Page 4 of Hayden's Haven
“I don’t bite.”
“Are you sure, white wolf?”
Damn family history was going to follow him everywhere. “We’re allies, which means you have my protection whether you want it or not, Doc.”
Green eyes softened slightly, though enough suspicion remained there to remind him that he would never be rid of his past, even with a woman he had just met.
“I thought scientists were supposed to be less prone to making snap judgments.”
She eyed him curiously as if she couldn’t figure him out. He hoped she’d give him a chance, a real chance, unlike the majority of his adoptive pack. If it weren’t for the close-knit circle of friends he had among Damien’s top shifters, Hayden would have left Damien’s pack years ago.
Mila finally took his hand, allowing him to help her up. It was a sign of trust, despite how hesitant she was. Hayden held in the need to smile, for fear of spooking her further. He could work with hesitant. At least she had given him an opening.
Eager to reach Kate, Hayden clasped ahold of Mila’s hand and started walking.
“Must you?” she whispered.
He followed her eyes to where his hand held hers. His thumb had been lightly caressing the back of her hand. That hadnotbeen intentional.
“Sorry.”
Mila was a distraction, no doubt about it. She had been since he first spotted her coming and going to the bakery when he and Callen were observing the place, waiting for the elusive Dr. Evans they were sent to escort. Hayden had never imagined the beautiful woman was the doctor or that she had been caring for his injured cousin.
Kate. . . Hell, he’d left her practically defenseless.
Hayden picked up his pace. He was practically pulling Mila along as he dodged low tree branches and leapt over knotted roots. Despite her heavy breathing beside him, she was keeping up. Her hand was soft, so perfect in his that it was no wonder he started stroking her smooth skin again.
As soon as he realized what he was doing, he stopped and released her hand. Fortunately, she hadn’t minded him caressing her. If she had, she would have pulled away for sure this time. Mila was no coward; she had stood up to him, several times now. He just wished she didn’t fear him.
Instincts told Hayden someone was near. He ground to a halt and listened for the enemy. The distant hum of voices heading away from him and Mila put him at ease, but not enough to be complacent. His wolf was edgy because they weren’t in their territory, surrounded by pack.
“You can call me ‘Mila’,” she said, between heavy breaths as they continued hiking toward Kate.
“Are you sure? Sounds rather personal considering how much you fear me.”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
Her scent had said otherwise, but he wasn’t going to call her a liar. “Kate’s a white wolf too.” He didn’t know what made him say that, except that Mila liked Kate. She had gone out of her way to help Kate, risked her life for her even.
“I know. But she’s not one ofthem.”
“Them?”
“The pack of crazy white wolves to the South.”
Drake’s pack. Hayden’s birth pack. “Being a white wolf doesn’t make a shifter crazy,” he bit out, trying to keep from sounding defensive. She didn’t know him yet. She had no real reason to trust him.
“You look like their alpha.”
“You’ve met Drake then. Where?”
“Yes, that was his name. Drake Novak.” She shuddered again, and his heart sank. Not that he ever expected a good reaction when Drake’s name was mentioned, but still, this was his brother. If she knew of Hayden’s connection, then she’d never give him the time of day once he got her back to Damien’s pack.
“It’s been a few years, but yes, I met him. He attended a summit between alphas from four states about three years back.”
Hayden remembered that summit. Damien had left Hayden in charge of the pack, taking Callen with him to the summit. Damien had said Hayden was needed at the pack, but the truth was that Damien avoided having Hayden at his side—where a second should be—anytime Drake was involved. Not that Hayden didn’t understand Damien’s reasoning. Drake lost any and all sense of reason and civility every time Hayden approached, and nothing could get accomplished when Drake was in one of his moods. Nonetheless, being left behind—being theonlysecond excluded from such meetings—never sat well with Hayden, and it made the pack question his true worth.
For all of his strengths and insight, Damien couldn’t see the damage he did to Hayden’s reputation each time he left him out of high-level meetings. Damien was Hayden’s best friend and his alpha, but that didn’t mean they always saw eye to eye.
