Page 20 of M.A.Y.A
“If I feel your hands, tiny warrior, then the rest of our mating period will be spent in bed, and we’re Alphas with people who rely on us.”
His statement was jarring and briefly shook her out of her lust haze. She wanted to tell him that she wasn’t an Alpha. She was weak. During her captivity, she cried and screamed and begged. She could never imagine Isaiah ever giving into the same weaknesses if he had been put in a similar position. No, she was a coward while he was a true leader.
Goosebumps raced up Maya’s arms as her skin began to chill. Before she could retreat, Isaiah scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.
He laid her in the spot she’d abandoned after waking from her nightmare, then slid under the comforter beside her. His body heat was delicious and warmed her as he tucked her against his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and waist, as if she was the most precious commodity in his world.
“W-what are you doing?”
“What I should’ve done the first moment I found my mate,” he grumbled. “Watching over you while you sleep.”
“I don’t need?—”
“There is no doubt in my mind that you can handle anything, Maya,” he said against the crown of her head. “But you’ve been free for three days. What you experienced was incredibly traumatic. You can’t expect to resume a life without feeling its effects.”
Her eyes welled with tears, and she fisted a hand against his chest. “I don’t want this to ruin the rest of my life,” she whispered. “But I’m never going to be free, not really, am I?”
Isaiah hushed her and stroked a hand down her naked back. “Baby, you will, but you’re at the start of a marathon. You’ll get there, but you can’t expect it to happen right away.”
She sniffled again, hating that he’d been so kind to her, so generous and caring, and here she was falling apart and needing his attention. He had a pack to take care of, and that’s where his focus should be.
“You deserve a mate who doesn’t have this baggage,” she whispered.
“No onedeservesa mate. They’re blessed with one.”
“Some blessing,” she murmured.
Maya felt Isaiah stiffen, then his fingers tightened in her hair, pulling her head back in both a firm and gentle gesture as he exerted dominance. When she looked at his face, she saw an angry fire burning in his eyes.
“Don’t you ever think you’re anything less than a miracle, Maya. You survived. It’ll just take you some time to thrive. Trust that I am the person chosen to help you do that.”
She didn’t believe him. How could she? But she nodded and tucked her head against his chest again.
“Go to sleep,” he said. “Tomorrow, I’ll get you in touch with one of our pack therapists, who works with our soldiers. It’s up to you whether or not you want to talk to them, but they’ll help you if you want. We’ll also work on ways to make you feel safe. In the meantime, I’ll be here every night, okay?”
Maya nodded. She closed her eyes and listened to the heavy beat of Isaiah’s heart. The rhythm eased the remaining tension she’d carried in her bones.
Her last thought before she went to sleep was that although she could make a mile-long list of things she could do to heal, nothing would make her feel as safe as being held in Isaiah’s arms.
ChapterEight
It had been five days since Maya had arrived in Isaiah’s world. In that time, she’d been bombarded with information about their species, subject to additional tests from Cindy and Sergei, and sleeping every night next to a man she was finding increasingly difficult to resist.
Isaiah had never forced her to do anything she wasn’t comfortable with. In all their late-night conversations, and barely restrained kisses, she’d learned to trust him, to appreciate that as powerful as he was, he’d always respect her boundaries.
Instead of giving into lust, he patiently explained that he wanted to get to know her mind as well. He wanted her to know herself. That’s how she ended up learning how to cook with real food, not the freeze-dried rations and canned goods she’d gotten used to. Isaiah also made her watch his favorite TV shows, then lectured her when she didn’t understand what the big deal was when it came to superheroes with egos.
And he’d worked by her side, sharing that piece of himself, too. God, he worked so much. He answered emails and was constantly on his phone. Last night, when she was reading about his world, he laid his head in her lap while communicating with other Alpha shifters on finding a solution to closing the portal. He held his cell with one hand while pressing her hand against his chest with the other, as if demanding that she feel his heartbeat.
Even though the last few days had been incredible, if Maya was being honest, she really wanted Isaiah to touch her again. The thought of sex had been so far from her mind when she’d been in survival mode for so long, but now she craved it. The memory of the orgasms he gave her left her hot and needy. She trusted him, and she wanted him to be all of her firsts.
Maybe it had something to do with this mating-bond business Isaiah kept referring to. But then again, maybe it was just normal lust and attraction. Anyone would be turned on if they had a big, growly naked man with washboard abs and tree trunk thighs in their bed.
Her arm began to beep again, an outward indication of her arousal.
“What’s on your mind?” Cindy said, her voice laced with amusement.
“Nothing.” Maya slapped at the display window, effectively shutting off the alarm for a twelve-hour period. She’d learned how to do that the previous day.
