Page 28 of Hayden's Haven
She smiled at Hayden. It wasn’t hard to do. The shifter made her feel safe and wanted. Desired even.
I can’t have him.
“Hayden, I’m flattered by your offer, but you and I aren’t well-suited. For the time I’m here, I’d appreciate if you keep your distance.” Mila tore free of his hold and raced up the path. She didn’t stop until she was inside Aloe’s house, closed the door, and sank to the floor where she cried. She had lost Hayden before she had ever had him. She could never allow herself to get to know the shifter who had already found a place in her heart.
Chapter Six
HAYDEN
As Hayden listened to Damien talk about security adjustments and his meeting with Liam, his mind drifted to the beautiful Mila sitting across from him, between Anna and Tess. Blade paced while Pryce occupied one of the chairs opposite the sofa. Callen took up his usual perch, one foot flat against the wall, by the door. That was the enforcer in him, always ready even in the middle of their pack.
Hayden hadn’t expected Mila to be present, but Damien had asked her to report her progress to the group. Had she made progress already? It wouldn’t surprise him. She was wicked smart, like Anna. He shouldn’t be so out of the loop on anything involving the virus, but he had only himself to blame. He hadn’t talked to Mila in a week, since the day he had pinned Benji to the ground and put the asshole in his place.
She had followed Hayden home after that pitiful skirmish, to check on his wounds. At first, he had tried to turn her away, but even he could not ignore his desire to see her, touch her. He had thought she liked him, which is what made her request feel like a knife to his heart.
‘You and I aren’t well-suited. I’d appreciate if you keep your distance.’
What the fuck did that mean? Not well-suited. . . Fine, he’d give her some time and distance, let her get acclimated to the pack, to him even. He wasn’t walking away from her, however. Hecouldn’t.
Whenever they crossed paths, Hayden couldn’t stop his traitorous body from locking eyes with her, from leaning toward her. Mostly because he didn’t want to.
She, on the other hand, went out of her way to avoid talking to him. His friends had started to notice. Blade was giving him tense looks as if he thought Hayden should stay away from Mila while Damien kept nudging Hayden, pushing him toward Mila. Frank and Pryce, thankfully, minded their own business. Callen, too for that matter though he always seemed to be watching absorbing.
Now the group filled Damien’s living room, stuck until they finished discussing pack business. This was the closest Hayden had been to Mila without her heading in the opposite direction in a week. He wasn’t sure if he should strangle or thank Damien.
“Well, Hayden?” Damien asked.
Fuck.Hayden had been watching Mila’s dark tresses float across the back of the green silk top as she scooted over to give Tess a spot on the sofa. Mila’s bruises had disappeared—finally—and she was definitely more relaxed than she had been a week ago.
“Sorry, can you repeat the question?” Hayden replied. Mila raised a brow.
A reaction? Good. Perhaps this meeting would prove beneficial.
“Which shifter do you think is best suited to cross into Drake’s territory and scrounge up some information while Drake’s meeting with Liam?”
He’s sending someone in? Fuck.“Blade.”
“That’s a death sentence for him, you know that.”
“Only if he’s caught.”
“I’m not sending Blade.”
“You asked who was qualified. No one else is qualified, and you won’t get anything even if you do. I don’t care how many shifters Drake takes with him when he leaves, he will not have shared any information about where he’s hidden the HEV1 or when and where he plans to use it.”
“HEV1?” Mila asked.
“That’s the Human Eradication Virus I was telling you about,” Anna answered. “His response to the Shifter Eradication Virus. Drake fancies himself a wordsmith.”
“Hardly,” Hayden answered without even having to think why Drake did what he did sometimes. He knew his brother too well, better than he wanted. “It’s a message to the humans that for everything they do to him, he’ll dish it right back, harder. When he fights, he often uses his enemy’s tactics against them, except better. It gives him a sense of vindication.”
“That’s very specific,” Mila said, looking rather puzzled.
“I know how Drake thinks. And sending in any of our shifters will gain us nothing, Damien. We’ve had this discussion before. Why are you bringing it up again?”
Damien’s shoulder hunched as he leaned forward, fingers clasped together. It was as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear. They were in his living room, their usual place to meet, but with shifter hearing, it wouldn’t be hard for someone outside to overhear the details.
“There are reports of a deadly virus spreading through Scrawny Ledge, Wyoming.”
