Florida Heat: Book One in the Clearwater Pack Series

Chapter 8: You can't decode

Mason’s Point of View:

The next couple weeks I try my best to keep my distance and separate myself from Cassandra and the many thoughts I have of her. I’ve contacted my brother and informed him of the entire situation. He came into town for a couple days for us to discuss how we want to handle it. He was all smiles considering, “I’ve found my mate” I still don’t know whether to believe it or not. But being away from her is making me incredibly anxious. Deep in my soul, I know she is okay. I can feel it, its all consuming sometimes that my body literally is pulling me toward her wherever she might be.

My brother Miles, he is the poler opposite of me in every way. I’m brown hair, hazel eyes and my brother is Blonde Hair Blue eyes – I define him as the White Walker from Game of thrones but that’s an inner joke between him and I. He is built strong, with his shoulders being about the size of the thighs in terms of muscle. Okay, not really – but he is much thicker in that aspect. Though he is an inch shorter than me, no one would be able to tell because his presence is uncanny. The two of us together make a hell of a pair, we’ve always been close. When I went away to New York he visited all the time. My brother is much more in tune with our heritage and wants that part to be more dominant in his life.

Because of our special abilities, both Miles, Teddy and I were what some would call vigilantes in our own right. Me being the fastest, Miles the strongest and Teddy is a wizard behind a computer. While in high school we would have Teddy hack into the police network and Miles and I would take care of the criminals ourselves. We weren’t half bad, in fact Teddy and I took our operations into the big city. I’m not spiderman but I can help those in need and I always dedicated my personal growth toward that. So, when my family questioned how I hadn’t caught my big break, it typically was me singing on a stage and taking notes of my surrounding and realizing that there was some type of trouble a brewing. So, anytime a label or talent scout ever tried to contact me, I blew them off – because it wasn’t about the music… at least that became clear for me this past month after what happened with Cassandra. I guess, I just never realized it.

When Miles told me he knew who Landen was, he had meant him a couple years ago at a Tampa Bay Bucs football game. Of course, he would be able to recognize someone of our nature in a crowd, we always can – just usually it’s a head nod and move on. Miles informs me that Landen he is from the Orlando area. He doesn’t know much about him other than he knew exactly who our father was. Miles didn’t see him as a problem and so disregarded him. I asked Miles if he had been with a blonde girl and he said he wasn’t with a blonde but with a black hair lady who seemed to be a shifter too, he didn’t speak with her though. I growled at the thought resignation in my head over that memory.

While Miles was in town, he gave me a 4 week course on strength training to complete. Well, today marks completion. I’ve grown significantly, no longer just the runner’s body I had while I was in New York. But this is good – I will keep this up. Miles, he will be back in two years after he finishes school – he is getting his degree within criminal justice, we always need a guy on the inside. I’d like to say I’m the brains in our group and I am when it comes to making decisions but Teddy – he is a magician and probably should have went to MIT – he was offered. I shake my head at the thought, then he wouldn’t have been as close to me as he was and well, that honestly would have sucked.

It’s been over a month since I laid eyes on her. Every single day I think about her, but mostly I spend my thoughts trying to not think about her which results in me thinking about her even more. We’ve been keeping tabs on Landen to make sure he isn’t anywhere around Clearwater or The Nolan apartment complex, we have some of our guys tracking him at least for now until I can be sure that he isn’t a threat to not just Cassandra but to the area and people around me in general.

I haven’t sung much out in public, and I miss it plus – I need to have a night to relax and unclench. This stupid training that Miles had me doing what a lot of work. Plus, giving myself a night to not think about my future leader within my community, it might be well received at least on my mental’s states end. I don’t even call Teddy or Soph they both send ‘Where’ in our group text. I have to remember to shut off my inner dialogue sometimes. I text back, “Sunset Lounge” be ready at 7, I’m calling to get my name on the list.

When 8 o’clock roles around we are finally walking into the Sunset lounge, its pretty packed but there is room for more. I see a booth and grab it for the three of us. I go and check in with the stage manager to ensure I’m on the list, I watch as she is pointing to her list and scrolling down the names when I see her name hover over “Cass” and my breath catches. Not a chance its Cassandra, nah. She is on the other side of things… this isn’t her scene on this side of the drawing board.

I’m not on until 10 and so for now we are eating and drinking and having a good time relaxing and letting loose. I nearly spit out my beer all over Teddy who is sitting in front of me when I feel her. Teddy looks at me worried there is trouble, and when he looks around and sees nothing, Sophia slaps his arms and nudges him to look to his left where Cassandra is walking into the bar with Harper at her side. Jesus christ she is so beautiful my mouth begins to water.

She doesn’t take notice of us, but I know she can feel me. After the night outside of her apartment, I know she can sense me too now. This is not a one side thing, and if she is my mate – she wont be able to resist nor will I much longer. It’s 9:30 and Cassandra and Harper make their way toward the stage immediately, she isn’t going to sing is she?

