Page 70 of The Alpha's Bullied Mate

Mica gave him a worn smile. “Almost back to her old self. She doesn’t have the same endurance, but she isn’t so weak anymore.”

Hayden swallowed his food. Though he hadn’t eaten much, he was starting to get uncomfortably full. He moved to set the tray aside. Mica quickly did it for him. His mouth quirked, but he allowed it. It was strange, but letting her hover over him satiated him in a way he hadn’t intended. He was so used to being responsible for everyone else around him.

With Mica, he felt that there were ways she could take care of him.

“I’ll leave this here in case you’re hungry later,” she said.

Hayden pushed aside the binder of the pack’s finances. “Come lay down with me for a bit. I just woke up; maybe I need some cuddling before I can eat.”

He winked at her.

Mica rolled her eyes but kicked off her shoes and crawled into the bed next to him.

Hayden stroked his thumb over her cheekbone, wondering at her beauty. Why had he ever been embarrassed about the idea of people thinking they were together? He kissed her temple and sighed.

“I know that sigh,” Mica said. “You’re feeling guilty again.”

“Perceptive.”

Mica wrinkled her nose and stuck out his tongue. “You don’t have to feel bad, you know. You’ve apologized enough.”

“I know that you forgive me.” He sighed again. “But when I think about the way I treated you… I didn’t even realize I was being so cruel. I think that’s the worst part of it. Being so… indifferent to your pain. I’ve always cared, even when I didn’t want anyone to know. I’m so very sorry for how I used to treat you.”

“Hayden…” Mica kissed him softly. “Just say it again.”

Hayden smirked, knowing exactly what she meant. “I’m sorry.”

“Not that! The other thing.” She pouted at him.

Hayden cupped her chin in his hand. “I love you.”

Mica’s answering smile swept away the lingering traces of guilt. Oh, it would come back. He hadn’t forgiven himself yet, and his wolf was sure to keep punishing him for hurting their mate, too. But seeing the love shining in her eyes was proof enough of her forgiveness of his past.

“I love you, too.”’

“What did I do to earn that love?”

Mica smirked. “Love isn’t something you earn. It’s something that is given freely and without strings attached. I love you because you’re you. Why do you love me?”

The question was pointed. Hayden ran a hand over her curves. “Oh, many reasons. Your heart and soul, mostly. Your body is pretty damn high on the list, too.”

“But would you love me if I was a worm?” Mica quipped.

Hayden laughed. “If you were a worm, I’d build a beautiful worm habitat and hire all the best worm scientists to give you the very best of lives.”

They both laughed. Hayden’s hand moved to Mica’s belly. It was starting to round out more. Her baggy clothes still hid her growing belly, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. Hayden knew she was worried about feeling disgusted with her body the more baby weight she gained, but he was determined to help her see how beautiful she was at every change.

“I decided to hire a few new teachers for the school,” Mica said absently. “And I’m also looking into getting us a nutritionist to come to the pack and give lectures. I think we could all learn how to have a healthier relationship with food. Too many of the pack eat nothing but meat.”

“I’m a lucky Alpha to have you as my Luna,” Hayden said. He kissed her, long and slow. “So very, very lucky. We’re going to make this pack better, you know. The three of us. You, me, and our baby.”

Epilogue - Mica

Eight Months Later

Mica smiled at the sleepy baby in her arms. After a long pregnancy—it felt far longer than nine months—she and Hayden had been blessed with a strong, healthy baby boy. Over the seven weeks since he’d been born, he had grown so much already. He was thriving, and the entire pack fawned over him whenever she and Hayden took him out.

For the last three months, she and Hayden had taken a step back from their duties as Alpha and Luna of the pack. Hayden’s position still demanded more attention from him, but Ryder had been taking on more responsibilities so the two of them could focus on bonding with their son.

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