The place Mason had insisted on bringing Danica to for their discussion was a gazebo placed directly in the middle of a wild flower field. It overlooked a pond so clear you could see to the bottom. The whole place screamed secluded and private.
All around Danica were multicolor flowers as she allowed Mason to lead her to the gazebo. As she took them in she couldn't help but think that Martha would love this place. Especially while she was still on her painting kick.
With a perfect blue sky above and the scenery all around it was almost as if Danica herself had stepped into a painting.
Smiling Mason turned to an enthralled Danica. "This is my favorite place to come when I'm having an off day."
"I can see why." Danica quipped continuing to take the place in.
As her eyes fell in the gazebo that had a romantic feel to it she couldn't stop the thought of Mason bringing other women here. How many had been here? Was she the first? She doubted it given his past. Was he actually just bringing her here to do with her what he did with them? What even made her think she was any different from the rest anyway?
All these thoughts continued to race through her mind as she took a seat beside Mason who was watching her closely with furrowed brows.
A sigh erupted from him drawing her attention from her quickly building jealous rage and to his face that was beginning to fall.
"You still don't trust me." Mason said matter of factly with a sad look.
Danica gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I just really don't know you."
"You will get to know me in time." Mason insisted.
"Sure." Danica wasn't sure if she would, but there was no sense in arguing right now. "Anyway, we didn't come here to focus on that. You said you would tell me about werewolves."
As she spoke she couldn't help but feel absolutely ridiculous. Up until yesterday werewolves were simply made up creatures in movies. And now she was wanting to know all there was to know about them.
"Right." As he spoke Mason began settling himself in. "Where to start."
"The existence of werewolves altogether." Danica suggested anxiety beginning to grow.
Nodding Mason smiled, "the existence of werewolves." He repeated. "We have always existed Danica. It is just that we have always made sure to keep our identities secret from the prying eyes of the world around us. If normies discovered we existed we would most likely become science experiments. Each US state has a pack residing in it. We usually meet as a whole once a year."
"What about the pack here?" Danica questioned cutting Mason off earning herself a look from him. "Sorry."
"The wolf pack here is quite large compared to most." He answered. "Each pack has an Alpha, Luna, and Beta." He went on. "I am the Alpha of our pack."
"Ours?" Danica asked curiously. Was he referring to her as part of the pack?
He smiled tenderly now, "Yes, ours." He reached out a hand to touch Danica only to have her scoot back. Frowning he sighed, "as my mate my pack is naturally yours as well."
"So that makes me the Luna?" Danica was having a hard time processing everything still.
"As the Alpha's mate you become Luna and lead the pack beside me." Mason confirmed for her.
Danica could feel her head spinning. "But I haven't agreed to being your mate."
"We have no choice in the matter." He said simply. "This is all predestined by the moon goddess. We can't ignore the call of the bond even if we wanted to."
"So what you're saying is that when a werewolf is born their fate and place in life is already set in stone for them." Danica wasn't quite sure if she liked what she was hearing. "That doesn't seem quite fair honestly."
"I never said we had no choice." Mason pointed out. "We always have choice, we just have to decide to fight against it." He added.
Fight against it, was it truly that hard to fight against? Would it be physically exerting to go against the moon goddess' will?
"You shouldn't focus on that right now." Again Danica wondered if Mason was a mind reader. "Right now we should focus on filling you in on everything and prepare you for your first change."
"Does it hurt?" Danica found herself blurting at the mention of her first change.
Mason's gaze softened a fraction. "It isn't pleasant, but I plan on being there with you to help you through it."
Danica could feel her stomach turning once more as she considered how changing for the first time would feel. Spots danced in front of her eyes as a cold sweat broke out all over her body. Unable to control her breathing she felt like she would hyperventilate.
Beside her Mason had begun to panic as she paled and her breathing became ragid. "What's wrong?" He asked hurriedly reaching out a hand and touching her cheek. "Deep breaths Danica, deep breaths."
The sudden jolt from Mason's touch began to clear Danica's panic filled mind.
"I'm okay." She gasped as soon as she no longer felt like she was going to hurl and her breathing resumed to normal.
