“No problem. I want you to make yourself comfortable, you hear?” I said. “Don’t be a stranger.”
Mason gave me a long, strange glance. Finally he said, “You’re a weird guy, Jericho.”
I shrugged but gave him a smile. “I get that a lot. You sleep as long as you need to, alright? I’m gonna go out and run some errands. Gonna need more food, for one thing, if you’re going to eat like that all the time.”
Mason blushed again. “Sorry. I mean, I probably will, because of the baby and everything, but…”
I shook my head. “I said don’t worry about it. This isn’t Scarlet Ridge pack, alright? You don’t have to apologize for everything.”
“Okay.” Mason laid down and pulled the covers over himself. “Goodnight, I guess.”
It was only the afternoon, but I knew Mason would probably crash until morning from the long day he’d had. “Goodnight.”
Just as I was about to leave, he called out, “Wait.”
“Yeah?”
Mason looked embarrassed. “I know you said it’s not like that here, but… do you mind locking the door when you leave anyway? Just for my peace of mind?”
My heart broke for him a little. I couldn’t imagine living in a hellhole pack that made me as paranoid as Mason was. I nodded and said, “Of course.”
“Thanks.”
I closed the door quietly behind me and left Mason alone. He needed time to rest and recuperate after what he’d been through. After locking the front door like Mason asked me to, I left the house behind and headed for the store. I already knew I would need a lot more food for Mason and the growing pup inside of him.
