Forever Changed (The Mystic Wolves) (4 page)

“I’ve spent most of my existence protecting you, in some for
m or another. All I can do is try. I’m never going to like you putting yourself in harm’s way.”

Neither will I,
Mason added, letting me know what I’d already suspected. Even though he’d gone for a run with Daniel, he’d been listening in on my conversation with Devlin. Shaking my head, I couldn’t stop from softly smiling.

“Mason?” Devlin asked, recognizing the sign that
my husband was talking inside my head.

“Yeah. He agrees with you. He doesn’t want me getting hurt
, either.”

“Then we’ll make sure it never happens.” Devlin sounded like himself again, confident that whatever he said was truth. “Just how mad is he?”

I paused for a second to judge the mood of my mate. “He’s not as nuclear as he was before, but I’m thinking you both still have things to work through.” I didn’t add that Mason was imagining ways to knock Devlin on his ass.

“I figured as much. I guess there’s no postponing it, huh?” He stood, dusting the back of his pants off
, and extended his hand to pull me to my feet.

“I wouldn’t suggest it. It’s better to face a werewolf head
-on when they believe an injustice has been made. The sooner you two can work through it, the stronger your friendship will be,” I confessed.

Holding his arms out, I walked into Devlin’s embrace and returned his hug. “You’re right,” he murmured softly. “I should go find him so we can settle this. We still need to figure out what’s happening with your powers and see if there’s a way to re
-bind them.” My powers. I’d forgotten that I was now part witch with magic that randomly exploded.

“No need to look. Here I am.” Quickly letting go of Devlin, I turned around to find Mason standing behind us. He hadn’t bothered putting a shirt on, his low-riding jeans fitting snugly to his hips.
He looked delicious. “You ready?” His question was aimed at Devlin.

“Is there any chance I can convince you to do this another way?”

“No.” Not moving from where he stood, I recognized the stance of a wolf preparing to attack. Even though he’d fight in human form, Mason was just as lethal and ferocious.

“So be it,” Devlin answered, his face now serious and businesslike.

Stepping back until I joined Daniel, who’d arrived with Mason, I offered a silent prayer that it wouldn’t take long.

This wouldn’t be good. Not at all.

But, if a little blood had to be spilt for them to remain friends, I wasn’t going to stop them.

Chapter 4

Devlin tugged on the bottom of his shirt, pulling it over his head before tossing it to the side. His focus never strayed from Mason
, who continued to stand still, watching and waiting for Devlin to be ready. Even though he was pissed off, Mason gave him the courtesy of preparing. It wasn’t something he always granted.

“Are you challenging me, Mason O’Connor?” Devlin asked, his neck cracking as he stretched out his body.

“No. This is simply a good old fashioned brawl.”

I couldn’t keep from gasping over the question. If Mason had said yes, they would
have fought to the death; the ultimate penalty for the betrayal Mason felt Devlin had shown. I knew he was furious at being kept in the dark for so long, but after hearing why, I didn’t think death was warranted. I sighed with relief, knowing Mason believed the same. This was about getting some kind of justice, of honoring the instincts warring inside him and releasing the aggression the run hadn’t alleviated. It was a testament to the bond between the two men, that their respect had set boundaries. There would be bloodshed, but it wouldn’t be fatal. Once this display was over, hopefully they would both put this behind them and focus on the real threat—Julian.

“What are the conditions?”

“We stop when I’m satisfied you’ve learned your lesson.” Mason’s lips curled into a smirk. Damn if he wasn’t going to enjoy this.

“And you’re going to play the role of my teacher, are you?” I could sense Devlin’s own bloodthirstiness rising. He felt terrible for keeping secrets, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t a little excited to go toe-to-toe with Mason. They were both lethal predators in their prime—more than evenly matched.

“Hell, yeah. You ready to be schooled?” Tension filled the air as Mason shifted his weight back and forth between his feet.

“Bring it.” Answering with his own cocky grin, Devlin
gestured for his friend to try.

With my heart racing wildly, they both rushed forward, their bodies crashing mid-air
, as brute strength met in a spectacular explosion. Muscles rippled and flexed, tight forms grappling for advantage over the other. Mason’s fist was the first to make contact causing Devlin’s head to snap back with such a force that the sound echoed through the garden. Had a human received the same blow, it would’ve broken his neck instantly. Wide eyed, I watched as Devlin shook it off and prepared for his own assault. Snarling low and baring his sharp fangs, he swiped his leg forward, hoping to trip Mason; but my mate saw it coming. He easily jumped in the air and landed a few feet away.

“Is that the best you’ve got,
Enforcer?” Mason sarcastically taunted.

