Hannah

I grab her fist as she brings it down towards my face and bend her arm back at an awkward angle, making her let out an uncomfortable squawk. She tries to twist out of my grasp, but I sweep her feet out from underneath her and wrap my arm around her neck as she falls. I pull it tight, cutting off her airway as her claws extend, slicing through my arm. Luckily, the adrenaline keeps me from feeling the pain. Just as her flailing slows and I sense she’s about to lose consciousness, I feel strong arms wrap around my waist.

“Let her go, sweetness.” Micah murmurs in my ear. I instantly release my hold and Jasmine falls to the ground sputtering, coughing and gasping for air. She looks up at me horrified with bloodshot eyes as her hands cling to her throat where bruises are forming.

“How the fuck did you do that?” She asks, her voice raspy. I snarl at her and Micah’s hold on me tightens. I pat his hands to let him know I’m ok, so he releases me reluctantly. I lean down to get into her face and pull my lip back in a sneer.

“Just because I’m smart, doesn’t mean I’m not a fucking bad ass. You’re lucky Micah was here to stop me. Fuck with me again, you won’t be so lucky.” I whisper dangerously and her eyes widen as she backs away from me in fear. I laugh at her and turn on my heel to walk away. Micah follows and after a few moments, grips my arm and lifts it to inspect it. He begins to lick the claw wounds she left, and I let him.

They sting like a bitch.

“What did she say to you to set you off like that?” He asks quietly. I huff out a laugh.

“Nothing. She tried to punch me. I showed her who’s boss.” I say proudly and he looks at me surprised.

“She attacked you?” He growls and I shrug.

“I handled it.” I say and he sighs, running his hand through his hair. He grips my hand and threads our fingers together. I let him because I’m on edge and don’t mind the calming vibes. I turn to look behind me, and Jasmine is still watching us walk away, her gaze firmly set on our conjoined hands. Her eyes meet mine when she sees me watching and I smirk at her. Her expression instantly turns dark, and she huffs before jumping up and shifting, running the opposite way into the forest.

“Did you think she was your mate?” I ask Micah, he shrugs and looks out into the forest.

“I didn’t really think about it. I figured I’d find her when I was meant to. Wasn’t worth worrying about.” He says and I huff.

“Or worth waiting for.” I say quietly and feel his hand tighten on mine.

“I should have waited. If I had known you were going to be my mate, I would have.” He says honestly, never breaking eye contact. I sigh and look away defeatedly.

“Why?” I ask, unable to curb my curiosity.

“Because I know you would have waited for me.” He says simply and I look back over at him with a nod.

“How’d you find me anyway?” I ask and he smirks.

“Well, when you left me laying there all by my lonesome, I freaked out a little when I woke up. You weren’t in the house so I started walking around until I could smell you. When I finally found you, you had Jasmine in a head lock. I didn’t see anything before that.” He says.

“She asked me to reject you so she could have you.” I say with a sly smile. He laughs at my comment and shakes his head.

“I’d never pick her anyway. She’s whiny and needy. I like an independent woman. One that leaves me sleeping on the couch alone to go and do her own thing.” He says amused and I giggle at him.

“You promised that after the movie you’d leave me be for some quiet time.” I point out and he gives me a mischievous grin, his brown hair falling down into his eyes.

“What do you think your leisurely walk around the pack was?” He asks and I scoff.

“That was anything but quiet or leisurely.” I shoot back, but he just shrugs.

“That’s hardly my fault.” He responds as he opens the front door of my house for me. I walk up to my room, not paying any attention to him. I shut the door behind me, not realizing how close he was to me as I hear a strangled cry. I open the door to see Micah holding his nose.

“Seriously, Hannah?” He asks, obviously unamused.

“I didn’t realize you were following me. I’m going to take a shower to get this blood off.” I say trying to close the door. He puts his hand up to stop me.

“Do you need a hand?” He asks with a smirk and I roll my eyes at him. “I’ll just sit on your bed.” He says trying to push into my room. I put my hand up to stop him and his expression drops, knowing what’s coming.

“Micah. This has to stop. I know it’s not your fault, that this is the bond effecting you, but you’re smothering me. I’m used to spending most of my time alone and until yesterday, you were my number one enemy. You need to give me some space to process things. I think best on my own.” I try to explain firmly, but kindly.

“Well then mark me!” He practically shouts, his words stunning me. “Mark me and see how it feels because being more than three feet away from you is physically painful. More painful than the constant ache in my chest from you rejecting me.” I furrow my brows at him and feel a pang of sadness in my heart. Even my wolf whines a little.

“I didn’t realize you were feeling that.” I say honestly and he nods.

“Of course you didn’t, because you can’t feel my emotions. If you marked me, you would feel how much I care about you. How sorry I am and how I felt about you before we were mates. You would know I’ve been nothing but honest with you from the moment I smelled you!” He yells and I take a step back from him.

“I’m not going to be forced into marking you. I will do it when and if I’m ready. I don’t want the mate bond to cloud my judgement or my feelings. I’m sorry you’re in pain and I know this is hard for you, but don’t sit here and pretend like my reservations are without reason. This is your fault because you acted cruel and immature. If you had been nice to me, this situation would look entirely different!” I yell back at him, his eyes wide in surprise. I rarely lose my cool like that.

“Oh yeah? What would it look like then? What would the perfect Hanna Quaid have done if I was just some random guy when we met? Would you let me hold your hand then? Hold you when you cry?” I can sense his frustration through the bond, which means he must be feeling it very strongly.

“Yes! Yes, Micah. All of the above. Marked and mated in an hour would have been a real thing. I’ve been waiting for my mate; you think I wanted to wait even longer? Hell no! But I’m not giving you my body just because you’re my mate. You need to earn this.” I say harshly, motioning to my body. He growls in frustration and hits the wall with his fist. I flinch and take a step back as he looks at me with wide eyes.

“Fuck. I’m sorry Hannah. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’d never hurt you.” He says quietly. And I shake my head.

“That’s my point, Micah. You have hurt me. Physically and emotionally. You need to let me adjust to this new dynamic. I can’t jump in with both feet, I just can’t. You need to respect that.” I reply, keeping my voice level and trying to be soothing. He nods and hangs his head.

“I’ll leave. Can I just… can I come back tonight and sleep on your floor again?” He asks, his eyes big and pleading. I take a deep breath and sigh before nodding.

“That’s fine.” I respond and he nods.

“Can I hug you before I go?” He asks, and I’m surprised he’s asking.

He usually just flings himself at me. I nod again and hold my arms open for him. He rushes to me and slings his arms around me, gently pulling me into him and taking in my scent. I nuzzle my face against his chest and hear him purr, hoping that will give him enough affection to give me some much-needed space. He plants a little kiss to the top of my head, then lets me go and leaves the room without another word. I hear the front door close quietly behind him and see him walking down the street through my window. I take a deep breath and look around me, convinced I’m finally alone.

I wander into the bathroom and turn on the shower, peeling my clothes from me. I take one last deep whiff of his scent before throwing them in the hamper and stepping into the warm spray.