Page 21 of Mating Mia
Liam studies me for a long moment, then nods, apparently satisfied with what he sees. “You are an honorable, good alpha. All of you for taking care of me. I owe you my life.”
The compliment, unexpected from this proud, broken wolf, catches me off guard. I’ve been called many things in my life—dangerous, deadly, ruthless, but "good" has rarely been among them.
"I'll be back to check on her," Liam continues, pushing himself to his feet. He sways slightly but catches himself against the bedpost. "But I’ve been waiting for years to be free. To look for my omega. I can feel her out there, somewhere. The bond is faint, but it never broke. She’s alive."
I nod, understanding.
If Mia were taken from me, nothing would stop me from searching for her until my last breath. The mate bond is sacred, unbreakable. Even years of separation couldn’t sever it for this old wolf.
Liam moves to the window, pushing it open to let in the cool night air. The scent of pine and earth floods the small room. He turns to me one last time. “Tell her I’m sorry I couldn’t stay. Tell her I’ll find her again when it’s safe. When I’ve found her mother.”
“I will,” I reply, watching as Liam shifts into his natural wolf form.
The shift is slow, painful to watch—his weakened state making the transformation more difficult than it should be. Bones crack and realign; skin stretches and sprouts coarse, gray fur. Human features elongate into a muzzle. When it’s complete, an elderly wolf stands before me, much smaller and thinner than a healthy alpha should be. His fur is patchy, revealing the same scars that marked his human form.
One ear is partially missing, and he holds one paw slightly off the ground.
I move to the window, watching as he gauges the distance to the ground. It's not far—just a few feet—but in his condition, every impact could reopen wounds.
"The pack that took you," I say quietly. “They’ll be looking for you.”
The wolf turns his head to me, and I swear I see something like a smile in those intelligent eyes. Then, without further hesitation, he leaps from the window, landing with a soft thud on the pine-needle-covered ground below.
He staggers for a moment but rights himself, shaking out his ragged coat.
I watch as he pads into the forest, his gait uneven but determined. Each step seems to strengthen him, as if the very act of freedom is healing what torture broke. Within moments, he’s swallowed by the darkness between the trees, gone like a ghost.
I close the window slowly, thinking of Orion and his pack. They'll be hunting us—of that, I have no doubt. The loss of both Mia and Liam will be a blow to their pride that they won’t ignore.
We’ll need to move soon, find somewhere more defensible than this isolated cabin.
But those concerns can wait until morning. Right now, there's a more immediate need calling to me, pulling at my senses like a physical tether. Mia's scent has grown stronger in the last few minutes, the sweet honey aroma thickening with unmistakable arousal.
Her heat is rising again.
I leave the empty bedroom, closing the door quietly behind me. The night is young, and my omega needs me. The thought of her waiting, wet and wanting, pushes all other concerns from my mind. She needs me.
I follow her scent down the darkened hallway, each step bringing me closer to that intoxicating honey sweetness. My cock is already hardening in my sweatpants, responding to my omega in heat.
I’m itching to touch her again.
To claim her.
Toknother.
The wolf inside me is restless, eager to sink into her softness and knot her until she’s screaming my name. Until she forgets everyone but me.
The bedroom door is ajar, moonlight spilling through the window to illuminate the three figures on the bed. Kane is on her right, his large body curled protectively around her even in sleep, one arm draped possessively across her waist. Jace lies to her left, face peaceful in slumber. And between them, my sweet omega, her body restless with the fever of her heat.
Mia lies on her stomach, face buried in the pillow, her chestnut hair spread across the white cotton like spilled ink. The thin nightgown she’s wearing has ridden up to her mid-thigh, revealing long, smooth legs that part slightly as she shifts in discomfort.
Soft whimpers escape her, the sound of an omega in need even as she sleeps.
I approach the bed silently, my eyes never leaving her form. Her scent grows stronger as I near the bed, honey and heat and the faint musk of sex from earlier couplings with my packmates. My cock throbs painfully against my sweatpants, already leaking pre-cum at the mere smell of her.
I reach the edge of the bed, careful not to wake Kane or Jace. They’ve had their way with her today; now she’s mine. Gently, I place one knee on the mattress between her slightly parted legs. She stirs at the movement but doesn’t wake, just shifts her hips restlessly, seeking relief even in sleep.
Slowly, reverently, I slide my hands up the backs of her thighs, pushing the nightgown higher until it bunches around her waist. She’s wearing nothing underneath, which is ourpreference to keep her accessible at all times, especially during her heat.
