by Haley Weir
Corey pulled Tilly onto the jet after getting Alexander and his mother situated. Anders retracted the stairs and closed the door. The engine came to life and Michael fought his way through the soldiers. When the jet was out of sight, a large fist came down on his back. Michael stared into the furious eyes of Niko. “I won’t let you live this time,” the monster hissed.
He dove for cover behind another aircraft. Michael checked the ammunition for his pistol and sighed. An idea struck and he cleared the chamber into the heart of Alexander Collier’s experiment. “We’ll see who walks away from this,” he chuckled. The creature struggled to remain in control, but pain was one of the strongest triggers that initiated the transformation.
Michael still couldn’t summon his bear strength with the toxin working its way through his system. He made a run for the door as the soldiers looked on in fear at the sight of Niko’s shift. The blood-chilling roar that caused his ears to throb was followed by an onslaught of gunfire that barely phased the monster. Michael watched it go full rampage as he closed the door.
He made his way through the house and picked up another headset from a fallen soldier. Michael tapped the microphone and said, “All the available men to the hanger. Initiate full lockdown.” He had no idea what that meant for Alexander’s men as he bluffed his way through the house, pulling alarms as he went. The entire property was in chaos by the time he reached the helicopter.
Wind whipped against his skin, stinging his eyes as he climbed into the pilot seat. He began working through the checklist for liftoff. The door ahead burst open and Niko barreled toward the helicopter as it lifted from the ground. With the jet gone and the helicopter making a clean getaway, there was no other way off the property.
***
Tilly paced outside of the hospital room that Michael had been dragged into by Anders. She rolled her shoulders to ease the strain in her muscles, but the tendons in her neck protested. Corey and Destiny stopped by to let her know that they were headed for the morgue to finally put their mother to rest. A funeral would most likely take place in the coming weeks, but Tilly’s mind was elsewhere.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when Anders finally stepped out of the room.
“Is he ok? What’s going on? Can I see him?”
“Tilly,” he said in exasperation. “Calm down. He’s asleep. I can’t allow you to see him until tomorrow at least. Go home and get some rest. The sheriff is taking care of Hydra until one of Corey’s old military contacts can transport him somewhere safer.”
“So...it’s over, then?”
“It is. Thanks to you and Michael.”
“We wouldn’t have made it out alive if you and Corey hadn’t shown up,” she argued. “I was sure we were going to die there. And I thought...I thought that Destiny’s mother was trying to communicate with me.”
“I doubt that, but there’s a possibility that you could be sensitive to death in general. That’s most likely what you felt when you touched the glass. You’re an empathetic soul. That can be a powerful thing.” Anders patted her shoulder and continued his rounds. Sapphire arrived a moment later to take Tilly home. Her friend helped her inside and asked questions that Tilly didn’t feel like answering.
“What was it like? You know, finally seeing the man who put us all through this mess?” Sapphire inquired. “Was it...enlightening in some way?”
Tilly shrugged. “He just seemed desperate, really.”
“Well, that’s disappointing.”
“It wasn’t for me. I think if we had found the man we all feared he’d be, Michael and I wouldn’t be alive. The Hydra we met was so human that it was hard to see him as anything other than Destiny and Corey’s father,” she explained. “We had built him up into this great entity, this beast of mythos, but in the end he was just a man.”
“I heard you and Michael were pretty badass. When did you learn how to do all of that? My dad was a cop, so I grew up knowing how to handle a gun and how to fight, but you never talk about your family.”
“I don’t know how to do much of anything.” Tilly unlocked her door and gestured for Sapphire to come inside. “I was just in the moment. If I made a mistake, then it could have gotten us killed. All I knew was that I had to do my part and make sure that Michael had the support he needed. The rest was just...action and reaction, I guess.”
Sapphire bobbed her head and Tilly knew her friend wanted to ask something different. “What about you and Michael? What’s going on there?”
“Alexander said that Michael claimed me as his the night we slept together. I think part of me already knew that. We were so caught up in instinct that it just felt right.” She moved aside her collar and Sapphire turned around to show a similar mark on the back of her neck. Tilly brushed the bite gently. “I don’t know what we are, but I’m open to trying it out until we know for sure.”
“At least you’re not in denial anymore.”
“I was never in denial,” Tilly huffed. “Do you have a reason for being here besides prying into my personal life? Because if you don’t, then you can just hobble your pregnant self out the door.”
Sapphire clutched her chest in mock offense. “I don’t hobble, I waddle.”
“Close enough.” Tilly retreated into the room that housed the projects her students gifted her and Sapphire curled up with a book in the corner. She walked over to the desk and spotted a file that she hadn’t noticed before. Tilly flipped it open and smiled from ear to ear. Written in the worst handwriting she had ever seen, was a neatly organized plan for the fundraiser. Michael had even made notes along the side to explain his ideas and Tilly sat down to read them over.
He wanted laser tag and foot races as well as an appearance from himself dressed like a superhero. Michael planned everything from the decor to the catering, but left plenty of room for Tilly to have a say in the plans as well. His highhandedness reminded her of the day they met. He even included the pizza, bouncy house, and finger painting she mentioned in his office.
