his body. Uncurling his
hands, he pressed them firmly to the floor and pushed
himself up onto all fours. He looked down at his fingers,
closing his eyes as he felt the familiar stretch and burn of his
flesh. His time was up.

The Good Wolf

Chapter Nine

ason!” Niall scrambled from beneath Evan’s heavy
body, the mixed drug finally kicking in and

overpowering him. “Fuck!” He got to his feet, his heart
pounding in his chest as he stared at Kaine, and the half-
man, half-wolf monster stared right on back. Steadying
himself, he held his body low, ready to make a run for it if
he had to. He couldn’t necessarily compete with Kaine in his
current state, but he sure as hell wouldn’t go down without
a fight.

Kaine bared his teeth and grinned as if he knew Niall was

afraid. “If only you’d killed him like you were supposed to,”
he growled as he stalked toward Niall.

Niall kept a distance “What?” Niall was confused. He

checked behind him before jumping down off the stage and
among the rows of decaying seats.

Kaine grinned and gave a menacing growl as he followed

Niall down into the stalls. “It only took something small.
Just enough of his scent for you to go after him.”

Niall stopped as his ass hit the back of a chair. “Is that

why? I was just some screwed-up attempt at revenge? You
turned me into a monster.”

Kaine tilted his head to one side and looked Niall up and

down. “But we had fun, right?” he mocked, his face
screwing up viciously as he leapt into the air and crashed
down on top of Niall, the wooden seats splintering beneath

“M

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their combined weight.

Quickly, Kaine dragged Niall to his feet and laid blow

after blow to his head. Released from Kaine’s hold, Niall
stumbled backward as he was struck across the face again.
He grabbed at nothing but air as he crashed among the
rotted debris of the old theater. Shaking his head to gain
some focus, he reached out and wrapped his hand around a
broken length of wood. He hadn’t realized just how strong
Kaine would be in his half-turned form. Wiping his hand
across his bloodied mouth, Niall got to his feet and held the
plank of wood high in the air.

“Come on then,” he yelled as he fearfully watched Kaine

weave between the rows of seats. “Come on, you bastard!”
He reaffirmed his hold on the wood and waited, a sneer on
his face as Kaine ran at him.

Putting his weight behind the swing, Niall swung the

plank of wood, grunting as it made contact with Kaine’s
chest and splintered into pieces. He dropped the remnants of
the plank to the ground and met Kaine’s furious eyes.

Crap. He probably shouldn’t have done that. Panicking,

he turned to run. An anguished cry escaped from his throat
as he was quickly brought down and flipped onto his back.
Kaine forced down his shoulders, causing him to cry out as
sharp claws broke his skin and dug into his flesh.

“I’m gonna kill you slow,” Kaine spat as he leaned down,

his face close to Niall’s. “And then I’m gonna rip that pretty
little thing’s head off. She can certainly scream.” Kaine
grinned before saying, “Are you a screamer?”

Niall struggled, but Kaine’s large body pinned him firmly

to the ground. He gave up and looked at Kaine through
wide eyes, a gasped breath escaping his lungs as Kaine’s
weight bore down on his chest and agony exploded through
his body. He gritted his teeth and tried to push Kaine away
from him as Kaine bit through his shirt and into flesh. It

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fucking hurt.

Continuing to fight, Niall felt like his body was on fire.

The silver coursed through him, suppressing the wolf inside
him. His senses were heightened, including the pain, and his
instincts cried out for him to change, to let the wolf free and
fight back. Black spots burst across his vision and he thought
he was going to pass out when suddenly the weight was
gone. Struggling to sit up, Niall watched as Kaine was
pulled off him and thrown several yards away. Turning his
head, he sat stunned.

“Mason?” He could hardly believe what he saw. Mason

was standing before him. His eyes shone brightly, his
clawed hands curled into fists at his side as he stared down
at Niall. “Oh my God.” Did he still know him?

Mason stretched his neck and jaw, revealing his

transformed teeth and muscular shoulders. He stared at
Niall and sniffed the air. His top lip curled, he could smell
Niall’s blood. His body was still changing as he stepped
back, and all Niall could do was catch his breath. Mason
wasn’t gone just yet. The animal hadn’t taken him over
completely. Growling, he sprinted in front of the stage to
where Kaine was back on his feet. Niall grimaced as he got
to his feet. Holding his stomach, he watched as Mason and
Kaine slammed into one another. Wildly, they attacked,
slashing and clawing at one another. He held onto the back
of a seat and edged his way back to the stage.

“Saskia?” he croaked, grabbing hold of the wooden

railing of the steps at the side of the stage. He’d made a
promise. He needed to get her out of there.

* * * *

Saskia grimaced as she tried to free her wrists. What the hell
was happening? She’d been on her way to a study date with

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100

a friend from school when everything had gotten fuzzy.
Someone had said her name and then all she remembered
after that was waking up here.

“Mason!” Saskia screamed. She’d seen him. Seen what he

had become. Everything was going to be okay. Mason
would fix this. Desperately, she looked around the theater.
The two people Kaine had been with were out cold, and
Mason had disappeared after Niall and Kaine into the
seating a few feet below the stage.

“Fuck,” she said and hissed, turning her neck slightly as

she tried to catch sight of the wound in her shoulder. She
winced, her hair catching in the clotting blood across her
skin. Violently, she yanked at the rope binding her to the
chair, letting out a gasp as she jolted her bruised arm.
Defeated and helpless, she gave up and slumped in the
chair.

“Saskia!”
Thank God. “Niall!” Saskia cried. “I’m here.”
Niall pulled himself up onto the stage and crouched for a

moment. He seemed to check out the two unconscious
bodies before venturing forward. “Are you okay?” he said as
he fell to his knees behind her.

“I’m fine. Are they…dead?” She looked at the man and

woman lying on the stage.

“I don’t know,” Niall said and pulled at the ropes that

held her captive. “We gave them a double dose.”

She grimaced as Niall tugged at the rope.
“Your arm?”
Shaking her head, she said, “It’s fine. Where’s Mason?”

She whimpered, gasping a breath as the rope tightened
about her arms and chest.

“Sorry,” Niall said and moved lower, a harsh grunt as he

finally slackened the rope. He got to his feet and slowly
circled her, pulling the rope up and over her head. “Can you

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101

move?” He offered her his hand.

Saskia nodded and took Niall’s hand. As she stood she

pressed her other hand tentatively to her neck, wincing as
she pulled it away and looked at the sticky, dark blood.
“Kaine bit me.” She was scared.

“It’ll be okay,” Niall said, trying to reassure her, but he

couldn’t hide the fear in his voice. She was like him and
Mason now.

Niall held his arm across his stomach and Saskia realized

he was hurt. “You need help.”

“No. I’m fine. Wolfy-healing will kick in, right?” He

looked pale and suddenly he was falling to the ground
beside her.

Saskia got to her knees and quickly tore away part of her

blouse. “You’re not changing because you took silver,” she
realized. “It won’t heal. Not fast. Not while it’s in your
system.” She pressed the material as firmly as she could to
Niall’s chest and stomach. The wounds seemed deep.
“Where are we? We need to get you to a hospital before you
bleed to death.”

Niall held his hand over Saskia’s. “Maxton Theater on

Park.”

She had a vague memory of the theater from a history

project at school. “Did you see Mason?”

Niall didn’t need to answer the question as a body flew

past them and skidded across the stage. “Shit,” he said and
held onto Saskia as they both tried to scramble away. It was
Kaine.

Saskia caught her breath as Mason appeared on the stage

and rushed to where Kaine lay dazed. She watched as the
two men fought, Mason finally getting the upper hand as he
forced Kaine’s head repeatedly down against the hard floor.

“I’ll fucking kill you!” Mason roared and raised his hand

in the air, bringing it down with a great force as he drove his

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102

clawed hand into the soft flesh of Kaine’s stomach. “It ends
with you.”

To Saskia’s surprise Kaine laughed and grabbed Mason’s

wrist, dragging Mason’s claws deeper into his flesh.

“You won’t kill me. You never could.”
“It ends now,” Mason managed, grimacing against some

unseen pain. She knew he was fighting the wolf inside him.

Kaine grinned. “You know it won’t make a difference

killing me. You’ll still turn. You’ll still be a killer, with or
without me.”

“Perhaps. But maybe they don’t have to be.” Mason

looked at her. What did he mean? She knew she should be
scared, but she wasn’t, because no matter what, Mason
would protect her. He was her hero. Her guardian angel.

