Movement in the trees caught his eye. Someone was coming. Fast.
His scaled armour would not come. Instead, his own defences came with their familiar warmth. His skin thickened.
The movement became a blur of green and red. Mason crouched, unsure. The blur vanished.
Mason spun around, seeking it out. What was it?
`CONTROL.' The word exploded into the silence.
Movement to his right. Pain sliced his chest. An impossibly black blade flashed in the starlight. Small, hard hands struck him.
He staggered and fell. He felt blood, hot and wet, on his skin as someone leapt onto his body, straddling him, holding him down.
The blade flashed again, arching down for his heart. He was ready, grabbing the thin arm attached to the blade.
`Who are you?' He strained.
The small frame contained immense strength. `You're supposed to be in control of
your
strength.' Her voice filled with anger. Scaled legs clamped tight against his sides. `Not letting
it
control you like you were some animal.'
`Darla.' Mason realised who she was as the blade began to slide into his flesh. She was the stronger. `Stop. Please.'
`NO!' A thin, scaled face, twisted in anger, loomed in close. `I thought you were more than the thing hunting the dark ones. Gaia believed in you. I believed in you. I trusted you with my children and yet â
you still let the darkness control you
.'
`You're wrong!' His fear melted away as anger flowed free. `I did not ask for this. Never have I sought to be Unnatural!'
`Fool.' She leant on the blade, pressing it deeper into his chest. `I gave you the scaled armour and ability to fly. The rest is you. All you.'
`No!' He faltered. The darkness could not be him. `You lie. It came to me after the island.'
`Wrong.' Her face came closer. Liquid green eyes filled his vision as the blade slipped deeper. `You know it. Deep inside, you know the truth about the darkness, but you hide from it. You are weak to its desires. You are its puppet, not its master. That is why you cannot be permitted to live. No one will be safe from you. Even Ruth and Wilson will die by your hand.'
`Lies!' he roared as the blade cut into his heart, pain searing through his mind. He would never hurt his family.
Never.
Images flashed in his mind's eye. Ruth holding Wilson as a newborn. A kaleidoscope of pictures, faces he loved, memories that burnt bright. Renee and Nikki on the island, their faces part of his memory scrapbook.
`I am saving my children from you, monster,' she whispered, lips brushing his ear. `Even your own family fear you. They see the monster. You are a mistake.'
She drove her body weight down, driving the blade through his heart. He held her back. He would not die here, not by her hand.
He reached out towards the huge black trees surrounding them, calling the whispers within the darkness to him. `I am no one's puppet,' he whispered as blood ran hot across his chest, boiling against the ice-cold energy racing up his arm.
`Yes, I fear it, the darkness.' Strength began to fill his body and mind, energy bending to his will.
Her eyes widened as he snarled and threw her off him.
The blade still buried deep in his chest, he stood, alive and throbbing with energy. `You are wrong.' He ripped the blade from his chest, crying out at the pain. `I am Mason Douglas. Husband, father and lover!' He let the energy build in him, towering over Darla as she crouched.
It was his power. He was in control. `I am a monster.' He paused letting the words sink in, accepting them. `A fucking nightmare to those who try to hurt my family, Unnatural or human!'
`Yes!'
He blinked. Darla stood smiling, while he trembled in anger.
She reached up to lay a cool hand on his face. His energy responded to her touch, shimmering. `Now you accept that, and can see the truth of the great darkness in you, you are its master.'
`A test.' He nodded, letting his anger cool. `This was a test.'
`Yes,' Darla said, taking the cold black blade from his hand. `A test I did not know you could pass. Your own anger clouds the true you. I had to be sure.'
`Why?' Mason flexed his neck and shoulders, letting the energy flow free of him. `Why do all this?'
`Not yet.' She touched his lips with a finger. `You have to go now. Take this.' She pressed the curved black blade flat onto his chest. He reached for it but the blade melted into his flesh. `Be the master of your darkness. Go.'
`Butâ' Everything swirled. Darla vanished; Mason lost his balance. Nothingness greeted his hands as a familiar cold enveloped him.
Â
Pete felt cold. More than cold. Freezing. The air carried a scent he had not smelt for decades: the scent of Wolf. He lay on something soft. A lounge chair. He blinked away the grogginess and saw a concrete wall.
