Mason wasn’t there when I woke up. I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t want to wake up with him next to me. It would’ve been weird.

He had probably never woken up next to a woman he hadn’t slept with. Mason didn’t come off like a man that stayed with a woman for more than one night.

“Knock, knock.” A female voice said while opening the door. Casey smiled at me when she saw me. “I brought you some clothes.”

“Thanks.” I got out of bed and took the clothes. The clothes all had tags on them.

“I hope they fit. I can get you different sizes. I had to guess.” Something led me to think that she had everything right, even my bra size. “We saved you some breakfast so when you’re ready just come on down and you can eat.”

I nodded, “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. I figured you’d want something other than sweats to wear around here.”

Mason walked out of the bathroom just then. I brought the clothes up to my chest since the underwear was still on top. He was only covered by a towel tied low on his hips.

I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the 'V' that was partially hidden by the towel.

“Mason!” Casey chastised, breaking me out of my trance. “There is a lady!”

He rolled his eyes. “She wasn’t complaining.”

“That doesn’t mean you can walk around like that.” She still wasn’t happy. “Willow wanted to help me, what if I had let her?”

He rolled his eyes, “Well she isn’t here.”

“Don’t make me hurt you.” She threatened.

“Bring it.” He taunted.

I cleared my throat, it felt a little dry. “I’ll just--" I went into the bathroom, shut the door and locked it behind me.

There was still a lot of steam so I cracked the window.

I looked at the sizes on the clothes. They were all the right size and they were all new. They were a bit more girly than I was used to. The only things I ever wore were my uniform, or jeans and a t-shirt.

Once showered and dressed in normal clothes, I felt so much better.  The jeans fit, but were snug. The shirt fit snuggly around my boobs, then flowed down to my butt, even the sleeves were loose.

Mason’s POV

It felt like I’d never hear the end of it. When Casey followed me downstairs, she exaggerated what happened with Amanda.

They were blowing it way out of proportion.

“Will you two quit yapping?” Chris grumbled as he came into the kitchen. He was fighting with his girlfriend. She knew he was hiding something from her, but Chris knew he couldn’t tell her.

Chris would have to marry her before he could reveal the secret of what he really is. If she knew, she’d flip.

I actually felt a little bad for him. He really liked her and was now realizing that he wouldn’t be able to last with her.

“Well did you hear what he did?” Casey leaned her hip against the counter.

“Whatever he did I’m sure it’s not the worst thing he’s ever done.”

Casey huffed, “You guys can’t always take each other’s side."

Chris picked some bacon out of the pile. “I can do what I want.” He teased before he shoved the bacon in his mouth.

Chris smiled when Lexi came in behind me. “You look like you’ve stepped right into the lion’s den.” It only took a moment to scent her, but we all heard her coming when she left my room.

I glanced back. She did look a little panicked.

“Come grab some food.” Casey said pleasantly, like she hadn’t been two seconds from biting my head off all over again. “Just ignore Chris. He thinks he’s funny."

“I am funny.” Chris feigned hurt, which made me smile. I thought he was funny.

Lexi marginally relaxed and took a few hesitant steps forward.

I stood and backed off the stool I had been sitting on. I grabbed her and made her sit down.

“You don’t need to be afraid.” I grumbled and grabbed a plate. I loaded it with food, well aware that everyone was watching me.

“Well aren’t you the gentleman.” Chris teased.

“Blow me.” I shot back while I grabbed a fork.

“It’s cute.” He kept mocking me.

“What’s cute?” Brian came in carrying Willow.

“Uncle Mason’s being a gentleman.” Amanda’s smile meant she was teasing me too.

Brain smiled and put Willow down on the stool between Amanda and Lexi. Willow folded her arms over her chest. Something was obviously upsetting her.

“What’s wrong with my baby?” Amanda cooed. She knew the reaction she’d get from her daughter.

“I’m not a baby!” She whined. Lexi relaxed a bit more now that she thought no one was paying attention to her.