Saskia flinched as Kaine grabbed Mason by the back of his

neck.

“No more games,” he said.
Saskia watched in horror as Kaine took on his full form as

a wolf and thrashed violently beneath Mason.

“No,” Mason cried. He looked shocked as Kaine kicked

with powerful hind legs and he was thrown sideways and
off the stage, disappearing with a crash as he landed among
the seats.

Afraid, Saskia held tightly onto Niall. They edged to the

back of the stage and up against an old velvet curtain
hanging behind them. Cautiously, they watched the creature
that was Kaine free himself from his torn human clothes.
Tatters of material caught around his shoulders and neck.

“You should run,” Niall said in low voice as he squeezed

Saskia’s hand. “There’s a door behind us.”

Saskia swallowed uncomfortably, her eyes never leaving

the dazed creature in front of them. “I won’t leave you,” she
said in a shaky voice. Slowly, she looked around the stage
and hoped to find something useful to defend them with.

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103

“The drug? Silver? Do you have any more?”

Niall shook his head.
“Shit,” she whispered, watching as Kaine moved across

the stage and nudged his head against the motionless bodies
of Evan and then Sian. She caught her breath as Kaine
turned his head and settled his bright, wild eyes on them.
He hunkered down low, ready to attack, blood and saliva
hanging around his jaw as he eyed up his prey. “Can you
move?” she asked Niall as she drew her knees higher and
prepared to jump out of the way.

“Maybe.”
Saskia waited with her hands under Niall’s arm and

around his waist as she watched Kaine. “Now,” she yelled as
Kaine pounced toward them. She pulled as hard as she
could, barely moving herself and Niall, but it was enough as
Kaine flew past them and crashed into the wall hidden
behind the theater curtain. Breathless, Saskia tried to drag
Niall farther out of Kaine’s path. Falling to the floor, she
panted and quickly scrambled on her hands and knees,
rushing to Niall’s side.

“Go,” Niall insisted. “Fucking go!”
Saskia met Kaine’s wicked gaze, his deep black fur rising

in shivered anticipation. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed as she
scurried backward. She was just a kid—a scared kid. This
was stuff of fairytales. This shouldn’t be real.

She looked from Kaine to Niall. No. She wouldn’t just

leave. Returning to his side, she held him to her, twisting her
hands in his shirt. “I’m not leaving you.” Niall held her hand
and she felt comforted. They both knew there was no way
they could beat Kaine.

As Kaine charged, Niall raised his arm protectively in

front of them. It was a strange feeling, waiting for death. But
the fatal attack never came. Saskia watched in awe as a dark
mass burst across the stage and slammed into Kaine.

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“Mason,” she said breathlessly. She had never seen his

wolf, and admired the powerful animal. His fur was a
beautiful shade of brown with spatters of auburn that
shimmered in the dull light in the theater. She watched as
the two creatures fought, a mass of limbs and teeth rolling
around the stage, snapping jaws and slicing claws. Growls
and barks erupted from both the animals as they rolled over
one another, fur and blood littering the dirty stage floor.

“Oh God,” Saskia said. Of the two wolves, Kaine was

larger, but Mason seemed to have a ferocious strength. She
figured he had something to protect and fight for. He had
her and Niall.

Niall leaned against her for support and she looked at his

chest. The bleeding had lessened and it seemed the healing
had begun.

“What are you doing?” she asked as he pulled away from

her and tried to get to his feet. She grabbed his arm and held
him steady.

“We need to help him.”
Saskia watched as Kaine’s black wolf got hold of Mason’s

by its shoulder and tore into Mason’s flesh with large teeth.
The auburn wolf cried out, a terrible whined yelp as it
struggled to free itself.

“How?” There was no way to get between the two of

them.

Niall looked around the stage. “Check the girl,” he

ordered as he crawled from her hold and toward the man.

“What for?”
“Anything!”
“Fuck,” Saskia hissed and scrambled over to the fallen

woman. She knelt beside her and nervously reached out to
touch the woman’s neck. There was no sign of a pulse.
Pulling back her shaking hand, she started to search the
woman’s coat. A lighter, a crushed pack of cigarettes, and a

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set of car keys was all she could find. She looked up,
watching as the black wolf pinned the other to the ground
and tried to get a hold on its throat. “Niall!”

“Anything?” Niall asked, as she rushed to his side and

held her plunder out to him. “The lighter.”

She frowned as he took the lighter. “What are you

doing?” she asked, watching as he screwed the top off what
appeared to be a bottle of whisky and rammed some of her
torn blouse into the neck. “Are you insane?”

Niall just grinned.
“Oh God.” Grimacing, Saskia grabbed her shoulder as

there was a sudden twinge. “I don’t feel so good.” She felt
lightheaded. Niall reached out and moved her hair to one
side, a shocked expression on his face. “What?” She looked
at her shoulder and chewed on her lip. Just like Niall’s, her
wound had started to heal.

“You’re okay,” he said comfortingly. “I want you to get

out of here. If anything happens promise me you’ll find a
way to live your life.”

Saskia looked at Niall, worried. It sounded like goodbye.

“Don’t say that.”

“Promise me,” he insisted.
Saskia swallowed nervously. She didn’t want to go, but

knew it was probably better if she was not here as a
distraction to Niall. Slowly, she nodded. “I promise.”

Niall leaned forward and kissed Saskia’s forehead. “He

loves you, you know?”

Saskia smiled and gave a gentle nod as she got to her feet,

tears collecting in her eyes as she turned and ran.

* * * *

Niall turned to where the wolves were standing. Both
animals were torn and bloody and breathing heavily as they

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circled one another. With a deep breath, he got to his feet
and held the bottle in front of him. Carefully, he edged
forward, lighting the edge of the material that he’d placed in
the bottle.

“Hey!” he yelled, aware that both wolves looked at him,

but only one decided he was a worthy distraction. Niall
threw the glass bottle at the black wolf, cursing as the wolf
darted sideways and the bottle hit the back wall. Flames
skittered across the alcohol-laced floor and started to take
hold in small patches. “Fuck!” Niall hissed and started to
run, the wolf turning in his direction and giving chase.

He didn’t get far before a heavy weight slammed into him

and he landed on the ground. He expected more, but turned
around to see Mason standing in the space between him and
Kaine. Slowly, he pushed himself to sit up, surprised as
Mason turned and briefly met his eyes. Niall sat silently and
watched as Mason crouched low, protectively keeping his
body between Kaine and him. He wanted to cry out and
have Mason recognize him, but there was no time.

The wolves met in a violent impact. Kaine ruthlessly

attacked Mason as they slammed against the wall and rolled
over one another and through the slow-building flames. It
was hard to see who had the upper hand, a blur of dark fur
as both animals growled and yelped as they fought for
dominance. It wasn’t long before the black wolf was on top
again, its large clawed feet pressing down on the other’s
shoulder and stomach.

“Mason!” Niall screamed. It was enough.
As the black wolf eyed its human prey, the auburn and

brown turned under the hold, freeing its front leg as it
swiped wildly at the black’s throat. There was a squeal and
Kaine stumbled backward, blood pouring from the huge
gash in his throat. His fur was matted with dark liquid and
his legs gave out, and he crashed to the floor in a twitching

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mess.

Niall watched as Mason got to his feet and took slow

steps on unsteady legs to Kaine’s side. The scene was almost
surreal, so quiet and tender. He stayed still, watching how
Mason lowered his head to Kaine’s in a comforting manner.
Kaine continued to kick, a frantic panic to hold onto life.
Niall carefully got to his feet, waiting for the moment
between the two wolves to end. And end it did.

Shocked, Niall opened his mouth as Mason quickly raised

his head and went for Kaine’s neck. With a violent growl, he
tore out Kaine’s throat, blood spraying from the deep
wound as Kaine breathed a final bloody breath, his heavy
chest rising and falling one last time. Niall waited. He was
shaking as Mason turned to face him.

“Mason?” he said in a low voice, stepping back as the

brown wolf took slow steps in his direction.

“Niall!”
Niall looked over his shoulder, surprised to see Saskia. “I

thought I told you to go.”

“I know—” She stopped and looked at the wolf standing

a few feet from Niall. She raised her hand and Niall was
surprised to find she had a gun.

“Don’t,” he said.
She released the safety as the wolf moved toward them.
“It’s Mason,” Niall reassured her. “Where the hell’d you

get that?” He looked at the gun.

