Page 14 of Hayden's Haven
Kate fell back a few paces, leaving him alone with Mila. He didn’t like this, whatever this was, not one bit. “Harsh,” Hayden said, only because he felt as if they wouldn’t leave him alone unless he played their little game. “Where’s that bedside manner doctors are supposed to have?”
“Lost it with my virginity.”
Hayden nearly choked. He had absolutely nothing to say to that. “Why are you here, Mila?”
“I offered to work on the vaccine with Damien’s doctor. Joint effort, combine our notes. Two working together is always better than one.”
“I mean here, walking beside me. I said I’d get you to my pack, and I will. You don’t have to talk to me.”
“Maybe I want to talk to you.”
“Why?”
“You ask hard questions, Hayden.”
“It’s rather straightforward, actually.”
“Kate said you weren’t yourself. I thought I’d see if there was something I could do to help.”
“So, a house call, without the house. Nice to know you’re not above that sort of thing. I’m fine, doctor. Don’t waste your time on me.” He could tell from how she suddenly went silent that he had said the wrong thing. She continued walking alongside him when she could have just as easily returned to Kate. Maybe she didn’t hate him, after all.
Hayden glanced over his shoulder in time to see Kate scanning the woods behind her, her face hopeful and anxious. “He’s fine, Kate,” Hayden said.
“How do you know?”
Hayden dropped back to talk with her. Walking away from Mila, even for the short distance, felt wrong but at the same time, he could finally breathe again. The doctor had caught him off guard, especially with how frank she had been. Not a virgin. Well, that was always good to know, not that her status in that department impacted his future. He wasn’t her type. She had been quite clear about that.
“Your blood-bond would have told you otherwise,” he answered Kate’s question. “The way it’s been described to me is like having a tether to the other half of your soul. You’ll feel him there if you haven’t closed yourself off to him again.”
“I only did that to protect him.” She stopped suddenly and focused. Hayden immediately scanned the woods, scented the air. There was nothing nearby.
“Oh, God, Hayden. What if I closed it again inadvertently? Like in my sleep or something? Or when I passed out?”
“You have to consciously close it.”
“He’ll never find us.” Kate started staring up at the trees. He’d seen this once before. Heard about it from Callen too. Kate’s anxieties could get the best of her if no one intervened.
Mila rushed past him to get to Kate, speaking to her softly, getting Kate to focus on Mila’s face and to stop looking at the vast forest around them. Mila hadn’t hesitated to jump in there and help Kate.
Hell, Hayden really wasn’t a leader, but that didn’t mean he would walk away from his responsibility. “He’ll always find you, Kate,” he said, trying to offer her some thread of hope to hold onto.
“You’re just saying that,” she said, but her face said it was what she needed to hear, even if she didn’t quite believe it.
“No, really,” he said, feeling somewhat more hopeful himself. “The way you walk through the woods, stepping on every twig, and brushing by every branch, it’s like a herd of elephants going through.”
“You’re not funny,” Kate said as she swatted his arm and continued walking again as if all was right with the world. Mila giggled.
Hayden stood taller. Never had he heard such a light, airy sound as her laugh.
“You have a lot to learn as a shifter, Kate. Foremost, is that Callen will be back to teach you. He won’t let anyone, or anything, rip him from you. Until then, he expects you to stay alive. I expect you to stay alive, too. Or Callen will kill me. Understand?”
“How can I check the bond? Just to be sure?”
“Focus, I guess? I’m not really sure, but if you can’t, don’t worry. We all know you’re a bit slow. I mean, how many years did it take you to finally shift?”
That earned him another swat on the arm.
“See the abuse I have to put up with, Doc?”
