Unraveling Mathias by Marisa Maichel (reading women TXT) 📕

"Shhh, enough complaints," he said. Then he wiped his hand on his jeans. "Sarah, when I want your saliva, I will stick my tongue in your mouth." I chuckled. My girl was becoming quite the little prankster. Glen wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. She climbed out of his lap and into mine. I grinned cheekily at him.

Sarah was falling asleep, so I stood up and flitted back to the house with her. I put her in my bed, where she did fall asleep. I took her boots and jacket off. I snuggled in next to her. She was soft and cuddly, almost like a breathing doll. I purred as she muttered my name.

I purposely spread my scent out, wrapping her in it. To my great relief, she did not smell of males I did not know or trust. The most potent male scent after my own was Alexander's, and I mostly trusted him. He knew who she belonged to. I nuzzled her neck, purring at her warm floral scent.

I had a sudden urge to nip her. So I nipped her neck, then licked it.

I growled and crouched as the door opened. Father poked his head in.

"Dimitri and Stephen found Adam, but not Janna. It seems that they broke apart, either because they broke up or because Janna told Adam about my gift."

"Where are they?"

"Still in Canada. I will receive a call from Dimitri in five seconds." His phone rang. "Make that two seconds. Hello?" He walked out of the room.

"Frizzle frazzam?" Sarah muttered, sitting up. She rubbed her eyes, smearing makeup. "I had the strangest dream. I dreamed that you were bald and that my guardian angel had a belly button ring."

"Angels don't even have belly buttons," I noted. I ran a hand through my hair self-consciously.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE- FIGHT

"Dude, the only way that it's possible is because she likes me," Duke insisted. Sarah's friend Kiana was having a party on Saturday, and everyone was invited except Duke. Duke had insisted that it was because Kiana was secretly in love with him.

"It's not, say, because of your winning personality?" Mason quipped, annoyed.

"No, it's got to be because Kiana loves me, she just won't admit it because it's not cool, because that other girl likes me."

"That girl who punched you in the face in the seventh grade?" Mason snapped. "The one who reported you for sexual harassment?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's the only possible explanation." Mason rolled his eyes and sipped his Coke.

We were at a small cafe in the mall near a bookstore. I'd already gotten lost in there once, and Mason and Duke had to practically force me to make my purchases already and leave, with them complaining of starvation. I wondered if it would look weird if I snuck back in.

I froze as I spotted Noah. He and Mason were now no longer speaking. Unfortunately, he spotted me as well.

"Hey, Reese," he said. "Duke. Godfrey."

Mason pretended not to notice and kept sipping his Coke.

"Hey, dude," Duke said. "What's shaking?"

"Not much. Rouge and I broke up." We looked at him in surprise.

"Why?" I asked. He sighed.

"You guys were right. She's batshit crazy. She was already talking about getting married, and something about a ritual where a human is the sacrifice." Mason started choking. I patted him on the back until he regained composure.

"Seriously?" he said to Noah.

"I know, I know," Noah said. "You were right. I was wrong. Chicks are bad news. I mean, look at you and Scarlett. Even though you weren't a real item, it was really fucked up."

"No, I mean..." Mason looked at me significantly.

"I'm going to the bathroom," I said, standing up. I picked up my bags.

"Dude, what is it with you and books?" Noah asked.

"You like V.C. Andrews too," I snipped. Mason followed me back into the bookstore.

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault," Mason was muttering.

"What's all your fault?" I asked him.

"I know what kind of ritual he's talking about. Some fairies have to steal other lives in order to keep their magic or long lives. These kinds of fairies are mors praedictas Fatales. Death fairies. They only live for a certain number of years, then die. They're called death fairies for those two reasons."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes. Oh god, why didn't I see it before?" He started pacing. "I need to think. Oh god." He looked around. "I need to find a book. I hope my mother didn't take it." He got out his phone and started texting.

"Who are you texting?" I asked.

"My father. I hope he's in a good mood."

"Well, well, well." Both Mason and I tensed at the sexy female voice. Scarlett was here, holding a book with an evil-looking cover. "It looks like the Goth Brigade is here. Where's your girlfriend, Reese?"

"None of your beeswax," I said. "What are you doing here?"

"Shopping for spellbooks. Duh. This is a bookstore. When people come in here, they are normally looking for books or bookish items."

"Why are you wearing a black turtleneck in the middle of June? Oh, I almost forgot, your heart is so cold that everything else needs to be kept warm."

She opened her mouth to say something, then peeked behind me. I glanced back, but saw nothing. When I looked back, she was walking away furiously. Mason watched her go, then shook his head.

"I can't believe I fell for that harlot. Oh, my father's replying. He says that he thinks my mother might have taken the book I need, but he'll look."

"How is the divorce coming along?" I asked.

"Slowly. He's getting the house, and they both want full custody of me. In September, though, I'll be eighteen, and I'll be forced to choose." He sank into a chair.

"Mason, it's not your fault," I said.

"Yes, it is. I started the conversation where my mother overheard my father saying that he's not attracted to her anymore. Sometimes I think about ending it all."

"If you do that, think about everyone you'll be hurting. Me. Duke. Noah. Amara. Your parents. Even Sarah."

"I know, and that's the only thing stopping me, you guys. If my father knew, he'd think I'd gone crazy. My mother would freak out, and they would blame each other. As usual."