“The woman’s car.” She continued to keep the gun aimed

at Mason. “What should I do?”

Niall looked back at Mason. The wolf stopped and simply

stared at them. “I think it’s okay.” He carefully raised his
hand and then lowered it, indicating for Saskia to lower the
gun. “Mason?”

The wolf lowered its head and took another step forward

before it crumpled to the ground.

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“Mason!” Niall rushed forward and slid to his knees. He

looked worriedly down at the wolf, a small sigh of relief as
he noted the movement of its chest. Slowly, he reached out
and rested his hands on Mason, smiling as he felt the
warmth radiating off his form.

“Is he okay?”
“He’s alive.” Gently, he ran his fingers through Mason’s

thick coat of fur. “We need to get him out of here.” He
looked at the spreading fire as it laid claim to one of the
large curtains.

“How?” Saskia looked at the enormous animal. “And

what about them?” She nodded to the bodies around them.

“There’s nothing we can do for them. We have to help

Mason.”

Saskia nodded and moved to Mason’s back legs. “When

will he change back?” she asked as she tried to get a hold on
the wolf.

“Sunrise. Five hours.” He let out a grunt as he hooked his

arms under Mason’s front legs and lifted him from the floor.
He eyed Mason’s head warily. Mason was a mess.

Saskia jumped as the wooden beams in the ceiling started

to creak. “The fire, Niall.”

“I know. Come help me. We’ll drag him.” The fire was

quickly spreading through the old wooden building.

Urgently, Saskia hurried to Niall’s side and linked her

arms with his around Mason’s wolf form. “Where are we
taking him?”

“The motel, I guess. Let’s just get out of here and then

we’ll figure out what to do,” he said with urgency. With
their combined strength, they started to move Mason.
Though slow, it was enough.

A few minutes later they were outside and they stood and

watched the roof of the theater catch fire and cast an eerie
orange glow into the midnight sky. Niall turned to Saskia

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and gave a comforting smile. It was going to be okay. Kaine
was gone and the fire would destroy all evidence of him.
Hesitantly, he looked at Saskia’s shoulder, well, almost all
evidence. He hugged her close, saying, “We should go.”

Saskia nodded. “He’ll be okay, right?”
Niall gave a strained smile. “He will and so will we.”

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Chapter Ten

ason opened his eyes and stared up at the unfamiliar
ceiling. He’d been dreaming and he felt like he

couldn’t breathe. Grabbing his aching chest, he struggled to
sit up.

“It’s okay,” Saskia said and wrapped her hand around

his. “It’s over.”

Mason closed his eyes and took deep breaths as he tried

to relax. He pulled the bed sheets higher. “What happened?
Kaine?”

“Shh. Don’t worry. Everything’s all right now. Niall’s

gone out to get some food.”

He didn’t remember much beyond arriving at the theater.

The night was draped in a hazy fog and he feared what it
was he might have forgotten. He opened his eyes and looked
around the motel room.

“The theater, what happened?”
Saskia squeezed his hand comfortingly. “You did it. You

killed Kaine.”

“I don’t remember,” Mason said solemnly and raised a

hand to his forehead. Gently, he rubbed a soothing line over
his brow.

“Nothing?”
“Everything got loud and I hurt and—” He jumped as the

motel room door suddenly opened, and Niall stepped into
the room, a paper bag in his arms.

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“Mason,” Niall said, sounding relieved. He closed the

door and crossed the room to come sit on the end of the bed.
He placed the bag on the floor. “How do you feel?”

Mason shrugged as he met Niall’s eyes. “Okay, I guess.

It’s all a little fuzzy at the moment.”

Niall nodded. “I’m sure it is.” Sighing, he got back to his

feet. “You hungry?”

Shaking his head, Mason looked around the room. Things

felt strange to him. “How long was I out?”

“About ten hours,” Saskia chipped in. “You were pretty

messed up. I helped Niall with your wounds.”

Mason smiled and gave her a wink. “Thanks,” he said

and looked down at his bandaged arm and stomach.

“They’re healing,” Saskia said and then glanced across the

room at Niall. There was something in their shared look that
worried Mason. What weren’t they telling him?

Mason narrowed his eyes as he looked from Saskia to

Niall. “What’s wrong?” he asked as he eyed the pair
suspiciously. “You’re okay, right?”

Niall sat back down. “We’re fine. It’s just that you’re

almost healed and yet we…” He nodded to Saskia. “Show
him.”

Saskia gave a heavy sigh as she pulled off the small blue

cardigan she wore. She winced as she raised her hand to the
taped dressing on her neck and delicately peeled it back to
reveal a stitched, raw-looking wound. “It stopped healing.
Niall’s, too.”

“What do you mean?” Mason narrowed his eyes.
Niall shrugged. “It’s like.” He paused. “Like they’re

healing normally. We had to take a trip to the ER once we’d
fixed you up. It’s strange. I feel strange.”

Mason lowered his head and sniffed a laugh.
“What?”
“It actually worked,” Mason said as he met Niall’s

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curious eyes.

“Worked?”
Mason chewed on his lip thoughtfully. “Sask, bring me

my jacket, will you?”

Saskia frowned but did as she was asked.
“What’s wrong?” Niall was clearly worried.
“Hopefully nothing,” Mason said as he rummaged

through his jacket pocket and retrieved his necklace.
Holding the necklace by the chain, he looked at the silver
cross that hung on the end of it. Slowly, he held out his other
hand and lowered the silver pendant into his palm. Mason
hissed as the silver burned his skin.

“What are you doing?” Niall asked and went to pull open

Mason’s hand. Grabbing the chain, he pulled the necklace
from Mason’s hold and looked at Mason’s scalded skin.
“Why did you do that?”

“Because I needed to know something.” He looked at the

cross. “I want you to hold it.”

Niall raised an eyebrow. “Are you insane?”
“Hold it. Please.”
Nervous, Niall eyed the necklace. “Okay,” he said

uncertainly before dangling the cross over his hand. Taking
a deep breath and bracing himself for the expected burning
pain, he lowered the cross into his hand and closed his
fingers around it. He waited, obviously puzzled when
nothing happened. Slowly, he opened his hand and stared at
the metal cross. There had been no reaction.

“How?”
Mason took the necklace and looked at Saskia, smiling as

he took her hand. “It won’t hurt. Promise.”

Saskia nodded and let Mason pull her hand toward him.

He placed the necklace in her palm. Nothing. “What does it
mean?” She looked innocently between the two men. “I
don’t understand.”

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“It means you’re okay. You both are,” Mason said and

smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
“You’re okay, Sask.”

“But,” she started, “you aren’t. Why?”
“It doesn’t matter.” He pulled Saskia to him as he looked

toward Niall. “What does is you’re okay. You can go home.”
He lowered his gaze. It was as if Niall’s gaze was burning a
hole in him as the man was clearly desperately tried to
figure out what had happened. “Niall. Will you take her
home for me?”

Niall narrowed his eyes, slowly nodding. “Sure,” he said

hesitantly.

Mason slowly released his hold on Saskia. “We’ll talk

when you get back.” He watched as Saskia gathered her few
things from off the floor. “Look after her.”

Niall looked at Mason. He seemed reluctant to leave. “Of

course.”

Mason smiled and watched as the two of them left the

room. He sat for a few moments and listened, waiting for the
sound of the car’s engine and then the sound of it pulling
away. He looked down at his arm and reached for the
bandaging. Gently, he unwound it and looked at his skin.
Some things were just meant to be he figured and touched
the pink line of healing flesh. Turning his head, he looked at
the motel door and gave a sad smile. They were both okay,
and he needed to make sure they stayed that way.

* * * *

“Fuck!” Niall hissed as he threw his cell into the passenger
seat of his car. He knew Mason was going to do this. Why
had he agreed to take Saskia home? Because he had really
hoped he was wrong, that’s why. He’d wanted to believe so
damn much that Mason wouldn’t just leave them behind.

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Sighing, he gripped the steering wheel tightly and wondered
what to do. Mason hadn’t taken a car, so that meant a bus,
on foot, or he'd hitched a ride. Looking at the clock on the
dash, he wondered if Mason had anything with him.

Suddenly, his cell rang and Niall snatched up the handset.

“Mason?” he asked hopefully.

“It’s me,” Saskia said. “Still no luck?”
Niall sighed as he continued down the interstate. “No. If

he got a ride, he could be anywhere by now.”

“I’m worried,” Saskia told him. “It’s the second night and

he’s all alone.”

