Taming Of The Beast - 3. Chapter 3

It wasn’t a dream he told himself that the second he woke up from his sleep, he had felt Mason’s arms around him which meant he had sneaked in after he had slept from the long day he had. Brushing the thought of Mason’s naked body against his and his lips on his, Bastian got himself out of bed as he continued to think about his mate, that boyish smile that seemed to wash away Bastian’s worries and that beautiful erotic scent, he had tried to imagine a life with him in it but it seemed like couldn’t do much other than dream. Bastian laughed as Luciana barged in shutting the door behind her, she jumped on the bed exactly where Mason had slept. The scent now he would be forced to sleep with a scent that drove him crazy. She laid her head on the pillow as she took a whiff she giggled “Cousin, you slut you” She giggled again.

Bastian shook his head “I was too beat for that” He waited for another one of her many lectures as he pulled out yet another pair of gym clothes since all they would be doing all day was nothing but training.

Luciana jumped from the bed and slapped the back of her cousin’s head playfully “When exactly are you ever going to stop and accept love? You’re not getting any younger, ya know? You also can’t reject a mating and because I’m a great cousin…I will never let you hurt yourself and let go of a perfect thing like Mason”

He raised an eyebrow “What makes you think he wants to as you call it ‘be my perfect thing’?

Luciana laughed “Boy you’re so damn blind it’s crazy” She smiled rolling her eyes annoyingly “Get dressed. You and I are first going to take a little walk without the three stooges. I mean I love them with my life but this is between me and my cousin”

With him dressed they both sneaked out of the house, he gave her a smile as he pulled her close to him. His arm was resting on her shoulder, he watched her as if she was in serious conversation with herself. His cousin was all business when it came to him, she protected him like her family but she also gave him room to breathe instead of pulling on the hammer. She pulled her cousin’s arm using a finger before she again burst out laughing. She and Bastian always had the best of times together, they had grown up surrounded by love and life and they had never cared about the future. He remembered her telling him about her dream meeting her Prince Charming. The many sleepovers they had had and the amazing hide and seek games they always managed to pull Derek in and sometimes his father and mother. Luciana had grown up in his home, her father had worked as the Commander of the Lycan Warriors who always protected everyone as a result while had been there for her, and he had allowed her to stay with Bastian and her mother’s family. Luciana had lost her mother when she was only six years old, she promises she remembered her but then both had been so young that neither had questioned her. Luciana had moved in permanently and her father also moved in, Bastian’s father couldn’t let his younger sister’s family live alone when they had a family. As a result, Luciana had been named Princess and she took her crown seriously, she had always had a close relationship with Bastian’s mother who turned into her mother as well. They had always been two peas in a pod especially when they had their arguments and fights which never took too long to mend once both had vented enough.

As they sat on the grass they both turned to each other something they always did when the other had something important to share “When are you going to forgive yourself, Bastian? You keep blaming yourself for what they did to you that you worry that anyone who so much as shows an interest in you will never accept you. You’re a Prince, you’re amazingly handsome, athletic built and your smile compared with your charm drives everyone crazy and because I’m your cousin I won’t say you’re hot but you are. You have amazing eyes which sometimes I swear can look into everyone’s souls. You have a heart of gold and a Prince that everyone loves you. You are so selfless and you help everyone who needs help.” She didn’t look at her cousin instead she carried on “I worry sometimes that you’ll end up alone and rule our species with no one to love you in return. You’re so strong, a hell of a fighter and the fact that you’re….you’re different doesn’t mean you can’t be loved. You need to let others show you what love truly is...you need to open yourself to being loved in return. I love you, cuz and I know you love me but you need to at least have hope and faith for Mason as well. You might not realize it but both of you need each other more than you care to realize. He is the yin to your yang if you catch my drift”

“I’m not just different, Lu. I’m a different kind of breed. A deadly monster that no one would ever accept and when those people stole me from my home, from my family they made me into this, I was happy until they dared nature. They turned me into an experiment a lab rat. My kind accepts me as both but Mason…his pack―” He really didn’t even want to think about it. He wouldn’t allow it. Not if he can avoid it like the plague as he always said.

“Will accept you because you are and never will be just his mate but you will be an Alpha-mate and a Prince who soon will take over the throne.” Luciana said hoping he heard her “I know he also has reservations about love and mates in general but at the end of the day you’re his and he is yours. The family and I love you to death and I know so will Mason, you just need to be patient. Let your heart heal and one by one knock out one brick at a time” She patted the back of one of his hand before she flashed a sincere smile at him.

Bastian sighed in defeat the worst thing for this would be for him to start a war with Luciana when even he knew she was right “I’m pretty sure he was in my bed last night. I just hoped it was a dream” He confessed watching her glow with excitement.

Standing up she pulled him with her “He did that too when you were out from that wolfsbane. Apparently, he sleeps better with you in the same bed, his mother says lately he’s been having trouble sleeping but that first day we took you there, his mother says that was the first good night sleep he's ever had since a few weeks”

Pulling her close to him, he once again rested his arm on her shoulder as she once again played with his fingers “I heard about the sleeping thing. I didn’t put anything into it.”

Walking into the Black Valley Pack houses, Luciana and Bastian had already been laughing trying to somehow find a solution for his cold dead heart which he loved making fun of. It was a joke he loved, every single time he’d watch a movie or read something he would snicker and complain about happily ever after’s existence except the entire forgiveness which is always done wrongly. He loved screaming at the television whenever they were all together. Bastian laughed as he looked at her, she was still playing with his fingers both still laughing and smiling. That was the Prince and the Princess everyone back home had always said, they were always seen together and rarely seen without the other. Bastian watched as someone smiled standing in front of them both, he looked Bastian straight in the eye and Luciana shook her head amazed at the charming ability her cousin had and yet seemed oblivious to.

