Chapter Thirty

Mason reached over and changed the song. Kane smirked over at him, it seemed that Mason was one of those people who seemed to only get through half a song before changing it over to the next one. On anyone else, Kane would have found it annoying, but with Mason it was just endearing. He kept his eyes on the road but couldn't stop the occasional glance over towards him, just to watch Mason bobbing his head to the beat or tapping his fingertips against his knee. Kane felt like he could drive forever with Mason beside him.

Kane glanced back at Nora, only to see her in the same position she had been for the past three hours, headphones in her ears and her head pointed towards the window. Kane wanted to say something to her. He wished that they could all talk together, but he also feared that getting her to speak would bring out more anger, and so he held his tongue.

"I wonder why this witch doesn't have a phone," Kane wondered out loud. "It would have been so much easier to just call her."

"Your mum said she lives on her own, outside the pack. She might not use technology," Mason offered.

"Yeah," Kane replied. "You're probably right."

Mason reached down and touched the watch which sat on his wrist. "Let's just enjoy this adventure as it takes us. Who knows when we will be able to do this again."

"You're right," Kane said. He reached over and laid his hand open on the centre console. Mason reached over locked their fingers.

Kane felt Nora's eyes on them but he didn't let go of Mason's hand.

They made it to the hotel just after nightfall. Kane turned the key into the room. There were two queen beds to one side of the room with bleached white sheets. Opposite the beds stood a small table and chairs, a couch and a very old looking television. Kane walked down the narrow hall, past the bathroom, and went to the other end of the room. He opened the blinds which revealed the car park below.

"Nice view," Nora said with a small laugh as she trailed in behind them.

"Five star view right there," Kane agreed. He turned just as she threw her bags on one of the beds.

"Do you mind if I take this one?" she asked.

"I don't mind at all."

It only then hit Kane that he and Mason would be sharing a bed. He didn't even want to think about how hard it was going to be to not kiss him.

Mason dropped his bag next to the bed and threw himself onto it. "That was a long drive," he murmured.

"Is everyone happy if I go get food from that little store back down the road?" Kane asked.

Mason nodded with closed eyes. Nora had grabbed pyjamas from her bag and nodded as she passed him to head to the bathroom.

Kane decided to walk to the store. He was more than sick of being in the car. Cars drove fast past him as they travelled down the long road. As he walked, his phone started ringing. He only had to glance at the caller ID to sigh out loud. It was Adam. He hadn't responded to a single one of his calls. He stared at the photo that had popped up on the screen of the two of them. It was from one of Peyton's parties. They stood with red cups in their hands and smiles on their faces. He didn't recognise the faces in that photo anymore.

He declined the call. When his phone rang a second time he had assumed it would be Adam again, however this time it was an unknown number.

"Hello?"

A peppy voice flowed through the phone. "Hi there, is this Kane?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"Oh," the happy voice said, "I'm Eve! Eve from the Rosemont pack."

"Oh!" Kane knew who this was. The Rosemont pack was where they were headed. "Yes. Hi Eve."

"Hi Kane. I just wanted to call and so you had my number in case you got lost or needed anything."

"Thank you, that's really nice. I'm very thankful to your pack for accommodating us."

"My father, the Alpha, is more than happy for us to host you and your well, mates. Your father explained the situation to us. We do hope that Rita is able to help you."

"Rita is the witch doctor?"

Rita sounded like a nice name. He hoped that she was nice.

"Oh yes, that's her."

Kane wanted to ask a thousand questions, but he refrained. "Can you tell me about her?"

"Rita is a lovely woman, but she's a bit strange. All witch doctors are, I think. She has a house about a half hour drive from the pack but she doesn't really like visitors. I'm sure she will make an exception for you, however."

"I hope so," Kane admitted.

"Anyway, we are expecting you tomorrow night. Just give me or my brother a call if you need anything. I'll text you through his number. Owen and I have been asked my our father to make sure you all are looked after, so don't hesitate in contacting us."

"Thank you Eve, I really appreciate your call."

"See you tomorrow! I can't wait to meet you all!"

Kane didn't think he's ever had a conversation with someone so peppy. He had assumed living in a small pack in the middle of nowhere would make you a serious person, but this one conversation was enough to change his mind.

He made it to the shop and grabbed some simple things. He walked back to the hotel slowly. He enjoyed breathing the fresh air into his lungs and wished that he could transform. It had been too long and his bones itched for it. He knew that transforming outside of his pack was dangerous, but there was a part of him that wanted to drop what he was carrying and jump into the bushes to his side. He thought about it, but knowing that Mason was waiting on him made him walk faster.

As Kane opened their room door he had expected to see Nora and Mason on opposite sides of the room but instead they were sitting on the edge of the bed closest to the window, facing away from him. They were sitting close together and were talking quietly.

They didn't turn when Kane entered. He quietly closed the door behind him and stood against the door for a moment, just watching them. He couldn't hear the words they were sharing, but they were connecting in a way that Kane had never seen even a sliver of before. He smiled slightly at the sight.