“I know. Look,” he said as he pressed the cell tighter to

his ear, “I’ll call you if I hear anything and you do the same.
You need to get some rest, okay? I’ll speak to you in the
morning if not before.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line before

Saskia said, “Find him.”

Niall lowered his cell, ending the call as he told himself, “I

will.”

If only it was that simple. After a further hour of driving

around with no real idea where to drive to, Niall pulled into
the parking lot of a diner. He stopped the engine and stared
up at the sign, his heart sinking as he watched the
fluorescent tube flicker to life. It was starting to get dark and
he knew as the light faded so did his chance of finding
Mason. Tiredly, he pushed open the car door and stretched
out his body as he stood up. Narrowing his eyes, he looked
at the row of windows across the front of the diner, taking in
the outline of each person sitting in the booths. He pushed
the car door shut and locked up, resigned to the fact that he
wasn’t going to find Mason tonight.

Making his way up to the diner, Niall continued to look

around him. He had the strange sensation of being watched.
Shaking off the feeling, he entered the diner, surprised at

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how bright it was compared to the dusky sky outside.

“Can I get some coffee?” he asked as he slid onto a stool

at the counter.

“Sure,” the pretty redheaded waitress replied. “How’d ya

like that?”

Niall smiled. “Just black, please. Oh, and one of those

specialty muffins.” He nodded toward the sign advertising
the white chocolate and cranberry special.

“Coming right up, sugar.”
Niall rested his elbow on the counter and twisted slightly

in his seat. He was tired and out of ideas. Should he even
keep looking? If Mason wanted to, he could disappear and
no one would ever find him. Silently, he stared at the
window of the diner—though all he could see was his own
reflection, the sensation of someone watching him was still
there. Reaching in his jeans pocket, he grabbed some change
and dropped it on the counter.

“I’ll be back,” he told the waitress as he headed for the

door, the spring creaking as he opened it and let it swing
closed behind him.

He stood on the step of the diner for a moment and

scanned the parking lot. There was nothing out of the
ordinary. A few parked cars, a trucker heading back to his
rig, and a couple linked arm in arm as they headed up to the
diner. Slowly, Niall stepped down into the open space and
made his way through the parking lot. He looked at each car
as he passed them, pushing his hands in his jacket pockets as
he stopped at the side of the road. Sighing, he lowered his
eyes and scuffed the toe of his sneaker against the loose dirt
before looking up at the faint moon. He considered how he’d
felt the previous night and how he felt now. How had that
happened? What had Mason done?

“Hey, Niall.” A husky voice startled him and Niall turned

to find someone standing in the shadow of a truck.

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Niall narrowed his eyes, surprised as Evan stepped out

into the light. “You?” He looked at the man, noting the burn
marks across his face and hand as he moved closer. “I
thought you were—”

“Dead?” Evan said with a grin. “Takes more than that to

kill me.”

Fear made Niall’s mouth go dry. “What do you want?”
Evan breathed in deeply and pushed his hands in the

pockets of his long, dark jacket. “Kaine is dead,” he pointed
out. “Sian, too.”

Niall nodded. “We had no choice,” he said warily.
Smiling, Evan circled Niall and stood out in the open. He

looked at Niall with interest, slowly moving closer as he
took deep breaths. “You’re different.” He tilted his head to
one side as he seemed to realize what it was he could sense.
“How?”

Niall swallowed nervously and said, “I don’t know, and

Mason’s gone.”

“Is he human. too?”
“No,” Niall said quickly. “He’s still like you.”
Evan nodded and pursed his lips thoughtfully, eyeing

Niall with curious blue eyes. “I was hoping you’d give
Mason a message for me.”

Shit. If Evan was going to teach him and Mason a lesson,

Niall didn’t stand a chance. “I don’t know where he is.”

“Don’t worry. As much as I’d like to rip your throat out,

I’m not Kaine.” Evan grinned. He seemed to see how afraid
Niall was of him. “Do I scare you, Niall? Think you could
take me on?” He raised his hand and watched as it shifted to
the first stage of its transformation—long fingers, hard
muscle, and deadly claws. He turned and looked at Niall.
“Don’t worry. It’s not that kind of message.”

Niall eyed Evan suspiciously. “Then what?”
Evan rested his hand on Niall’s shoulder as he leaned in

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close. “Tell him we’re even.”

Niall met Evan’s gaze. “Even, how?”
“He’ll know.”
“I don’t know where he is,” Niall reminded him.
Evan nodded, but told him, “I think you do. Think really

hard.” He moved away. “Just don’t think for too long. He
never did well by himself, at least not until he found hating
Kaine was a hell of a lot easier than hating himself. Gave
him a focus.”

“How do you know so much?” Niall asked.
Evan simply smiled.
“Hey.” Niall caught Evan by the shoulder. “Please?”
Evan eyed Niall’s hand and Niall warily withdrew it.

“Here’s the quick version. I was attacked by a big fucking
wolf. Another big fucking wolf cared to intervene. I woke up
in hospital. Kaine was charming. I embraced my animal
side.” He folded his arms across his chest.

“Mason?”
“From what I could figure, he stopped Kaine from killing

me. And instead, I became just like him.” He gave a heavy
sigh. “Thing is, Mason never accepted what he was. Fought
it constantly. It’s why he has no control over it. He’s
distanced himself from the wolf and therefore doesn’t allow
himself to remember.”

“But he stopped Kaine from killing you?”
Evan shrugged. “I guess. I just know accepting it hurts a

hell of a lot less. I like being what I am, and if three nights a
month I have to take the pooch out for a walk, hey, that suits
me.”

“Even with control you have to change?”
Evan frowned. It was clear he was getting bored of Niall’s

questions. “Can only delay the inevitable for so long.” He
pushed his hands in his coat pockets and walked past Niall.

“Where is he?” Niall pleaded. “I don’t know where he’d

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go.”

He looked at Niall and pressed his mouth in a line.

“Westlake. It’s about an hour from here.”

“What’s in Westlake?”
“The question is, who’s in Westlake. I’d imagine he’s gone

to say goodbye,” Evan said. He looked up at the moon. “You
find him, tell him we’re done. I won’t be back this way.” He
made to leave.

“Where will you go?” Niall asked.
Evan turned his head. The light of the moon caught his

eyes, making them appear to glow. “Like you care.”

“I just want to know if I need to be looking over my

shoulder on dark nights.”

Evan grinned and snorted loudly. He screwed up his

mouth as he looked Niall up and down and said, “Tell
Mason I said hi.” He then walked away, disappearing
amongst the parked cars and into the dark shadows.

Niall turned back to the diner. He’d get the muffin to go.

Niall tapped his hands against the steering wheel as he

pulled up outside the cemetery. Remembering what Evan
had said, there were only three people he could think of that
Mason would want to say goodbye to. After a little digging
by him and Saskia, they’d found Mason’s family were
buried in Evergreen Cemetery—his mom, his dad, and his
sister, Amy. She had been ten years old.

He sat for a moment and stared at the tall, black metal

gate. He hadn’t been in a cemetery for a long time, and
certainly not one he remembered. An aunt or something had
died when he was maybe six. Very little affected you when
you were six. Taking a deep breath, Niall got out of the car
and walked up to the gates. Gently, he shook them and
found they were locked. Stepping back, he looked the metal
frame up and down.

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“Okay, Niall,” he said to himself. This would have been a

hell of a lot easier yesterday.

A quick run up and he scrambled awkwardly over the

gate and fell ungracefully on his ass the other side. He
groaned and pushed a hand to his back. Slowly, he sat up
and looked around. Why did it have to be so damn creepy?

With a grunt, he got to his feet and started a route

through the dark cemetery. As he walked, Niall slowly grew
accustomed to the dim light and looked up and down the
rows of headstones. He wasn’t about to step off the path,
because somehow walking over a bunch of dead people
really didn’t appeal after the couple of days he’d had.

With a heavy sigh, Niall looked around, desperate for any

sign of Mason among the protruding pillars of stone.
Eventually, he stopped and narrowed his eyes as something
caught his attention.

“Mason?” he said and carefully felt out a path through

the dark and stones to where Mason was sitting. “Hey.” He
crouched down next to Mason. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Mason lifted his head slightly, but refused to look at Niall.
“Mason?” Niall reached out and rested his hand on

Mason’s shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

“Thinking,” Mason said. “How’d you find me?”
“With a little help.”
“Help?”
“Evan.”
Mason looked up at him this time, clearly concerned.

