Page 33 of The Alpha's Bullied Mate

“That’s enough for tonight,” he said finally. “Tomorrow, we’ll start training the pack on how to fight the beast-demons. Until they’re ready to fight, we’ll have to keep the salt circle intact.”

Mica spoke up. “It’s meant to rain later in the week. How will we keep the circle from washing away?”

“Good point.” Hayden’s eyebrows furrowed.

Derek cleared his throat. “I’ll work on that problem with Tess. She brought it up to me earlier and said she thought she had a solution, but we were interrupted.”

Ryder’s head snapped over, and he narrowed his eyes.

Irritation spiked through Mica as she rolled her eyes at her brother. He shouldn't have rejected her if he was soconcerned with Tess spending time with other men. If anyone else noticed his behavior, they didn’t mention it.

“Derek and Tess will work on the problem, then,” Hayden said. “Maverick, you’re on watch tonight. Select a handful of the pack to help. The rest of you, try to get some rest.”

They all bowed their heads. Hayden turned and smiled at Mica. She smiled automatically back, and he came over to put an arm around her. Mica leaned into his side as they left the room. His touch made the exhaustion and fear of the day simply melt away. By the time they got to their room, she was brimming with a new type of energy.

She closed the door behind them, and the two came together. Hayden cupped her face in his huge hands, pulling her closer to capture her lips.

Mica sighed into his mouth, the knots in her muscles relaxing. She ran her hands down the front of his shirt, enjoying the sensation of his hidden muscles. Hayden pushed her up against the wall and pulled her leg over his hip, grinding against her through their clothes. She could already feel how ready he was, and a grin crossed her face.

“What’s that little smirk about?” Hayden asked as he moved his kisses down her neck.

“It’s not a smirk at all. It’s me basking in you,” Mica answered.

Hayden laughed as he undid her pants and pushed them down. Mica stepped out of the fabric, leaning against the door. She watched as Hayden pressed a kiss to her hip and slowly worked his way up, moving her shirt up out of the way as he did so. She loved the passion with which he touched her. It made her feel alive and desirable.

“Hayden, why—” She bit back on the question.

Why he rejected her years ago only to have so much passion in their bed now didn’t matter. Did it?

Hayden undid her bra, kissing along the cup of one as he took it off her. “Why what?”

Mica scrambled for something to fill the empty question. “Why haven’t you asked me for a blowjob?”

“Why would I want a blowjob when I can have you and kiss you at the same time?” he asked.

He grinned at her. With ease, he picked her up and carried her to the bed. Mica held onto him, aware of the vulnerability of being naked before him while he was still fully clothed. He could see every flaw of her body while she couldn’t see any of his. Well, that was disingenuous. Hayden had no flaws.

He laid her down on the bed, his hand between her legs. As she gasped and jerked at his touch, Mica quickly pulled at his clothes. He obliged her, shedding the layers. She caught his hips between her thighs, and he sunk into her. Their kisses grew fiercer as they moved in rhythm, building the pleasure between them.

Mica didn’t want this to end. She never wanted it to end. And if that meant holding her questions inside and refusing to let any of them out? That’s just what it would have to be.

She wasn’t going to give Hayden up. Now that she had him, she wanted to keep him. So she held him tighter, fighting against the pressure building through her. Instead, she kissed him, the way he wanted. And their eyes remained locked open on each other as they continued the dance as old as time.

***

Chirping birds just outside of the window woke Mica in the early morning. She sleepily buried her face into Hayden’s chest, unwilling to get up just yet. Their naked bodies pressed together, soft and warm in the cool morning. Being in Hayden’s arms always made her feel safe and secure. His strength seemed to seep into her, giving her everything she needed to face their situation.

The previous night’s activities had kept them up quite late. Mica hoped she wouldn’t be too tired to perform her duties today. Not that there was a lot to do. A month had passed since Monroe last attacked the house. He’d kept his distance since then, but they couldn’t quite figure out what he was up to.

Hayden had attempted several times to go after him but was always driven back. Lately, the pack's main focus had been dedicated to keeping everyone fed, sheltered, and dealing with interpersonal disputes.

Maybe Monroe was just waiting them out.

As she lay in Hayden’s arms, Mica’s mind went to a question that was even less welcome. What was between them? They were mates, and Hayden was always eager for her, but Mica didn’t know what he felt besides lust. She didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to clarify things between them—because he was probably only doing what she asked him.

Lying. Making Mica believe that he loved her. Hayden really was a good liar, and Mica didn’t want to destroy this illusion he had created.

She was certain that his lust for her was true. You couldn’t kiss someone like that and not mean it. Even if his main drive was to have children with her, she couldn’t imagine he’d get sohard from her naked body unless he really wanted her. And their sex life was plenty satisfactory. She hadn’t known that sex could feel so good. He seemed to know her body as well as she knew it.

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