I sat down in the other chair. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I just did. Damn, this store is busy." He was changing the subject on purpose. "The guys are probably wondering where we went. Let's go."

I picked up my bags and followed him back to the cafe. Noah and Duke were waiting for us, and Mason remained silent, despite them questioning him relentlessly.

"What the fuck is wrong with him?" Duke asked me.

"He's broken," I joked, and Mason glared at me. The guys chuckled.

"Yeah, whatever, Dracula," he teased.

"If he's Dracula, does that mean you're Jonathan?" Noah asked.

"Then who's Mina Murray?" Duke asked. Mason and I looked at each other.

"Well, I don't like Scarlett at all, and he'd better not even think of moving in on Sarah," I said.

"Of course not!" Mason was aghast. "She's your girl."

"So if Sarah is Reese's girl, who's your girl?" Duke pressed. Mason turned bright red and pretended to check social media on his phone.

"So there is a girl," I muttered. Mason glanced at me, then Noah.

"Look, he's turning red," Noah teased. "Who is it? Come on, I promise not to laugh."

"It doesn't matter," Mason said. "She likes someone else, anyway."

"Burn," Duke said after a silence.

"Fine," Mason said. "It's Amara. I like Amara." Even more silence. Then Duke let out a low whistle and Noah said nothing. In fact, he started to look angry.

"Amara Ruick?" he said. "Our Amara?"

"What color is her hair this time?" Duke muttered.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter anyway," Mason told us. "And it's a pale pink."

"What the hell, dude?" Noah quipped. "Why Amara?"

"Why do you care?" Mason retorted.

"Because I...she...I..."

"Do you like her?" I asked Noah. He turned red this time. "Seriously? How long?"

"For a while. But I never thought she liked me back."

"She's practically in love with you," Duke said. "Or at least, she was. Now she's got what's-his-face. The guy who rides a motorcycle to school."

"Damon Sage?" I said. "Unbelievable."

"No, not Sage. I think your friend Ariella would have a fit if it was Sage. His buddy. Cole, I think his name is."

"Cole Powers?"

"Yeah, the dude with the braided blond hair."

A pause in which none of us looked at each other. Then Mason said, "I feel sick."

"So do I," Noah replied. "Isn't that the guy who got suspended for smoking in the cafeteria last year?"

Mason was doubled over. "I...I have to go home." He got up and fast-walked out of the cafe. I grabbed my bags, dropping a book, and followed him out, saying bye to the other two. I picked up the novel and followed my best guy friend out of the mall.

He walked around to the back, where our cars were parked. He held onto the wall and clutched his chest.

"Mason? Are you okay?" I asked.

"I...I don't know how much more I can handle. I know it's my own fault. If I'd known he liked her, I would have gotten it under control faster. I don't want to...but I already have. I lost my best friend."

"He's obviously forgiven you," I said. "Here." I dug around in the bags. "I found a book I thought you'd like. It's by a chick named Ravenna Ruiz."

"I've heard of her," he muttered. "She's well-known in the spell-casting community, famous for her love spells and prayers."

"Oh, well then. Mason, what else is going on?"

"Everything's a mess, and it's all my fault."

"Mason..."

"Reese, I don't know if I can deal with it anymore. I'll...goodbye." Then he walked to his car and drove off a minute later. I sighed and put the bags in my trunk, then drove home myself, texting Noah that I was leaving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter and Dean were missing. Normally, I wouldn't have even noticed, if it were not for the fact that my father and uncle were frantically searching for them. For the most part, they'd stayed in their respective rooms, not speaking to each other or anyone else.

The guards were combing the woods and the lake, looking for a sign or a scent. All except for Toby, who was watching Doyle in the dungeon.

Father was endlessly glad to see me, even though I'd told him where I was going.

"Reese," he said, kissing my head. "Good evening, son."

"Father, I need to talk to you," I said. He paid attention as I told him what Mason had told me the past couple times I spoke to him.

"I will call Krauvas," he said. "If anything were to happen to Mason, he would be devastated."

I turned around and walked smack dab into Alexander. He embraced me within seconds.

"I was so worried!" he freely admitted. "I know Mathias is involved somehow!"

"Where's Sarah?" I asked nervously.

"She and Sabine are being watched over by Marina. She's under the facade of the wanting to get to know her grandparents. Well, okay, it's not really a facade, she actually does want to get to know Sarah's family. The point is that our women are safe."

"Not all of them," Father said. "Ariella's missing."

"SHE'S WHAT?!" Uncle Soren roared, running toward us. "My female is missing?! How? When?"

Alexander pretended to gag.

"When's the last time you saw her, Reese?" Father asked me.

"Maybe a couple days ago," I said. "Ariella and I are not really close anymore."

"Because of me?" Uncle Soren questioned, looking horrified. "When did you see her? Monday? Tuesday? Wednesday?"

"I don't really know. We just kind of ran into each other at To Bean. I was on a date with Sarah."

"Is that the same day you called me about her work schedule?" Father asked, and I nodded.

"We didn't speak, we just sort of nodded to each other."

Dimitri stepped up. "I caught a human girl's scent mixed with werewolf. I didn't think anything of it until I heard that Prince Reese's friend is missing." Uncle