Revolting

Her lips were so soft, so sweet. Her innocent kiss turned bold, as though she knew exactly what she wanted, and wasn't afraid to take it for herself. Her teeth grazed along his bottom lip, and her tongue traced the curve after her teeth. His hands crept up from her hips to cup behind her head, and angle her face for better access.

Michael would have gone on kissing her indefinitely, but as soon as his tongue crept into her mouth, her small hands went from his shoulders, to his throat. She broke the kiss and pushed him roughly back against the tree with surprising strength for such a little thing. She stared at him with a squinty look of disapproval.

"What? Too much?" Michael asked with a goofy grin.

She grunted and pushed herself off him. She couldn't exactly stomp her feet with her bad leg, but everything in her body language was slightly offended as she walked away from him. Michael couldn't help but chuckle at her. She had kissed him. By herself! His whole body was crying for more, as evidenced by the uncomfortable bulge she had left in his pants. His wolf was practically rolling around in his head with joy and anticipation.

He wasn't sure how much of his monologue she had understood. It was impossible at times to tell what was happening in her pretty little head. Did she understand his regret and remorse about what happened that day? His internal musings were interrupted by slight panic when he realized that his mate had left the camp and was no longer in his sight. He staggered to his feet, ignoring the discomfort of his lower limbs, and began to hurry in the direction he'd seen her gimp off in. She wouldn't run away now, would she? His heart quickened as he surveyed the woods around him. She'd seemed to have willingly submitted herself to this journey. She'd been riding on his back, she had slept pressed against his body, she had even gone out of her way to help all of them with the herbal medicine for their rash. SHe had kissed him! Would she do all that, and then run away again.

He was nearly ready to panic when he topped the hill and spotted her, already on the opposite ridge. How did she move so far, so fast with that bad leg. However, as he watched her, it became apparent she wasn't running. She was squatted down picking something. What had she found? Another medicine?

He hurried down the hill, across the little stream at the bottom, and back up the opposite bank, until he he came near to where she was. Her grumpy expression had already cleared, and was replaced by one of childish excitement as she held up what she had found for his inspection. "Mushrooms?" he scratched his head. "What are they for?"

She rolled her eyes at him. Like a sassy teenager! She pointed to him, and then to the mushrooms, making it obvious that she expected him to help her gather them up. "I hope you don't expect us to eat these?" He said, inspecting the mushroom closely, it was shaped like a pale thumb, with a darker sponge-like cap. "I mean, are you really sure that this is even edible? My mother always warned us not to eat wild mushrooms..."

She gave him a look... oh goddess, she wasn't using words, but if looks could kill, he'd be on his back dead. She might not be using words, but sometimes she was communicating none the less. That face clearly said, "shut up and pick." There was an entire area along the hillside sprouting the funny looking fungi. She was clearly intent to pick every single mushroom. She came limping up to him, and boldly started to tug his shirt off. "What? Wait what are you doing?" She was too small to get it up and over his head, so he had to finish the task for her. She took the shirt from him with a grin and began loading it with her mushroom harvest. She didn't stop until she had denuded the entire hillside. t was

It was strange how content he felt, just being near her, helping her with a task that seemed important to her. The great Alpha Michael Bishop, once one of the great feared Alphas of the region... now a lowly rogue foraging for mushrooms... but he was with his mate, and he had never felt more at peace with himself.

She scanned the hillside one more time and then nodded in satisfaction. She started limping back toward camp. He hated to see the way her leg was hurting her, but when she looked back over her shoulder, with the front of her shirt overflowing with mushrooms, and smiled happily, he felt his heart overflow.

He stumbled to stop. Was this love?

Michael had never loved any person in his life, not since the day his mother and father died. He'd enjoyed certain people. He'd been possessive and controlling over some of his partners. He'd genuinely liked a few of them. But this was the first time he had contemplated actual love. Was this a real feeling, or was it just the mate bond messing with his brain?

"Michael..." A soft, almost musical voice called his name.

His head snapped up in surprise. He scanned the woods for the source of the voice, but there was only Hannah standing there, waiting for him impatiently, her golden eyes watching him expectantly. "I'm coming, sweetheart!" He stretched his legs into a run to catch up with her. She tilted her face up at him and gave him a small smile.

Oh god, that smile... that sweet soft voice! She had spoken! He felt his heart swelling up with pride. Pride and something he was almost sure might be love. Whatever it was, he was licked. Even if she never got any better than she was in this moment, he was going to stick by her side.

Whether she wanted him, or not.