SERENITY

My gums ached.

It started slowly like I’d bruised something in my mouth; the pain lessened then intensified so much that I was ready to press my hand against my teeth just to see if the agony would stop.

“What’s wrong?” Mason’s gravelly voice shook me out of my pain. “You’re hurt.” He said it like he knew it.

Like he knew me.

He reached over and grabbed my hand. The pain didn’t stop, but it didn’t increase again. I clenched his hand as tight as I could, my mind a whirlwind of impossibilities.

Impossible that he was half vampire.

Impossible that the blood I tasted on my tongue had my DNA.

Impossible that a half-wolf-half-vampire existed.

Impossible that he was my mate.

Impossible that we could mate.

He was a beast, a beast within a man, along with something other lurking beneath the surface — something he hadn’t even faced in all of his centuries of living.

If he was afraid of what was inside…

Then I should be too.

And yet I held his hand. I squeezed it tight, and I felt the slow purr of breath escape between his lips, as if my touch made him happy.

Tears filled my eyes. So much uncertainty, so much we I didn’t know, and so much I didn’t want to know.

Because what if I’d just found someone to spend my eternity with — who would end up either rejecting me or hurting me in the process?

To my knowledge, immortals never mated in that way; they didn’t cross breed. It was considered forbidden.

The only time I’d ever heard of anything remotely similar to it happening had been when angels bred with humans, creating Dark Ones, and look how wonderful that had turned out for everyone.

Mason snorted. “Tell me about it.”

Crap.

He sighed as my tension increased in my shoulders. “I can only hear flickers of your thoughts, when you’re really scared or upset. It’s easy to pick out from a million other crowds, but I’m not good at it yet. Maybe—” He stopped himself.

“More blood,” I answered for him. “Just imagine how powerful you’ll be when you drink your fill.”

The car chilled.

I shouldn’t have said it.

His demeanor darkened right along with the sky.

And as torrential rain started slamming onto the windshield, I was left again with more questions than answers.

It was driving me insane.

I was about to ask him if he could pull over and give me a minute when something crashed into the car, sending us careening off the road and against a tree.

Mason turned his body my way, shielding me. It all happened in slow motion — the fear on his face, then determination as he wrapped his body around me before immediately morphing into a white wolf. His fur pressed against my skin as metal twisted around our bodies, and then an explosion of white enveloped us as our car disappeared, and a fallen walked right through, a look of curiosity on its angelic face.

“I was wondering…” Mason barked out. “…when you would sniff us all out. Curious?”

The fallen smiled; he was one of the Watchers, the ones who’d watched for a thousand years until the first angel fell, until Sariel created Cassius with his love for his human wife.

Until the twelve brothers who were set to watch over the human realm fell with them, allowing their eyes to shift from their purpose to the very ones they were supposed to be protecting.

The ones who watched had jet black hair with red shot throughout, as a mark to human or immortal that they were not fully angelic, not anymore.

The red was proof that they had to earn their spot back into Heaven.

The black was proof they most likely never would.

A chained tattoo wrapped around his neck like a vice then rippled down his arm and coiled around each finger as if someone else was controlling him.

“Come, Gadreel.” The fallen held out his hand. “Do you not recognize your brother?”

Mason shook his head and then gave out a sharp bark that sounded like a laugh, only with more teeth. “I’m clearly a wolf. You’ve been locked up too long. Making me regret even setting you free a few weeks ago. Aren’t you supposed to be reporting to your archangel? The one who has you by the ass so you don’t go to the bad place where they take your pretty feathers?”

The fallen closed his eyes. His lips began to move, and suddenly, Mason just collapsed right in front of me.

“What did you do to him!” I screamed, falling to my knees.

The fallen tilted his head at me. “I knew you would awaken him. Only one who can.”

Fear trickled down my spine as he took a step closer, his eyes menacing. “We are stronger together. Cassius knows this. Better to ask forgiveness than permission.”

“For what?” I knelt next to Mason, and he shuddered and gave a little howl before I pressed a hand to his fur. “What are you going to do?”

“Whatever it takes…” His teeth clenched. “…to go home.”

He disappeared just like he’d come, leaving a chill so icy cold that I almost crawled into Mason’s lap and shivered.

He moved to a sitting position, his eyes blazing blue before he gave his head a shake and nuzzled my neck. “Are you okay?”

I nodded. “You?”

He didn’t answer.

Maybe he didn’t have to.

Nobody would be okay after that.

When I turned around to start walking, the Jeep was idling as if it hadn’t just been rammed into a tree, as if we hadn’t just had a visit from some creepy fallen angel with a revenge plan.

Mason eyed me then the car, and with a sigh said, “Get in.”

