LOVABLE ROGUE

Lynda: But something's been wrong with him

Lynda: I can feel it in my bones

Lynda: How're my boys?

“Alpha?” Charlie asks, letting out a low whistle. For the most part all she knows is what her family knew about wolves and packs - which is to say, not a lot. Mason, Astrid, Scarlett and Carson had filled her in on a good deal, but some of the finer details had not made it into her repertoire, and how one became an alpha was one of those details. “How did that happen? I assume it wasn’t some kind of peaceful voting process,” she remarks dryly. She’s not sure how she feels about the population growing - on the one hand, meeting more wolves was always something she’d wanted. On the other, Mason didn’t seem as though this was going to be a cakewalk, and she loathed anything that might put her people in danger. 

“What do you mean? Did you miss the polls for it?” He feigned confusion before breaking into a smile though it was quick to fade away as he shook his head. “The last alpha was Scarlett’s ex. Safe to say we didn’t shake hands and play nice.” Although he would never stop banging his own head at the memory of sitting and talking to James before he knew who he actually was. It was the first time welcoming a wolf had failed him and he wasn’t looking to share that with anyone for his own sake. “Anyway, I just reacted. Wasn’t thinking of what it would mean in the end but here I am now.” What began as him trying to protect Scarlett and Levi ended with him blacking out from his own experiences. Go figure he would end up with such a big responsibility, what a cruel sense of humor life liked to have with him.

It was clear in the older man’s expression that he wasn’t buying this and quite frankly, he didn’t feel inclined to trust their new alpha more than his son. He was strict with him and made his expectations clear and for that reason, he didn’t believe he was capable of the things being described. He still maintained that it went down in a fit of jealousy. But his mother, her first instinct is to shake her head. Soon her gaze moves to Scarlett for some reassurance on his words and her face is enough to convince her that it’s true. Although, her head still shakes not because she didn’t believe him but because she felt ashamed at not knowing it at all. “How long?” She directed the question at Scarlett for she felt she had to answer to her in this moment more than Mason. “Most always, ma’am. Increasingly so when I got pregnant.” Which was the scariest part of it all for her and the main reason she had enough courage to leave them. “I’m sorry, child. If I had known..” Scarlett shakes her head and offers her a reassuring smile. “You didn’t. I know. Mason has been our relentless protector and his loyalty will extend you all. He is stronger than us all.” Both physically and mentally, she fully believed it. That leads the older woman her to the next question and likely the last for a while. “A hybrid. Why did you become one?” Wolves were known to be loyal to one another and vampires were often the cause of their strife, so merging with their species was foreign to her and to all of them. 

Truthfully, Mason would’ve preferred not to say anything about it but he also knew this conversation was going to happen so it had to be done, right? Still, it was Scarlett’s to tell, as he had said before, so whether the whole pack found out, that wasn’t going to be placed on him. He wasn’t going to use it as some kind of way to show that he was better, because in his own ways, he wasn’t. Mason wasn’t a saint and he wasn’t looking to pretend like he was. So he should’ve been prepared for the next question that came his way but his thoughts started running around like they were in a state of emergency. The full story of why he became one seemed to intimate to tell. Even in this situation, when he was meant to build connections but it only made him want to close up. He had to try and push through as much as he could and give her something. “The pack I had grown up with is practically wiped out. Never wanted to feel that helpless again.” Clearly, missing many details with that response but he was opting for a different approach to answer her with. “It took me a long time to be proud to be a wolf.” At least at the time it had felt like a long process to not feel like he was this monster of a kid. “But I am proud of it and that is a part of me that will always be most important and I’m proud of being a hybrid now as well. It gave me a sense of freedom and strength that I needed. I don’t regret what I am for a second and it doesn’t make me less likely to know what I’m doing with wolves or to know what we stand for.” He had, had a great Alpha once that he could learn from, even if he was just learning from memories.

The hardest thing about all of this was trusting that it would be okay in the end and while she trusted a majority of the people that would soon surround him, Scarlett felt a tremendous need to push him behind her every time they met someone. For that reason, she was relieved at seeing him enter the home to the point that it washed over her face. It was like she feared never seeing his face again. She rushed to his side, pressing a small reassuring kiss to his shoulder before stepping aside once more. Standing beside her were James and Savannah’s parents. His father whose eyes narrowed and who stood tall. His one arm was crossed across his chest while the other pulled his wife closer to himself. His mind was closed to newcomers despite the Paxons tendency to take them on. Their mother, however, her eyes were in a vacant stare, red and rubbed raw. As if she had been crying since the moment her eldest’s heart stopped beating. As if the pain never really seized. Seeing his killer in person was paralyzing for her yet somehow she pushed from her husband’s grip and made herself stand between them. Facing him and moving her eyes up his form until they finally fixated on his face. Perhaps she was speculating what his parents might look like and how they may feel if she took him away from them. But she was smarter than that and did most everything with caution. She didn’t know him or his story but she wanted to. “Mason.” She addressed him, obviously knowing his name by now. “Tell me why you did what you did.” She couldn’t bring herself to name it, or her now departed son. 

