26

26

Mason's POV

The air was thick tonight and heavier than usual.

The full moon had just begun its descent, leaving a bitter, metallic taste in the air. My skin still tingled from the shift, my muscles tight beneath my skin. I paced the length of my office, the dark wood groaning under my steps.

Something wasn't right. I could feel it crawling under my skin, like an itch I couldn't reach.

Adrian had been gone for hours. Not that I cared where he ran off to. He was a grown man, free to wallow in whatever self-destructive bullshit he chose.

But tonight? Tonight, his absence gnawed at me. And Bethany. Bethany had been too quiet.

Not that I missed her whining or the way she glared at me when she thought I wasn't looking. But silence from her? That wasn't right either. Not to add that I didn't know where she was too.

I paused, staring out the window, the moonlight spilling over the estate grounds. The woods loomed stretched out, so dark that even my normally sharp eyes couldn't even manage to see anything.

Where the fuck were they?

The front door creaked open. My ears perked at the sound of footsteps—slow, calculated. Adrian.

I didn't move from the window. "Out for a midnight stroll?" I called, my voice low but carrying.

No answer. Typical.

I turned slowly, watching him step into the room. His clothes were torn at the edges, dirt smudged along his sleeves. His hair was disheveled and damp with sweat.

But that wasn't what caught my attention.

It was the scent.

Her scent.

Bethany. Sweet, sharp—familiar. And it clung to him like a second skin. My eyes narrowed. Adrian froze for a moment, barely noticeable, but I caught it.

"Where the fuck were you?" I asked, voice even.

He lifted a brow, lazy and unbothered. "Out. Needed to clear my head."

My nostrils flared. "In the woods?"

Adrian smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "It's not illegal, is it?"

I moved closer, slow, deliberate. Her scent was stronger now. Not faint, not casual.

Lingering.

Like skin on skin. Like heat.

"What the fuck are you doing smelling like Bethany?" I growled, low and sharp. Adrian's smirk faltered for half a second, then returned, thinner this time.

"We ran into each other. Literally. She was out there, looking lost. I told her to head back."

Liar.

I stared at him, hard.

That scent didn't come from brushing shoulders. It was soaked into him.

"You expect me to believe that?"

He didn't flinch. "Believe what you want. I don't answer to you."

Wrong answer. I was in front of him in a breath, crowding his space.

Adrian didn't move, but I saw the muscle twitch in his jaw.

"You think I'm fucking stupid?" I hissed.

His eyes darkened, the wolf flashing just beneath the surface.

"Careful, Mason."

But I wasn't in the mood for warnings.

I shoved him hard, sending him stumbling back into the wall.

"You think I don't know when someone's lying to me?"

Adrian straightened slowly, shoulders rolling, but he didn't strike back. Not yet.

"You've got control issues, Mason." His tone was mocking now, but there was a tightness to it. "Not everything's about you."

"Don't fuck with me."

Her scent was still there, driving me insane.

The wolf in me was howling now, tearing at the walls I'd built to contain it.

Bethany was mine to deal with.

Not his.

Not anyone else's.

And the idea of Adrian anywhere near her—touching her—

I didn't realize my claws had slipped free until I saw Adrian's eyes flick to my hands.

He let out a low, humorless chuckle.

"Relax. Nothing happened."

But his lie hung in the air, thick and sour. I didn't believe him. Not for a fucking second.

I forced my claws to retract, breathing slowly through my nose.

"Stay away from her."

Adrian tilted his head, studying me.

"Why? Afraid she'll finally see you for the miserable bastard you are?"

I didn't rise to it. Not now. But the threat simmered beneath my skin.

"This is your only warning."

He laughed, low and bitter. "Or what? You'll kill me?"

My smile was thin. "Don't tempt me."

We stared at each other, the tension stretched so tight it could snap.

Then Adrian pushed off the wall, straightening his jacket as if nothing had happened.

"Good talk, brother."

He turned and left, the door slamming behind him.

But her scent lingered.

I stood there, fists clenched, the wolf pacing inside me.

Something was happening.

And I'd be damned if I let it slip through my fingers.

Adrian was hiding something.

And Bethany? She was in the middle of it, whether she liked it or not.

I stood there for a long while, eyes fixed on the door Adrian had just walked through. My fists still trembled, my claws aching to tear through the air. The room felt suffocating now. I couldn't shake the image of him, Adrian—always so fucking smug, so untouchable—walking out with her scent lingering on him like a mark I couldn't erase.

I knew better than to let my emotions get the best of me. But I couldn't help it. This wasn't just some passing annoyance. It was the same feeling I'd had when I first saw her, when I realized she was everything I couldn't have. It was the same feeling that clawed at me every time I saw Adrian with her, every time he looked at her with those eyes—like he was seeing something that was meant to be his.

I didn't care about her in the way he thought. No. I didn't want her for love, for some sweet fantasy. But I sure as hell wouldn't let him take her away from me.

I was the Alpha here. I controlled this pack, this land, and everything that came with it. That included her. And Adrian? He had no right to interfere.

I walked over to the window, looking out at the full moon again. I had warned him. I'd made it clear. But it wasn't enough. Adrian was pushing, always pushing. And I couldn't let him win.

Something inside me snapped. The pack was mine. Everything was mine. And if Adrian thought he could come in and take what was rightfully mine, he was wrong. I would show him what happens when you challenge me.

I needed to do something—something to remind Adrian of his place.

I turned from the window, pacing the room. My thoughts raced, the pieces falling into place. Adrian was the threat. I couldn't let him get any closer to Bethany. And I couldn't let her get any ideas about him.

But that was the problem. The more I pushed, the more she seemed to slip away.

Maybe it was time for a new plan.

I had a lot of influence in this pack. If I played my cards right, I could make sure Adrian understood exactly who was in charge. Make sure Bethany understood, too. I wasn't going to lose her to him.

No one took what was mine. Not even Adrian.

I clenched my jaw, my eyes narrowing as the pieces of my plan began to form. There was still time. And I wasn't going to let anyone—especially Adrian—stand in my way.