Chapter 8

Harper POV

I didn’t know what to do with myself as I watched Mason stride from the car to the door. All I knew was I couldn’t let him and Levi get into it over me.

So I met him at the door, hoping I could head off any confrontation. But as soon as I opened it and watched his eyes go wide at my attire, I realized that was a mistake.

“I’ve been looking for you all night,” he growled, pushing his way into the house. “What the hell are you doing here? Wearing that?”

Before I could say a word, the air shifted. I didn’t even hear his footsteps, but I knew Levi was behind me. Mason’s eyes narrowed and he moved a step closer.

“Is there a problem with her visiting her family?” Levi’s voice was completely flat. “My question is what the hell happened last night that she needed to get away from?”

I felt like a rabbit frozen between two wolves. But before I could insist it was nothing, Mason grabbed my hand and pulled me to his side.

“Nothing more than a little lover’s quarrel, right love?” he said breezily, but continued before I could speak. “The wedding stress is getting to us both, but we agreed to cool off and talk this morning. I just didn’t expect her to leave.”

His hand tightened painfully around mine, but I didn’t react. I smiled instead, knowing he could inflict worse pain than this.

“See, I told you, Levi. Nothing to worry about,” I said, leaning into Mason as if I was glad he was here.

Levi frowned, eyes bouncing between us, looking for cracks. But I refused to show him any. I was a grown woman, I had to stop dumping my crap on him.

Levi was moving on with his life, it was past time for me to do the same.

“We should get going,” Mason said abruptly, moving for the door. “So much to do. Say goodbye, Harper.”

But I couldn’t. It was all I could do to hold my smile in place and follow Mason out the door – though my feet dragged every step. Mason had no problem pulling mt to my side of the car. He opened my door and practically shoved me inside. Then waved to Levi as he got in.

The moment his door shut, he rounded on me, livid.

“You little fucking slut,” he roared, wrapping his fingers around my neck. I was too shocked to fight back, too scared he’d tighten his hand.

With his other hand, he grabbed the collar shirt I wore and yanked. It tore painfully off my shoulder.

“Get. This. Garbage. Off. Your. Body!”

With each word, he yanked and shredded the shirt until it lay in ribbons around my waist. The entire time, he held me fast by the throat, his fingers digging in the sides of my neck like a warning.

I didn’t dare breathe too hard in case he hurt me. I could only cry silently until he let me go.

Mason made a sound of disgust and pulled off his own shirt. “Here,” he spat, throwing it in my lap. “Cover yourself. God, I hate how you do this to me.”

I fumbled his shirt over my head and almost choked on his cloying bergamot scent. When I popped my head out the top, Mason was running his hands through his hair. The rage was tucked away behind the charming face I used to now.

His mood swings were terrifying, unpredictable as a storm.

“Harper, you know how important our marriage is,” he sighed, like he was talking to a naughty child, “Not just for us, sweetheart, but for our pack. All eyes are on us right now.”

I looked down to hide my flicker of irritation. That wasn’t what he said when he proposed to me. He didn’t even know who my alpha was then. And he never called me sweetheart, hearing it now just made me feel slimy.

“And you cannot go running to daddy ever again.” Mason hooked a finger under my chin and forced my face to his. I resisted a bit, but he didn’t relent. “It’s unseemly. Do you understand?”

On that, at least, we agreed. I couldn’t go running back to Levi, it would just make everything worse.

So I just said, “Of course, I won’t.”

He smiled and his eyes softened. “Thank you baby,” he breathed, caressing my face. “I love you so much. I was so scared when I couldn’t find you.” He leaned in and wrapped his arms around me.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t hug him back, or pull away.

“Please, please don’t ever do that to me again, okay?” Mason continued, kissing my cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, I love you so much.”

I stayed silent, letting the words pour over me like water. Only one thought broke through the numbness creeping over me.

I just want one last look at him.

But Mason pulled back, blocking my view of the house. He peeled off so fast I didn’t have a chance to look back.

Levi POV

Something was wrong. That was clear as I watched Mason practically drag harper to the car.

But even before that I knew – Harper wasn’t really happy to see him, was she? For a heartbeat, I could have sworn it was dread on her face when she knew it was him.

Or maybe you’re just a pervy old man and it’s wishful thinking.

I made myself close the front door, but I couldn’t get his face out of my mind, before he knew I was there. The rage in his eyes…

On one hand, anyone would be angry to see their fiancé basically naked in another man’s shirt. But on the other, the idea of her alone with that anger made me uneasy. They said they argued. Was that rage what had driven her out of the pack house?

Before I could think better of it, my phone was at my ear. “I need you to investigate what happened at the Ridgewood house last night.”

There was a pause from my beta, Noah, on the other line. “Didn’t you say we were leaving today?”

I said nothing, but Noah knew me too well. He sighed. “If you’re worried about your daughter, just talk to her man.” When I continued to say nothing, he took it as a sign to keep talking. “I mean, Harper and Mason seem close – he came for her early and –”

“Noah?” I said quietly.

I heard him swallow. “Yeah?”

“Shut up. Investigate, no talking.” And then I hung up the phone. A niggling thought bothered me – See, even Noah thinks it’s weird to be this interested in Harper’s relationship!

She loves him, not you.

But I shoved it down. I was just looking after harper like I promised her father I would. Besides, how could she have any feelings for me? I was never there for her like I should have been and now I was just a man twice her age lusting where I shouldn’t.

I scrubbed a hand down my face. Maybe I’d just been sleeping alone for too long. My instincts didn’t have anywhere else to go. Sure, I could buy that. Maybe it was time to give Avery a call. She was my fiancé, and she wanted to come, but I didn’t think the trip would be long enough to be worth it.

But it looked like I’d be in Ridgewood territory longer than I planned. I walked to the window, surprised to see the car still there. I told myself not to look, but if they were arguing, or he was yelling at her –

Paranoid creep, I chastised myself as I watched him wrap his arms around Harper.

From what I could see of her, she was in the shirt he’d been wearing.

That bothered me more than it should’ve as I watched the car drive away.