“Evan? I thought he was gone. I thought you were safe.”

Niall smiled and gently squeezed Mason’s shoulder. “I’m

fine. What about you?” He gently held Mason’s arm and
looked at the raw, red patch on the inside of Mason’s elbow.
“How much did you take?”

Mason blew out a breath and gave a shrug. “Not

enough,” he said whimsically and leaned toward Niall.

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“Added something extra though,” he added with a lazy
wink.

“Are you high?” Niall asked as he felt Mason lean into

him.

Nodding, Mason cleared his throat. “Yeah.”
“Mason, we should get out of here.”
Mason shook his head and stared at the three graves in

front of him. “We killed them, you know? Me and Kaine.”
He rested his hand on the grass in front of his sister’s
headstone. “He used to come and visit during breaks.” He
raised a hand to his mouth and pressed it firmly to his lips.
“Mom would bake,” he managed as his voice broke.

“It’s not your fault.”
Mason took a shaky breath. “I can’t keep blaming him.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I killed people and now I’ll be like this forever. I don’t

know if I can do that.”

Niall squeezed Mason’s shoulder comfortingly. “I’m not

gonna give up on you,” he said reassuringly.

“You don’t have to be here, Niall. You’re cured. You’re

free.”

Niall guided Mason’s face by his chin and met his eyes in

the low light. “Just because I’m not a wolf doesn’t mean I’m
going to stop caring about you.”

Mason shook his head, trying to free himself from Niall’s

hold. “It’s not safe. You should get as far away from me as
you can.” His voice was shaky as he tried and failed to get to
his feet. “Go be you.”

“Hey,” Niall said, supporting Mason’s weight. The man

was wasted. “We’re getting out of here. Okay?”

“I need to tell them I’m sorry.” He fell forward on his

hands and knees. “They’re dead because of me.” He lowered
his head to the ground. “I should have died in the woods,”
he mumbled into the grass. “They’d still be alive.”

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“Hey.” Niall rubbed his hand over Mason’s back. He

needed to get him out of here. “Don’t do this.”

“I don’t know what to do.” He sat back and looked at

Niall. “What would you do?”

Niall leaned forward and rested his forehead against

Mason’s, holding the man steady. “I wouldn’t let Kaine
win.”

“All those people he hurt.”
“You stopped him. You saved me, Saskia, and who

knows how many more. You did that.”

Mason wrapped his hands around Niall’s neck and pulled

him into a kiss. Heat and desire washed through Niall, but
as the kiss became deeper and rougher, he knew this wasn’t
right. Mason growled against his mouth and Niall pushed
him away.

“Mason. Not here. Not like this.” The man was high on

God knows what. Slowly, he got to his feet, dragging Mason
up with him. “You need to rest.” He held Mason, wrapping
one arm around his waist as he pulled him close. “It’s going
to be okay.” He leaned forward and planted a light kiss on
Mason’s forehead. “I promise.”

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122

Chapter Eleven

iall carefully curled around Mason as they lay together
in bed. They’d gotten a room at the first motel they

came to. The decor was tired, the sheets starched and thin,
but it was warm and safe. He wrapped his arms protectively
around Mason, refusing to let him out of his sight again. It
was early, maybe eight he figured by the light bleeding
through the gap in the drapes. He held Mason in his arms,
listening to his deep breaths, an occasional groan escaping
his throat as he fidgeted beneath the bed sheets.

“Mason?” Niall said in a hushed voice, not sure if the man

he was wrapped around was fully awake.

“Hmm,” Mason moaned and pushed against Niall’s arm.

“I need to go.” He pushed harder, freeing himself to then
run through to the small bathroom.

Niall listened as Mason threw up. He waited until he

heard the flush of the toilet to join Mason in the bathroom.

“Oh God.” Mason had his hands wrapped around the

side of the toilet as he gagged. Spitting into the bowl, he
turned and looked up at Niall. “Morning,” he croaked as he
slid to sit on the tiled floor.

“You all right?”
Mason raised a hand and stuck up his thumb. “Peachy.”
“You want anything?”
Mason sighed and turned his head so he could see Niall.

“Just give me a minute, yeah?”

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Niall nodded and backed away from the door. He’d give

Mason some time to himself.

* * * *

“Mason?”

Mason opened his eyes, surprised to find Niall crouching

down beside him and brushing back his hair. “What?” he
groaned and blinked as he found himself sprawled out on
the bathroom floor.

“Did you sleep here?”
“How long?”
“It’s been a couple of hours,” Niall said as he helped

Mason to sit up. “How do you feel?”

Mason rubbed at his face and shook his head to try and

gain some focus. “Yeah, fine. I think something crapped in
my mouth, though,” he said as he opened his mouth and
stuck out his tongue.

Niall pulled Mason to his feet. “You want a hand getting

cleaned up?”

“I’m good. But if I don’t appear in the next hour, come get

me.”

Niall laughed and left the bathroom, pulling the door

shut behind him.

Rubbing a hand roughly over his hair, Mason moved to

the mirror. He frowned as he was met with dark rings under
his eyes and pale skin. He looked like shit.

Thirty minutes later and Mason emerged from the

bathroom wrapped in a towel and smelling of ylang-ylang,
aloe vera, and tea tree something or other shampoo. “Hey,”
he said and pulled the towel a little tighter around his waist.
“I used your things. That was okay, right?”

Niall pushed against the bed to sit up and nodded. “Of

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course. I have the rest of your things in the car. I’ll bring
them in for you.”

Mason smiled and sat down on the end of the bed,

turning to look at the TV. “Murder She Wrote?” he noted,
bemused.

“It was on.”
Mason nodded, grinning as Niall put the TV on standby.

“Don’t let me stop you.”

Niall sighed and raised his legs beneath the sheets. “You

feel better?”

“Yeah, thanks.” He ran a hand through his damp hair.
“You wanna talk about it?”
Lowering his head, Mason said, “Not much to talk

about.”

“I think there is.”
Mason pressed his lips together thoughtfully. “What do

you suggest?”

“You could try opening up a little. I would never judge

you.”

Mason laughed. “You think that would be a good idea?”
“Can’t hurt, surely?”
Slowly, Mason turned to meet Niall’s eyes. “What do you

want to know?”

Niall smiled and held out his hand. “Come here,” he

offered and pulled back the covers, inviting Mason back to
bed.

Mason looked at the space before warily making his way

back into bed. He shuffled around to get comfortable,
surprised to find Niall’s arm around him.

“Okay,” Niall started. “First thing, what happened the

other night? What happened to me and Saskia?”

“Do you remember the page from the book?” Mason

asked in a low voice. “The one that showed a cure?”

“Kill the wolf that turned you,” he remembered.

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“When Kaine died it released you from whatever curse

this is.”

“But why not you?”
Mason lowered his head and chewed on his lip. “There

were more pages.” He raised his eyes to Niall’s. “I’ve killed
and eaten human flesh.” He raised a hand to Niall’s face and
gently cupped his cheek. “Saskia hadn’t and neither had
you.”

“But the blood when you found me and the month after?”
“Doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean it was human.”

He ran his thumb soothingly over Niall’s cheekbone. “I’m
glad.”

“That’s not fair. You would never hurt anyone, not on

purpose. Evan said you stopped Kaine from killing him.”

Mason shrugged. “So what if I did? It doesn’t matter. It’s

just how it is. You never completed the transformation and I
did.” He sighed and leaned against Niall’s shoulder. “Which
is why I want you to leave.”

“What?”
“You’re putting yourself at risk. What if I turned and

attacked you? You’d either be dead or infected again. I’m not
sure I can have that on my conscience as well.” Though he
wouldn’t admit it, he cared what happened to Niall. Cared
so much it made his head hurt as the right thing to do, to
push Niall away, conflicted with what his heart wanted.

“You wouldn’t hurt me. I know that, and I think you do,

too.” Niall placed a hand under Mason’s chin and tilted back
his head. “Stop hiding from me,” he said and leaned down,
kissing Mason.

“Niall,” Mason said and moved his hand to Niall’s lips,

separating their mouths. He looked into Niall’s eyes. He
didn’t want to hurt Niall. No matter how small the risk
might be, it would always be there. “I want, I need you to be
safe—” He was shut up as Niall pulled away his hand and

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smothered his mouth with another kiss.

