Page 52 of Hayden's Haven
“Don’t worry about the move. We can get as much help as we need to pack up. I know which shifters to pull off of duties elsewhere. I just have to get Damien or Hayden’s approval. We can have everything packed in an hour, three tops, and then unpack even faster.”
The mention of Hayden’s name made Mila jumpy. Sooner or later she’d have to talk with him. She glanced through her notes. Later. Definitely later. She had to focus on the virus since that was the reason she was here in the first place. Granted, it had been her excuse to get away from her pack, but it had become her mission once she got comfortable with the idea that she could work in peace here, even be appreciated for her skills.
Shifters everywhere needed this. Mila smiled, feeling good about herself for the first time in a long time. This could actually work.
“You get our helpers lined up while I track down Ferguson to get a final move date and a quick tour to make sure the place is in running condition before we move everything over. The last thing we need is to overload the circuits if he didn’t account for the draw from our using several machines at once.”
“Sounds good!”
Mila stepped out into the cold, wondering if the temperature had risen or if her shifter abilities had finally kicked in. For the first time in weeks, she felt warm, as if the weather was closer to fifty than twenty. She didn’t even zip up her coat or put gloves on.
As she headed past Damien’s house and down the path that led to the new lab, she felt as if someone was watching her. It wasn’t the first time she had had the feeling over the past few weeks, except this time her wolf rose within, pushing her to pay attention, to move faster, get out of the open. Her wolf was back! That stunned her, distracted her until her wolf nipped at her, again and again, to get moving.
Mila raced down the hill and flew through the lab’s front door, slamming it closed behind her. The hollow echo of the door slamming traveled through the empty lab.
“Anyone here?” she called out, checking to see who might still be working. No answer.
As she ran her fingers over the clean metal counters lining the outer walls, she marveled at all the space, and how warm and quiet the lab was. And completely finished. Not a single wire lay loose. The place was better insulated than she had expected. There were no noises of kids running across a compound, or shifters calling out to one another talking about everyday events. No howls or growls from the occasional teen spat being broken up by a guard. Just quiet, solitude, and a perfectly functioning lab. As soon as Anna got the work crew together they could move everything over from the shack.
Ferguson had outdone himself, installing a double set of doors in the foyer to cut down on heat loss and direct currents. At the far end of the building was a large fireplace, at least five feet wide and just as high. The windows all had curtains, which was a strange look for a lab, but it would cut down on drafts. The place was rather dark right now with the shades drawn. She flipped the lights. Strong workstyle lights flooded the room. Perfect. High above in the ten-foot-high ceilings were three fans positioned down the middle of the room. Mila flipped the fan switch on the wall. The fans started up, all of them rotating clockwise, slow enough to pull cool air up off the floor and push warm air down. He had actually listened to her suggestion.
A shifter had listened to her suggestion. Imagine that.
She and Anna had requested a storage room too, but Ferguson had built two rooms. He wouldn’t tell her what the second room was for. A surprise, nothing more, he had said. She couldn’t wait for Anna. Mila headed into the mystery room and flipped the light.
Tears clouded her vision. It was a combination kitchenette and bedroom, with two beds. Her name was carved over one and Anna’s over the other. Maybe Ferguson didn’t realize she didn’t have far to go to get to Aloe’s or that she wouldn’t be pulling 48 hours shifts like when she was an intern, but it was sweet, really sweet.
The lights went out. So much for being ready to move in. Last-minute glitches were expected but she couldn’t afford to have the power fail in the middle of certain experiments. She’d have to check with Ferguson. Maybe ask about installing a backup generator. Yes, that would be crucial. And Kate said there was enough money to pay for whatever they needed.
The kitchen/bedroom didn’t have any windows, and with the curtains drawn in the main work area, the inside was practically pitch dark. Her wolf gave a haughty signal, as if to say she could see just fine.
Maybe her wolf could, but her eyesight in human form wasn’t as good as most shifters.
The front door clicked shut. Mila froze. Footsteps approached. That feeling of having been watched suddenly made sense.
“Mila?”
The lights came back on. There stood Hayden by the front door. Relief flooded her. Her mind had been playing tricks on her again.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, suddenly on alert. His bones were moving beneath his skin, as if he were resisting a shift. He must have sensed her fear.
“I’m fine. I just got scared when the lights went out.”
He flipped the switch twice. “They seem fine.”
“Someone else must have seen them on from outside and shut them without realizing I was in the backroom.”
Hayden stopped looking around as if there was a predator about, but he was tense, jumpy even. Probably because he was with her. And yet despite—or maybe because of—all the awkwardness, she wanted to go to him and hold him.
“I’ll be going then.” Hayden opened the inner door.
“Wait!”
He glanced over his shoulder.
That look in his eyes. . . was it hope?Please let him not be mad at me.
“Were you looking for me?” she asked, as she thrust her hands behind her so he wouldn’t see her fidgeting with the hem of her sweater.
