Mike left us after a while when he realized I wasn't going to make any conversation with him. I want to go home but I also want to make sure nothing happens to Zoey. I'm not entirely sure what it was Faye did for me back there but she did something and I feel... grateful?

I feel grateful.

Now I have to help Zoey. But I just want to know what she is before I do that. I want to go home but I can't take her with me unless she's safe to be around my family and I can't leave her here if I don't think she's safe here.

Which I don't.

One bit.

At all.

So I waited with her in that room sitting on the blue plaid covers and staring at the false flames in the electric fireplace.

___

A warm hand shook me, waking me up from my light sleep. I didn't want to wake up yet though so I turned over on the soft bed and pulled the blanket up higher over my head. In the back of my head I heard someone chuckle but I was already falling back asleep.

In fact, I was almost out cold again when I felt a hand pull the blanket down from my head. I was about to retaliate against my dad- who else would it be?- when I felt an indent on the bed behind me. That would be when I realized that this isn't my room and everything from yesterday hit my like a truck as I felt a warm breath come across my neck.

"It's time to wake up," Mike's voice whispered behind me. I wanted to shiver from the warm feeling that filled me as much as I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs and jump off the bed. I decided it was best to just not move at all.

"I know you're awake. Might as well get up."

"Maybe I would if you would move first," I replied with more confidence than I thought I had.

"Maybe I will eventually and you just have to be patient."

"Why are you here? Why did you wake me up?"

"It's time to eat. You are hungry, aren't you," he asked the last part with a sudden urgency.

I stood up from the bed and turned to him. Deciding it was best to not look at his eyes I just crossed my arms and stared at the floor.

"I'm not hungry."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Where's Zoey?"

"She went down to eat. What's wrong?"

"I said nothing," I snapped at him," Please, just leave me alone."

He didn't say anything, just stood up and walked out. A part of me felt sad for being like that with him since he's apparently my "mate", the rest of me was scared of him as a result of everything that's happened in the last 36 hours.

Mike's POV

I cannot even comprehend all the emotions that I went through the moment I got to her door.

First, I was nervous to see her. Content that she was sleeping soundly. Playful when she didn't wake up. Annoyed when she didn't reply. Happy when she played back. Pained when she left me. Sad when she wouldn't look at me. Confused when she asked about Zoey. Rejected when she wanted me to leave.

What is this human doing to me?

A shallow growl left my throat and I went towards my brother's room. I need to talk to someone who's already been whipped by a mate and Tyler isn't an option.

Tyler is never stepping into this damned house ever again after that stunt he pulled at the meadow.

I knocked on his door, careful not to open it right away in case he was "preoccupied" with Holly. He shouted out almost immediately that I could come in, a rare event indeed.

Holly and Kian mated almost 2 summers ago, to be honest it was kinda awful. He was with this girl named Hannah at the time and tried to reject her then Holly got kidnapped, we couldn't find her for weeks which made Kian's wolf restless, resulting in him going rouge. The whole thing was a mess. Since then they've made up and now proceed to make out whenever the opportunity is presented. Granted, they don't stop at making out most the time.

I opened the door and found them on the bed, fully clothed with Holly laying flat on the bed and Kian sitting up to look at me.

"What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you," I took an obvious glance at Holly to tell him what exactly was wrong with the picture," In private."

"You mind, love," he asked her, turning to look at his mate. She shook her head and sat up, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a kiss before leaving the room with a small wave.

When we were alone he moved around a bit on the bed so his legs were over the sides and he was completely facing me.

"What do you need?"

I let out a breath of air and ran my hands through my hair.

"Tell me why my mate doesn't want me in the same room as her and tell me why I mind."

The little fucker burst out laughing. He literally fell back on the bed and held his gut because he was laughing so hard.

"What's so funny?"

"The big, bad future Alpha, idgaf attitude Mike Stone, can't tame a little human. I think that's amazing," he wiped the tears- yes, tears- from his eyes before comtinuing," Besides that, you never cared about anyone elses feelings before. Need I remind you how you tried to force Nova to ditch her mate to be with you?"

"No, you don't. I didn't know she felt like this! How could anything be so infuriating and intoxicating at the same damn time?"

"It's awesome, huh?"

I growled at him.

"I need a clear head. I can't be bothered with this right now, not with Dad injured and the pack in pieces. This is the worst possible time for a mate to come around."

"You can't just decide when it's the most opportune."

"I have to able to have a clear head for the pack and she's making that very difficult."

"Of course you're not this seriously," he muttered while falling back on the bed. He looked up at me from his laying position," What are you going to do about it?"

I opened my mouth to reply but shut it when I heard a loud crash outside the door.