Chapter 34: Chapter Thirty-Four - Mason

“Where is Jessica?” Jacob asked.

I chugged the remains of my coffee and placed the empty mug in the sink the next morning. “She’s still upstairs sleeping. Did you find anything last night?”

Jacob leaned against the doorframe and wiped at his sleepy eyes. He looked rough from his lack of sleep, even for a werewolf. “Yeah, we chased the wolf’s scent. It went all the way to Covington and then it disappeared. We began to run out of time so we came back. The boys wanted to continue but I didn't want to risk being seen by a hunter. It's that time of year."

“What is a wolf from Covington doing on our land?” I asked. “He can’t have malicious intent. He saved my life. Why is he running?”

Jacob shrugged. “I don’t know. It doesn’t make any sense to me, but I’m tired. We need to rest today. I can't talk about it anymore."

“Sure. I’m gonna run by the estate to grab some notes that Jessica left. After that, I’m going to search for the wolf’s scent. I may just drive to Covington. My wolf is anxious. I don't know why."

Jacob waved me off, obviously too tired to think about it. I didn't blame him. If an alpha was exhausted, it was well deserved that was for sure.

The hot Louisiana air clung to my skin as I climbed into my truck and drove toward Jessica’s house.

I kind of hated not having the privacy that her house gave us. Having someone there all the time was annoying, especially when we needed each other. I pulled into the driveway, noticing an unfamiliar truck parked by the fountain. My mind raced with the possibilities. It could be Jamie or Joey at The Eagle but I doubted it.

It was too early for them to be out here.

I got out of the truck, noticing the front door was cracked open. My spine stiffened as I walked toward the front porch with careful steps.

The tabby cat Jessica had befriended scurried away as I approached, and kicked the door open with my foot.

The smell of someone new hit my nose causing my wolf to push for authority. Footsteps moved above my head as I stepped into the first story. My heart thudded as I walked toward the stairs and up to the second story.

The movement stopped suddenly.

I hurried up the stairs, rounding the corner and finding a man standing in the hallway. He didn't look familiar. I had no idea who he was. Instinct kicked in immediately. I dropped down and swiped my leg outward, knocking him off his feet.

“Oomph,” he said, hitting the floor hard.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, stepping over him.

His blue gaze lifted to mine and realization hit me. Those eyes looked familiar. “Who are you?”

“I’m Jessica’s father. Who are you?” he asked with a groan.

Oh, crap.

Way to go, my wolf mumbled. You mess up everything.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said, offering him my hand. “I’m Mason. I was coming by to pick something up for her. I didn’t realize.”

He took my hand and slowly stood up, dusting off his jeans. “It’s alright. At least my daughter has someone here to protect her. Are you one of Jacob’s friends?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I am. There have been some incidents lately with an animal on the loose. Jacob insisted Jessica stay with us until it's resolved."

Her dad’s brows lifted. I didn’t blame him. She was all he had, and it was his job as a father to protect her. “With you? As in both of you?”

I swallowed. I needed to make a good first impression with him but I wasn’t sure this was the way to do it. “Uh, yeah. We all live together. I can take you over there if you want. It’s kind of hard to find.”

He nodded while looking around. “Dotti didn’t change this place much over the years. It still smells the same."

He smiled though there was a sadness on his face. “You used to live here?” I asked.

“In Slade Springs, I did. I met Jessica’s mother here. Anyway, can you show me to Jessica? I’m surprising her with this visit.”

“Sure, I can. Let me grab her notes and we can go.”

He followed me toward her bedroom where I grabbed her notes and walked outside. “I’m Stan,” he said, offering me his hand.

“Mason. Nice to officially meet you.”

“You really took me down,” he said, giving me a look as he followed me. “That was a nice takedown.”

I chuckled. “Sorry about that. I learned it from my grandfather. He passed a few years back.”

Stan got into his truck as I backed out and followed me toward the pack house. As we approached, I could tell most of the boys were still asleep which was good. I didn't need any of their nagging about meeting Jessica's father.

I hurried toward the door to make sure nothing was out of sorts and found Jessica in the kitchen. “Hey,” she said. “Did you find my notes?”

“I did,” I said, clearing my throat. I rounded the corner and she launched herself at me, kissing me quickly as I tried to catch her.

“You’re my hero…”

"We're not alone..." I said, catching her in my arms.

She shrieked and stumbled backward, her gaze shifting over my shoulder. “Dad, what are you doing here?”

Stan stepped beside me and laughed. “It’s not like I didn’t know you kiss boys, Jessica.”

A feverish blush climbed up her cheeks and she tucked her hair behind her ears. “I know but I don’t want you to watch it,” she said.

Stand chuckled. “I wanted to come see you. I went by the estate, and your friend here took me down.”

Jessica’s brows lifted. “You took my father down, Mason?”

“I didn’t know it was your father, obviously," I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

She gave me a look. “Well, come in inside. I’ll make you some coffee. Will I see you later?” she asked me.

I nodded, not sure if I needed to shift and chase the scent or not with her father here. “Did you drive down last night?” she asked.

“No, I stopped in Covington,” he said as I shut the door behind me.

My wolf was ready for a day of tracking and running. I walked toward the woods, my wolf humming with adrenaline and then shifted.

I immediately caught the scent of something in the air and followed it toward the yard. I didn’t dare walk across the yard so that Stan could see me. He was having coffee but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t look out of the window.

Sneaking behind our trucks, I followed the scent to Stan’s tires. Perhaps he picked up a wolf’s scent on the way to Jessica’s house.

It was stronger than I would think for picking up a scent.

This was fresh.

It was heavy.

It couldn’t be him.

He wasn’t a wolf, was he?

It ran on Jessica’s mother's side of the family. Her grandfather was a wolf, her father wasn’t, too, was he?

I glanced up at the house from the corner of his tailgate and saw him. He stared outside at his truck, a coffee mug in his hands while he absently listened to Jessica talk about The Eagle.

Why would he hide that from her? Was it one of the reasons he left Slade Springs? My mind raced with what-ifs as I backed up from the truck and heard the front door open.

Crap. I darted into the woods, hiding behind a giant tree, and watching him walk into the yard.

He stopped and glanced over at me. “We need to talk,” he said into the woods. “I won’t hurt you, Mason. You should have no fear in me.”

I shifted in the woods and slowly walked toward the tree line, naked. Stan leaned against the front of his truck and jabbed his finger over his shoulder. “There are extra clothes in the truck bed if you want to change. Nakedness doesn’t bother me. I’ve been naked half of my life.”

So, he’s definitely a wolf.