“I’m just warming up. Besides, I’d hate to mess up that pretty face of yours. Don’t want to upset my niece, do I?” Devlin paced back and forth, assessing the situation. “Something tells me from that weak punch of yours, you’re holding back.”

“You think?”

“I know.”

Mason released a loud growl and sprang. Anger blazed in his eyes as his hands reached for Devlin’s throat. Sensing he’d struck a nerve, Devlin quickly dropped into a crouch and the moment Mason descended, he shot up with an uppercut that not only stopped Mason’s momentum, but also drove him backward. Landing in a crumpled heap, I started to move toward him, only to have Daniel stop me.

“Leave him. This is what he wanted. If you interrupt, you’ll make it worse. They need to work this out.”

I hated that he was right. What I hated more was seeing the two men I loved most resort to this—even though it was part of our nature. Violence was commonplace amongst werewolves and vampires—almost a daily occurrence. We may act more civilized than others within our species, but the danger always lurked within us. It was our humanity that kept us from becoming completely savage. I hoped that was the case now, because one wrong move and this could end very badly. When tempers raged and instinct took over, even friendships were at risk.

Mason quickly rose to his feet, rubbing his jaw. “You’ll pay for that.”

“Are we going to stand around and talk all day? I thought you were going to teach me a lesson?” I wanted to scream at Devlin for heckling Mason. He knew he was in the wrong and Mason was fully justified in seeking justice, but baiting him wasn’t helping at all. While I didn’t expect Devlin to simply stand there and receive a beating, there was no need for arrogance.

“Why’s he doing that?” I whispered under my breath.

“Doing what?” Daniel asked, never taking his eyes off Mason and Devlin who were now stalking around each other in a circle.

“Devlin knows he was in the wrong. Goading Mason just makes it worse.”

“He doesn’t want Mason to hold back. He wants all his anger, right here and now. I’d do the same in his place. Better to get it out, than later on. Devlin’s smart. He knows if he pushes the right button, Mason will snap.”

I looked at Devlin again and nodded. That definitely put it into a different perspective. He knew Mason
would withhold and not truly unleash all his anger because, deep down, he loved his friend. Devlin wanted there to be no doubt that when this was over, it was genuinely over—no hostility, what-if’s, or doubts left to fester between them. It wasn’t about making light of what was happening, but respecting his friend enough to give him what he needed. Devlin really was smart—he understood the fundamental workings of a werewolf, especially an Alpha wolf.

I returned my focus to the fight between them.
Other than posturing, no more blows had been exchanged and I slipped into the connection Mason and I shared. Sure enough, he was angry and calculating where best to strike, but there was also a strong sense of loyalty and uncertainty as to how far to take this fight. Mason had declared he wanted satisfaction, but his heart was also weighing in on the matter. It was the line an Alpha always walked, one who prided himself on acting fairly and not solely from an emotional standpoint. He was conflicted with the two sides now warring within. My heart hurt for him because even I could see he needed to let go and follow his instincts.

“Are we dancing, wolf?” Devlin jabbed. “Should we have Darcy get you a dress?”

Mason’s jaw clenched as his teeth ground together. There was a fleeting flash of rage through our connection before Devlin got his wish—a werewolf unleashing his power without restraint. Mason didn’t falter in his advances, his intent focused solely on punishing Devlin.

There was a flurry of punches thrown, one after the other, each executed with lethal precision that made even Daniel wince. Devlin did his best to deflect each blow, countering with his own moves, but Mason wasn’t deterred in the least. His body was primed and ready to inflict maximum damage and there was no more talking between the two dominant males.

First blood went to Mason as Devlin’s lip cut open from the direct hit that would’ve loosened teeth were he anyone else. There was a triumphant look of satisfaction on Mason’s face as he caught sight of the red dripping down his opponent’s chin. He didn’t pause or give Devlin a chance to wipe it away. Instead Mason lifted his leg, executing the perfect roundhouse kick and jolting Devlin backward. My uncle couldn’t keep up, ducking and dodging, totally placed on the defensive. I knew he wasn’t letting Mason get the upper hand or feigning weakness; he was genuinely responding the best he could, the veins in the side of his neck bulging from the effort to avoid injury.

Devlin roared, answering the onslaught by throwing himself at Mason, knocking them both to the ground. He slammed his own fist into the side of Mason’s head before wrapping his hands around Mason’s neck. His fangs were fully descended now, his own bloodthirsty nature displayed and provoked.

“We need to stop this, now!” I urged Daniel.

“Wait for it . . .”

Mason wrestled to move Devlin, bucking his hips off the ground, and trying to break the chokehold.

