Unseen Scene—Book Three, Chapter Six (Mason PoV) (Patreon)

Adrenaline pumps through Mason. It burns through his veins with as much force as his fury. His hands are clenched at his sides, wanting to force his way through the barrier before them but knowing it’s no use.

Being denied his target when he’s so close is almost agony.

At least, that’s what Mason thought was agony until the Anunnaki says his next words.

“Your attempts to save the human are admirable, but they are pointless.”

Mason stiffens at the sudden realization that he may be right. For all their power and might, the vampires are still standing useless. This asshole could easily ignore their rescue attempts with a single flick and go after [Name].

And they’d be taken.

Lost to him.

And that’s when true agony at that thought sets in.

Mason’s chest almost collapses in on itself. Without even realizing why, he turns to look at [Name] across the clearing. Their sight, their scent, their presence is something he’s come to rely on without knowing when it happened.

He sneers, almost more at himself than anyone else. Why did he have to come to need someone that so many others are determined to take?

It doesn’t matter now. All that matters is he can’t let it happen.

His gaze snaps back to the birdman as he shifts slightly closer to the barrier. It’s an odd sensation, less like a physical force and more something the prickles at the back of his skull. As he moves even closer, the prickling turns to tiny needles which stab into his mind until his vision begins to waver.

The sensation is excruciating.

But nowhere near as excruciating as the thought of this birdman getting to [Name].

Mason throws out a fist to barrier, and a burst of magical energy wallops him in the torso.

He can feel his body spin the air for the briefest second before he crashes back down onto the earth.

Pain splits a cavern through his body, awash with a river of blood he can feel pour through his throat. He swallows it back as he breathes through it. His vision is darkened with only stabs of light adding some clarity as he tries but fails to push himself up.

“Mason!” It’s not his name that makes his body react so eagerly, but the voice which yells it.

[Name] needs him.

He bites back a growl of pain and manages to force his head up, cursing the impact which still has his vision foggy. But it doesn’t matter whether he can see clearly or not, he can sense [Name], even from this distance.

Voices wash over him, but he can’t quite make them out, and his battered body still refuses to move. All he can do is shake his head and clear his vision enough to see what’s happening.

And he quickly wishes he hadn’t.

The Anunnaki has advanced on [Name], neither moving for a long moment, until [Name] shoves their hands out towards him.

“No…” It’s the only word that can wobble out of Mason’s throat as he sees flashes of [Name]’s body cracked and crumpled on the other side of the grove.

But those images never materialize. Instead, the birdman actually staggers backwards, tripping over a root with a look of shocked confusion—which probably matches the look on everyone’s faces in the clearing right now.

Except Mason. He flops back down, resting his forehead onto the dried grass, sucking in a breath that’s tinged with the comforting smell of earth.

Why he doubted that [Name] had even more tricks up their sleeve, he’s not sure. Of all the humans he’s ever met, they certainly have the biggest sleeves with the most tricks.

Relief spreads through the tension in his body, finally allowing his healing to kick in fully and set about repairing the fractures and tears he can feel acutely in every muscle.

But his pain matters little, only that [Name] is still there. Still with him.