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It was a good day, Verity decided. Despite the anxiety of not knowing what Murphy was planning, she felt more confident as she learned more about the supernatural world. Reconciling the actual reality of vampires with the lore pervading pop culture would almost be fun if it weren’t for the real threat of danger for herself and the town. Learning about the thralls that had attacked the station fascinated her, especially when she considered how different they were from their literary counterparts. Even better, Mason had been relatively pleasant today. He’d complained about the cold and been his usual brusque self at times, but Verity had been delighted that he deigned to answer many of her questions with minimal snark or innuendo. As they walked back to the car, her step felt lighter. In a situation that had her feeling so powerless, she felt like she’d regained some control by knowing what was waiting for her.
Mason seemed to enjoy it far less, it seemed. Though winter was fading, the chill breeze that had the trees rustling seemed to bleed through his leather jacket and leech all the warmth from him. His grumbling was interrupted with the chatter of his teeth. “You got a heater in that rust bucket of yours, or are all those knobs just for show?”
Verity frowned a little as she considered the question. Since learning the truth about Unit Bravo, she felt she understood them far better with the added context. Most of all this was true for Mason. Learning about his increased senses explained far more about his behavior than she could have interpreted believing he was human. Though she was still uncertain what living with his increased senses truly meant, Verity had seen him overwhelmed by scent and sound alike. In a world so hostile to his senses, it only made sense that he in turn would be hostile back. Perhaps it was a coping mechanism of some kind.
Another burst of wind drove Verity from her thoughts as Mason cursed and held himself for warmth. She held out her hand to stop him, and he let out an exasperated sigh as he stamped his feet in the dirt. “What is so fucking important …” he muttered, but he stopped as Verity stepped around him to his other side to take the brunt of the chilled breeze.
“There, is that better?” she asked, looking up at him with concern as they started walking again. Though nearly seven inches shorter than him, Verity assumed she could at least provide some protection. It had to be better than none, at least.
The move seemed to surprise Mason, but he recovered quickly. Glancing over at her with a small smirk, he moved closer to the limited shelter she provided to whisper teasingly into her ear. “Sweetheart, there are better ways of warming me up.”
The sensation sent a blaze up her spine and her heart skipping a beat, but Verity cleared her throat to maintain her composure. “Undoubtedly,” she said, stretching the word slowly as her mind raced to catch up. “If you prefer, however, I can give you space.” If there was one thing she’d learned about Mason, it was to respect his space.
He let out a low chuckle before he moved away from her ear. “Do what you want,” Mason said with a shrug, but he made no motion to step out of her scant protection as they walked through the woods to the car. His eyes dragged over her slowly with a smirk. “Though you don’t need to make up an excuse if you want to get … close.”
The inclination to argue against the implied motive flit through her mind. She would have protested she wanted to make things easier for him, that he clearly was miserable, but Verity quickly dismissed the thought. It was unlikely that the vampire would have appreciated the intervention on his behalf or the insinuation that he needed help. Instead, Verity offered him a gentle smile and ignored the innuendo in his tone. “Thank you. I’ll keep close for now, if that’s alright. It is rather cold.”