His mother had escaped the kingdom and travelled here to locate her divinely ordained Mate, subsequently being Marked and Mated by him before her family could intervene; she had not even disclosed her identity to his father at that time.
She had seemingly recklessly traversed the pack boundaries, even on a night devoid of a full moon, triggering all alarms. The moment she encountered him while they attempted to capture her, she had seized him and marked him immediately, disregarding the presence of onlookers.
The woman concealed herself from the seers, who were unaware of her absence from the palace until it was too late to apprehend her; she remained in hiding, returning only when summoned. The notion captivated his focus.
He remembered that she had departed voluntarily when Daisy was nearly deceased at 17 and had not returned for over a month; she must have been aware then, having left due to the anguish caused by Daisy’s actions, he surmised. Thus, she had been aware for a minimum of ten years. Mason sighed; whatever transpired was presumably her secret, unknown to anyone else.
Although Daisy resembled his sisters significantly, he had suspected even during her adolescence, and it became evident to him that his profound connection to her and his instinct to safeguard her indicated that she was his sister, absent from his familial structure.
At four, he attempted to retain her, bringing her as an infant directly into his father’s suite, presenting her to his father. How had his father failed to recognise the scent of his own Mate on that child that day? He was unaware! Mason attempted to integrate her into the family himself, but they removed her from her rightful place.
If she had been present in this pack-house, he could have adequately safeguarded her. Had it not been for her previous history with Caelan, events would have transpired seamlessly, ensuring her safety under his supervision at all times.
Mason could only surmise that his mother had compelling reasons for forsaking the girl, likely related to the circumstances of her conception and the identity of her father, which needed to remain confidential and caused her shame. The luminous ocular feature was not inherent to the royal lineage, thus it was inherited from her paternal ancestry.
Mason could only speculate about the identity of the individual, as he recognised that his mother was unlikely to disclose the truth at this juncture.
The door was abruptly and forcefully opened, causing Mason to be propelled forward and onto the floor. His head turned sharply towards Lark, who retreated upon recognising it was his father. The man appeared utterly enraged with him, strode into the suite as Mason lifted himself off the floor.
His father forcefully closed the door behind him.
“Do not ever provoke your mother in that manner again,” he growled, his wolf instincts surfacing prominently.
Mason sighed, “I merely posed a single question.” He had not intended for this situation to escalate, but had she not abruptly fled and declined to respond to a single inquiry, it would not have reached this point.
“I am indifferent.” Do not inflict that pain upon her again. “I will bury you,” he bellowed with intense aggression.
“Lark immediately lifted his head in response to the threat.”
“Are you aware?”He and Lark retorted with hostility.
“Are you aware of what?”“His father replied sharply.”
Excellent, thus his father was unaware, “Disregard it.” “I will not mention it again,” Mason stated, yet he was already aware that it needed to be addressed. The girl’s ancestry required clarification to determine the appropriate course of action when the moment arrived.
“No, you will not,” his father retorted. “She has endured sufficient hardship in her life.” “Let it go,” he said, then exited the suite, slamming the door behind him.
Mason sighed; how could he uncover the truth without his mother divulging everything? How could he even articulate her significance to him when she had enquired about it? How could he inform Caelan? The man felt considerable guilt regarding the woman; if he were aware that she was his best friend’s sister, it would exacerbate his remorse, as he already despised his treatment of her.
A confrontation was imminent, and Mason was aware of it. Caelan was an Alpha with anger management problems, while Daisy was also an Alpha, possessing royal lineage. Upon fully comprehending her potential, she would likely surpass Caelan in strength, provided she received adequate training.
His mother, indeed, her own mother had been instructing her today. Perhaps she anticipated the unavoidable confrontation that was developing between them. This may be what John intended, fated to perish at Caelan’s hands. She and Amelia lacked formal training.
He needed to persuade Caelan to permit her training in both human and wolf forms. In the event of a confrontation between Alphas, she must be capable of defending herself against him. The conversation was unlikely to proceed favourably; perhaps individualised training with him or a member of the Alpha Unit would be beneficial. Alpha Ronan may accept her, as he has always harboured a fondness for the girl; she requires Alpha training, and Mason is aware that Caelan will not provide it. That would require him to successfully strike her during combat training, and Mason could not envision Caelan delivering a blow to her, even in practice.
Mason needed to contemplate the discussion and address it appropriately.
Logically, it would likely be the sole approach; Caelan was quite rational about everything, with the exception of her, of course. Found it impossible to think clearly in her presence.
He exited the room and descended the stairs, seizing the moment. He was already irritated, and she had made a deliberate choice to commence training. She would become a formidable challenge of royal magnitude if she lacked space to breathe, feeling perpetually constrained and confined by Caelan.
Mason recognised the necessity of obtaining those Alpha orders from her; he aimed to minimise conflict between them and attempt to alleviate the tension and impending confrontation he anticipated. His sister confronts his Alpha and closest friend; how would he manage that situation? He could not permit anyone to injure her.
He was also obligated to his Alpha, tasked with safeguarding him from peril; he could not simultaneously protect both from one another. Mason anticipated with trepidation the inevitable moment when he would have to make a choice.
Mason’s Perspective
Mason stood in Caelan’s vacant office, accompanied by Ronan and Luna Elizabeth, both gazing at him, unaware of the man’s whereabouts. Mason had abandoned him in his office, grappling with his fury regarding Daisy’s exposure outside for the entire pack to witness, while approximately two dozen male and female wolves were present with her in the training area.
Alex and Cole would have glanced at her before diverting their gaze, but understood the importance of not staring. Caelan was a possessive individual who had not tolerated it a decade ago and would not tolerate it now; however, he had to accept that she was no longer his, and Mason could observe that the man was indeed attempting to exercise restraint.
If she belonged to him at that moment, he would have been furious and would have proceeded to the training ground, forcibly placing his shirt over her head to conceal her body, then hoisting her over his shoulder and transporting her to his office for a reprimand. However, he had not accomplished that, indicating he was attempting to engage with her, rather than asserting ownership.
