Chapter 61: Chapter 61
Katie POV
My breath hitches in my throat when I look at Mason. Something is nagging in my mind, as if I am supposed to remember him, but I cannot lay my finger on it.
“Did you say Katie?” Mason frowns, looking from me to Asher. “Not Elara?”
“Katie,” I say firmly.
“My mistake,” Mason raises his hands defensively, but he looks at me suspiciously.
“Hello, Katie.” Mason changes his demeanour. His voice is smooth and rich, like hot, fresh coffee on a cold morning. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
His hair is long and dark like his eyes, his lips perfectly full. This close, his scent is strong. Woody and fresh, with something subtly sweet underneath. It hits my senses so hard that my head spins, but I do not mind it. In fact, I must fight the urge to lean closer and breathe in deeper.
“Hi,” I accept his extended hand, and when our skin touches, a tingling feeling crawls over my palm and up my arm. The sensation is weirdly familiar.
Suddenly, I feel a stirring deep inside me, a beast pawing at my chest. My wolf. I have not felt her since I woke up pregnant and panicked. I was starting to wonder if she even existed.
“Touch him again,” she urges. “Smell him again.”
“Not here,” I reply. “Not now.”
I am ecstatic that my wolf has returned, but I cannot help but ask why now? Sure, Mason is hot as hell, but so is Asher, and she never bothered to even lift her head at his touch.
“Mason and I have been friends since we were little,” Asher says. “I know all his darkest secrets.”
“And I yours,” Mason replies drily.
“I’m going to get us all a round,” Asher laughs. “Don’t steal my date while I’m gone.”
He winks at me and walks off, leaving me and Mason alone. Mason takes a seat opposite me and eyes me with amused interest.
“I haven’t seen you around Stillwood before,” I say to break the awkward silence.
“I don’t go out a lot,” he smiles. “Asher and I grew up in the same pack, but we both got banished when we were young.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I reply.
“Don’t look so sad,” he laughs. “I turned out alright.”
“Why were you banished?” The question slips out before I can stop it. Immediately, I feel embarrassed for being nosy.
“I had a rough childhood,” his expression darkens. “And my parents weren’t around. I don’t think anyone knew what to do with me.”
He smiles, but his eyes are full of sadness. I want to know more. I want to know why my wolf was so interested in him, and if my scent makes him as dizzy as his scent is making me, but he beats me to the punch.
“You’ve got so many questions, Katie,” he teases. “But I don’t know a thing about you.”
“What do you want to know?” I shrug nonchalantly.
“How’d you come to live in Stillwood?” He smirks deviously. “Are you some kind of hardened criminal?”
“Yeah,” I turn sideways, and rub my belly dramatically. “Everything about me just screams supervillain.”
“Hey, I don’t judge a book by its cover,” he laughs, and I am again mesmerised by him.
“Seriously, I don’t know,” I say. “I was in an accident, and I woke up with amnesia.”
“I don’t even know who did this to me.” I pat my belly.
“Damn,” Mason whistles, looking intensely at me. “That’s tough.”
“Stillwood’s been good to me,” I shrug. “I’m lucky to have met people like Quinn and Asher.”
“And me?” he asks.
“Maybe,” I admit coyly. “But you’re not from Stillwood.”
A girl walks past us, but when she sees me, her jaw drops.
“Elara!” she cries excitedly. “Oh, Goddess, it’s really you!”
There is that name again. I turn around to make sure she is not talking to someone else.
“Sorry,” I look at her apologetically. “I don’t know an Elara.”
“Wait, is this some kind of joke?” She blinks quickly, bewildered by my response. “Elara, it’s me. Mindy.”
“Good for you,” I say, ignoring the nagging in the back of my mind. “But I’m not Elara.”
“Hey, don’t feel bad,” Mason says, looking at Mindy. “I made the same mistake, she’s not Elara. But it’s uncanny, isn’t it?”
“Yes, very,” she mumbles.
“I’m so sorry,” she steps back. “It’s just that my best friend Elara died in an accident recently, and you look so much like her.”
Goddess, how terrible. No wonder she is freaking out.
“Hold on,” I turn to Mason. “You also thought I was Elara. Do you and Mindy know each other?”
“No,” they reply in unison.
“Peculiar,” I shrug.
“Ladies, excuse me a moment,” Mason says, standing up. “Asher’s calling me over.”
“I’m sorry about your friend,” I say softly as he walks away.
“That’s okay.” She swallows. “You know, I heard everyone has a doppelganger. I guess you’re Elara’s.”
“Where are you from?” I ask her.
“Oh, I’m here with my mates representing the Constantine pack.” Her face lights up at the mention of her mates. “We’re not too far from here.”
“Wow, that’s cool.” I try to match her excitement, but truthfully, I have no clue what the Constantine pack was.
“Isn’t it?” she continues. “Normally, I wouldn’t get to come, but the Alphas are tied up with some family emergency, so they sent their High Guards instead.”
“Oh goddess,” she smacks a hand on her forehead. “Why am I telling you all this? You probably couldn’t give two shits.”
“Hey,” I laugh heartily. Talking to her feels so familiar. Maybe because her bubbliness reminds me of Quinn. “I asked the question.”
“Anyway,” she says, “where are you from?”
“I’m from Stillwood,” I reply. It sounds like she is from a fancy traditional pack, and I have no idea how she would respond to the news that I am a rogue.
“Wow,” she says, her eyes widening. “I never met someone from Rogue territory before.”
“Now, you have,” I laugh.
“Well, I’ll let you get back to your date,” she smiles. “Thanks for not thinking I’m a total freak.”
“Bye,” I smile, but as Mindy walks away, I have the crazy thought that I already miss her.
