A Hidden Crown

Chapter 10: Disappointed

Michael

Walking into her father's room, I noticed everything was intact. He really left Lyla here with no one to look after her. That damn email echoed in the back of my mind. My circle was small: Fari, Donnie, and a few elders who barely left the pack. Fari had his flaws, but betrayal wasn’t one of them. That left my uncle.

I searched through John’s top drawer and found a pair of shorts to wear. Realizing I was going to have to go commando, I decided I would take a quick shower.

After I was done, I went to the closet to find some blankets. As I pulled the blankets down, a box almost fell on my feet. Damn. When I bent down to pick up the box, some of the papers had fallen out. Looking over the documents, I noticed they were interrogation transcripts from the rogue attack that killed my parents. Could this be why he left? I was not going to let this ruin my night with Lyla. I will have to find a way to take this box with me when I leave.

Standing outside her bedroom door, holding blankets that smelled like moth-balls. All the s****l tension that had faded away while we were talking on the couch came rushing back. The thought of sleeping next to her was driving Knight crazy. This wouldn’t have been the first time I’ve slept on Lyla’s bedroom floor. But things were different. She was my mate.

I could hear the water running. She was already in the shower. My palms were sweating and every muscle in my body was tense with want. Calming my nerves, I walked into her room. She had painted the orange winter flowers blooming golden dust. The image was so vivid I could smell the flowers. Her bed frame was painted with multicolored ladybugs. Her room was nothing like her style. She always wore plain clothes. Here in her room was her haven. Every part of her colorful, wild, free spirit personality was painted throughout her room. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was the one who painted the bench on the porch.

She had multiple black and white shirts. Her closet was filled with jeans and sweatpants that all looked the same. She didn’t have a lot of shorts and even those were black. The only clothes that had any color to them were her pajamas. I heard the water turn off and I quickly moved away from her dresser and fixed my pallet.

“Listen I don’t know how long you think I will be able to stay up and play this game but...” She had stopped talking and I knew she was taking me in. I was only wearing a pair of shorts I found in her dad’s room. She quickly ran over to the light switch and flicked the lights off.

“Um, you can go first,” she said while getting into bed. I laughed at her nervousness.

“Why do you call me Alpha?” I asked, starting off with an easy question to break the ice.

She chuckled. “I only do it to get on your nerves. I’m surprised you never noticed the slight smile on my face.”

So, mate has always been a tease, Knight said.

I guess so, I responded.

“Okay. Why are all your clothes black or white?” I knew it was her turn, but I had to ask.

“My clothes are plain because my dad believes plain means invisible. He doesn’t want me to draw attention to myself,” she said, her voice softening, a hint of sadness behind her words.

Knight, let out a low growl in my head, a deep rumble of pure, unadulterated rage. Mate should be able to wear what she wants. He grumbled. It’s okay, Knight. I’m sure John had his reasons. “Why did he want you to be invisible?”

“Because I don’t have a wolf. He didn’t want me to be treated differently or pushed around by pack members,” she said. “Also, it makes hiding easier if I’m in the woods.”

Okay, I could see his point with camouflage. “Why would he think you would be treated differently? We have plenty of humans in our pack.”

“I’m a beta’s daughter with no wolf.” Her voice was dramatically light.

“I wouldn’t have let anyone hurt you, Ly.”

“Yeah, because that was your job,” she teased.

Ouch. Her tone was playful, but it didn’t make me feel any better.

“I’m truly sorry for that, too.” Man, I was saying sorry a lot. Maybe she is disappointed she has me as a mate. “You didn’t respond to me earlier; are you disappointed that I am your mate?”

“Hey now, I thought this was a game where we both get to ask questions.” My heart dropped when she avoided the question, but she was right.

“But to answer your question, Michael. I’m not disappointed. I’m scared," she whispered, the words barely audible.

My heart dropped into my stomach. She feared me. Or she was scared of what I represented. I wanted to pull her into me and tell her to never be scared again. I didn’t speak; afraid she might misinterpret the raw pain that would echo in my voice.

“And don’t stress yourself over the past,” she continued. “You were upset, and you had every right to be. It was Parent Career Day. To be honest they should have let you stay home.”

“I could have killed you.” The truth was gut-wrenching.

I could sense her moving closer to the edge of the bed. Knowing that she wanted to be beside me just as much as I wanted to be beside her sent a rush of warmth through me.

“Michael, I...” She paused. There was something she wanted to say. I could feel the hesitation through our bond. I wasn’t going to push her. She’ll tell me when she’s ready.

“Is it my turn now?” she asked.

“Shoot,” I replied, trying to figure out what she could possibly want to ask me.

She yawned, “If you could choose another mate, would you?” she asked.

Was she scared I would change my mind about accepting our mate bond?

“No,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. Even though we were in the dark, I turned to face her. “My parents taught me to accept my mate no matter the rank, wolf, or wolf-less. Your mate completes you, makes you stronger. I have always loved you.”

She was quiet. I sat up using Knight’s vision to see inside the dark room. She had fallen asleep. A part of me was sad. I had confessed my love for her, and she had fallen asleep, but the other part of me was happy because I meant what I said. I kissed her cheek and said good night. I laid on my pallet, content with my words. A smile played on my lips as I drifted off to sleep.

“Ly,” I groaned softly, letting her name slip from my lips. Suddenly, Knight let out a booming howl, causing me to jump out of my sleep. The room was hot enough to set a vampire on fire. Lyla was drenched in sweat. I thought she was having a nightmare or running a fever… Until I noticed she was biting her bottom lip as low breathy moans of pleasure escaped from her. I gulped as her sweet sounds made my shaft twitch.

I could feel Knight stalking closer to the top. His presence merging with my own. We were standing side by side.

Mate is in heat, he spoke in a wanting whisper.

Heat? I asked, questionable tone in my voice. Could she be in heat already? Knight’s ears picked up distant howling; their paws pounding against the ground. They could smell her. I opened a mind-linked with every male in the pack.

Mine, Knight growled through the link. Letting them know the female in heat belonged to him. They whined in unison as they retreated.

Closing the link, I brought my focus back to Lyla. How could she be in heat if she doesn’t have a wolf? I wondered, pacing in front of her bed. Crap, I didn’t have time to think about that right now. With her in heat and living on the edge of our border, her safety was in jeopardy. Rogues would be able to smell her up to two miles away. I needed to calm her down.

Fighting against the heat was no easy task. Knight wanted to mate and mark Lyla right now, but he knew we couldn’t. We would never mark her without her consent. I shoved him back with a firm mental wall before climbing into her bed. I hovered over her body, rubbing my cheek against hers as mating growls vibrated from my chest. I slowly peppered kisses up and down her neck. She gasped, tilting her head back, exposing more of her to me. Her hand began to trace my arms onto my back, pulling me closer. I cursed under my breath. She was killing me. Praying her heat would break soon. It was getting hard to resist her.

Her temperature eventually subsided, leaving her clothes drenched with sweat. I climbed out of her bed back onto my pallet. I let the taste of her delicate skin drift me back to sleep, clinging to one thought: I hope it’s me she’s dreaming about.