When the morning light pulls me out of my deep slumber, I find the spot next to me in bed empty. I fight back the upset feelings about not getting to see Mason before he had to head out, but I know he has to get an early start on his Alpha duties. I sigh and lie there, staring up at the ceiling above me for a couple more minutes. I don't want to get out of bed. These last three days have been exhausting, trying to work on getting settled into a new pack. All of that without actually going out onto the territory, but that's going to change today. I have to learn the territory and learn the role of being a leader of this pack. Unfortunately, none of that can be done from our bed.
Sighing, I force my tired body out of bed and towards the shower that's attached to our room. I find myself still surprised by how amazing this house is. In the last few days, I've wandered around, getting used to my surroundings. It has four bedrooms, all of which have their own bathrooms attached to them. A huge kitchen, a big living room, two different game-type rooms – one filled with different gaming systems, one filled with mostly movies – and finishing off the house is Mason's office. Our bathroom is extremely luxurious. I glance at the walk-in shower and then over at the separate tub, trying to decide which I would actually like to do today. As I try to decide, I walk over to one of the sinks and look at my reflection. I can't quite determine what it is about the girl staring back at me, but she looks different. She seems… happier. So much at ease. I like the way she looks too. I haven't seen my reflection look like this since before my father started acting strange at home. Honestly, now that I think about it, I may never have looked this happy. Shaking my head to rid myself of those kinds of thoughts, I turn on the shower, allowing the water to warm up enough for my liking. I strip off the clothes that I had fallen asleep in and inspect my body. The cuts and bruises from my running through the woods are now completely gone.
Shaking that night off, I step into the water. It feels amazing as it cascades down my body, relaxing my stiff muscles. I look around the shower and notice Mason already has shampoo, conditioner, and body wash on the rack next to his… all of which are meant for women. I'm hesitant to use them, seeing as I don't know if he put them in here for me to use or if they are what's left over from his previous lover. My wolf growls at the thought of someone else seeing what is meant for our eyes, but I quickly calm her down by reminding her he's ours forever. We're who just crawled out of his bed and are about to shower in his home, not her. She isn't important, we are. My wolf retreats into the back of my mind, still not happy with the idea that Mason was with someone else. She still loves our mate deeply, but she's hurt that he and his wolf aren't as pure as we are.
Instead of using the women's shampoo, I grab Mason's and pour a small amount into my hand. I lather the amazing-smelling soap into my hair as I enjoy how I'm going to smell like my mate. My wolf surfaces slightly as she relishes in the part of what we smell on our mate as I wash myself. After finishing up everything, I turn the water off and grab one of the towels hanging on the rack by the door. I wrap it around my wet body and fold it under my arms so it won't fall off when I'm walking around to get the rest of my stuff.
I grab a smaller towel and begin towel drying my hair, not wanting to drip water all over the place as I move around. As I walk out of the bathroom, I jump at the sight of Mason sitting on our bed. I was too busy focusing on enjoying my shower I didn't even notice he came into the room. His eyes are focused on his phone as he casually sits there reading the screen. His legs are covered in a pair of worn blue jeans and he's wearing a black T-shirt that's tight in all the right places. I'm so busy checking him out that I don't even remember that I'm only in a towel.
"God, Mason! You scared the shit out of me!" I scold him as place my hand over my racing heart. He lifts his head but doesn't reply. I watch his eyes scan the length of my body. I feel heat spread across my cheeks as I twiddle with my fingers waiting for him to stop staring at me like that. I tighten my hold on my towel, securing it further as I look down at my feet. My wolf is loving this. She wants to jump him right now and have her way with him, and honestly, I do too, but I'm not ready for that. I shift my weight from foot to foot as I glance up at him through my lashes. His eyes make their way up my body until they meet my eyes.
"You smell like me," he speaks softly after taking a deep breath.
"Well, I wasn't sure if the shampoo and stuff in there was for me or if it was from your… previous company," I do my best not to growl. He flinches but stays quiet. "So, I figured I'd just use yours instead." He chuckles and shakes his head before standing from his position. I watch without moving as he makes his way over to me in three quick strides. I glance up at him, slightly annoyed that he would find anything I just said humorous. I growl slightly as he stops in front of me, still smiling.
