A Hidden Crown

Chapter Seven: Google a Slut

Lyla

I couldn’t wait to get to the daycare. Those little rascals always made my day. I know we’re not supposed to have favorites, but I just couldn’t help myself. Emily was my favorite. She's six years old with a heart of gold. She has long, curly brownish blond hair, with purple eyes. I’ve been babysitting her since she was a baby.

“Hey, Ms. Lyla!” Emily greeted me, wrapping her little arms around my legs.

“Hello Emily. How are you doing this morning?” I asked her, scooping her up into my arms.

“I’m okay. Mom and Dad were fighting this morning, so I walked to school by myself.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“Dad found the phone you gave me and thought it was Mom’s. He said she was keeping secrets. I told him it was mine, but he called me a liar and said that I was a slut like my mother.”

It took everything I had not to let out a growl. How dare he speak to her that way. She was only a child. She may not be his by blood, but she has only known Benjamin to be her father. Benjamin was her mother’s second mate. Their bond should have been like the first.

He didn’t trust Emily’s mom, Samantha, around other male wolves. He was always accusing her of cheating. I guessed it was because he was human. Shifters can be quite possessive of their mates. But I’ve never heard of a shifter attacking their mate over someone they could not control.

“Ms. Lyla, what’s a slut?”

My eyes grew twice as wide. I was not prepared for her to ask me that. “Um, I don’t know. I will have to ask Google.”

“Is Google a slut too?” she asked. Her eyes filled with innocent wonder.

My words got caught in my throat. This was going downhill real fast, and I needed to change the subject.

“Would you like to spend the night with me?” I asked. My brain was unable to think of anything else.

“It's funny you say that Ms. Lyla because mom wanted me to ask you if I could stay with you next weekend. She and Dad are going on a trip and wanted to know if you would watch me?” She gave me an optimistic look but what kind of jerk would I be if I said no?

“I would love to. Tell your mom to bring you here as usual and you will go home with me. Now go play.”

I was wiping down the front desk when I heard the chime go off on the front door. His earthy scent instantly cut through smell of the chemicals I was cleaning with. I stifled the satisfying sigh from leaving my throat. I could feel his eyes burning through my back. My body began to heat up like an oven.

I didn’t realize I was no longer cleaning the counter until Bre walked in on the other side of the desk.

“Al... Alpha,” she stuttered. “Morning.”

“Morning Bre.” His voice was flat with a slight friendly undertone. He just stood there burning holes through my soul.

“Ly,” Bre whispered. “I think the Alpha wants to...” She cut herself off scurrying back through the door she walked through.

Michael approached the desk. His shadow swallowing me whole. I turned around not knowing how close he was. Our bodies were only inches apart. “Can we talk?” he asked. His facial expression was soft, but his eyes held a sense of worry in them. “Preferably outside.”

Looking around the center, the omegas had been brought down to their knees because Michael was standing in the doorway with his aura, leaking out in waves. The others were standing but their heads were tilted to the side, exposing their necks. He needed to get out of here before the children came back inside. I quickly walked out the door, motioning for him to follow me.

I could feel his eyes roaming over my body. We walked to the side of the building and just stood there.

“Was that Emily?” he asked.

“Yes,” I rushed out. “Why were you at my house?” I asked, with a low tone. Not wanting anyone to hear us.

“I couldn’t sleep, and I wanted to see you. I waited all night for you. Hell, I slept on your porch... Where were you?” he asked through clenched teeth, his shoulders tense with rage.

“I’m sorry. I just needed some space. What did you expect, you scared the hell out of me last night.” I knew he sat outside my door most of the night, but I didn’t know it was all night.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you. I smelled another male on you,” he said with a shimmer of pain behind the anger in his eyes.

“Are you two dating?” he asked with a low growl.

He wasn’t upset because I was his mate; his wolf was upset because he smelled Ian on me. “No, Ian is just a friend.” I can’t say that about them. Michael and Ian were more like frenemies. They never fought but when their circles mixed, the tension between them was high. I took another step back, not missing the scrunching of his eyebrows as he watched my steps.

His eyes flicked back up to me, “Do you like him?”

“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to answer that question without upsetting you.” I paused. “I only like him as a friend,” I replied honestly, taking another step back.

He winced as if I had struck him. “Lyla, if you take another step away from me my heart is going to fall out of my chest.”

My wolf howled in agony, causing me to whimper externally, to the pain his words caused me. To the pain, my actions were causing him. She wanted me to reach out and touch him. To declare my love for him. But I resisted crossing my arms over my chest. I promised I wouldn’t reject him, but I didn’t trust myself to have any self-control if I felt the warmth of him under my hand.

He took a deep breath and then exhaled. “Do you want to be my mate?”

Being his mate means that I would have to be Luna. If I became Luna, there was no way I could stay out of sight.

“Honestly, I don’t think I would make a great Luna. Did you forget that I don’t have a wolf? And let's not forget...” I gasped as my back hit the wall. When did he get so close to me? My heart started to race as he leaned into me. Gosh, he smells delicious. My wolf was enjoying the heat coming from his body. I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth together to keep myself from licking his neck.

“Look at me,” his voice a low sultry calling. “It’s me. The same Michael that went with you every year to watch the winter flowers. The same guy that kept you from getting caught the night you snuck out.”

“That was years ago...” My voice trailed off. “You don’t know me as well as you think you do. We’re not kids anymore.”

“Then date me.” He said, grazing his tongue across my neck while purring low.

“Wh... What?” I stammered out.

He brought his eyes to meet mine. “Date me for one month. Let me take you out. Give me a chance to get to know you again.” His voice was firm. He was serious about us dating. He dipped his head back down to my neck. Taken in my scent, he whispered. “Give me a chance to show you why I’m glad we’re not kids anymore.”

Oh, that was. I gulped; my own saliva was hard to swallow. I couldn’t even process what his words were doing to me. His hot breath fanning against my neck, causing a warm sensation to pull between my legs.

“Michael.” His name slipped from my mouth in a low moan. I was seconds away from letting my wolf’s emotions override my body.

“Yes, Ly.”

“If I say yes, will you move?”

He chuckled. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”

“Okay.”

“Okay what?” He teased.

“We can date.”

“Thank you.” He whispered against my neck. Pressing his lips right below my ear, sending warm sparks throughout my body. I thought my knees were going to give out.

I could finally breathe again. I went back to work; my mind was full of nothing but Michael. It frightened me how badly I wanted more. Once he was out of sight, I realized that boy had used the mate bond to make me submit to his wishes. I felt like an i***t, but I was also intrigued. Well played, Alpha.