Chapter 28 Hailey
HAILEY
Hayes’ mom is the warmest, most wonderful woman I’ve ever met. We spend the whole day there, and it goes by easier than I ever imagined.
This is what a family is supposed to look like, and they’re mine if I want them.
Which I do.
Just a day without Sterling and Nate has me on eggshells, and I know bonding will put that at ease.
Hayes is the only thing keeping me steady.
He keeps me busy so I can’t think about it too much.
I’m not sure how I went from the world’s number one Alpha hater to obsessing over two of them, but I’m not mad about it.
Being with Hayes’ family, knowing how happy these men make me, brings me some clarity.
Why wait?
I know I’m not going to change my mind. There’s no pack that could be better for me than this one.
As I watch Hayes kiss his mom’s cheek, promising to come back again next week, I realize something bone deep.
I love him.
Hayes is fun, caring, wild, and so fucking beautiful in every way. He makes me feel safe and loved unconditionally, something I didn’t know existed.
He’s pursued me, shown me he cares deeply, and I want to show him the same. I need him to know that I appreciate him, and that I’m all in too.
“It was amazing meeting you, honey. Next time I can have the girls from mahjong come over and we can teach you how to play,” she says excitedly.
“I’d love that,” I tell her as she gives me a hug.
I have to hold back a sob, because I don’t think I’ve ever been hugged by a woman in this way. She holds me tight, in her comforting embrace, a way a mom should. My mother never held me like this, but this woman is simply because her son cares about me.
I squeeze her back tightly; the hug lasts longer than it should, but it isn’t uncomfortable. Eventually, I pull back.
She looks at me lovingly as she pets down my hair. “I’m so excited to finally have a daughter.”
I give her a smile as Hayes and I leave their house. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and squeezes me tight.
“Your mom is amazing.”
“She is, isn’t she? You ready to head home?” he asks. I shake my head as he opens the car door for me. “Where to then?”
“The tattoo shop,” I whisper.
Hayes looks at me in complete shock as he cups my face. “Really?” he questions.
“I think I’ll pick a different location,” I say, tapping his chest. “I’m all in.”
His lips press against mine, and he kisses me frantically. I’m out of breath as his forehead rests against mine, my hands holding on to his wrists.
“I love you, Hailey,” he says softly.
“I love you too.”
I slide my hand over his tattoo where his heart is beating rapidly, and he nods.
“You’re sure this is what you want. I don’t need you to mark your skin for me. I know you don’t have any tattoos. Once you bond with Nate and Sterling, it will be an official bond, anyway.”
“I want a mark for you too, Hayes,” I tell him.
His cheeks heat, and he nods as he drives us to the tattoo shop.
I'm so nervous as the artist presses the outline on my wrist. It’s not that I’m scared of making the wrong decision. I'm just nervous about the pain.
"We could put it in a different spot, baby. It doesn't need to go there," Hayes assures me.
"I want people to be able to see it all the time," I tell him and he looks like he wants to ravish me right here on this man’s tattoo bench.
"I'll hold your other hand," he says, sitting on the other side of me.
He stares down at the artist, who seems to ignore him. I wonder if he's tattooed his fair share of Omegas and is used to this sort of behavior.
The artist looks up at me one more time. "Last chance, you sure you want this fucker’s name on you till the end of time?" he asks.
"Shut up, Leon," Hayes says, making the man chuckle.
"Seriously though, names on the skin can be the kiss of death for a lot of relationships," Leon says.
"I'm sure," I whisper, trying to not think about the pain.
Leon accepts my agreement, and the buzzing of the machine comes to life. I jolt slightly when the needle first hits my skin, but then calm. It stings, but it's not as bad as I thought. Hayes' name is in the same legible gentle script as he got on his own chest.
It takes less time than I imagined as Leon wipes away the excess ink from my skin.
"There you go," he says and I glance down at my wrist where I proudly wear Hayes’ name.
The Beta in question glances down and licks his lips.
"Are you still sore from your heat?" he whispers in my ear.
I bite my bottom lip, glancing down at where I have his name marked on my skin. I tighten my thighs and shake my head. Hayes clears his throat as my cherry scent fills the space, some heads turning our direction.
“Thanks again, Leon, bye,” Hayes says quickly, not even looking at the man as he grabs my hand, briskly making our way to the parking garage.
I keep looking down at my new tattoo. Who thought it would become an aphrodisiac? Hayes opens the passenger door for me, and I push him inside the car, grateful I wore a dress to impress his mother.
"No way, you're not driving," he says.
I roll my eyes, climbing on top of him, and shutting the door behind me.
"Oh," he says with a smile, as I lean forward, kissing his throat.
"You like having your name on me, Hayes?" I ask him.
A boyish grin takes over his face as one hand kneads my thigh, the other holding my wrist up to take a look at my tattoo.
"I love it, just as much as I love having your name on me."
I shift my hips against his already hard length, fisting his shirt, pulling it up to his throat so that I can see where my name marks his skin.
He owns me, and I own him. That's what having a pack is about.
