Chapter 4 Four
The place Mason had insisted on bringing Danica to for their discussion was a gazebo placed directly in the middle of a wildflower field. It overlooked a pond so clear you could see to the bottom, where koi swam around idly.
As Mason led Danica towards the gazebo, she let her eyes take in the multicolored flowers that surrounded them, and she couldn't help but think that Martha would love this place. Especially while she was still on her painting kick.
With a perfect blue sky above and the scenery all around, it was almost as if Danica herself had stepped into a painting that Martha had skillfully woven together.
"This is my favorite place to come when I'm having an off day," Mason announced, snapping Danica out of her daze.
"I can see why," Danica quipped. "It's beautiful."
As her eyes fell on the gazebo that had a romantic feel to it, she couldn't stop the thought of Mason bringing other women here. How many had been here? Was she the first? She doubted it, given his past, but something deep down in her hoped she was. What even made her think she was any different from the rest anyway?
All these thoughts continued to race through her mind as she took a seat beside Mason, who was watching her closely with furrowed brows.
A sigh erupted from him, drawing her attention from her quickly building jealous rage and to his face that was beginning to fall.
"You still don't trust me," Mason said matter-of-factly, with a sad look.
"Sorry, I just really don't know you."
"You will get to know me in time," Mason insisted.
"Sure," Danica wasn't sure if she would, but there was no sense in arguing right now. "Anyway, we didn't come here to focus on that. You said you would tell me about werewolves."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but feel absolutely ridiculous. Up until yesterday, werewolves were simply made-up creatures in movies. And now she was wanting to know all there was to know about them.
"Right," as he spoke, Mason began to settle in. "Where to start?"
"The existence of werewolves altogether," Danica suggested, her anxiety beginning to grow.
"The existence of werewolves," he repeated, "We have always existed. It is just that we have always made sure to keep our identities secret from the prying eyes of the world around us. If the normies discovered we existed, we would most likely become science experiments. Every corner of the world has a pack residing in it. We usually meet as a whole once a year."
"What about the pack here?" Danica questioned, cutting Mason off and earning herself a look from him. "Sorry."
"The wolf pack here is quite large compared to most," he answered. "I'm the alpha of our pack."
"Ours?" Danica asked curiously. Was he referring to her as part of the pack?
He smiled tenderly now, "Yes, ours." He reached out a hand to touch Danica, only to have her scoot back. Frowning, he sighed, "As my mate, my pack is naturally yours as well."
"So that makes me... what?" Danica was still having a hard time processing everything.
"As the Alpha's mate, you become Luna and lead the pack beside me."
"But I haven't agreed to being your mate."
"I know," Mason says simply. "But that doesn't mean that you won't one day. As my mate, you are the one that the moon goddess made only for me. You're my fate, and I won't stop trying to win your heart until the day I take my last breath."
"So what you're saying is that when a werewolf is born, their fate and place in life are already set in stone for them?" Danica wasn't quite sure if she liked what she was hearing. "That doesn't seem quite fair, honestly."
"I never said we had no choice," Mason pointed out. "We always have a choice, but I have always longed for the day I would find you, and I don't plan to fight mine."
Nodding, Danica remained silent. This conversation was beginning to go way south from what it was originally supposed to be, and she needed to get things back on track.
"Does it hurt?" Danica found herself blurting.
"It isn't pleasant, but I plan on being there with you to help you through it," Mason responded gently.
Danica could feel her stomach turning once more as she considered how changing for the first time would feel. Spots danced in front of her eyes as a cold sweat broke out all over her body. Unable to control her breathing, she felt like she would hyperventilate.
Beside her, Mason had begun to panic as she paled and her breathing became labored.
"What's wrong?" he asked hurriedly, reaching out a hand and touching her cheek. "Deep breaths, Danica, deep breaths."
The sudden jolt from Mason's touch began to clear Danica's panic-filled mind, but she still felt like she was going to be sick.
"I'm okay," she gasped once she no longer felt like she was going to hurl. "Really, I'm okay."
"Where did you go?" Mason asked, still looking concerned.
"First change," she squeaked. "Is there any way to avoid the change?"
"Avoid it?" he repeated, shock filling his features. "Why would you want to do that?"
"Mason, I don't want to be some fictional creature."
She hadn't asked for this, and she felt like she should at least have some choice in the matter. Hell, all of them should have the choice to be humans or wolves.
Be human or be a wolf. She had to be losing her mind to even think of something like that. Was she really beginning to accept all of this?
"You can't be serious," Mason sputtered. "You don't understand the feel of being in wolf form—the sense of freedom, the raw power pulsing through you; it is intoxicating. Who would not want to be part of that?"
Danica raised her hand.
"Me, I don't. Maybe it is different for those of you who grew up knowing about this, but as for me, I didn't, and it doesn't sound all that appealing to me."
"Speaking of," Mason chimed, growing serious, "how do you not know anything about our kind? Did your parents never tell you?"
Danica felt her heart clench painfully as his question hit her.
Did your parents never tell you? The question sounded so ridiculous. Of course they never told her; they died when she was young. Since the age of five, she had always been with Martha. She was the only true parent Danica had ever known.
"My parents died a long time ago," Danica answered slowly, keeping her face calm. Only those closest to her knew about the accident that took her parents from her. "They were caught in a house fire."
Mason's eyes widened as he took in Danica's words.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know."
That is the look, Danica thought grimacing. The reason she hated talking about her parents was that look—the one that was clear as day on Mason's face right now. The sympathetic look that everyone wore when they discovered she was an orphan who was adopted by a kind woman who found her on the side of the road the day after her parents perished.
They had lived far in the woods away from everyone, from what Danica could still remember. She had gone to town to buy something for her mother that day. She couldn't remember what it was, but she remembered she couldn't find it and had been really upset.
When she returned empty-handed, she found the cottage she shared with her parents up in flames. Her parents had been nowhere in sight around the yard.
When she attempted to run in and try to find them, the whole cottage had collapsed. After that, she had only watched as what remained of the building smoldered. She had spent a day digging around in the rubble looking for some sign of her parents, but in the end she couldn't find anything.
She vaguely remembered blacking out after that, and when she came to, she was being picked up from the side of the road by Martha, who happened to be driving by.
After reporting her as a lost child, she allowed the police to put her in foster care, but after three months there, Martha reappeared and began the legal process of adopting her.
Danica was grateful to Martha; if it weren't for her, she didn't know where she would be. Maybe if she was never picked up, she would be some feral child by now.
"It must have been rough," she heard Mason saying, bringing her back to the present. "Losing your parents that young."
Danica shook her head. "Please don't feel sorry for me," she sighed. "I honestly don't really share this stuff because I can't stand the sympathy."
Mason, who looked unconvinced, continued to watch her, searching her face as if he could find something there.
"Sorry," he finally sighed when he didn't find it.
"No sorries," Danica pleaded, wanting nothing more than to move on from this morbid conversation. "The past is done, and it can't be changed."
"Sor..." he began again, but stopped as she shot him a look. "Ok, I get it." He huffed, lifting his hands in defeat. "Where were we before our conversation headed down that dark road?"
"We were talking about how it was crazy of me not to want to be a wolf."
"Yes, that," Mason said, snapping his fingers. "I assure you that after your first change and you become acquainted with your wolf, your mindset will change entirely. It is always scary before we all go through it."
"Whatever you say," Danica chirped, "now, tell me everything else there is to know."