The Alpha’s Bullied Mate (Bluebell Valley Wolves #1)

Chapter 6 - Hayden

Hayden could understand Mica’s reluctance to stick around a place that was rife with demon possession. But the presence of the beast-demons meant he could no longer be gentle with Mica.

“We don’t have time for these games,” he told her harshly. “You’re coming home; we’re to be mated, and then if you still want to leave, I’ll arrange for you to get out of Bluebell Valley territory until after we’ve taken out the demons.”

Mica shook her head.

“Your stubbornness is getting wearisome,” Hayden told her.

She backed up a step. For a second, he thought he might see real fear in her eyes. But then her foot brushed against the demon’s claws. It reared up so quickly that Hayden didn’t have time to react before it slammed into Mica, sending her flying.

Hayden leaped on the beast. He wrapped his thick arms around its head and twisted sharply first one way, then the other, until it went limp again. He threw down the creature in disgust, then turned to find Mica.

She still lay crumpled on the ground. Hayden’s wolf whimpered as he hurried forward. Blood caked her hair. It blended in with the color, but Hayden could smell it. She had hit her head on a rock when the demon flung her away. Hayden quickly laid his head on her chest. Her breathing was soft and even. Her heartbeat was loud. Faster than it ought to be, but not too fast for the situation they were in.

“Mica?” he said, cupping her face in his hands.

Her skin was soft but too pale. When he eased one of her eyes open, her pupil was dilated so much that only a sliver of her sea-green iris could be seen.

“It’s alright,” he told her, though she was unlikely to hear him. He carefully lifted her into his arms, cradling her into his chest. “We’ll be home quickly, Mica. And you are going to recover from this.”

The streets were deserted as he made his way through them. Mica groaned a few times, as though she was hovering on the brink of consciousness. Hayden’s stomach churned as she kept bleeding. How much blood could humans lose before it was too much? He hadn’t had much interaction with many of them. Was there something he should do for her?

When he got to the big house, Ryder was waiting for him. He rushed forward at the sight of Mica limp in Hayden’s arms.

“What did you do?” he snarled.

Hayden’s lip peeled back, revealing a canine. Usually, that would be enough to make Ryder back down, but this time he only snarled. He tried to take Mica from Hayden, but Hayden stepped around him and snarled back. His wolf paced, growling deep in his chest.

“We were attacked by beast-demons,” Hayden said through lengthening fangs. “She hit her head.”

Ryder paused, startled. He exposed his neck in submission, then followed Hayden into the house. Once Hayden had put Mica into the bed of one of the unclaimed rooms, Ryder started to clean out the head injury.

“I can take care of her,” he said, not looking at Hayden. “I did it often enough when we were kids.”

Hayden nodded. His wolf growled as he left the room, but he ignored it. Mica was a means to an end; besides that, she was in her brother’s hands now. If anyone was going to take care of her, it was Ryder.

With beast-demons in the area, they were going to have to be more proactive. Hayden called Kai, Maverick, and Blayke to him, then sent them to comb through the forest and kill any of the other demons they might fall. The demons clearly already knew why they were here; otherwise, no one would have attacked Mica.

So they would simply show the demons they wouldn’t be removed so easily.

His wolf howled, longing to join the others on the hunt. Hayden would have loved to go with them. There was nothing he liked better than tearing demons to shreds. Well… almost nothing. There was one particular activity that remained even more pleasurable.

He found Finn and Derek.

“Derek, I need you to gather everything I need for my mating with Mica,” he ordered. “Finn, you keep watch. I don’t want any demons sneaking up on us.”

Finn gave a jaunty salute and shifted to his wolf form. Unlike the others, his clothes didn’t tear off with his transformation. Instead, it simply seemed as though his fur replaced the clothing. He leaped onto the low porch roof of the house, and, from there, bounded up a balcony and finally settled on the rooftop, where he prowled in the darkness like some living gargoyle.

“Are you sure you want that girl?” Derek asked, frowning at Hayden. “She didn’t seem very interested in being your mate.”

Hayden rolled his eyes. “She’s only playing hard to get because she’s petty. Years ago, her friend told me that Mica wanted to be my mate, and I said it wasn’t happening. So clearly, she’s trying to punish me for it.”