If you would have asked me a year ago what kind of man I wanted, what kind of relationship I saw myself in, I'd say I'd settle down with another Beta guy and maybe have a kid or two.
I guess I found my Beta, but I also found Sterling and Nate.
A pack was some sort of far away dream I didn't know I'd ever have.
Now here I am, on this man’s lap, his name written on my skin for forever, and he won't be the last man to mark me either.
I slide my hands between us, helping him free his cock as he leans forward, capturing my mouth with his.
It's always been easy with Hayes. There aren't pheromones in the way. I feel sane with him. He's my safety and I can't thank him enough for giving that to me, because I’ve spent so much of my life not feeling safe.
He's given me so much, and having him mark me first feels right.
It's frantic, the way I try to get him free. He lifts us ever so slightly, enough to move his pants down his thighs. I need him inside me; I want this moment to feel as much like a bonding as it would between me and an Alpha.
I know what it's like to be seen as a Beta, an unremarkable designation in society. But everything about Hayes is remarkable to me.
His hands splay along my back as I slide down his length, moaning as I take every inch of him. There's still a pang of soreness, but the pinch of pain and pleasure has me craving him even more.
In the small confines of the passenger’s seat, it feels like we couldn't get closer if we tried. I hold on to the back of his neck with one hand, and use another to hold on to the headrest as I ride him.
Our gazes locked, our panted breaths in sync as I prove to Hayes that we're bonded, that this is real.
Maybe I'm proving it to myself more than I am him.
Either way, this feels different. It's not a jealousy fueled fuck at the club, a hookup between strangers, or a relentless need sparked by my heat. This is just us.
His hand comes up to my face, his thumb rubbing my cheek as his other fingers splay across my face, down to my neck.
Hayes looks at me like I'm everything he could have asked for in a partner and that's all I ever wanted.
My hips shift up and down, my clit grinding over his pubic hair, giving me just the right amount of friction. Our breathing and the tackiness of my slick lubricating us are the only sounds in the car, and it's almost like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.
I glance down at his tattoo before he grabs the back of my head, bringing me in for another kiss. There's hardly an inch between us as I ride him, and he lets me set the pace. He's making the softest whimpering noise against my lips and it's what sends me over the edge.
My hips buck as I reach my orgasm, and Hayes takes over, fucking me from below. His hands slide up my dress, one hand on my ass, the other against my spine as he reaches his own release with a soft moan. His head hitting the headrest of the passenger’s seat as he rubs my skin.
There's a calm silence between us, and I push his hair away from his face.
"Thank you," he says and I grin.
"You're welcome," I whisper back and we laugh, his dick softening as I lean forward and kiss him. He pulls out, pushing my panties back to where they belong. I'm a slick mess filled with his cum, and I undoubtedly enjoy the extra claim.
"Let's go home. The Alphas will be home soon and it's important that they know you bonded me first," he says with a grin as he opens the passenger door.
I maneuver my way off his lap, and he tucks himself away, pulling up his pants as he gets out of the car, taking the driver's seat as I get back into the car.
A sense of calmness and certainty fuels me and I sit there grinning with my new tattoo and soaking wet panties.
This day is one of the best I've ever had. Hayes' hand reaches across the console and he rests it on my thigh, his touch possessive and tender.
The ride home is enjoyable and I'm so excited to see Nate and Sterling. Getting used to their schedule is going to be hard, but Hayes was right. Bonding will make everything easier.
We're only five minutes from home when a call from Nate comes in. Hayes answers it over bluetooth.
"Hey. I've got some exciting news for when you come home," Hayes says in a cheery voice.
I'm sure he's going to be insufferable to Nate and Sterling, letting them know I chose him first.
"We're going to be home later than we planned," Nate says. His voice sounds odd, and I adjust in my seat.
"Is everything okay?" I ask.
"Fuck," Nate hisses.
"What is it?" I say back, and Hayes continues to massage my thigh.
"We're at the hospital."
"You're what?" Hayes says first, already turning his blinker on to go the opposite way of home and instead, the direction of the hospital.
"He's going to be so irritated. He's fine. He just passed out a little," Nate says.
"We're on our way right now," Hayes tells him, and Nate curses again.
"Please don't worry, he's fine. He didn't even want me to call. It was protocol that he gets a checkup."
I tap my foot against the ground, keeping my lips sealed shut or else I'll lose my temper. What does he mean he wasn't going to call us when one of our pack mates was in the fucking hospital? I don't care if it was for a paper cut.
Nate clears his throat and Hayes sighs next to me.
"We'll be there in fifteen," he says, hanging up. "Hailey," he whispers my name, and I just shake my head.
My Beta sighs as we make our way to the hospital. Who do these Alphas think they are keeping secrets from me? They said we were all in, that I was their Omega.
Oh, I'm going to show them what it's like having an Omega when you decide to keep secrets.
We park and head to the front desk to get visitor badges and make our way to the emergency department.
As soon as I see him I'm not sure whether to start yelling or if I should cry.