“You need to stop thinking so damn much,” Niall said

breathlessly, and he released Mason’s wrist and instead
cupped his face, pulling him into a deeper, more passionate
kiss. Moments passed before Niall finally broke the kiss and
looked into Mason’s eyes. “What’s wrong?” he asked,
obviously seeing how confused Mason was. Leaning
forward, he brushed the side of his nose against Mason and
inhaled, seemingly enjoying the sweet, clean smell of him.

“Why would you want this?”
Niall smiled and teased him with an open-mouthed kiss,

brushing his lips over Mason’s and gently nipping at them.
“Why wouldn’t I?”

Because I’m a monster.
Niall continued, “I want you. There’s no wolf to confuse

me. It’s just me, and I want you.” He pulled back his head
and looked at Mason. “Both of you.”

Mason slowly looked Niall up and down, taking in the

details of his face and then down to his chest. Hesitantly, he
reached out and pressed his hand to Niall’s injured body. He
smiled as he felt the warmth beneath his hand. He did feel
something for Niall. There was no wolf, no Kaine blurring
those feelings. They were all for Niall. He looked into Niall’s
eyes. He cared for the man, even if Niall was being
incredibly naive and foolish thinking they could have
something real.

“You’re an idiot. You know that, right?” he said softly.

“You could be anything you wanted. You could be with
anyone you wanted.”

“But what I want is you.” Niall rested his hand over

Mason’s and linked their fingers together. “I care about you.
I like you. It has to be worth a shot.”

A shot. A chance at normalcy. Mason leaned forward and

kissed Niall, his tongue sliding against Niall’s as they

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127

embraced. He ran his hands up over Niall’s chest and
wrapped them around his neck, holding him close as they
continued to kiss. Moaning, he leaned his head back as
Niall’s mouth ran a trail across his jaw and down the side of
his face. He smiled as Niall lingered over the lump in his
throat and he could feel Niall pressing his strong fingers
against the curve of his back, working downward to the fold
of the towel he wore.

Closing his eyes, he leaned forward and pressed his

mouth to Niall’s ear as he whispered his name. He
swallowed as Niall continued to work his hands downward
and slipped his fingers beneath the edge of the towel.
Slowly, Mason opened his eyes and pulled back. Looking
into Niall’s eyes, he gently tucked a strand of Niall’s hair
behind his ear.

“Are you sure you want this?” he asked. “Maybe we

should…” His words tapered off as Niall ran a hand up the
inside of his leg beneath the towel. “Go slow,” he managed
as he bit on his lip. Niall drew circles with his finger over a
patch of skin on his thigh.

“Do you want it slow?” Niall asked as he leaned closer.

He moved his hand a little higher beneath the towel.

Mason pressed his lips in a line. “Mmm.” Slow felt good

across his skin.

Niall smiled and laid teasing kisses on Mason’s mouth.

“That a yes or a no?”

“But we…nothing…” Mason swallowed as Niall pressed

his hand between his legs.

Niall stopped and gently squeezed Mason’s thigh.

“Promise me you won’t move.”

Raising an eyebrow, Mason watched as Niall quickly

rolled off the bed and pulled on his jeans and t-shirt. “Where
are you going?”

“The store across the street. I’ll be right back.”

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Mason laughed as he pulled the sheet across his lap. “It

doesn’t matter. Maybe we should just get out of here.”

“No. Please. Don’t think. Just wait there.”
“Niall—” Mason sighed as the door slammed shut behind

Niall and he dropped back on the bed. What were they
doing? They were both crazy.

* * * *

“Mason?” Niall looked around the motel room, a heavy
feeling in his chest as he found the bed empty. He’d have
been back sooner if not for the stupid line in the stupid store.
“Mason?”

“What?” Mason said as he appeared, fully dressed in the

bathroom doorway, a toothbrush in his mouth.

“I thought you’d gone.”
Mason smiled comfortingly. “I grabbed my stuff out the

car is all,” he said as he disappeared into the bathroom and
returned with a towel as he dried his mouth. “But I did start
thinking.”

And there it was. Thinking, talking, and no doubt more

excuses for him to walk away. Niall sighed and kicked off
his sneakers. “About?”

“Being careful.”
As he sat down on the bed, Niall turned his head

curiously. “I don’t have anything if that’s what you’re
worried about.”

Mason joined Niall, sitting on the bed beside him. “But I

do, kind of. I just want you to know what you’re getting
into.”

Niall sniffed a laugh. “It’s not an STD.”
Mason looked at Niall uncomfortably. “I want you to be

safe.”

“And I will be.”

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Mason gave a small smile, though he still seemed unsure.
“Kissing’s fine, right?” Niall asked with a grin.
“I would assume so.” Mason laughed.
“But if it wasn’t, too late now,” Niall said as he leaned

forward and kissed Mason firmly on the mouth.

Mason sighed as Niall moved his hands beneath the t-

shirt he wore. “Kissing’s fine,” he said again. He seemed to
relax as he leaned into the kiss.

Slowly, Niall rolled the material of Mason’s t-shirt higher

to reveal pale skin. He gently ran his hand over Mason’s
stomach and down to the front of Mason’s jeans. “You’re
worth the risk.”

Mason shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt you.” He

nodded toward Niall’s covered chest.

Luckily, the worst had healed before Mason had broken

the curse. Niall smiled and kissed Mason again. “You won’t.
Slow and careful,” he agreed and pulled down the zipper of
Mason’s jeans. “And no biting,” he added mischievously.

* * * *

Mason rested his hands against Niall’s chest and waited as
Niall shifted his position. Twenty minutes of touching,
teasing, and stretching him open, and here they were. Mason
had finally allowed himself to enjoy being with Niall. What
they had was a good thing, a normal thing, and Mason
needed that. Carefully, he leaned up and sucked on Niall’s
lower lip, drawing it into his own mouth, before releasing
with a gasped breath. Throwing back his head, Mason felt
Niall pushing against him, the head of Niall’s dick slowly
pressing into his entrance.

“Oh, fuck!” He grabbed Niall’s shoulders and arched his

hips.

“Okay?” Niall halted his penetration.

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“Uhuh,” Mason said with a nod. He held onto Niall. “Just

been a while.” He moved his body, settling back down on
the bed as he tried to relax.

“You smell good,” Niall said as he pushed his face into

the crease of Mason’s neck. “All good.” Slowly, he raised his
hands and took hold of Mason’s wrists, pulling them away
from him and to the bed. He wrapped his hands in Mason’s
and pressed them into the mattress as he started to move his
body. He went slowly, and Mason appreciated Niall not
rushing their union. Steadily, Niall pushed forward, rotating
his hips as he slid deeper into Mason’s keening body. Soft
sounds fell from Mason’s mouth and he smiled as Niall
stretched his arms above his head.

It was a mere moment before Niall’s body was flush with

Mason’s. He stilled as if to allow Mason time to accustom
himself to the feeling. With a smile, he brushed the back of
his hand against Mason’s cheek and kissed him. Slowly, he
moved his hips, creating a shallow movement in and out of
Mason’s body. He continued to kiss Mason and stroked
soothing lines over his neck and chest.

“You okay?” he asked softly and placed a kiss on the

raised scar on Mason’s neck.

Mason opened his eyes and looked up at Niall. “Don’t

stop.”

It was apparently what Niall had needed to hear. Niall

shifted himself a little higher as he moved his weight to his
knees. More kisses, and he started to move in steady thrusts.
Mason enjoyed Niall’s controlled rhythm and pushed
upward against Niall’s possessive hold. Niall tightened his
hold on Mason, curling his fingers through Mason’s as he
pressed him to the bed.

Mason raised his legs, spreading them slightly as Niall

moved impossibly closer. He couldn’t stop the low sounds
of desire as Niall drove farther and deeper inside.

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* * * *

God yes. The sounds Mason made were driving Niall crazy.
Eagerly, he licked and nipped at Mason’s neck, a wave
rushing through him as he felt the vibration in Mason’s
throat. Leaning back, Niall made the decision to quicken the
pace. He thought he might explode if he didn’t.

Fast and hard. Mason gasped as Niall thrust into him over

and over. Niall could feel Mason’s erection trapped between
them as he quickened the pace. Mason pressed his fingers
into the back of Niall’s hands and spread his legs wide,
enticing Niall forward before wrapping them around his
waist. He held onto Niall and began to rock his body in time.

“Oh God…” he groaned in a silky voice. He lifted his

head from the pillow and buried his face in the bend of
Niall’s neck. “Oh…”

Moaned sounds fell from his lips as Niall fucked him.