“Do you yield?” Devlin thundered, slamming Mason’s head back into the grass. “Are we done?”

There was no way for him to answer, his windpipe closed. I gasped—willing Mason to not be stubborn and tap out. The fight had been evenly matched and fair, and he’d received his pound in flesh. There was no dishonor in calling it over.

What happened next proved that Mason should never be underestimated
and why many avoided going up against him. He was fearless. In a single move, his arm shot out, surprising Devlin into releasing his tight grip, and suddenly the positions were switched. Mason now straddled Devlin, raining blow after blow down before his own fingers seized Devlin’s throat. One wrong move, the slightest twitch, and Devlin would lose his vocal chords.

“Do you yield?” Mason roared, his breathing heavy from the exertion. To prove there was no need
to resist, he pressed his fingers down, his nails piercing Devlin’s skin and blood began to trickle.

Devlin patted beside him, tension escaping his body at surrendering. I waited for Mason to let up, to recognize the fight was over, but
yet he sat there, his weight still pinning Devlin to the ground.

“Promise me you won’t ever keep secrets from me again
and that when it comes to Darcy, we are always on the same page.” Mason pushed a little more and a small groan of pain escaped Devlin’s mouth. “Swear it!”

“I swear,” he answered
, hoarsely.

“Here’s a promise of my own.
If you ever hurt her like this again, I will challenge you to the death. I don’t care who you are or the history of our friendship. Understand?” Sweat dripped from Mason’s forehead, mingling with the blood from his split lip.

“Understood.”

Lifting his leg so he could fall to the side, Mason paused long enough to get one last hit in. “Asshole.”

Lying down next to Devlin, both of them
looked spent. They’d channeled all their strength and energy into this fight and I was glad it was over. They could finally move on and return to being friends.

“Now you can go to him
.” Daniel nudged, placing his hand on my lower back and propelling me forward. I didn’t need to be told twice, running over to check if Mason was okay. A quick glance at Devlin told me he was perfectly fine, the wounds on his neck already beginning to heal.

“Feel better?” I asked, lightly touching Mason’s cheek. His eyes were closed; the dark bruises already fading as he lay there with a content smile on his face. He gingerly brushed his lip and flinched.

“Yeah.”

Devlin started chuckling. “I take back what I said. You don’t hit like a girl.” He slowly sat up and tested his body, stretching it somewhat before standing.

“You didn’t say that. You said my punches were weak.” Giving Mason room, he accepted Devlin’s extended hand and let himself be pulled up.

“Well
, that’s what I meant.” Dusting himself off, Devlin eyed Mason cautiously. “We good?”

“Yeah, we’re good.”
Mason slapped his friend on the back, their relationship intact.

“You know I hated lying to her.” Both of them turned and looked at me.

“I get it. I would’ve done the same in your place. We protect those we love, no matter the cost.”

“You couldn’t have figured that out before
the fight?”

“Sure, but what would be the fun in that?” Mason retorted.

“Ugh, men,” I groaned, throwing my hands up into the air. Even though they frustrated me at times, I was happy to see that they were now smiling and joking with each other. The anger I’d felt swirling in Mason’s mind earlier was also gone.

“You love us anyway, sweetheart
.” Mason chuckled, slipping his arm around my waist and kissing the side of my face. “I need a shower. Care to join me?” Only he could go from complete violence to seduction in the matter of seconds.

“We might have to use my old room. Remember
? I kind of destroyed ours.”

“As long as you’re with me, wet and available,
I’m happy.”

“You guys are making me want to throw up,” Daniel chided, making loud gagging noises. “You need to keep that mushy love stuff to when you’re both alone. You’re offending my virgin ears!”

“Virgin?” Mason cocked his eyebrow.

“I’m not going to lie. I’d prefer not hearing all the nasty details between you and my niece, thank you,” Devlin added
, bending over to retrieve his shirt. “There are some things an uncle should never know. That’s one of them.”

“First of all, there’s nothing nasty about . . . that.” I couldn’t stop the blush that heated my skin. “And second, am I ever going to get used to you being my uncle
?” I started laughing. “Does this mean I have to start calling you Uncle Devlin?”

“Or Uncy Devly?” Daniel added, sidestepping the slap Devlin aimed at him. “So sweet.”

Mason chuckled. “How about we table that discussion until after I get cleaned up. We still have a lot to talk about and plans to make. I haven’t forgotten that Darcy’s in danger and we still haven’t come up with a solution to her new powers. We need to know what we’re dealing with and how she’s going to control them.”

“I have a few ideas
; but first things first. Do you mind if I use one of the guest room’s showers?”