Page 29 of The Alpha's Bullied Mate

“It’s true what they say about the mate bond,” he mused, staring up at the ceiling. “It makes your senses more fully attuned to your partner. Or perhaps that’s simply because of how sensual you are. Tell me, Mica, did you enjoy our consummation?”

Mica buried her face into his shoulder. “If it wasn’t obvious that I did, we’ll just have to do that again.”

“Again?” he teased lightly. “Does that mean that you’ve changed your mind about no sex after consummation?”

Mica lifted her face. Her mouth was set into a tight line as she searched his face. “I never actually meant that. I know I shouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it. But I didn’t. I just wanted to feel like I could say no to you.”

Hayden stroked a strand of hair from her eyes. “You can.”

“No, I really can’t.”

“Yes, you can.” Hayden pulled away slightly. “I know our situation seems impossible, but I won’t—”

“You misunderstand.” Mica ran her fingers down his chest. “What I mean is that the moment you said I’d be your mate, there was no choice for me. You were right. I’ve never stopped… well, wanting you. I tried to run because distance was the only thing stopping me. But I’ve never been able to say no to you, Hayden. Never.”

Hayden’s eyebrows furrowed. Her words weighed heavily in his chest. What did she mean? It wasn’t that she was afraid. Did she really have that deep of a bond with him?

She closed her eyes as she pulled herself closer to him. “I know that I feel more than you do. And that’s okay. I’ll live with it. But for now, please lie to me.”

“Lie to you?”

“Yes. Lie well enough that I can pretend there’s a chance for you to love me.”

Chapter 15 - Mica

Monroe sent someone to the house every day for the next few days, demanding Elin back. He even went so far as to send Elin’s father. Hayden refused every time, but only allowed one of them onto the property. Or, as Mica learned later, only one of them could come onto the property.

Spencer, it seemed, had no demon influence on him, but many of Monroe’s people were possessed.

Mica tried not to think about that. She tried not to think about her own mother under a demon's influence. The few times when she and Ryder ended up working together, Echo was a topic neither of them brought up. Mica couldn’t bring herself to ask. If Ryder said there was no way to save her, then the last bit of hope she clung to would shrivel up and disappear.

“Mica, we’ve received three more women,” Tess told her one morning. “Clarissa, Monique, and Rachel.”

“Really?” Mica reluctantly closed the laptop she’d been working at. “Spencer’s daughters?”

Hayden had been up at the crack of dawn, and Mica had gotten up with him. She couldn’t sleep without him in the bed with her. While he was there, his presence kept all her fears at bay. She couldn't keep her mind silenced if he wasn’t next to her. The only way to stop herself from being completely overwhelmed by the situation was to research.

“Are they looking for refuge?” Mica asked Tess as they headed out of the study. She was already trying to figure out where she’d put the three teenagers.

Tess let out a heavy breath. “Apparently, Spencer told Rachel that since she’s the oldest, she could be Monroe’s mate. They’re terrified.”

Mica winced. From what they’d heard from the rest of the Bluebell Valley pack, Monroe was putting off the challenge fight against Hayden as he looked for a new mate. Hayden thought it was a stalling tactic but was happy to let it stand for the time being. It gave him more time to find out what the demons wanted in the area.

When she reached the front hall, Hayden was already there, Finn at his side. There was something about that wolf that made Mica uneasy. She had tried to bring it up to Hayden, but all he said was, “I trust my team with my life.”

“Sending three, seemingly helpless girls into my territory is the perfect way of getting a spy in our midst,” he was saying now to the three girls.

Though they were all much younger than her and Tess, they had often followed Elin’s lead in tormenting the two of them. Now, the three of them stood close together, huddling like chicks, finding themselves exposed to the elements. The baby fat still clung to all their faces.

Mica joined them, laying a hand lightly on Hayden’s arm. He gave her a glance.

“I don’t want to be Monroe’s mate,” Rachel burst out. “But if I said no, Dad would make Clarissa or Monique. You saved Elin. Please don’t send us away!”

Hayden drew himself up. He glared at them all, but Mica already knew he would allow them to stay. He might be strict and clearly focused on defeating Monroe, but he wasn’t cruel. He didn’t want to sacrifice people to get to his goal. Though he expected the wolves to follow his orders, he was the kindestAlpha Mica had ever known. Everyone worked, but everyone also rested. They did their part, and he adjusted that part according to their abilities.

“We’ll get you three set up in the south lean-to with the other unmated girls,” Mica told them. “Your father will no doubt come for you. You will need to swear allegiance to Hayden as your Alpha to give us the legal right to keep you from him. But for now, we’ll get you each a sleeping place and assign you to the duty roster.”

Hayden glanced at her. “Oh, will we? I haven’t agreed to take them.”

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