Niall wasn’t sure he’d ever heard anything as damn
arousing. The heat of Mason’s body was amazing and Niall
just wanted to lose himself inside Mason forever. If he could,
he’d let the man wrap around him like a blanket and keep
him safe. Though Mason might not believe him, he did feel
safe. Mason squeezed Niall’s hands tightly as he leaned up
for more kisses and the taste of Mason’s mouth on his had
him so fucking hard.

“Gonna come.” Niall quickly released Mason’s hands and

held onto the top of the mattress. Using the leverage of the
bed, he thrust several more times, the final thrust bringing
him crashing over the edge and coming hard. “Fuck!” he
managed and pushed his face to the side of Mason’s as he
slowly rode out his orgasm. Stilling, he lifted his head, and
looked at the breathless man beneath him. “You okay?” he
asked and slowly lifted his hips, smiling as he caused Mason

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to groan. Carefully, he slid his hand between them and took
hold of Mason’s dick, eliciting another groan from him.
Gently, he moved his hand, steadily bringing Mason toward
his own climax.

“Niall,” Mason whimpered and held onto Niall’s

shoulders as he continued to rock slowly inside him. “Fuck!”
With that, Mason came. Sticky liquid coated the space
between their bodies as Niall continued to kiss him.
Breathless, Mason dropped back against the mattress and
looked up at Niall. He dropped a hand across his chest and
caught his breath as Niall withdrew. Slowly, he sat up,
watching Niall interestedly as he sat back on his heels.

“Okay?” Niall asked as he scooted backward and jumped

off the bed, removing and disposing of the condom.

Mason nodded and licked lightly at his dry lips. “We

should clean up.” He nodded toward the sticky smear on
Niall’s stomach.

Niall walked to the edge of the bed and leaned down,

kissing Mason before wrapping his hand in Mason’s.
“Shower,” he prompted and pulled Mason to his feet. He
pushed his face to the side of Mason’s, enjoying the contact,
and laid more kisses to the side of his jaw. Reluctantly, he
separated and gently tugged at Mason’s arm, saying with a
playful grin, “I’ll let you scrub my back.”

* * * *

Mason slowly opened his eyes and stretched his arms out in
front of him. They’d spent the afternoon in bed and he really
wished they could stay there, blissed out and post-sex, all
day. Sighing, he rolled over and hugged the pillow. A smile
spread across his face as he met Niall’s warm, brown eyes.

“Hey, you,” he said dreamily and leaned forward to place

a gentle kiss to Niall’s mouth. He smiled as he pulled the

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pillow closer to his face and Niall lay his arm across his
waist above the covers. He met Niall’s eyes and curiously
tilted his head. “What?” he asked.

Niall raised his hand and gently brushed back a curl of

Mason’s hair behind his ear. “Nothing,” he stated. “I was
just thinking.”

Mason closed his eyes, enjoying the soothing feel of

Niall’s fingers in his hair. “What were you thinking about?”
he said with a contented sigh.

“About what to do. About us.”
Mason slowly opened his eyes and looked at Niall. He

wasn’t sure what to say.

“I don’t want this to end.”
Mason lowered his eyes and stared at Niall’s chest and

the angry red lines where Kaine had left his mark the other
night. “You really see this going somewhere?”

Niall tightened his hold around Mason’s waist, pulling

him close. “You don’t?”

Sighing, Mason placed his hand on Niall’s chest and

smiled as he felt the warmth of the man beside him. “I wish
things could be different.”

Niall shuffled toward Mason. “I wouldn’t change a

thing,” he said and leaned forward. “Well, almost,” he
smiled and reached beneath the covers, running his fingers
gently over Mason’s thigh.

“Almost?” Mason asked curiously.
“I’d have done this sooner.” He kissed Mason, his tongue

sliding seductively against Mason’s as he held him close.
Gently, he teased his hand between Mason’s legs and Mason
touched him in return.

“We need to stop,” Mason groaned as he pulled back and

lightly kissed Niall’s cheek.

“A little longer,” Niall pleaded.
Mason sighed. “I wish we could. But there are things to

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do. One more night.” He kissed Niall and pulled back the
covers to get out of bed. As he got to his feet, he turned and
looked at Niall. “I’ll get everything ready and then we need
to talk.”

Niall gave a small smile. He looked worried, but agreed,

“Sure.”

“Do you need any help?” Niall asked as he slid into the

seat opposite Mason at the small table in the motel room.

Mason shook his head and focused on drawing the silver-

heavy liquid into the syringe. He could manage on his own.

“Is that just the silver?”
Mason lowered the vial to the table and met Niall’s eyes

and simply said, “Yes.” He’d been in a bad place last night.
He’d felt alone and desperate.

Nodding, Niall leaned forward and reached across the

table to Mason. “Why did you take that other stuff?” He
wrapped his fingers around Mason’s and slowly turned over
his hand. “Don’t you get addicted?”

Mason looked at Niall and shook his head. “I used to use

it more than I do. When I first started on the silver I took it
as a distraction. Like you experienced, it’s itchy and makes
your skin feel like it’s on fire. I didn’t want to feel that over
and over and would take other things to take the edge off.”
He gently began to rub the patch of skin on the inside of his
elbow. “My body burned through it so fast that I don’t think
I had time to get addicted. As time’s gone on, I find it better
to only take the silver. Helps me keep my mind clear and
focused. Occasionally, like last night, I just want to escape
for a little while.” He pressed the plunger on the needle,
watching the small amount of liquid escape the end. “Guess
it’s a good thing I don’t mind needles, huh?”

Niall gave a small smile and watched as Mason pushed

the needle beneath his skin. He tightened his fingers around

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Niall’s as the silver entered his system.

“Do you think you’ll need a second dose?”
Mason shrugged and swapped the needle for a small ball

of cotton wool. Pressing it to his arm, he looked at Niall.
“Are you sure you want to be here? I wouldn’t blame you if
you wanted to leave for the night.”

Holding onto Mason’s hand, Niall shook his head. “No,

I’m staying. You might need my help.”

Mason looked down at Niall’s hand in his. “So, you ready

to talk?” he asked. He needed to know what was going to
happen between them.

“I’m not gonna leave,” Niall insisted. “I want you to

know that. It doesn’t matter what you say. I’m not walking
away.”

“If I eat you, you only have yourself to blame,” Mason

said flippantly.

Niall smiled and got out of his seat, leaning across the

table to kiss Mason. “So, what is it you want to talk about?”

Waiting as Niall returned to his seat, Mason pressed his

lips together thoughtfully. “Well, it was mainly to do with
making sure you know what you’re getting into. I know you
say you won’t leave, but seriously? Is this what you want?”

“You were ready to let me be with you when I was a wolf

the same as you. Why should it be any different now?”

“Maybe because now you have a choice.”
“I had a choice then as well,” Niall reminded him. “I

chose to go with you. I’m the one that wanted to come.” He
met Mason’s eyes. “I wanted to be with you.”

“Niall, it’s a big decision. I need to get away from here.

Find somewhere away from people and these bad
memories.”

“No. This doesn’t change anything. Meeting you was the

best thing to happen to me in a long time. Three nights a
month, that’s nothing if I get to be with you every other day.

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I chose you and I’m doing it again. You.”

Mason swallowed uncomfortably. “What if something

happened?”

“I don’t care about what-ifs and maybes. Just now.”
“Just now,” Mason repeated. He went to say something

more but Niall’s cell rang.

Niall smiled apologetically and got out of his seat,

grabbing his cell off the table. “Hello.” The expression on his
face changed and he was suddenly apologizing. “Oh God. I
am so sorry. Yeah, I found him. He’s okay.” He shot Mason
a look and pressed his hand over the speaker. “It’s Saskia,”
he said. He lowered his hand. “I’ll put him on.” He held out
his phone. “She wants you.”

“Hi, Sask,” Mason said. “You doing okay?”
“I get mauled by a mad man and you do a disappearing

act. I am not okay. I am pissed off. You inconsiderate
bastard! I was thinking all sorts of things had happened to
you. Neither of you bothered to call me.”

Mason raised an eyebrow as her words turn to something

distinctly Russian. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I really am.”

“When are you coming back?” Saskia asked.
Mason hesitated.
“You are coming back, right?” Saskia said in a weak

voice. “It’s okay now. What I said before doesn’t matter.
We’re safe now. Kaine is gone.”