“You’re one of the newcomers, aren’t you?” The boy asked.

Bastian noticed the way he was looking at him so he nodded “Yup, you’re a curious one. This is Luciana”

Luciana smiled at him with a warm smile that never faltered.

“So what is your name then, mine is Josh?”

“Bastian and that guy keeps waving you over. We don’t want to hold you up” Luciana both looked at each other trying to rid the guy from their presence.

Hale appeared out of nowhere and stood next to Luciana making her be the one in the middle, Josh seemed a little uneasy by the new arrival of the big guy so he scurried off towards the guy Bastian had mentioned. Hale lifted his shoulders up indicating he didn’t know anything, the three walked towards the Alpha’s home in laughter and talk.

Hale nudged Luciana “You talk to him then?”

Luciana nodded adding a wide smile “This is great. My friends in cahoots, you know I expected this from Derek and father instead of my close best friends. You both hurting my poor dead heart” He laughed.

Hale made a face but Bastian knew that all of them had been worried about him for good reasons, they were his closest friends but also they cared “That’s exactly what we’re worried about. Your cold dead heart”

Laughing and making jokes all the way towards their guest home, he still had his arm around Luciana and she never seemed to mind about it. This had been what they always did when they took walks or just walked in general with guards following them close by. As they walked into the house they spotted Alpha Isaac and his mate indicating that breakfast was waiting for them, Bastian had always offered to make breakfast but then she had refused because of the trouble but his mate's mother refused outright declaring a Prince should not be killing himself hovering over a stove period.

“Who was that guy anyway?” Hale asked puzzled.

Joining Mason, Drew, Taron, Jesse and Collin on the table he looked at Hale “Hey, you know as much as we do…He said it was Josh. Apparently, he’s curious about us and the way he was looking at me, I’m gonna erase that from my memory” He let go of Luciana as she sat next to him unable to see the anger that rose from Mason at the mention of the name.

Heads turned towards Mason but Bastian didn’t really notice the eyes that focussed on his mate especially coming from Collin and Jesse as if a secret was discovered “So tomorrow you heal entirely so ―”

Taron was cut off immediately by Hale “No drinking and no celebrations, Taron. You know the drill.” He flashed the other a devious smirk “Not until he’s in better shape.”

“You know I’m right here.” Bastian pointed out rolling his eyes “You guys wanna come with us? We usually celebrate not being dead after one of us has healed. It would be fun if you came with us.” He asked his mate and his friends who seemed to have been having a conversation. He was inviting them to a night at least that was progress for him and Luciana couldn’t fault him because he was trying putting an effort like she wanted from him, Bastian wanted to spend some time with Mason, observe him in the wild where he could let loose and be himself around him without being tense and guarded everywhere he went, where not much was expected of him but just letting loose.

Collin nodded picking up a glass of orange juice in front of him “Yes, we’d love to join. So where did you guys go this morning?”

Luciana and Bastian looked at each other smiling like two kids who’d found treasure “Uh, she dragged me out of bed so we can have our daily heart to heart talks in the woods but Hale found us when we were held hostage by Josh”

That name again. Mason’s wolf was starting to get too edged up.

Mason stood up from his chair, he walked out of the living room as Collin followed him and Jesse stayed behind, the wolf had gotten so used to the Lycan’s that it seemed normal for him to be around the group of friends. He enjoyed their company and the fact that they always seemed to be happier and able to make as many jokes as he was. It was a breath of fresh air for him he couldn’t stop laughing whenever Taron started with his jokes and then Drew joined him this time making fun of their epic failures in a club back home, it seemed like it happened a lot.

****

Mason couldn’t breathe when all he wanted was to go back, back to when life was simple for him and not this complicated. Josh met Bastian and the fact that his former lover was taking an interest in his mate was making his wolf angry, he would lose control sooner than later where Josh was concerned if he carried on fucking Bastian with his eyes. He kept on reminding him that he was not in love but every single time he told himself that the spark of belief faded with every word, he was jealous which could only mean one thing, love. Mason wanted to tear Josh apart.

Collin leaned against the doorframe “You’re alright?”

No. He was furious “Yes. I just needed to get out there”

Co. walked into the room and shut the door behind him “You’re a crap liar, Mason. You’re pissed Josh got to Bastian without you there to fend him off, aren’t you?”

Damn, his friend knew him better than he thought “I can’t handle these feelings, Co. I can’t handle this because if this is love then, I want nothing from it”

Co. pulled a chair looking into those sparkling brown eyes that were filled with worry and anger “You’re the one who said you wanted a friend and not a mate, my friend. No one ever said love was easy especially if you closed the door on it years ago.” Co looked at his friend “He won’t wait forever, Mason. He’ll leave and you will never see him again and you’d have lost your one chance at true and sincere happiness plus an Alpha needs a mate”

“What do you want me to do, Co.?”

“Show another side of you to him and get Josh to back the hell off what’s yours because if you don’t. He’ll never stop. You heard what Bastian said. He cornered them and when Josh wants someone he usually gets that someone” Co. comforted his friend more or less trying to steer him in the right direction where he knew where his heart truly lied “You sneak in to feel his body against yours as he sleeps but you never stay so he can wake up with you there. This won’t go anywhere if you both don’t stop your bullshitting” Collin had spoken with Luciana, she and the others had been well receiving of the others adopting them into their everyday tomfoolery. Collin had especially gotten to know Bastian, the man behind the title “Hey, would I ever steer you wrong?” He flashed a grin at his friend before they both swung their heads towards the door.

“Guys, we’re going for the run. You ready?” Jesse and Drew were standing beside each other breathing heavily a spark of excitement in their eyes.

The Prince was his Mason reminded himself.