In reality, everyone was keeping an eye on her. No one knew how she’d react to any of the kids, let alone Willow, the grumpiest of the three.

“What do you want to eat?” Casey asked the grumpy girl as she got out one of the plastic plates with horses on it. To say Willow loved horses was an understatement.

She’d take any opportunity to go out to the horses with me.

We used to go every morning, but with everything that has been happening, I haven’t taken her out to the stables in a while. I couldn’t risk Millender attempting to take her when I was the only one there to offer protection.

“Nothing!” Willow shouted.

I leaned onto the counter, looked right at her and didn’t give her an option to look anywhere else. “What’s wrong with you?” She’d keep this up all day unless someone calmed her down.

She huffed dramatically. “Michael and Matthew cut the hair off of Shay!” Willow must be upset, because she used their full names like that. Shay was her favorite doll. It was the first one anyone had bought for her.

The last time I saw it, it was dirty and falling apart, but it was still her favorite.

“I guess we’ll just have to get them back after breakfast.” Her mischievous grin made me grin back. “Think of what you want to do, and I’ll help you. But you have to eat your breakfast first.”

She nodded and looked over at Casey. Willow would probably breathe in her food just because she was so anxious to get revenge.

Lexi’s POV

It was an hour later before Mason found me.

“I’m going to take a shower, then we’re leaving.” He was covered in flour that seemed to be caked on him.

“Where are we going?”

He was already walking away. “We’re going to close out your apartment. I told you we were going.”

I vaguely remembered him mentioning it. “You didn’t say we were actually going.”

“Well we are.” He said over his shoulder as he ran up the stairs.

I had been hanging out with Casey and Amanda. I wanted friends, so I was trying desperately to make them.

Ten minutes later Mason rushed me out the door and to his truck.

We were off to LA without Mason saying another word.

---

Getting out of the rental agreement wasn't a big deal. My parents had left me enough money that I had a nice security blanket. I paid off the lease. I couldn't leave a real forwarding address, so I left a PO Box Mason gave me. It couldn't be traced back to him or the pack.

Mason had three pack members come with us to pack up the apartment. This needed to be done in one afternoon.

I just crossed my fingers, and hoped that my neighbor, Gracie, wasn't home. We weren't close, but she knew a lot of the cops I had worked with. After we had stopped by the station earlier to tell them that I wouldn't be coming back to work, I'm sure the rumors had gotten to her.

Showing up with four huge guys was going to be very suspicious. She'd be looking out for me.

We were almost done packing everything up when she came off the elevator while she was holding her little rat of a dog.  As soon as he laid eyes on me, the small dog started barking and charging, it tried to make me think I was some kind of threat.

Of course Gracie didn't notice any change in me. She's human and humans only see what they want to see.

"Oh my god!" Gracie said enthusiastically. "I expected you back weeks ago!"

I tried to smile. "Yeah, I know. I thought I'd be back sooner too."

She looked at the guys who were stacking boxes by the elevator. "Are you moving?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Her face turned empathetic. "I heard what happened. I was absolutely shocked."

"So was I." I looked back at the guys. "I should go keep an eye on them."

"I heard you just resigned from the department." I nodded in response. "After you escaped from the hospital I thought you had been committed to an insane asylum."

"And why would you think that? I just checked out."

"Yeah. Four days post op after getting a chunk of your thigh meat eaten by a dog." The sympathy she had before was now gone. "You'd have to be crazy to leave. You shouldn't have been able to walk."

"Well I walked out of there."

"Which was crazy." Her smile was gone. She felt more like a chastising mother now. "You could have rabies!"

I felt my temper flare. I didn't need this woman telling me how I was supposed to react to the attack that left me a werewolf.

"I didn't get rabies." I wanted to wring her neck. "I was attacked and I recovered. I don't need rumors spread about me."

She gasped. "That's rude! I've been a good friend to you!"

"A very good friend." I stated sarcastically. "You didn't even come to the hospital."

"I didn't need to visit you. I live right next to you."