“Saskia, don’t. You were right with what you said. It’s

time for me to move on, and you, too. I’m not saying never.
When you’re out of school and have gotten through college,
maybe then we can arrange something. But I want you to get
through these next few years without worrying about me or
the bad things that seem to follow me around.” He pressed
the phone to his ear. “When I find somewhere new, I’ll let
you know. It’s not goodbye, not forever. I just think, for
now, it’s for the best.” He waited and listened. It sounded

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like she was crying. “Sask?”

“I’m here.” Her voice sounded uneven. “Just make sure

you look after him,” she said.

“Who?”
“Niall. He likes you.”
Mason smiled. “I will,” he promised. “And you look after

Oscar and your mom.”

“When will I hear from you again?” she asked hopefully.
“I’ll call. I promise.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” He paused and added, “Take care.”
“You, too.”
Mason slowly lowered the phone as he hung up and

turned to look at Niall. He smiled as Niall crossed the room
to stand beside him. Taking the cell phone from Mason’s
hand, Niall checked he was okay. Nodding, Mason assured
him he was and bit thoughtfully at his lip. It had been a long
time since he’d fully turned. It was strange, but it had kind
of felt like the wolf was protecting him, helping him in his
fight with Kaine. Maybe it was time for a different solution.

“Niall?” he said.
“Yeah?” Niall said curiously
Mason took Niall’s hand in his and looked up into his

eyes. This was going to sound insane but—

“I want to run something by you,” he said. If Niall really

wanted in, then maybe, just maybe, there was another way.

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Epilogue

Three years later

t was early as Niall pulled on his boots and got to his feet.
He stood in front of the mirror just inside the entrance of

the house and pulled on a woollen hat. Gently, he tucked a
strand of his dark hair behind his ear and cast a glance at the
photograph hanging on the wall beside the mirror. He
grinned, meeting the happy smiles of the trio of people in
the image. He looked from him to Mason and then to Saskia.
The photograph was a happy memory of her visit last
Christmas. She was pre-med now, and he could barely
believe how time had gotten away from them. With a sigh,
he turned back to the mirror and took a deep breath before
heading to the front door.

The air was cold and biting against Niall’s cheeks as he

stepped out onto the porch. He smiled as he pulled his
heavy winter coat around him and watched his breath leave
a thin fog in the air. Silently, he looked out across the
illuminated forest floor. Large security lamps lit the area in a
silver glow. Moving his head from side to side, he tried to
stretch away the tiredness. It had been almost eight hours
since Mason had left him alone in their bed. He’d eventually
woken with his feet cold and sticking out from beneath the
comforter.

Niall looked out across the snow-covered ground,

listening for signs that anybody was out there. It was eerily

The Good Wolf

139

quiet out in the forest, and in the light of the early morning
and the strange glow of the security lights reflecting off the
snowy ground, it seemed strangely tranquil. Stepping back,
he sat on the porch swing and wrapped his gloved hand
around the chain. Gently, he moved his legs, allowing the
chair to swing slightly as he continued to watch the woods.

It had been a little over two years since they’d made

Mason’s ideas a reality and had moved out here. Even now,
Niall still found the forest fascinating. It was always
changing—the colors and the sounds. He often likened it to
Mason, who’d become almost a different person during their
time out here, and he was different only in good ways.
Mason was more open, sharing stories of what his life had
been and what he hoped it could be. Niall even dared to
believe Mason was happy.

Niall stopped the swing, leaned forward, closed his eyes,

and listened to the sound of fallen debris being disturbed on
the forest floor. Cautiously, he stood and walked to the edge
of the wooden porch. The frame creaked under his weight.
He rested his hands on the railing that surrounded the porch
and stared out among the trees. He smiled, hearing a low
sound as something made its way toward the house. He
waited, tightening his hold on the railing as a large wolf
appeared from out of the darkness and stepped into the lit
area in front of the house. He stood and silently watched as
the animal sniffed a circular path across the ground until it
suddenly stopped and lifted its head. Niall met the milk-
white stare of the wolf, and despite the coolness of the
morning, the moment warmed him through.

“Mason,” he whispered and cautiously stepped sideways

to stand at the top of the steps leading to the forest floor. He
kept his eyes on the large brown and auburn wolf as it
continued to look up at him. “Mason?” Slowly, he sat down
on the steps of the porch and rested his hands in his lap. He

Meredith Russell

140

watched Mason and wondered what the wolf was thinking.
He’d only done this twice before and though Mason had
been furious with such a stupid move, he’d also held Niall
tight and told him how much he loved him. Mason had
accepted his wolf and with it came whole new experiences
and moments he might never have remembered before.

Watching Mason for a little while, Niall couldn’t help but

smile. It was nice to see the wolf free, but he was glad that
the animal was indeed his boyfriend. Despite all the lore
he’d read up on, he was finding very few things rang true
with his experience. The wolf that Mason turned into
reflected who he was as a person. The wolf was calm and
cautious, never straying from the perimeter of wire Niall
had erected around the land that had come with the house.
Within their land, there was enough game to keep the wilder
side of the wolf happy. Yes, Mason hunted, and had left
Niall heart-warming gifts of half-eaten rabbits and birds on
more than one occasion. It was the wolf’s nature after all.

“Time to come in out of the cold,” Niall said and waited

for Mason to leap the steps and stand on the porch beside
him. He looked up at the large wolf, his eyes trailing over
strong legs and a hard chest. Slowly, he reached out and
pressed his hand to Mason’s side. He held his hand there for
a little while, feeling the heat from Mason radiate through
his glove and also listening to the comforting sound of
Mason breathing. Mason was panting from his run across
the forest, hot breaths clouding in the air in front of him as
he stepped sideways and knocked into Niall.

“Come back to bed,” Niall said as he slowly got to his feet

and backed away to the front door. Stepping inside, he
pulled the screen door shut and waited as Mason lay down
on the porch. Sighing, he watched as the wolf began to
twitch its hind legs, its body starting to twist and shudder.

Niall didn’t move. The only time Mason could lose

The Good Wolf

141

himself was during the transformation, at the single point
when he was neither man nor wolf. As the wolf disappeared
and the figure lying on the floor became human again, Niall
dared to step back outside with a blanket that he gently
spread across Mason’s cooling body.

“Mason,” he said comfortingly and ran his hand through

Mason’s hair, smiling as he stirred from the porch floor.
“Hey.”

Mason breathed in deeply and pulled the blanket tight to

his naked body. “Hey,” he replied and pushed himself to sit
up. “You were outside. Why?”

“Waiting for you. I was lonely and my feet were cold.”
Mason laughed as he got to his feet. “So you came out

here to warm up?” He pulled the blanket over his shoulders
and moved closer to Niall, seemingly keen to share his
lover’s warmth.

“Something like that.” Niall smiled and wrapped his arms

around Mason, holding him tightly and guiding him back to
the door and then inside. Pushing the door closed, he locked
them inside and moved back to Mason’s side. “Everything
okay?” he asked as he rubbed the blanket over Mason’s arms
to try and warm him up a little.

“Everything’s fine,” Mason said and leaned his head into

the crease of Niall’s neck. “What time is it?”

“Six-thirty,” Niall said and lightly kissed Mason’s cheek

as he stroked back his hair. “Bed?”

Mason nodded against Niall’s chest. “I’ll just go clean up

first.”

“You been licking your butt again?” Niall joked.
Mason playfully hit Niall’s chest. “Ass.”
Niall smiled and kissed Mason again. “Okay. You go

shower and I’ll see you in bed.”

“I won’t be long. No more butt jokes, yeah?”
“Better than thinking about what might be caught in your

Meredith Russell

142

teeth,” Niall pointed out.

Mason rolled his eyes. “Nice. Real nice,” he said and

pursed his lips. “Wanna kiss?” he teased.

Niall shoved Mason away and pulled off his gloves and

coat. “Five minutes,” he suggested.

Mason held the blanket around him and nodded before

heading to the bathroom.

Niall smiled to himself. He felt like the luckiest man on

the planet. Mason had stolen his heart and in return filled
the space with warmth and love. It had been a long journey,
but now he could truly claim he and Mason were happy.
Hanging up his coat, he made his way to the back of the
house and returned to bed. Their bed.

About the Author

Meredith Russell lives in the heart of England. An avid fan
of many story genres, she enjoys nothing less than a happy
ending. She believes in heroes and romance and strives to
reflect this in her writing. Sharing her imagination and
passion for stories and characters is a dream Meredith is
excited to turn into reality.

Document Outline

Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
About the Author

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