"Where did you go?" Mason asked still looking concerned.
"First change." She squeaked focusing on the pulsing warmth that Mason's touch was providing her. "Is there any way to avoid the change?"
Mason's eyebrows shot up at her question. "Avoid it?"
Danica nodded, "Mason I don't want to be some fictional creature."
She hadn't asked for this and she felt like she should at least have some choice in the matter. Hell, all of them should have the choice to be human or be wolf.
Be human or be wolf. She had to be losing her mind to even think something like that.
"You can't be serious." Mason sputtered. He was staring at Danica as if she had grown a second head. "You don't understand the feel of being in wolf form, the sense of freedom, the raw power pulsing through you, it is intoxicating. Who would not want to be part of that?"
Danica raised her hand. "Me, I don't." She said huffing. "Maybe it is different for those of you who grew up knowing about this, but as for me I didn't and it doesn't sound all that appealing to me."
"Speaking of," Mason grew serious, "how do you not know anything about our kind? Did your parents never tell you?"
Danica felt her heart skip. Did your parents never tell you? The question sounded so ridiculous. Of course they never told her, they died when she was young. Since the age of five she had always been with Martha. She was the only true parent Danica had ever known.
"My parents died a long time ago." Danica answered slowly keeping her face calm. Only those closest to her knew about the accident that took her parents from her. "They were caught in a house fire."
Mason's eyes widened as he took in Danica's words. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."
That is the look, Danica thought grimacing. The reason she hated talking about her parents, it was that look the one that was clear as day on Mason's face right now. The sympathetic look that everyone wore when they discovered she was an orphan who was adopted by a kind woman who found her on the side of the road the day after her parents perished.
They had lived far in the woods away from everyone, from what Danica could still remember. She had gone to town to buy something for her mother that day. She couldn't remember what it was, but she remembered she couldn't find it and had been really upset.
When she returned empty handed she found the cottage she shared with her parents up in flames. Her parents had been nowhere in sight around the yard.
When she had attempted to run in and try to find them the whole cottage had collapsed. After that she had only watched as what remained of the building smoldered. She had spent a day digging around in the rubble looking for some sign of her parents, in the end she couldn't find anything.
She vaguely remembered blacking out after that and when she came to she was being picked up from the side of the road by Martha who happened to be driving by. After reporting her as a lost child she allowed the police to put her in foster care. After spending three months there Martha reappeared and began the legal process of adopting her.
Danica was grateful to Martha, if it weren't for her she didn't know where she would be. Maybe if she was never picked up she would be some feral child by now.
"It must have been rough." She heard Mason saying bringing her back to the present. "Losing your parents that young."
Danica shook her head, "Please don't feel sorry for me." She sighed. "I honestly don't really share this stuff because I can't stand the sympathy."
Mason who looked unconvinced nodded, "sorry."
"No sorries." Danica pleaded wanting nothing more than to move on from this morbid conversation.
"Sor..." Danica shot him a look. "Ok, I get it." He huffed lifting his hands in defeat. "Where were we before our conversation headed down that dark road?"
Danica considered pursing her lips. "We were talking about how it was crazy of me to not want to be a wolf."
"Yes, that." Mason said snapping his fingers. "I assure you after your first change and you become acquainted with your wolf your mindset will change entirely. It is always scary before we all go through it."
She wasn't so sure that would happen, but didn't bother arguing. Instead she listened closely as Mason began rambling about all the joys of the change and of going full wolf, allowing Danica to be immersed in something that didn't involve the loss of her parents. Grateful she let herself be swept away by the man's enthusiasm.
