“Who?” Mason bit out and his hand crumpled his can. The savagery in his tone made me breathless. My heart skipped a beat.
“Kate and Parker were the first ones. They didn’t touch her, but after I sent them off, she was slapped by that Cass bitch.”
A derogatory name slipped from Mason before he caught my face and lifted it for examination. “Ouch!” I hissed from the sudden movement, but he rubbed a gentle thumb over my cheek.
“It’s already getting red.”
I sensed the anger in him and knew he was struggling to control it.
“Bitch.”
Nate nodded in agreement. “I had them all shipped out.”
Mason cursed. “No more f**king parties with Academites.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Then Mason held me against him and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You okay?”
“She was getting ready to wallop her when I pulled her back. She would’ve socked her a good one.” The amusement was evident in Nate’s voice. There was pride too. “She’s a fighter.”
CHAPTER NINE
When I woke, the room was dark, but I felt Mason climb off the bed. “Where…?”
He patted my arm but went to his door. That was when I realized someone had been knocking on it, and I sat up as the hallway light filtered inside. Mason kept the door tight behind him and blocked my view to whoever was there. After a quiet conversation for a few seconds, he shut the door again and padded over to me.
“Who was that?”
Mason crawled next to me and slid a hand over my waist. He tugged me close and then raised himself up on an elbow. “My dad.”
“Your dad, but why—” And then I remembered.
Becky had been crying.
Kate and Parker had been mean.
Cassandra had slapped me. I hissed at that memory and touched the side of my face. Nate ordered all of them gone.
I spent the rest of the night tucked between Mason and Logan. Nate was beside Mason, and we remained around a bonfire until three in the morning. When we returned to town, Mason had been about to drop me off at Garrett’s, but I told him to head to the Kade mansion instead.
I wanted to be in his bed. Then I had the other realization that shook me.
The Kade mansion was my home. Somewhere over the last five months, this place had become my home. When I admitted that to myself, I had to hold back tears. I didn’t know why, but for some reason it made me tremble. I tucked my hands underneath my legs. It was never good to show weakness.
Mason hadn’t said much, but I knew he could tell. He made love to me in a tender way that left me breathless during and afterwards. Then he held me as tears slipped down my face. Neither of us spoke a word. We had fallen asleep like that.
“What time is it?”
He groaned as he checked the clock. “Six thirty or so.” He nuzzled underneath my jaw and chuckled. His breath teased my skin. “Guess we know what time Garrett got home, huh?”
I could’ve smacked my forehead. “I forgot to text him and tell him where I was going to be tonight.”
Mason cursed. “Forget him.”
I slid my fingers through his hair and tugged his head up. His eyes sparkled from the moonlight as he grinned down at me. “What else did James say?”
A dark look flared for a moment. Then he replaced it with annoyance and collapsed next to me. “Your mom wants a family meeting.”
My heart stopped. “When?”
He cursed again. “I have no idea. We have to finish that tournament today so it’s not today. I know that much.”
“Where?”
“The tournament?”
I swatted his chest. “The family meeting.”
Mason looked over. “Are you serious? Don’t you usually avoid things?”
I shrugged in the bed. “Maybe I’m proactive now?”
He rolled his eyes but reached for me. I was lifted in the air and placed on top of him. My eyes sparked as I straddled him with my hands on his chest. He caught them and rolled again. I was on my back. This time, he straddled me and my hands were held captive above my head.
“You’re proactive now?” he asked as he bent low and started to lick underneath my jaw.
I gasped and squirmed when he moved lower. “Don’t you have a tournament today?”
He gave me a look filled with promise and tucked two hands on the inside of my underwear. As he whisked them off and scooted even lower, I sucked in my breath, feeling his lips linger at the apex between my legs and his tongue swirl between them.
I forgot all about the tournament.
*
When I rolled over, the bed was empty beside me. The clock said it was past eleven, and I felt bone tired. Mason left a note on his desk with a set of keys beside it. The tournament was still in Roussou, and they would be back late. After I showered and changed in my room, I grabbed Adam’s keys and headed downstairs. When I passed the kitchen, Mousteff stuck his hand out. A steaming cup of coffee drew me closer. It smelled of heaven and French vanilla. I grabbed the to-go cup with a smile of thanks. He grunted to the kitchen, and I heard a chopping sound soon after.