“You’re late,” someone observed.
Tilly stood up and cringed when a puff of glitter fell from her clothes. Her embarrassment wasn’t helped when the most gorgeous man in existence stood less than three feet away judging her. “You weren’t too specific in your emails. I’m just here representing the school for a charity fundraiser coming up. I was hoping to speak with Mr. Adair if he’s available.”
The man flashed a million dollar smile and straightened the panels on what looked to be an equally expensive jacket. “I’m sure I can find time to hear your pitch.”
“Pitch?”
“Your fundraiser proposal,” he replied condescendingly.
She gave him an equally disrespectful look. “It’s an elementary school fundraiser, which means it’ll most likely be a pizza party with too much soda, a bouncy house, and a lot of finger painting. Nothing too special, but it would mean a lot to the kids.”
“How much are you looking to get from sponsors?”
“The school had to cut its budget twice last year, so they’re looking for five thousand per sponsor to get the classrooms the materials they need.”
“They wouldn’t need new materials if their teachers wouldn’t wear them home.”
Michael was clearly prone to using sarcasm as a shield and that made her unsure that he felt their unique connection. Tilly carried the file to her bedroom and read it over in bed. She was impressed and touched by the amount of detail he put into each activity. Sapphire eventually gave up her role as a guard dog when the pregnancy cravings kicked in and she wandered home.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
There was a continuous throbbing behind his eyes despite the amount of medication pumping through his veins. Michael reached over and pulled the tubes and wires from his body, ignoring the loud beep that caused the nurse to rush into the room. Doris flitted around him like a mosquito, asking him questions and demanding that he get back in bed. Anders met him in the hall with his arms crossed and a frustrated expres
sion on his face. “Get back in bed.”
“Absolutely not. I have things that need to be taken care of.”
“No, you don’t,” his friend laughed. “For once, all you have to do is take care of yourself. Brock and Dorian are taking care of the panic around town. Corey is busy taking over his father’s operation. He has Niko locked up somewhere, but Hydra’s old soldiers hold more loyalty to Corey than his father. I think he’s going to turn that house into a sanctuary for the feral shifters.”
“That...that would be good.”
“That would be perfect. Things could finally get back to normal around here. Corey says he’ll continue his research, but only for the betterment of all shifters. I truly think his ideas could work. He even offered to bring me on to lead his medical team.”
Michael didn’t like the idea of Corey or Anders leaving Haden Springs, but eventually they would all have to move one. For some, he reckoned that meant leaving Wyoming. The paperwork was brought to him and Michael signed himself out. Sapphire brought him a bag of fresh clothes and complained about Tilly being covered in glue and construction paper when she returned from the school.
He smiled and changed into something more comfortable. His friends refused to allow him to drive until they were certain no side effects from the toxin would cause an accident. Michael just needed to get home to Tilly, to make sure that she was all right. He rode in the passenger side of his car as Sapphire drove, trying his hardest not to complain about someone touching his precious vehicle.
Tilly came running out the door as soon as Sapphire pulled into the driveway. She jumped into his arms, causing him to stumble back against the car. “I missed you,” she said. “This house is too quiet when you’re gone.”
“I’m glad you don’t think I’m a terrible roommate.”
“Won’t you be moving back into the loft now that the threat is over?” Sapphire asked unhelpfully. Michael flipped her off behind his back and untangled himself from Tilly’s arms. Her affectionate ways toward him clouded his judgment making him believe that there could be something between them when he knew that she still hadn’t made up her mind.
“Yeah, I’ll be moving back,” Michael said. He walked up the steps and through the front door and felt like a stranger in her home once again. “I just have to talk to the sheriff about the crime scene. I might even sell it and relocate somewhere else.”
“You’ll still be in Haden Springs, right?” Tilly’s eyes practically begged him to say yes, but Michael wasn’t too sure anymore. He didn’t know how much more of the back and forth with Tilly he was willing to tolerate.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. And though he had been eager to explore their connection, he moved out of her house the following day. No one welcomed him to the door this time and Michael moved through his loft like a ghost that had risen from the grave. Everything had been restored by the insurance, but it felt different. Michael flopped down onto his bed and covered his face with a pillow.
Her pearly white teeth captured her bottom lip in a look so sultry that he nearly tossed her on the floor and claimed her right then and there. But no...Michael wanted to be in her bed, to mark her sanctuary with his scent so that even when she returned from her dares, he filled her senses. He wanted to ruin her for any other male. She sank her nails into his shoulder as he carried her up the stairs.
Michael rolled over with a groan as he attempted to banish the images of her supple skin from his mind along with the taste of her lips. He felt himself grow hard in his slacks and picked up his phone to look for a distraction. Michael scrolled through notifications from the agency. He thumbed open the newest one.
JULIUS, your assigned matchmaker has chosen a new date to accompany you to the FOURTH OF JULY PICNIC at the HADEN SPRINGS PARK. She will be standing in a lavender dress near the oak tree. Reply ‘YES’ if you agree.
