Page 49 of Hayden's Haven
“The origination virus might hold the key to creating the vaccination that will stop this shifter virus once and for all.”
They talked on their way back to their shack. Mila had trouble calling it a lab now that they had a real building, with insulation, a concrete foundation, and even windows near completion. In a few days, the shifters would move all their equipment over. Anna and she would have to start packing up and getting everything ready to move, even though it wasn’t far, they had to do it properly or risk damaging expensive equipment.
When Mila had asked how the pack could afford all the equipment, some of which cost tens of thousands of dollars, Anna had merely looked toward Kate, Little Miss Hacker. Mila understood immediately and said nothing more.
“You really think you have the answer?” Anna asked, linking arms.
She did, she really did, but she didn’t want to say for sure and give everyone false hope. Anna needed to know because they’d have to work together on this. “Let’s keep it quiet for now until I’m sure.”
“Understood.”
At least she’d have the answer to one problem. As for Hayden, there was no answer there. Or was there? Could Anna do to Mila what she’d done to herself, to allow a blood-bond between her and Hayden without compromising his abilities? This was definitely a discussion worth having.
“We can talk later,” Anna whispered, as she slipped her arm from Mila’s. Mila looked over to see what had scared her off.
A few feet shy of Damien’s door stood Hayden, looking tired but well. He stood taller as his eyes locked with hers. Mila’s heart raced, and her legs itched to run toward him. Holding back, forcing herself not to move was torturous. Everything in her wanted to run to him, to tell him about everything that had happened since he had left, to make sure he was okay, to even blurt out that with Anna’s help, she could protect him, if he wanted to blood-bond.
She couldn’t do it. Any of it. The words got stuck in her throat, because she didn’t know if she could protect him. Heck, she didn’t even know how he felt about her. He had left without saying goodbye after all.
She wasn’t even sure what had happened after he had claimed her except she had fled Aloe’s house, without her coat, her bra wasn’t adjusted quite right, and she was sore in all the right places. Except she hadn’t merely walked away; she hadrunfrom Hayden, tears threatening to stream down her face, because she didn’t have the guts to tell him she was weak.
Then it seemed like every shifter in camp had surrounded him, accusing him of being a traitor until Damien had broken it up. She had done nothing to help Hayden, because she was an emotional mess. No, he didn’t need a broken shifter in his life adding to his problems. He needed a strong shifter.
Mila’s eyes remained locked with Hayden’s a moment longer. He glanced away as Frank said something to him before entering Damien’s house. After Frank entered, Hayden’s mouth opened, as if he wanted to say something to Mila from across the compound. Then he shook his head and walked inside Damien’s home and out of her life without a single word.
Chapter Ten
HAYDEN
“This is what happens when you get a woman in your life, Hayden,” Frank said as they waited at Damien’s door. Frank knocked again. “Doors close.”
“They’re entitled to privacy.”
“That’s what bedrooms are for.”
Hayden snickered. Damien and Tess weren’t exactly the bedroom types, from what he had heard and seen.
“Maybe he’s out,” Frank said, getting impatient.
“Then the door would be unlocked.”
“That’s another thing. Since when did he add a lock?”
“Since Ian attacked Tess.”
That shut Frank up fast, though he wasn’t sure what was eating at Frank all of a sudden. Little things like closed doors and locks never bothered the guard before.
High notes in the wind caught Hayden’s attention. He glanced to the left. There stood Mila and Anna walking arm and arm. His girl looked happy, relaxed. Much better than when he had seen her last, running from Aloe’s house, a shaken look on her face and her hair mussed from how he had held her while he had pounded into her from behind. God, those few minutes with her had been the most exhilarating, soul-quenching of his life. Until she’d run from him.
‘Sex is just sex,’Frank had said. He was wrong, so very wrong. Hayden had hurt Mila. He had promised to let her set the pace and then not a few hours later he had hauled her down to Aloe’s, stripped her, and plowed into her. It wasn’t what she had deserved, especially not for their first time.
He’d let hormones get the best of him. If she hadn’t smelled so damn delicious. . . no, this wasn’t her fault. It was no one’s fault. Or maybe it was, but they’d share the blame together. Hell. How had the situation gone downhill so fast? Two weeks away from her, playing everything over and over in his mind, and he still didn’t have an answer as to how he had misread her like that. The bottom line, it didn’t matter if she had agreed, she hadn’t been ready for him.
Seeing her happy and carefree, talking with Anna, her voice and step light and carefree. . . That’s not how she looked when she had ran from him. He had destroyed a good thing, all because he couldn’t keep it in his pants.
As Anna headed off toward the cookhouse, Mila looked in his direction and froze. Never had he seen such trepidation in her. She had probably thought he wasn’t coming back. At one point he had considered just that.
Mila fit in really well here, and she deserved a pack that would care about her, make her happy. He had a sinking feeling if he didn’t leave the pack, she would. And then what? Return to her pack where clearly she didn’t want to be? No, he wouldn’t let it come to that. He’d leave if he had to. Damien, Callen, Frank, and Pryce would understand. Blade certainly wouldn’t object, as Anna wouldn’t have to look at him and be reminded of Drake daily.
