Chapter 13

Aiden’s POV

The sun had begun to set when we returned to the house. Ayla wanted a shower but didn’t feel comfortable with Mason around. So, I said I would stand to watch outside her door. She was happy to do this; I felt better about it too. I just had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

All the other visitors from the other Packs would be arriving this evening. It was meant to be an opportunity for us to meet and mingle. We were the next generation of our packs. When in truth, each pack usually kept to itself.

Every ten years, we would make this show of trying to come together for the good of our kind.

My brothers and I are part of the Shadow Forge pack. Meaning we had an affinity for shadow magic. Each Pack is named after their clan’s magic ability.

So, ours being shadow means we can do a few nice little tricks involving the shadows. I was very good at blending into the darkness in both wolf and human forms. I can also draw the shadows to me if none are around when I need them.

It was this skill I use now. As I waited for Ayla to wash and change, I put my back up against the wall and pulled the shadows around me. You could easily miss me if you weren’t purposely looking.

Archer and Axel had gone back to their rooms; they would wash up too, and then one would switch places with me if Ayla wasn’t done before they were.

It was killing me not truly knowing what was going on right now. Never had I been in a situation like this before. I usually was so cool, calm, and collected. But his girl drove me nuts, and I had no explanation other than she must be my mate. Could she be Axels and Archers too?

I was pulled out of my thoughts by footsteps on the stairs coming this way. I went silent; I wanted to see who it was and what they planned to do. I moved a bit further into the darkness and waited.

As expected, it was that weasel, Mason. He wore a twisted expression; he would be sorely mistaken if he thought that look was warranted for Ayla. I had my foot pressed up against the very bottom corner of Ayla’s door. As I said, you couldn’t see it unless you were looking for it.

“Time to have a little chat,” Mason muttered.

“Over my dead body,” I thought; I had to suppress a growl. Blaze was trying to force himself through.

Mason’s hand was on the doorknob, but he was such a weakling I wasn’t even pressing my foot against the door very hard, yet he couldn’t pull the door open.

“That little bitch has locked it,” he growled. “I’ll get that changed; she will regret this.”

“Calm down. Stay calm, don’t let him know you’re here,” I coach myself. Before I knew what I was doing. I stuck my foot out, and he tripped right over it as he went to leave. He landed with a very hard thud on the floor.

“What the fuck?” Mason had jumped up and looked around to find whoever had tripped him, but no one was seen. He quickly dusted himself off and sulked like a small child, thinking he was alone for a second or two.

I know it was childish and immature, but Goddess, it was worth it.

Once he was gone, I knocked on Ayla’s door. I could hear her in there. I quietly rested my forehead on the door.

“Ayla, it’s me, don’t worry,” I reassure her.

The door slowly opened; her face was pale. She wore a pretty black cocktail dress with a pair of black high heels. Her hair was down but had three small braids on one side, drawing her hair back from her face; she looked amazing.

“I heard and smelt Mason,” she said, her eyes darting to and fro.

“I know, he came by, but he’s gone now,” I tell her with a smile.

“I had forgotten to lock the door, and I couldn’t smell you anymore; I thought you had left. When I saw my door-handle move, I thought it was him” her voice shook a bit.

“I’m sorry, I should have told you; I can hide in the shadows, just one of my many perks” I wink at her, drawing a smile out of her terrified face. I hated how that useless excuse for a man could scare her so easily. It makes me wonder what he has done in the past to cause this reaction from her.

“My scent practically disappears when I step into the shadows,” I tell her.

“What was that loud thud I heard,” she asked; I laughed

“Mason may or may not have tripped over my foot as he went to leave! I held the door shut with my foot, and as he went to walk away, I totally by accident moved it and he totally by accident, tripped over it!” I laugh at the memory. The best thing was Ayla was laughing, and she looked stunning.

“You look beautiful, by the way,” the compliment did precisely what I knew and hoped it would. Her face blazed red. This was becoming one of my favourite games.

“Thank you,” she muttered. “I held you back from getting changed though” I stopped her before she could apologise.

“Let’s go meet my brothers. You can wait with them while I hop in the shower and change. It will only take a few minutes.”

She nods her agreement.

As if we all had the same idea, Archer and Axel rounded the corner just as we reached the stairs.

Leaving her in their capable hands was easy; there were no others I trusted more than these two. We need to watch Mason. He isn’t going to give up, Goddess knows why he hates her so much, but from now on, she will never be left alone with him.

Tristan’s POV

What was I meant to do? How was I meant to kill a person? That’s not who I am. It’s just not something I’m capable of. Yet if I don’t, my uncle will probably kill me instead. He does not like to be disappointed.

Why oh why did there have to be a girl like Ayla here! I just wanted to come and have fun with new people and return home. Is that too much to ask for?

I won’t have that long to do it either. Spending time with Mason and his buddies this afternoon showed me a few things. It’s clear he likes to think he’s more brutal than he is, but I think I might be able to use that to my advantage…if I’m lucky.

He hates the girl and is always finding ways to ensure she knows where she belongs, which isn’t here. If I understood what he was getting at, then I’m sure he has hurt her more than a couple of times. So maybe I could swing it so he does the deed, and my uncle will think it was me. Perhaps this is my way of getting out of the actual killing part.

I had nothing against the girl, apart from the fact that her being alive infuriates my uncle, leading him to come down hard on me, so she had to go as my life was near perfect until I set eyes on her.

Those triplets are always with her now, so getting her alone will be extremely hard; this is partly why getting Mason to do it will work out better. He will probably be around her more when those annoying brothers aren’t.

I have to spend some time thinking about this, working out how to get Mason to do what I want without realising it. This party tonight is a bit of a pain, but I’ll use it as research time. I’ll watch her, and I’ll watch Mason. I’m sure I’ll come up with something.

Ayla’s POV

I knew he was outside my door; I heard him. I could smell him too. My sense of smell had picked up a lot lately, yet I knew Mason’s scent like the back of my hand. I could pick it out even when it’s barely there.

“I didn’t lock my door,” I panicked; I could no longer smell Aiden either; I was sure he had left me to fend for myself. I don’t know why he would, though, because he promised to stay.

Frantically I struggle with the zipper on the back of my dress. I rush to do it up. My hands shook, making it even harder than it already was.

Watching the handle shake, yet the door never budged, I was confused? I know I didn’t lock the door. I rushed in, knowing Aiden was outside. So why wasn’t Mason striding into my room like he usually does?

“Thud”

“What was that,” I thought, shrinking further into my room. I hear him outside my room cussing, and then he leaves. Visibly shaking, I step closer to the door. My breath was ragged, and I wanted to cry. I had already done my light makeup and refused to ruin it because of a scumbag like him.

“Ayla, it’s me, don’t worry!” Aiden’s voice drifted through the door just after there was a knock. The relief I felt was incredible.

I opened the door, and there he was.

The smile he gave me was breathtaking. He took every inch of me in the way he looked at me. I had never felt how he made me feel when his eyes were on me. I would generally shrink away from someone’s gaze like that, but with him, I would happily turn about to give him a better view.

We walked together to meet his brothers. He needed a quick shower and to change ready for tonight. I didn’t mind, though, as I got to spend time with the other two Chase brothers, and wow, they looked fantastic.

Archer had on tan-coloured trousers with a white shirt, buttoned almost the whole way, leaving the top two undone.

Axel wore dark blue jeans with a black shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and a few buttons undone at the top. He looked just as impressive as his brother.

I couldn’t wait to see what the last Chase brother would look like!