`How long will he be like this?'
Pete stopped moving. It was Ralph's voice. He moved slowly, sitting up a fraction to peer over the lounge.
`No idea.'
The girl, Renee, knelt on the floor over a body. Pete scrunched down, not wanting to be noticed. He had met her a number of times, with Ralph, and had wondered about her. She was one of the most attractive women he had ever seen, but always so angry.
`Don't get pissed off with me,' Ralph snapped back at her. Pete peered over the lounge again. `I did what was necessary. You two were out of control.'
`Whatever.'
She glared at Ralph, and Pete took his first good look at him. He was bigger, much bigger, and Wolf oozed from him. Ralph's mates stood around, changed in the same way. Christ, what had he got himself into?
`You agree, then?' Ralph crossed his arms.
`Maybe,' Renee's voice softened. Pete watched her touch the unknown man on the floor. `It doesn't matter right now.'
`Of course not.' Ralph bit his lip and Pete saw the jealousy. `Everything has to be about him, doesn't it?'
`Yes.' She didn't look up to see Ralph flinch. Pete couldn't help but feel for the guy. Ralph had always wanted Renee, no matter what she was. `Do you still want to tear yourself apart like this?' Renee sat up, looking past Ralph to his pack. `Think before you speak, Ralph. Do you still want me like that?'
`Iâ¦'
Pete caught his breath. He had always been good at reading expressions. Ralph's was shock.
`I, uh, shit,' he said, rubbing his face. He looked at Ricco, then back at Renee. `It's weird, like, I don't see you that way anymore.'
`At last!' Ricco said. `No offence, Renee. We know you're attractive, we're not blind. But all this time it's been driving us nuts.'
She shrugged.
Ricco slapped Ralph on the shoulder. `You know how hard it is to meet girls with you all stalker-like on Renee? It frightens them away. Plus, it nearly gets us killed. Like the other night.'
Ricco faked a punch at Ralph's chest. `Maybe now we can begin to live a bit more, eh?'
`Thanks for the support, bro,' Ralph drawled, blushing. `I don't understand, though.'
`A correction was made.' The words came as a hoarse whisper from the floor.
Renee fell onto him as Ralph knelt down.
`You're back!' Renee's hair flared out across his body.
`Kiss me,' he whispered and Renee did. Black ice splintered on the man's legs. Steam appeared and Ralph moved back with his pack. Pete clutched the lounge, not sure of what they feared, knowing he had nowhere to run. And anyway, he had no urge to flee, only questions to be answered.
`Hi,' the man said, his voice stronger.
Renee pushed herself off him for a moment. `Goddess, I was so worried.' She enveloped him in a hug.
Ralph stepped closer again, holding out a helping hand. `So, you do this often?' Ralph asked, with a trace of humour in his voice. `Have private audiences with goddesses, I mean.'
`Only lately.' The man grabbed Ralph's hand, lifting both himself and Renee from the floor.
Strong bugger, Pete thought, wondering who he could be. Then his mind snapped back to what Ralph had just said. Goddesses?
`Seems I get stabbed every time I meet her,' the man continued, voice muffled under Renee's swirling hair and the grip she had on him.
`You have that effect on people, old man.'
`Tell me about it. Renee, you can let me go now.'
Pete's mind flooded with thousands of images, photos, footage all about the face before him. Death, power and fear had followed that face, but the man was no enemy of his, or the force. Pete couldn't help it as Renee kissed that face again.
`Holy shit! Mason Douglas.'
All eyes turned to him and Pete went cold.
Mason almost chuckled at the sight of Pete's big bald head peeking over the lounge, face plastered with a guilty expression.
`I see you're awake, then.'
Pete blinked and stood up slowly.
Mason thought it funny how such a big man could look so sheepish, like he had been caught peeking through a keyhole.
He felt light-headed and leant against Renee, shaking his head. He needed to stay sharp. `So, then. Looks like you're in the shit with the rest of us now.'
`Maybe,' Pete said looking at Ralph hard. `I have a lot of questions.'
`No doubt.' Mason moved his feet, testing his balance. `I need a phone first and then we can all talk.'
`Ricco, grab the phone from upstairs.' Renee put an arm around Mason.
`You okay?'
`Just woozy I think. Don't let the others see.'
Her grip tightened, giving him added support.