She places herself in front of the microphone and Harper pulls out the guitar and hands it over to Cassandra who takes a seat on the stool in front of the microphone. She speaks into the Mic, “Hi everyone, I’m Cassandra.” The entire bar says, “Hi Cassandra” It’s one of those places tonight it seems, as they have done this to every singer up there tonight. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I sense another shifter here, Sophia places her hand atop of mine on the table and I follow her eyes, it’s Landen. I go to get up, but she squeezes my hand informing this is not the time or place. Cassandra speaks again into the mic now seeing Landen clearly shaken by his presence, “Well, guys I’ve had a shitty month. So, this song is dedicated to the fucker who f****d my head up. Enjoy” She starts strumming the acoustically and surprising me Harper takes a seat next to her with her guitar strumming along to the Paramore Song, “Decode”

How can I decide what's right?

When you're clouding up my mind

I can't win your losing fight

All the time

Nor could I ever own what's mine

When you're always taking sides

But you won't take away my pride

No, not this time

Not this time

She is spitting these lyrics in the direction of Landen. He is stiff as a board.

How did we get here

When I used to know you so well?

How did we get here?

Well, I think I know

The truth is hiding in your eyes

And it's hanging on your tongue

Just boiling in my blood

But you think that I can't see

What kind of man that you are

If you're a man at all

Well, I will figure this one out

On my own (I'm screaming, I love you so)

On my own (but my thoughts you can't decode)

How did we get here?

When I used to know you so well?

Yeah, how did we get here?

Well, I think I know

He’s seething and so I do what I need to do to protect, I get up and walk toward the stage and make sure that her eyes and mine meet. They do, and when they do I hear her breath catch in the microphone just as the audience does. Landen looks at what she is looking at and notices me across the building staring at him. His shoulders slump a bit, when Teddy and Sophia both come up near me… he nearly backs away but not before Cassandra begins singing the final bit first.

Do you see what we've done?

We're gonna make such fools of ourselves

Do you see what we've done?

We're gonna make such fools of ourselves

Yeah, yeah

Now she looks right at me, and finishes the song.

I think I know, I think I know

There is something I see in you

It might kill me, I want it to be true

To everyone’s surprise she stops briefly for only a second looks at Harper and Harper begins strumming her guitar. “I believe we have one life, one opportunity, one shot to do the things that scare us the most,” she makes eye contact with me. “What you do with that opportunity is totally up to you. Life is full of choices, sometimes people make the wrong ones…” Then she begins singing another Paramore Song, “I caught myself”:

Down to you

You're pushing and pulling me down to you

But I don't know what I

Now when I caught myself, I had to stop myself

I'm saying something that I should have never thought

Now when I caught myself, I had to stop myself

I'm saying something that I should have never thought of you, of you

You're pushing and pulling me down to you

But I don't know what I want

No I don't know what I want

She looks at Landen desperate that he is hearing the words that she not just singing but screaming, that they are in the most part directed toward him. Then she shifts on her stool and while strumming her guitar looks at me and gives me the slightest wink as she continues into the next verse.

You got it, you got it

Some kind of magic

Hypnotic, hypnotic

You're leaving me breathless

I hate this, I hate this

You're not the one I believe in

With God as my witness

Now when I caught myself, I had to stop myself

I'm saying something that I should have never thought

Now when I caught myself, I had to stop myself

I'm saying something that I should have never thought of you,

You're pushing and pulling me down to you

But I don't know what I want

No I don't know what I want

She looks directly at Landen and lets Harper continue strumming as she sings the next verse. Middle finger pointing at him the entire time.

Don't know what I want

But I know it's not you

Keep pushing and pulling me down

But I know in my heart it's not you

She pushes up from her stool and hollers into the microphone, “Thanks for letting me entertain you with my rendition of Twilight, oh and Landen: Kindly, go f**k yourself.” she bows and steps off the stage.

I look over at Landen he is seething and attempting to approach the side of the stage. I instinctively walk toward her, grab her hand and pull her back up to the stage with me. I talk into the microphone, who wants more of Cassandra?” The crowd goes wild, I whisper into her ear and ask her if she knows half of my heart by John Mayer? She shakes her head. So I begin strumming Harpers Guitar that she had handed to me while Cassandra sits on the stool next to me.

I was born in the arms of imaginary friends

Free to roam, made a home out of everywhere I've been

Then you come on crashing in

Like the realest thing

Tried my best to understand

All that your love can bring

I look to Cassandra and eye her letting her know to begin singing with me,

Half of my heart's got a grip on the situation

Half of my heart takes time

Half of my heart's got the right mind to tell you

That I can't keep loving you

With half of my heart

When she surprises me and places an arm on my back informing me nonchalantly that she wants the next verse:

I was made to believe I'd never love somebody else

Made a plan, stayed the man who can only love himself

Lonely was the song I sang

'Til the day you came

Showing me another way

And all that my love can bring

I join back in with her, in awe of the verse she just sang to me, she never broke eye contact.

Half of my heart's got a grip on the situation

Half of my heart takes time

Half of my heart's got the right mind to tell you

That I can't keep loving you

With half of my heart

With half of my heart



I end the song looking directly at her the audience going insane. When she places a hand over her mouth in surprise of what we just pulled off. When I look out to the crowd, I notice Teddy nodding that he is gone. I finally calm down and look back over to this beautiful woman who is now clapping with the crowd. She leans over, “I’ve never sang in front of a crowd, until tonight. You gave me some wicked courage or something the last time I saw you sing, and Harper made me do this tonight. I’m happy I did it, and I’m happy I got to do some of it with you.” She leans in and kisses my cheek before departing off the stage to be next to Harper and continue watching me sing.