"I noticed the last few days you were using mine when you showered, so I had them brought here for you this morning. If you just want to use mine then go for it, Red. You using my stuff is just another way for you to smell like me, and that is just another way to show you're mine since you're not ready for me to mark you just yet. I just figured you may want some things of your own," he chuckles out as he wraps his arms around my waist. Well, I guess his chuckling because of that is a little better. "She didn't have anything like that over here anyway. She didn't live in this house, and she didn't really stay the night. When she did she just brought a bag and took her stuff with her."
I can't stop the growl that escapes my lips at the mention of her. Knowing she existed was awful enough for me but having to hear Mason explain that she stayed here… in my home with my mate… is almost too much. Mason looks down at me with a raised eyebrow. "You okay?" I can hear the smile in his voice, but the look in his eyes tells me he doesn't want me acting that way towards pack members.
"I just don't like that she stayed here. You're mine," I say as I reach up and grab ahold of his neck so I can pull him down to my lips. I press my lips forcefully onto his as if to show him he's mine, and no one else is to touch him. I guess it's not only male wolves that feel possessive of their mates. I tighten my grip on his neck as he wraps his arms around my waist. Our mouths move together in perfect sync. He runs his tongue along my bottom lip, but I deny him teasingly. He smiles against my lips and I can't help but smile back. When our need for breath overwhelms our desire, we pull away. I keep my hands around his neck and just revel in the feeling of being in his arms as our breath mingles together.
This is home.
"There will never be anyone else to stay here besides you. I'm yours as much as you're mine, Alaina." He looks at me for a few moments before opening his mouth again. "I love you."
A smile breaks out on my face as I lean forward and press a soft kiss to his chest. He growls lowly in appreciation as he squeezes my waist. I lean my chin against his chest and look up at him, allowing his warmth to spread over my body. "I love you, too, Mason. You're my life now. Forever and always, honey," I whisper as my smile widens.
"Okay, Red, as much as I love you in a towel like this," he squeezes my waist again as he pulls me closer to his body, "you need to get dressed." He steps away from me and sits back down on the bed. I look at him with a curious look as I wait for him to continue. The embarrassment of my attire had long faded when he took me in his arms. I can't deny how happy I am that he's willing to control his urges until I'm ready. He shifts on the bed, bringing my attention back to him. "I thought it would be a nice idea to take you with me today. We haven't officially introduced you to the pack yet, but it'll be good for them to at least see you around and about. We need to do that soon, by the way," I nod my head in agreement, "You'll see the territory, get to meet some of the members, and then afterwards I wanted to take you shopping so we could get you some more clothes."
The fact that I've been borrowing his clothes while I stay around the house has completely slipped my mind. I would have cringed except for the fact that I've been at least able to clean the clothes I came in. The shirt was ruined from the tearing as I ran, but my shorts were at least okay after washing them. "That's probably a good idea," I whisper with a small blush. "I don't even have a shirt anymore really and it may seem weird for me to walk around the territory with clothes that don't fit me."
"Brandon came by this morning while you were asleep and said Mary sent you some clothes for you to wear until we can get you some of your own. They look like they'll fit, but I honestly don't know. They may be a little big on you, but it should be fine for today at least. It's better than nothing… at least for the public's view." He sends me a cheeky wink as my cheeks flood with more pink. I feel like this blushing is a constant thing since I met him. I fight a smile that tries to creep onto my lips as I look at him. I shake my head slightly when I fail.
"Okay, I'll just finish getting ready. Do you know where the clothes are?" I ask as I look around the room. He isn't carrying any clothes so I'm guessing he left downstairs. He stands up and walks over to me with a smile playing on his lips. I lean my head back to keep my eyes on his. I lean towards his body involuntarily as his warmth surrounds my body. He smirks as he grazes my cheek with the back of his hand.