YES.
Michael read over the instructions that followed and sighed with relief when his body calmed down. He muffled a loud yell into his pillow. Every bone in his body told him not to go on a date, but he needed to clear his mind of Tilly until she made a decision. His heard was far too invested in the bond between them and Michael didn’t want to get hurt. Tilly was the key to his freedom and the prison in which he could not escape.
***
A week later, classic rock steamed through the house to fill the absence of Michael’s presence. She hopped on one foot to slide on a pair of stockings. Her phone rang, but Tilly ignored it while she got ready for her date. She tied her hair up into a neat little bun before pulling out a few curls to frame her face. The hue of purple on her dress made her look bright and approachable, but the silhouette accentuated her figure.
Her high heels were white to match the thin shawl she grabbed in case the night grew cold. Tilly didn’t stop to check her reflection, but shuffled out the door while applying lip-gloss and mascara. Haden Springs didn’t do picnics or garden parties like most small towns. They were usually quite extravagant compared to the casual nature of their names. The rare public social was enough to make folks dress up a little.
Tilly was no exception.
Her friends were waiting at the end of the path leading to the front door. She joined them and they walked down to the park where the rest of the town gathered. After all of the tragedy that had befallen Haden Springs, a celebration was long overdue. The sense of peace swirled about the air, mingling with the heat and scent of citrus that clung to the breeze. Jenny complained about Dorian’s habit of asking inappropriate questions to the town priest while the others laughed.
Everyone broke apart to join their spouses while Tilly went to stand beside the oak tree to await her date’s arrival. She leaned against the bark and watched people laugh, talk, and dance with beaming smiles on their faces. Her eyes closed for a second as she listened to the soft music playing in the background. Children ran around and played on the jungle gym. Tilly allowed herself to get lost in the moment.
She suddenly smelled something sweet and opened her eyes to see a flower in front of her face. A hand brushed her shoulder and Tilly turned around to see Michael standing behind her. “What are you doing here? Did you hack my texts? Did Sapphire tell you I had a date tonight?”
Her notification from Kodiak Dating Agency had said that her date was requested to bring a flower, but that didn’t mean that Michael hadn’t snooped around like usual. He smiled widely and shook his head. “Julius is my middle name, remember? I’ll have to talk to Lori about purposely leaving your name out of my notifications.”
“Y-you’re my date?” she asked.
“Yes. And if I’m not mistaken, you owe me a date anyways.” Michael lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “You said if we made it out of Hydra’s base alive, then you wanted to go on a date. Well, as fate would have it, here we are.”
“How do I know you didn’t set this up?”
“Because every night since I walked out of your house, I’ve tried not to think about you,” he confessed. “Every waking moment that I spend alone is consumed by you, so I needed a distraction. Dating seemed like an easy solution without too many complications. I knew you would test the waters, but I didn’t expect us to get matched.”
“I had Lori change my filters. She’s setting me up with people who are specifically my type and with the highest compatibility scores. No more trying something new.”
“I’ll have to thank her then.” Michael offered Tilly his arm and she heard their friends gasp. She ducked her head bashfully and allowed him to guide her down the path. He hummed along with the music and Tilly realized it was an old Elvis song.
“Of course you can sing,” she complained. “You keep trying to convince me that you aren’t perfect, but I have yet to be proven wrong.”
Michael ignored her fussing and twirled her around. She naturally gravitated into his arms and he began to sway in time with the music. At least she was an alright dancer. His voice picked up and he began to
sing along. Tilly couldn’t look away from his face. He was like the leading male in a black and white film, destined to sweep her off her feet with the sheer force of his charm. Her brown eyes flickered over his face, taking in each curve and dip of his bone structure as well as the flutter of lashes against the highpoints of his cheeks. “You’re staring,” he informed Tilly.
“I’m aware.”
“Last time we stared at one another for too long, we ended up in bed, remember?” He chuckled against her neck and Tilly’s toes curled a little.
“How could I forget?”
“I’ve tried,” he breathed against her again. Tilly tilted her head to give him access and a growl escaped his chest when he caught sight of the bite he left behind. Michael kissed it lightly. The touch was so faint that she barely noticed it. “I tried to forget the way you sounded and how good you felt beneath me. I tried to forget the way you made me laugh and smile without it being forced...I tried to forget you, but I couldn’t.”
“Oh?”
His hand on her lower back moved to cup her hip and Tilly let out a small whimper. She breathed in the clean scent of his aftershave and ran her fingers through the fine hairs at the nape of his neck. Michael leaned into her touch, folding his large body down to make up for the height difference. “Would you have let him touch you like this? If your date had been someone else, I mean. Would you let him hold you?”
Tilly nuzzled against him further and shook her head. “No.”
“Why?” he asked before kissing the palm of her hand as the song came to an end. Tilly didn’t answer right away, but Michael didn’t rush her. She allowed him to hold her long after the music changed and everyone moved over to the food tables.