Page 21 of Hayden's Haven
Damien’s brow quirked. “In what universe did I give you the impression I thought otherwise?”
“You didn’t. But you should. With my history, you should.”
“It’s not your history. It’s your uncle’s and your brother’s. You were just caught up in it as innocent bystanders often are.”
The powerful white wolf stood over Reina, who lay in the dirt with her neck at an awkward angle, eyes open, blank, and quite dead. The coppery taste of blood slipped into Hayden’s mouth as he and the new alpha, Drake, circled the former alpha’s body. Nothing would stop the fight, not after what Hayden had done.
Damien’s large hand clamped down on Hayden’s shoulder, turning him back toward camp and ripping him from his memories. “Now, tell me about Dr. Evans.”
“Mila. She doesn’t like being called ‘doctor’ for some reason.”
“Mila then. What’s she like? I had planned to put her in the same cabin as Pryce, but that’s when I was expecting a male.”
“Put her with Aloe. They’ll get along.” He wasn’t quite sure about that, but if Aloe could put up with obstinate, hard-headed Damien then she could certainly put up with Mila who got along beautifully with Kate and from the look of it back at the house, was comfortable with Tess and Anna. There was no way in hell Hayden would let her stay with Pryce and Frank, even if they weren’t the type to take advantage of a woman. Pryce and his Southern charm might just sweep Mila off her feet. And then there was Frank and his penchant for books. As a doctor, Mila was probably a reader. He could see those two getting along really well, especially if Frank didn’t talk much. Mila would probably see him as a challenge, which he was.
“That’s all you have to say about her?”
“What do you want me to say? She’s smart, beautiful, cares about her patients, and she’s not the best at taking orders.”
“And?” Damien prodded.
“And she’s way out of my league.”
Damien chuckled. “I thought so.”
“I know better than to set my sights too high.”
“That’s not what I meant. You like her.”
Hayden glared at him. “Don’t. Just. . . don’t. And tell Tess not to meddle, too.”
“Tess doesn’t meddle. She arranges.”
“Boy, has she got her hand wrapped around your cock.”
Damien smiled. “Yes, indeed. You should try it. Maybe then you won’t be so damn moody.”
Hayden shook his head in defeat. That was coming from the king of moody himself. He’d love nothing more than to have Mila’s hand around his cock, or any part of him. That just wasn’t going to happen. As she kept telling Kate, he was a white wolf.
* * *
MILA
The alpha’s mate, Tess, led Mila to a house not too far from her own. The shifter who lived there, Aloe, apparently was visiting her sister at another pack and wouldn’t be back for a while. Mila wasn’t quite sure how she felt about moving into the woman’s house without her knowing, but Mila had to sleep somewhere. She just had to make sure to be tidy and keep the place in good shape.
As for a lab, there was a storage unit that Anna used for her research. She had only met the genetic engineer briefly at Damien’s before Tess pulled her along for the grand tour of the Pack’s compound, where she and Damien’s house stood. The lodge, cookhouse, and various storage sheds were just beyond the first line of trees, with most of the families living down the various trails that led outward from the compound.
Getting time to sit down with Anna and learning what she was doing, what she had discovered about the virus was paramount. Anna said she had set up the previous doctor’s research in the storage unit where she worked since she and Mila would need to share some equipment. The place had its own dedicated generator too, and a slew of maintenance workers on call if the generator broke down.
It almost sounded like a real lab, better than what Mila had at her pack. A small room in the back of her house without any support if the power failed. Then again, having her lab in her house had been convenient. She didn’t have to cross the compound on her way to or from work, risking any unwanted attention from Vance or their alpha, Truman.
From the moment Tess opened the door to Aloe’s, Mila tuned out everything the shifter was saying. The memory of Hayden and that oh-so-seductive kiss took over, pushing aside all thoughts of sharing a lab with Anna and of no longer having to worry about the risks in crossing a compound to get supplies.
That kiss had been passionate, warm, everything she had ever imagined a kiss should be, except it had been one-sided. Hayden had no use for her; his body language, the way he barely spoke to her said as much. That kiss had been him testing the waters, perhaps. In any event, whatever it was, Hayden wasn’t her future. Her future consisted of defeating this damn virus and maybe earning a place in this pack.
Then, why couldn’t she forget about Hayden’s deep black eyes and how soft and gentle his voice could be with her? This was foolishness. She was acting like a teenage girl. She just had to ride it out, ignore this obsession of hers until it went away.
“And if there’s anything else you need, just come to me. I’m helping organize the weekly supply runs into town, but given the reason you’re here, we can make any trip, day or night, to get you whatever you need. For the complicated medical stuff, though, write down precisely what it is you need and the type of places we can, ah, procure it.”