Derek nodded, though he seemed unconvinced. “There’s just one thing that’s required for the mating ceremony I can’t get, though.”

“And that is?”

“Parental consent.”

Hayden waved a hand, scoffing. “Echo always loved me. Her greatest fear was that her human daughter would never have a worthy mate. Now that I’ve decided to take her as a mate, I’m sure Echo will be thrilled.”

Derek nodded, lowering his head as he did so. “Then I’m sure it won’t be an issue.”

“Just get what we need.”

Hayden went back to Mica’s room. By this time, Ryder had cleaned her up, and the bleeding had stopped. He had also given her an IV line with some sort of foul-smelling medicine. Hayden frowned at it and sent Ryder a questioning look. Medication wasn’t used often among shifters.

“She regained consciousness and immediately started trying to leave,” Ryder said. “I had to sedate her. Saline fluids, painkillers, and a tranquilizer. The one thing I’m worried about is brain swelling. There’s no sign yet, but it was a pretty hard knock she took.”

“Does she need someone to be with her?” Hayden asked, folding his arms. He didn’t look at Mica with her burning red hair knotted around her face. It seemed wrong to see her so fragile-looking.

Ryder ran a hand through his hair. “She seems stable.”

“Good. Because we’re going to get your mother.”

***

Echo was sitting on a low chair on the porch when they arrived. Her chin touched her chest, and she breathed deeply. Hayden frowned. This wasn’t the Echo he remembered. She was always energetic, constantly working on some project. He’d never seen her sitting still in all his years unless her hands were busy with something.

Ryder gently shook her shoulder. “Mom?”

“Hmm?” Echo lifted her head, yawning. Her eyes widened, and a smile burst over her face. She hugged Ryder tightly, not getting out of her seat. She spied Hayden and waved him over. “Come here, come here. My little girl finally getting her mate!”

Hayden laughed as he bent to hug her. “And here I was worried you’d be upset that I declared myself without first asking permission.”

“No, no, of course not.” Echo patted his chest. “It’s only natural that you and Mica would end up together. But I’m afraid she isn’t here. She didn’t seem to come home after the meeting.”

“She’s at Hayden’s old house,” Ryder said quickly. “She hit her head, but she’s fine.”

“Oh, dear.” Echo pushed on the arms of her chair. “I should come and be with her.”

Her arms shook as she tried to get out of the chair. Hayden and Ryder shared an alarmed look, and then Ryder stepped behind the wheelchair.

“Why don’t I just push you?” he said quickly.

“You’ve been talking to Mica,” Echo huffed, but relented.

Hayden walked next to them as they headed back to home base. “Mica didn’t actually share much about what was happening with you. What sort of things has she been saying?”

Echo waved a hand in the air. “Oh, she thinks I’m getting old. She bought this chair for me and won’t let me go anywhere without it now. And she keeps saying that I need to get plenty of rest. I swear, that girl is trying to turn me into an invalid.”

By the time she was finished speaking, her voice had grown reed-like and breathless. Ryder’s eyebrows pinched together, and his jaw clenched. Echo was still young; she shouldn’t be this weak. It was as though she had aged fifty years in the time they were gone! A sudden downturn in health like this always had a cause.

And with the demon infestation of this area? It was worrisome.

Once at home base, Ryder got Echo in the living room and sat talking with her. Hayden called Finn and had him check her. They stood at the doorway, looking in. Finn folded his arms, cocking his head this way and that as he studied Echo.

“There’s an influence around her,” he finally muttered. “But no possession.”

“Yet,” Hayden growled under his breath.

The only way to prevent her from being fully possessed was to rid the area of demon influence. It was impossible to know how much time they had until then. He folded his arms over his chest. Mica couldn’t play any more games, not when her own mother was at risk.

As if in answer to his thoughts, the soft sounds of footsteps came behind him. He turned to find Mica, one hand on her bandaged hand and the other against the wall, sneaking toward the door. Hayden sighed as he jerked his chin at Finn, dismissing him. Then he went to Mica and took her arm. She jumped, yanked herself free, and groaned, holding her head in both hands.

“Go back to your room and get ready for the mating ceremony,” he told her. “We’re running out of time.”