"Any news?" Danica asked Bella as she hovered around fixing her hair. "How many times do I have to say it? Mason will let you know if they find the harpies and trolls." Bella huffed slamming down a blush brush. "Now, could you please be still so I can finish your makeup." "Yes ma am." Danica replied snapping her mouth shut. A month passed by in a blur, no matter how much Mason's scouts searched they just couldn't seem to find Marie or her army. It was an odd occurence, because anytime they would get a trail it would vanish as quickly as it appeared, leaving everyone at square one once more. Though they had recruited the help of sorcerer's to see if they could possibly find the harpies with their abilities, even they came up empty handed. It was almost as if they had disappeared from existence entirely. After two weeks of this is was almost as if the war was nothing more than a bad dream, aside from the casualties that b
"Acting tough now are we?" Marie laughed taking Danica in. "Do you really think I'm scared of you?""You should be." Danica growled as she felt something within her begin to stir. "I still owe you for my parents, a life for a life sounds fair."Tilting her head back Marie let out a loud laugh, "Come then little wolf, show me what you can do."Lunging forward Marie held out her clawed hands ready to grab Danica, but Danica was faster, moving out of the way before turning and grabbing Marie by her wing. Heaving she yanked and threw Marie to the side causing the harpie to stumble.Not giving her a chance to regroup Danica pounced tackling Marie to the ground. Shrieks escaped the harpie queen as she fought for Dominance against Danica."Get off me!" Marie growled as she clawed at Danica's face. "How dare you a puny wolf think that you are any match for me!""Seems like this puny little wolf is the one in control rig
"Let's go." Danica ordered beginning to move forward only to be stopped by Mason. "What?" She demanded meeting his gaze."You can't possibly think that I'm going to let you step anywhere near any of that fighting." Mason hissed."Why not?" Danica demanded trying to break free of his grip. "You can't possibly think I'm just going to sit here and wait for who knows what!""Yes, that's exactly what I expect you to do." Mason responded seriously. "You are pregnant now, your priority is keeping our child safe."Mason's words felt like a slap to Danica. Even though she really wanted to be beside him fighting, he was right, she was pregnant now and her top priority was to protect the life that was growing within her. No matter how she wanted to try to deny his logic, she simply couldn't."What am I to do if they breach the dorms?" Danica sighed conceeding to Mason's point. "Should I not fight back then as well?"
"You going to be okay?" Mason asked wrapping his arms around Danica."Yeah, I'll be okay." Danica responded leaning against him.After returning home Mason decided to run a nice hot bath for the both of them, his way of trying to help Danica feel the slightest bit better about the news they had recieved.Stripping had been slightly awkward for Danica due to Mason's blanching when he saw the scars that now permanently littered her back from Marie, but once she had submerged her body she couldn't help but admit that the bath was helping."Do you think this little one will be born into a peaceful world?" Danica asked closing her eyes.Mason who had slid a hand to rest on Danica's stomach let out a long sigh, "I hope so.""You don't have confidence in beating them?" Danica asked eyes widening. "I thought that was what all the preperations were for.""When it comes to war you never know what will happen." Mason pointed out pulling Da
Two weeks passed in a blink. After the night of Danica's rescue, Mason began to gather all reinforcements across the entire continent, preparing for an outright attack on the trolls and the harpies. Arlo, who remained neutral, had decided to stay out of the entire thing along with his elven brethren, a fact that surprised Danica greatly given his strong aversion to her.Nigel and Ash busied themselves collecting the sorcerer clans from the darklands that were willing to help the werewolves with the war as well, though their numbers were few they would still be a major asset when the time came.For the entire two weeks signs of army building was detected by scouts that Mason hid within the darklands, from what was being reported it wouldn't be much longer before Marie and Talon waged their attacks and this time Mason was well prepared.The room Danica and Mason shared had been converted into a mini headquarters where Mason held meetings and planned at
"I'm going to be a mom?" Danica asked not sure if she had heard the doctor correctly. "What do you mean I'm going to be a mom?"The air around Danica had grown thin and she was having a very hard time breathing. After everything that had happened in the past two days, she wasn't sure she could even handle anymore surprises. Not to mention, there was about to be a war, how could she possibly have gotten herself pregnant?"Exactly as I said Luna." Dr. Gerald chirped oblivious to the fact Danica wasn't happy about his news. "You're about a month along already."Turning her gaze to Mason Danica tried to make sense of what was going on. Unlike her Mason was smiling from ear to ear as he met Danica's eyes."We're going to be parents!" Mason exclaimed laughing. "Are you sure Dr. Gerald?""Yep, pretty positive the hormone levels don't lie." Dr. Gerald confirmed passing his clipboard over to Mason. "Congratulations