"I'll go get them for you." He kisses my head one last time before exiting the room in search of my clothes for the day. When he's out of the room, I walk over to his drawers and open one in search of his shirts. After opening the third drawer, I'm awarded with what I'm looking for. I grab one of his plaid shirts and walk back into the bathroom. I dry off the remaining water droplets off my skin and hang the towel over the top of the shower rod. I wrap his shirt around my body and button up the front. Standing in front of the mirror, I wait for the awkwardness to fill my body, but it doesn't happen. Never in my life have I been able to stand around in nothing but a shirt on and feel comfortable like this. I smile at my reflection as I pick up the pick off the counter and comb through my hair. I quickly dry my hair, leaving the ends a little damp. It'll dry quickly enough once we get outside.
As I finish brushing my teeth, I hear Mason come back into the room and walk to the closed bathroom door. "I have your clothes," his voice rings through the door. I open it slightly and smile at him as I reach for them through the small crack. He smiles at me innocently, but I see him try to get a peak from around the door. Another blush covers my cheeks as I bite my lip. He hands me the clothes before moving away to sit back down on the bed to wait for me to finish up. I send him one last smile before closing the door again. The clothes consist of a pair of jean shorts, which I'm grateful for because even though my shorts are clean, I still feel like I couldn't quite get all the dirt out of them, and a black tank top that will go great under Mason's shirt that I'm currently wearing.
The shorts are a near fit as I shimmy them up my legs. They're just a little bit too big but not enough so that they won't stay up on me. I pull Mason's shirt off so I can slip the tank top on. It's tight around my breasts, but I figure it'll be fine since I'm going to have something over it anyway. I doubt Mason would like me walking out with a shirt this tight. I push my arms through the sleeves of Mason's shirt and tie a knot in the material at the bottom to help keep it closed without having to button it. It bunches up and rests just above the waistband of the shorts. I stretch my arms out, but the sleeves are so long that they hide my hands completely. I chuckle softly as I move to roll them up until they just rest just above my elbow and secure it with the button.
I look in the mirror as I run my fingers through my hair again to move it from my face. I examine my appearance before nodding my head in approval. It's a good thing I'm used to not wearing makeup seeing as I don't have any here. Plus, I'd probably just sweat it off anyhow. I turn and walk out of the bathroom to see Mason waiting for me by the window. I pull on a pair of socks and my converse that are by the door. Mason's back is to me, but I know he knows I'm in the room. There isn't much anyone can get away with when in the vicinity of a werewolf…. Especially when that werewolf is your mate, and they can feel when you're close.
Even with our bond incomplete the way it is, I can still feel when he's near me most of the time. I can only imagine what it'll be like when it is complete.
"Mason?" I ask, gathering his attention. A sexy smirk forms on his perfect face as he recognizes what I'm wearing. "I'm ready to go."
"Is that my shirt, Red?" he asks slowly as he walks toward me. I nod my head with a smile on my face. "Why aren't you wearing Mary's shirt that she gave you? And when did you take my shirt?"
"I got it from the drawer when you were getting my other clothes. And I'm wearing her shirt underneath this one. It's just really tight and I figured this would hide my chest from people better. Plus, it smells like you," I explain as I raise it up to my nose and inhale. His confused eyes stay focused on me, not understanding my explanation completely. I pull his shirt to the side so my breasts are on display to emphasize my point. "See?" His eyes dart down to my chest and they widen slightly at the sight. "I mean, if it's a problem for me to wear your shirt I can just go without it. I'm sure the tank top won't be a problem." I watch his eyes darken as he takes the last few strides to get to me.
"No one will see you like that besides me," he growls lowly as he pulls the shirt back over the material. I throw my head back and laugh as I wrap my arms around his waist. I look up at him with a big smile. He calms down under my touch and wraps his arms around me in return.
"Only you, honey," I whisper softly. "Now, let's go," I say as I grab his hand and start pulling him towards the door. He groans behind me but allows me to pull him along. I glance back at him and raise my eyebrows.
"It's your fourth day here now and you're already killing me. What am I going to do with you?" he asks playfully as he wraps an arm around my waist, successfully squishing me against his side. I giggle as we walk downstairs and leave the house to head out onto the territory.