`How's the head, Pete?' Ralph moved closer, cautious.
`Fine.' The big man crossed his arms. Mason felt the anger beginning to build in him.
Ricco leapt down the stairs, tossing a phone to Mason.
`Everyone sit tight for a second.' He looked at Pete. `Can you do that?'
Pete grunted, watching Ralph. Mason dialled Max's direct number. It rang twice.
`Who the hell is this?'
`Me.' Mason waited a second. Max would do a voice confirmation before speaking again.
A soft beep came from Max's end. Confirmed. `Mason, where the hell are you?'
`Bondi. Renee's place.' He heard Max sigh in relief.
`Thank Christ for that then. We've got Bloodells active in the city and some weird shit going down on the freeway as well.'
`Yeah, the freeway was us. We had a tail but took care of it.'
`Along with about fifty other cars. Not exactly low profile, Mason.'
`The rules have changed. We were jumped in broad daylight by six Bloodells armed with armour-piercing crossbows.'
Mason gestured at Ralph standing beside the weapons stacked on a table. He handed one over.
`Not old school either. I've got one with me. Custom-made, Max. These Bloodells are different from the UK family. Get word to the house fast. Saunders needs to know kevlar won't stop these bolts. They're silent, so the bastards have that on their side too.'
Max cursed and Mason almost smelt the adrenalin coursing through him. `Six in broad daylight? In public?'
`Kind of.' Mason glanced at Pete. `I'm handling that here. Just get Saunders to quietly ramp up the muscle at the house.'
`He's on it already,' Max waited and Mason looked around. The pack stood watching. Pete's anger had faded into curiosity.
`There's more,' Mason said, allowing a smile to touch his lips.
`I hate it when you say that.' Max's tone sharpened. `I can hear you smiling.'
`Interested or not?'
`Of course I'm interested,' Max snapped back.
Mason liked Max for that. He was always ready. `Good. The clan got bigger today.'
Ralph raised an eyebrow but did not speak. Others frowned.
`Not more Darkells?'
`No. Wolves. Big ones.' He listened to the silence broken only by Max's breathing, slow and controlled.
Finally he said, `You're not kidding.'
`Not kidding. I need a place to set up a base here in Bondi. There are four Wolves, lads so far, but there may be more in time. We're going to need somewhere big and solid.'
`We may have something already. Give me a moment'
Mason pressed the phone against his chest. `You four got somewhere to live already?'
`It's a shit hole,' Ricco said quickly. `And if you're offering us a place to stay, we're up for it.'
`Am I a stale bottle of piss or something?' Ralph snapped at Ricco. `I can speak.'
`Yeah, but I'm not stubborn like you. The man is offering more than a roof over our heads, right?' Ricco looked right at him and Mason saw hope. The pack needed help. They wanted him, too.
`If you don't want my help, Ralph, now is the time to speak up,' Mason said, watching him struggle with the idea.
`What's the catch?'
`You have to train with my guys, learn more about weapons, improve your education and learn how to save your pay.' Mason waited, making sure they understood.
`You also get to travel, will have an excellent health plan because of the dangerous nature of the work and, of course, will get to kill Bloodells.'
`He's serious, isn't he?' Ralph looked at Renee, conflicted. `I mean, he really will do all that?'
`Accept the offer, Ralph,' Renee said, soft-voiced. `You're free Wolves, always have been, but you've had no purpose. Now you will. Have you asked how your pack feels about it?'
`We're in.' All three had spoken in unison and Mason waited for Ralph to accept it.
`I can't believe it.' Ralph rubbed his face. `Why help us? You don't need us.'
`Why not?' Mason shrugged at him. `With some training you'll get better. The last few days prove we're meant to be,' Mason licked his lips, mouth dry. He always struggled to say what he felt, to other men. `We're meant to be more than just monsters. Believe or not, I like you, Ralph. I think you need a family. We all do.'
`Family, eh?' Ralph fidgeted as the pack edged closer to him.
`Yes. This is not a job. Being who we are means we need a family to belong to. Going it alone doesn't work, I know. If you want to belong, be a part of this unnatural family, all you have to do is accept.'
Mason held his hand out, a simple but powerful gesture. `My word is my bond, Ralph. It is part of who I am, and my ancestors before me. I do not offer this lightly.'