Mason’s eyes followed Scarlett the moment she came back into his view and he had to force himself to peel them off of her so he could actually looked at the two others in the room. His eyes met the male’s first and it took a lot of out him to fight the instinct of straightening his stance. It wasn’t about dominance either, simply a instinct his body wanted to have for those deeper reasons he tried to suffocate. So, he moved on rather quickly but when his gaze met James’ mother, he felt worse off. Being a killer was in Mason now. He had drained the bodies of people who didn’t deserve it before and he hadn’t lost sleep over it. So, he surely was never going to feel bad about what he did to James. Her pain, as a mother, was a foreign concept to him and one he didn’t feel like getting into. Mother’s, they’d really be the death of him one day. “Because your son didn’t know how to respect the mother of his child. Claiming her like she was property that he could force back here. I love her. And I love Levi. I’d do anything to protect either of them.” And he definitely blacked out once too much had hit him, but that was a bit too personal to be sharing with her or anyone for that matter. “Your son was one of those things.”

“Ouch. Making room for somebody?” Charlie teases him, well aware Mason would never do such a thing to someone he loved as much as Carson. Getting him out of the house in a temporary sense was good, though - if things didn’t start to turn around for Carson soon Charlie was going to sic his mother on him. “Got it in one,” she retorts, following him into the living room and sinking down into the couch as she listens to him. Her interest is piqued, to say the least, and she draws her knees up to her chest as she leans forward. “How come? Because of stuff with Scarlett’s old pack?” She knew some of what had happened, but nothing about what it entailed.

“Old, current.” His shoulders twitched. “Couldn’t be their alpha without being in the same place as them.” He wasn’t actually sure if Charlie had heard anything and if she had, he didn’t know how much she knew either but it was still something that was going to end up traveling through the town once vampires caught wind of an actual pack in town. He still wasn’t even sure if getting them to pack up from where they were use to, to move to Mystic Falls of all places was the smartest move on his part but he had already called the shots on it. He wasn’t about to backpedal now, especially because the people Mason chose to care for, the person he shared the most with in his life were all in Mystic Falls. “So the wolf population around here’s about to grow.” Which he was naturally more excited for since Mason was always more enthusiastic about wolves,  it just didn’t seem it since he was the one in full control of them now.

What ringtone my muse has set for yours: irreplaceable by Beyonce 

How quickly my muse responds to your texts: probably only when its convenient for him

How often our muses text: almost never

How often our muses call: never

Does my muse purposefully miss calls from yours: oh yes

Last text sent from my muse to yours:

 [ delivered ] did you finally die? 

What contact photo my muse has set for yours:

What ringtone my muse has set for yours: crush by David Archuleta 

How quickly my muse responds to your texts: asap rocky

How often our muses text: every day

How often our muses call: can go a long time without doing that but sometimes facetimes him from his room 

Does my muse purposefully miss calls from yours: never ever never

Last text sent from my muse to yours: 

[ delivered ] will you keep Astrid busy for me[ delivered ] im going to put a bunch of Annabelle dolls in her room

What contact photo my muse has set for yours: he cropped it for more mom

What ringtone my muse has set for yours: I’m yours by Jason mraz

How quickly my muse responds to your texts: right away 

How often our muses text: daily. he bugs her at work 100%

How often our muses call: on days they don’t see each other? but that’s not often

Does my muse purposefully miss calls from yours: no, again, unless he’s done something

Last text sent from my muse to yours: 

[ delivered ] I need a shower [ delivered ] and your assistance in the shower

What contact photo my muse has set for yours:

What ringtone my muse has set for yours: big girls don’t cry by fergie

How quickly my muse responds to your texts: like days later, hope you’re not in a crisis my dude

How often our muses text: not often at all

How often our muses call: never

Does my muse purposefully miss calls from yours: no but he would be very confused if he called him

Last text sent from my muse to yours:

[ delivered ] can you bring your dog over for a little while[ delivered ] not you[ delivered ] just the dog

What contact photo my muse has set for yours:

What ringtone my muse has set for yours: survivor by destiny’s child

How quickly my muse responds to your texts: right away. she probably not even done typing and he’d respond

How often our muses text: daily

How often our muses call: every other day or something, but quick calls

Does my muse purposefully miss calls from yours: no unless he’s done something

Last text sent from my muse to yours:

[ delivered ] I got Scarlett pregnant[ delivered ] Just kidding but I do need you to babysit so I can attempt that

What contact photo my muse has set for yours:

What ringtone my muse has set for yours: my humps by the black eyed peas

How quickly my muse responds to your texts: as soon as he sees them unless he really can’t in that moment

How often our muses text: couple times a week, probably more recently with everything that happened

How often our muses call: not often, texts ftw

Does my muse purposefully miss calls from yours: no

Last text sent from my muse to yours: 

[ delivered ] how do you feel about pole dancing

What contact photo my muse has set for yours: