"TERRANCE!" Mason shrieked from his study, making Terrance drop the cup of water he was bringing for Mason and run to the study, ignoring the cold water seeping through his shirt.
"What's wrong?" Terrance asked, lifting his fists and ready to fight whoever had terrified his mate. "Who's here?! What happened?!"
Mason was cowering in a corner of the room, pointing toward the sandwich he'd been eating while he was painting. He looked near tears so Terrance stepped in front of him, wondering what could be happening since he didn't see anyone.
"W-Wasp," Mason whispered, shaking with wide eyes. "N-Near my sandwich."
Terrance was about to laugh, but he stopped himself when he saw just how afraid Mason seemed of the bug. "Okay, I'll go get an empty glass to catch it," he said, leaving the room, only for Mason to rush after him and escape the room.
Once Terrance had showered and the cafe had been closed, Mason invited him to hang around again, since Mason wanted to work on some art and Terrance had to get through some more of his work and there was a spare desk in the studio.
He'd just left to get Mason a glass of water, since he noticed that his first cup had been emptied, when he heard the scream.
Terrance entered the room with Mason clutching the back of his shirt, as if he was ready to pull him away from the wasp at any second. There was a faint buzzing coming from the table where Mason's sandwich was sitting, only partially eaten.
"Are you allergic?" Terrance asked, not wanting Mason in the room if there was a chance he'd have a reaction.
Mason shook his head against Terrance's back. "No," he squeaked. "Just hate wasps. I used to live out in the country and there were wasps everywhere."
Terrance hummed in understanding. "Okay, well you can wait here and I'll trap the intruder," he said, walking into the room and trying not to coo at how innocent Mason looked when he was hiding behind the doorframe, wide eyes laced with fear.
He approached the meat sandwich and found the wasp flapping its wings while gnawing at little pieces of meat to make them small enough so it could fly off with them. Terrance lifted the cup and eased it over the wasp, before moving Mason's sandwich off of the plate so he could let the wasp go out the window.
"Why aren't you killing it?!" Mason asked from the doorway, stepping into the room and glaring at his newfound enemy. "That thing gave me a heart attack!"
Terrance moved the makeshift cage toward Mason's face. "Haven't you ever seen the bee movie? We could be sued!"
"That's a wasp, not a honey bee!"
Terrance frowned, but still didn't kill the wasp, instead releasing it out the window before closing it. "There. It's released back into the wild and your life is no longer in danger," he said proudly, sitting back at the desk and emailing his boss what he'd completed.
Mason thanked him and stood in front of his dark, shadowy painting of a thunderstorm, with the silhouette of a wolf standing in front of a large bolt of lightning. He continued to shade the image, occasionally glancing over at Terrance.
"I can feel you looking at me," Terrance said, turning and smiling at his mate. "What's on your mind?"
Mason glanced out the window at the sunset. "Do you ever shift and go on runs?" he asked, his voice small and quiet.
Terrance nodded. "Yes, every month. My wolf likes to be out and moving so I go to the forest about on the outskirts and run for a while. I also do it during rut because it helps to push down the urges so I don't accidentally scare an Omega," he explained, closing his laptop. "Do you not run?"
It was common knowledge that wolves needed to run in order to feel more in tune with their mates and personal needs. Packs often went on runs together to bond and keep the pack dynamic healthy, but Mason had never been a part of a pack so he didn't go on runs.
"No," Mason said, shrugging. "I used to when I was younger but my dad hated when I shifted. He didn't like me going outside."
Terrance's face filled with concern. "But... it's good for you! Your wolf... it needs runs to stay healthy and can help you be more in tune with your heats and your wolf form!"
Mason ignored Terrance's distress. "Omegas don't need to run. It's healthy, sure, but our wolves aren't as aggressive or demanding so I don't really need to," he said, scratching his arm and avoiding eye contact. "I was just wondering."
Terrance scoffed. "Let's go. We're going on a run," he said, snatching Mason's hand. "It's good for you and will help us get along better.
Didn't you know that most first dates are had in wolf form so mates can connect better?"
"That's weird."
"It's how it is!" Terrance exclaimed. "Henry hasn't ever tried to get you to go on runs?"
Mason growled. "He knows better than to push me," he snapped, but didn't fight when Terrance pulled him down the stairs and out the door.
"It's a good thing I don't know better," Terrance responded. "Come on, let's get on the subway. It's about a thirty minute ride and we can leave our clothes under a tree or something."
Mason gagged at the idea of the subway, then he felt something placed into his hand by Terrance. He opened his palm and found a small bottle of hand sanitizer.
"I picked up on the fact that you're kind of weird about germs," Terrance said shyly, scratching the back of his head. "So... this is for you, so you can hopefully feel more comfortable."
"Oh?" Mason asked, his face warming at the sweet gesture. "That's really nice of you... thanks."
Terrance just grinned and lead Mason down the street and to the subway station. They took the train to the nearest forested area, which wasn't too far. Cities all over the country had implemented more forests because many people needed space to shift and run and didn't have the time to travel hours in order to do it, and some still liked living in pack houses in the woods.
For that reason, forests were grown and small plots of land were given to packs so they could have their pack houses and a small territory. In places like the West and Midwest where there were bigger plots of land and forests to begin with, packs could have bigger territories and those were the places that had big packs that cared about territories and their dynamic more than they did about progressing.
Mason saw them as less progressive; he'd heard stories of Omegas from the other side of the country who were still treated like objects. He'd never let himself be treated that way; he'd fight back.
They got to the woods as the sun was setting, casting a beautiful pink and purple sunset over the sky. Terrance lead Mason to the start of the woods and took off his shirt, making the latter panic.
"Wait!" Mason cried, backing up into one of the trees as Terrance tossed bag into a hole in the tree.
"What's wrong?" Terrance asked, tilting his head slightly and stopping before taking his pants off. "Are you okay?"
Mason shook his head. "I haven't shifted since I was fifteen," he said nervously. "I'm... I can't do it."
Terrance approached his panicking mate and cupped his face in his hands. "Yes, you can," he whispered, kissing Mason's forehead. "I'll help you, okay?"
"How?" Mason asked, blinking to keep from crying. "It's going to hurt."
"Shhh, don't cry," Terrance cooed, hugging him tightly. "And it may ache a little, but if you relax and let your wolf take over, it shouldn't hurt too bad. Plus, it'll help you be more in touch with your wolf side and it could help us bond."
Mason took a deep breath and looked at Terrance with his glossy eyes. "Don't leave me alone when I'm shifting," he whispered, shaking slightly.
"I won't," Terrance promised. "I'll sit right here while you shift and I'll shift once you're done, okay?"
Nodding, Mason shakily took off his shirt and pants, before sitting down and closing his eyes to relax. He felt Terrance rub his back to calm him further.
"Focus on your wolf," Terrance murmured. "Let it take over and help you shift. Think about what your wolf looks like, how you feel when you run with the dirt on your paws and the wind in your fur."
Mason, slowly but surely, felt his wolf begin to surface. His bones cracked and toffee colored fur sprouted all over his body. He felt his body grow and heat up as his fur warmed him all over. By the end of the transformation, Mason was panting and whimpering in slight pain as he laid on the ground.
"Good job," Terrance whispered, folding Mason's clothes and putting them in his bag in the tree. "I'm going to shift now, okay?"
Mason snorted, sounding as positive as he could despite the pain in his joints and the exhaustion he felt from shifting. He laid down and watched as Terrance stripped and shifted into a chocolate brown wolf with lighter brown patches on his chest and paws.
Terrance approached him, wagging his tail and nuzzling his nose against Mason's cheek. He then grabbed onto Mason's ear and tugged him toward the woods, whining to get the Omega to follow.
Groaning, Mason got up and shook himself off, following Terrance deeper into the forest. They walked for a while before Terrance suddenly stopped and sat down, howling loudly and making Mason jump back suddenly.
Mason didn't know much about wolf behavior, since he hadn't shifted or spent much time in the woods, but he trusted Terrance to keep him safe. He looked up at the Alpha as he finished howling and followed him deeper into the woods, the two loping and feeling the cool wind flow through their fur.
They eventually grew tired, but Mason didn't want to shift back. He was growing to love his wolf form, loving how the dirt felt under his feet and how he felt connected with Terrance even though they couldn't speak.
Terrance seemed to pick up on that when he noticed Mason laid down instead of trying to get their clothes from the tree.
Instead of pushing Mason to leave, Terrance guided him to an abandoned den that he'd spotted earlier. He nudged Mason's side and let him climb inside before following him.
There were often abandoned dens that people left behind after spending a few weeks getting in touch with their wolf sides. It was clear when it was left behind, since the scent was long gone and there were no clear signals someone else was using it.
Mason climbed inside the warm space, which was right under a tree and filled with leaves and dried plants and smelled like autumn. He moved to the side so Terrance could fit, and once they were both situated, Mason curled up beside his mate, snuggled into his side with his chin settled on Terrance's paws.
The Alpha didn't seem to mind, and in his head he was screaming with joy that his mate had accepted him, at least in wolf form. He didn't fall asleep for a while, allowing his mate to rest since he still had work and Terrance could always rest another time.
Everything was quiet, nothing but a gentle breeze and the subtle sound of crickets filling the air. It was perfect for Terrance; he loved this moment and never wanted it to end.
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