Chapter Five
“My brother loves you,” Darla said.
Hayley looked toward the barbeque the guys had set up. She couldn’t believe how fast food had arrived when all she said was that she was hungry. Micah had acted instantly, and had announced he was heading into town to get a bunch of food. All the other guys had to do was to get a pit ready for him to cook on.
“I, erm, this is really hard for me.”
“With the whole kidnapping thing?”
“Yeah. It’s not something we humans handle easily. In fact, it’s against the law from where I come from.”
“When it comes to pack law, taking a human is not against the law, especially if that human is a mate. Micah, in his weird alpha way, thought he was acting … romantically,” Darla said.
Hayley chuckled. “Is it wrong that I can see that? He believes that everything he does is romantic?”
“Not everything. Just this, honey. He loves you, and when you’re near your mate, that means something, more than anything.”
Hayley watched as Micah and David were laughing and joking. It had only been a couple of days, and yet, she sensed how much he cared about her. Everything he did was for her, and it was next to impossible to ignore that. Every woman would love for a man to be devoted to them, and she had it right now.
“Do you feel similar with David?” she asked. “Your mating call?”
“Yeah, it does. The moment I saw him, I knew, and it was so hard to try and put perspective on everything. I wanted to trust the mating call, you know. Out of every single man in the world, I was mated to my brother’s best friend. It is hard, and as wolves, we do fight it. There’s always that niggling doubt. Some of us just bask in finding our mate, but we’re not all the same.”
Hayley looked away. “So you’re not upset with me for having doubts?”
“Not at all. I’d be more upset if you just gave in to it. It’s not how love works, is it?”
“Love?”
“If you allow Micah to mate with you, you’re going to be alive for a really long time, Hayley. Make sure it’s the right decision,” Darla said.
“What are you two ladies talking about?” David asked, moving in beside his woman.
“Love,” they both said at the same time, and then chuckled.
“Here, you ask and I bring,” Micah said, holding out a large burger.
“Wow, that was fast.” She took the burger, and the little serviette he’d given her. Taking a bite, she closed her eyes with a moan. “That’s so good.” A nice spicy burger, cheese, onions, everything she loved in food in one big burger. “Did you make this?”
“I got the burgers from the diner. I know I can trust their food, and I saw how you reacted to it the other day.”
She laughed. “I’m not even going to say anything about that. It really was so good.”
“Really, really good.” He had his own burger as well.
Glancing toward the barbeque pit, she saw people just putting on new food, and taking the cooked food off.
She finished her burger, while David, Darla, and Micah ate another four burgers each. She decided to have a spicy chicken leg, and watched as the little group they had formed ate even more. It was refreshing being around people who ate more than her.
Later that night, as she was getting ready for bed, she sensed Micah in the room. She wore a pair of shorts and a crop shirt. “You weren’t lying about eating a lot, were you?”
“We were all hungry, and it was a great day to have a barbeque. I heard what you and Darla were talking about. She’s right. You need to know this is what you want for the rest of your life.”
She sat down on the bed, crossing her legs, and staring at him. He was leaning against the doorframe, staring at her. “What do you mean?”
“Once you accept me as your mate, there won’t be any going back to the city. I can’t be there. This is my home, and I’m hoping you’ll see this as your home as well. The point is, there will only be me. There won’t be any chance of you finding anyone else.”
“You sound so sure of that.”
“I know I am. I won’t be able to live with another man touching you. I’m an animal, Hayley. To the core, that is what I am. I will kill them.”
“What about me?” she asked.
“I’d never hurt you. It’s not in my nature.” He turned to leave.
“Wait,” she said. “You don’t have to leave.”
“I think I do. I want this. I want you here as my mate. I want to fuck, make love, have babies, build a life with you. I kidnapped you for that very purpose. Hearing my sister, she put things into perspective for me without even realizing it. This is not a life you walk away from. We mate, and we’re together forever. I need you to make that choice without me trying to make it for you.”
With that, he walked away.
Hayley missed him, and something hollow settled in her heart. She didn’t want him to walk away.
****
“Why are you not at home cooking breakfast?” Darla asked, taking a seat opposite him. Micah glanced around looking for her mate, but saw no David. “He’s not here. I told him I was going to come alone.”
“Right, because he listens to you.”
“He does. Unlike you.” She reached across the table, taking one of his uneaten pancakes. “Are you starving yourself now?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Your first week with a mate, and already you’re by yourself, moody, and you’re not eating. What did you do?”
He sighed, pushing the plate of pancakes toward her. For the past five days he had been leaving Hayley to her own devices. Trying to give her the space that he should have in the beginning.
“You were right.”
“About?”
“Waiting. I should have waited and courted with Hayley. Done things completely different.”
“Doing things my way isn’t exactly in your nature, Micah.”
She was right again. It was next to impossible for him to be patient. When he wanted something, he had to have it. Even though he was trying to give Hayley space, it didn’t always work. He found himself following her, just to make sure she was okay, or just to be near her. “I can’t lose her, Darla. I’ve already screwed up and done things the wrong way. I don’t know how I’m going to make it right with her.”
Darla stopped in her chewing, and stared at him. “Why are you moping?”
“Hello, I’ve got problems.”
“No. You’ve got a curious and confused mate, that is not the same thing as having problems. You went to Hayley. Everyone you asked advice for, we told you the same thing, to do what normal humans do. They spend time, they date, and they fall in love before springing up the wolf talk,” Darla said. “You, you were determined to do this your own way, and for the past five days, you’ve left her alone.” She started chewing on a pancake. “Makes you a lame ass mate if you ask me.”
“What do you expect me to do? I heard your advice to her. How am I supposed to work with that?” he asked.
“Simple. Show her what being a mate really is like. Don’t give her space, and make her think that you’re bored, regardless of if you got to the sexy time yet. Stop being a selfish ass, and think about someone who is not you for a change.” Darla finished off his pile of pancakes. “Delicious. She’s down by the lake again, and she’s sad.”
Micah got up, and without saying another word, headed out of the diner and toward the lake.
Once he got to the forest, he ran toward the lake and found her within minutes. Her jeans were rolled up, and one strap of the crop top she was wearing had slid down her arm. Her hair was still down, around her like beautiful blonde waves. She was walking through the lake, looking so gorgeous.
“Hey,” he said.
She looked up and frowned at him. “Do I need to go somewhere else now?” she asked.
“Huh?”
“Every time I’ve come near you, you walk away. You’re here now. Do you want me to leave?” She folded her arms and looked incredibly pissed off at him. “Are we even mates or is this some ridiculous charade?”
“We’re mates.”
“We are? You see, that’s strange to me,” she said.
“Why?”
“If we’re mates, tell me why you’ve suddenly gone and started to do your own thing. Why leave me alone? Can I go back to my life? The one you took me from?”
Tears had filled her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?”
“Yeah, I fucked up.” He entered the lake and walked right up to her. “I heard what Darla said to you, and I thought about everything that I had done. I’d not gotten you flowers, gotten to know you, or even taken you on dates, or anything. I just took you, and decided that nothing else mattered. I had found my mate, only there is a problem. I shouldn’t have taken you. I made a big mistake.”
“You think I’m a big mistake?”
“No. I think by doing this the way that I had, I made a mistake. I love you, Hayley. Really, I do, and I don’t know any other way of showing you how I feel. I’m used to just clicking my fingers and getting what I want. You’re not like that, and I want to be better. I want to be the man you deserve, more than anything else.” He reached out, cupping her face. “I want to give you the world, baby, and I want you to be happy here, to love it here.” Then, he couldn’t resist another moment. He slammed his lips down on hers, taking the kiss he’d been so desperate for.