A big hand came to rest on my shoulder. By the look on her face I knew it was Mason. I shrugged off his hand. Most girls had dreamy eyes when he was around.

By the look on her face I knew he was smiling at her. "Sorry to interrupt" that was a lie "but I need to borrow Lexi for a minute."

Gracie smiled. "Well aren't you a vision. What's your name?"

She was flirting with him. Right in front of me, like she had no shame in what she was doing. She was married.

"His name is Mason." I bit out before he could answer. She was married to a good guy. Why would she flirt with him?

"Ooh Mason. I like that." She looked back at the boxes. "Are you a mover?"

I could see the idea come to life in her eyes. Apparently she thought he was worth the drama of an affair.

"No." He said to her coldly. It wasn't surprising that he was such a jerk, but it made me happy that he wouldn't flirt back with her. "I need to talk to you. Inside."

Then he went back into my apartment.

Gracie's eyes were glued to his ass the whole way there. "You really need to compensate that man for all his trouble." Her brows wiggled at the innuendo. "If you know what I mean."

I wanted to hit her, but I didn't. "Sorry, I'm not some whore. I'm not just going to bang him because he helped me move a few boxes."

She smiled, "Then send him back here when you're finished with him."

I slammed her against the wall before I knew what I was doing. I was breathing heavy, but I didn't say anything. I could smell her fear and it made me happy. I wanted her to be afraid of me and I didn't want her anywhere near Mason.

"Let her go." The order shot through me, and went straight to my core.

With a growl Gracie would interpret as a sneer, I let her go. Mason hadn't ordered me to back off, so I stayed in her face. Her little rat of a dog hadn't even made a noise.

"Get in the room." He ordered once he realized I wasn’t going to move.

I obeyed. I knew I had to.

There was amusement in Mason's eyes. I wanted to smack it right off of him, but I couldn't, there were those witnesses from the pack, so I wasn't allowed.

So I just went into my apartment. I entered my room and shut the door. I hadn't packed up this room yet, so I fell onto my bed.

I didn't look over when the door opened. I knew he'd come to tell me what I did was wrong; that I needed to control my emotions better.

"So," Mason teased "that was close to a cat fight."

I ignored him. I wouldn't give him the reaction he wanted.

He hopped on my bed and smacked my butt.

"Outbursts like that are common. You shouldn't beat yourself up about it." Was he actually trying to cheer me up?

"I'm not beating myself up." I muttered. "I'm waiting for your lecture."

He chuckled. "I don't give lectures. I'm just offering you some leeway." He laid down and stared at the ceiling. "You know, I have always wanted women to fight over me."

I hit him right in the face with a pillow. "I wasn't fighting over you." I didn't have to see his face to know that he was smirking. "I just couldn't control myself."

"You've got a little crush on me." He teased.

"You're getting close to being hit."

"It's okay. I'll just go keep your neighbor entertained." He said while sitting up. I grabbed the back of his shirt as he started standing.

"She's married to a good guy that she doesn't deserve.  She wanted to have an affair with you."

He shrugged. "That doesn't bother me."

"But it bothers me."

He nodded with a smile. "I was kidding anyway. She's not hot enough for me anyway." He got off my bed. "I'll be back in 10. Have stuff packed."

I sat up after he left the room.  It wasn't a secret that Gracie was the prettiest woman in the apartment complex. She'd always been gorgeous, even when she wasn't trying. Mason said she wasn't good enough for him. Which made me wonder, who was good enough for him?

Were his past conquests gorgeous women who would look at someone like me and laugh?

My self esteem dipped a bit. I knew I wasn't Mason's type, but it hurt a little to have it thrown in my face.

I started throwing things in boxes, since I didn’t care what ended up where. I just wanted to get out of here. I wanted to go back to my little room and just lay there by myself.

Mason kept his word and was back 10 minutes later. I had 5 boxes stacked and waiting for him. He taped them up and took them out without saying anything.

2 hours later we were on our way back home. I didn't say anything to Gracie before we left. I wasn't in the mood. A werewolf's short fuse was something I was just going to have to get used to.