He didn't want to interrupt, but also didn't want to be caught watching them. He walked towards the small, wooden table. "I'm back," he said as he put the plastic bag down on it.

The two of them jumped and turned quickly. It was hard to sneak up on a wolf, Kane figured they must have been having a very deep conversation.

"Oh, hi," Mason said. He smiled that signature smile at him.

Nora was looking down at the floor. She was wearing a pink nightgown and fluffy slippers. She kicked her slippers back and forth off the edge of the bed.

"I just got off the phone with Eva before, she's one of the Alphas at the Rosemont pack."

"What did she say?" Mason asked.

"Just a welcome really. I think they don't get visitors often."

"I've heard really good things about that pack," Nora said.

It was nice to hear her voice. He wanted to ask her what they had been talking about. He felt like he was missing out on something. "Yeah me too."

Kane sat down on the couch. He had only been there for a second before Mason sat down next to him, his hand coming to rest on Kane's thigh. Kane couldn't help but stare at the watch which sat on Mason's wrist. It was a perfect fit. There was something about seeing it there that made him feel like the thing he had with Mason was real. That they had a future together, maybe even the one he so hopelessly was wanting.

"Have you texted your aunt?" Kane asked.

Mason nodded. "Yes. She knows that we are safely here." Mason turned his head. "Do your parents know about this?"

Nora sat on the couch with them, she was looking down at her hands. "I didn't tell them, no."

"Why?" Mason asked.

"I just couldn't," Nora explained.

"I'm sorry about all of this," Kane told her. "It's my pack's fault that this happened."

"It's not exactly the fairy tale mate relationship that I wanted, and I know that I've been a bit of a cow this entire time, but I don't want you to think that I hate you," her gaze shifted to Mason, "or you. I don't blame you guys for any of this, I'm just mad. I feel so," she played with her hands in her lap, "alone in all of this."

Kane felt his heart breaking. He wanted to reach out to her, but he didn't know if he could. "You aren't alone. If you let us, we can be there for you."

Kane watched in surprise as Mason shifted closer to her on the couch and threw his arms around her. Kane expected her to push him away but instead she froze for a solid few seconds before wrapping her arms around him too, burying her face in his shirt. "You aren't alone," Mason whispered in her ear.

Kane's eyes widened. He didn't know what had happened in that room before he got there, but something had changed. He was finally seeing the real Nora. She had been so blocked off from him for so long, but this, here, was how she really felt. She felt alone. Kane cursed himself for not seeing that her actions were because she was scared, not because she hated him. She felt alone, and everything made more sense. Kane joined in on the hug, he stroked her hair and as she shook with tears he held onto them tighter.

Eventually they let go of each other. He stared into Nora's puffy, glassy eyes. "You really have been a cow recently," he told her.

Nora and Mason laughed. Kane loved the sound. He wished he could record it.

"Yeah you weren't wrong on that one," Mason laughed out.

Nora wiped the tears from under her eyes. "I'll try to be fifty percent less cowy from now on."

"Is that even a word?" Kane asked.

"I'm making it one," Nora replied. Her face turned serious. "Can we start over?"

"Yes," Mason said without missing a beat.

Kane smiled over at her. "Of course."

"There's no one better than this guy," Nora told Mason with a nudge. "You're very lucky."

"I was a pretty shitty mate actually," Kane told her with a small laugh. "I spent half the time falling for this guy," he wrapped his arm around Mason's shoulders.

"No. You were a great mate," Nora assured him. There was a truth to his eyes that relieved some of the guilt in Kane's mind.

"You are going to find your mate too, remember that," Mason reminded her.

Nora smiled slightly. "I hope my real mate is as kind and loyal as you Kane. I hope our bond is as strong as you twos."

Kane nodded. "It will be."

A phone rang out. Nora jumped up and grabbed it from the table. "It's Violet," she said as she took the phone into the hallway.

"Wow," Kane murmured when she was out of earshot. "I didn't think that conversation would happen in a million years."

"Me either," Mason admitted.

"What the heck happened while I was gone?" Kane asked.

Mason smiled. "We just talked. She apologised for a lot of things. I think things will be different now."

"I didn't think anyone would get through to her."

"I know how she feels," Mason admitted. "I was thinking about it on the drive. She feels like an outsider, like she doesn't fit in. She lives in your house and hangs out with your friends every day. Your life has become her life, and she thinks it's all slipping away. I just reminded her that even though you two aren't mates it doesn't mean she loses everything. To be honest, I think she was mostly scared about losing you. You two have been through a lot together, you don't always get along but you have this bond. It's easy for her to think you're going to want nothing to do with her when the bond's gone."

"I didn't think of it that way," Kane admitted. "You're right."

"It doesn't excuse how she treated us, but there's more to it than what we thought."

"Yes. Yes there is."

Mason nudged him. "So you're falling for me, hey?"

Kane couldn't hold in his laugh. "I thought that part was quite obvious." Kane held onto Mason tighter and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He knew that was probably as close to Mason as he could get. "Even with all of this craziness I am so glad that we found each other."

"Me too," Mason told him.