We were five minutes away from the house when it set in. The burning, the need to bite him was so intense that my mouth started to water. The ache so great I was ready to lose my mind.

I focused on the trees we passed. Counted to a hundred.

And breathed a sigh of relief when we pulled up to the driveway.

“Don’t tell them,” Mason whispered.

I unbuckled my seatbelt. “Mason, you have to tell them. Something’s going on, something big. You’re — you’re a hybrid. You have—” I left out the DNA part. “—you have vampire molecules in your bloodstream. That’s not normal. What if it makes you more powerful?”

“What if…” He hit the brakes. “…it takes over completely?”

“It won’t.” I didn’t know that for sure. I suddenly realized I didn’t know anything. “Tell Cassius. He can help.”

Mason shook his head and then pressed his lips together in a grimace. “Maybe. I don’t…” He gave me a quick glance. “I felt him in me.”

“Who?”

“The fallen, as if I knew him. He was probing me, speaking to me in a language I understood, and now I can’t remember what he said.”

“Maybe he was just trying to provoke you?”

“No.” Mason’s teeth clenched. “Trust me, that’s not it.”

He suddenly jerked the wheel to the side as we pulled up to the massive gate and into the driveway. A few vampires stood watch outside, looking more like bored GQ models than anything.

I got out of the car and flinched when one’s gaze lingered on my face and then breasts too long for my liking. I was about to say something when Mason had him by the throat and pressed against the wall at least two feet off the ground.

“You as much as exhale six feet away from her, and I’ll put your head on a spike and give you just enough blood to survive while I set wild dogs to your flesh!” Claws protruded out of Mason’s hands, piercing the skin of the vampire’s flesh, causing silver blood to drip down his skin. “Do we have an understanding?” Mason’s voice deepened as huge fangs elongated from his mouth past his lower lip like he was getting ready for a midnight snack, and then his eyes glowed blue, only to go completely red as he leaned in.

“Mason!” Cassius barked. “That’s enough.”

Alex appeared in the doorway next, his smile smug. “Finally. Hungry, Wolf?”

Hope peeked around Alex and moved toward Mason, but Alex put his arm out and gave his head a shake.

As if Mason was dangerous.

As if he’d hurt her.

Ethan and Genesis shared looks of concern.

And I was left wondering if I was even safe with Mason, when neither of us knew what he was even capable of.

“Mason,” Cassius said it again, “leave him.”

Slowly, Mason shook his head as his eyes went back to the more piercing brown I was used to.

The vampire stumbled away while Mason pressed his hands to his head. “I’m sorry. I just—”

“Someone needs sex,” Alex muttered.

Mason jerked his head toward Alex then gave him a shove, sending Alex careening back into the entryway and slamming against the wall with a crack. A few pictures fell, and a split grew in the wall.

Alex got up and dusted himself off. “That’s gonna bruise in the morning.”

“Mason. Alex.” Cassius, the clear voice of reason shook his head and ushered everyone inside.

Timber was there. “I see it’s progressing.”

“Progressing?” Mason repeated. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

“He’s bigger,” Hope pointed out.

Alex scowled. “So, he grew a few muscles.”

Genesis whistled. “I’d say a few dozen at least.”

Hope grinned. “Maybe more.”

A sudden wave of heat blasted through the room, causing the freaking houseplant to shake and then combust.

“Was that necessary?” Cassius directed the question to Alex. “Take your jealousy elsewhere.”

“I’m not jealous.” Alex grunted.

Hope patted him on the shoulder and then leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him. “You’re cute when you lie.”

“So…” Timber set down his coffee. “…are we going to talk about the elephant in the room first, or the immortal numbers and how the hell we’re planning on wrangling up the ones who watch?”

“Elephant?” Mason looked genuinely confused. “Stop referring to me as an elephant. I’m a wolf. Calling me an elephant is an insult. It’s like calling Alex ugly.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Thanks, man.”

“I get you.” Mason nodded and then flipped him off behind his back while Alex did the same back to Mason.

Cassius slammed his hands onto the kitchen table. “Children, all of you.”

I could tell it was on the tip of Alex’s tongue to say something like he started, but he held back. Instead, the room fell into a state of complete silence.

And then all eyes fell to me.

As if I was supposed to say something.

“What?” I whispered.

“Blood.” Alex pointed at my t-shirt. “Curious.” He searched the room. “Who exactly did you feed on at the grocery store? Some poor soccer mom trying to get last-minute dinner? A college student buying Top Ramen? A child?”

The more he spoke the worse I felt. The rage on his face wasn’t for show.

“Me,” Mason said, jerking everyone’s attention to him. “She fed on me… but not before I fed on her.”