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Yes. She did. It had taken her father years to adjust to his emotional state along with his physical desires. There were still things not even Danielle understood about the drug used on her father and now, it seemed, her mate. It wasn't fair for her to, once again, take his choices away. "Nico, I want you to be free because, with me, you'll always be reminded of what happened to you." She choked on a sob. "If you stay, you'll be reminded over and over again about being violated. You'll grow to hate me."

"Never," he said with a gut-deep strength. "Never. What happened to me hasnothingto do with you. I knew the risks of going out. I let my guard down. I leftyoubehind because I fucked up. I broke your heart, little wolf. I threw away the love of my life because I couldn’t handle the ramifications of what could have come next after the best afternoon of my life.” He cupped her cheek, his hand still wrapped in white tape, scratched at her skin. “I love you so fucking much, it hurts to be away from you. I feel like every day I die a little more. I miss you. I’m fucking desperate for you, Hayden. You’re my little wolf. What kind of life will I have without you?”

She sniffed. Her chin wobbled. Her eyes blurred with tears and her nose burned. “I love you too. I’ve never stopped. I can’t stop and that makes me hate you even more.” She jerked as she began to cry in earnest. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix us. I can’t—”

Nico brushed his lips over hers, kissing her. The meeting of their mouths was soft, comforting. There was the heat of desperation there, but also longing. Of missing him or in his case her. She sank into his kiss, knowing she'd cry harder the minute he pulled back because there was no denying he was her mate. She couldn't walk away again, even if she wanted to.

He pressed his forehead to hers, staring down at her. “We’ll do it this time together. As proper mates. No more running. No more hiding. We’ll take it slow and easy. Both of us need the chance to relearn everything about ourselves.” He kissed her again. “Please, don’t ever think I’d hate you. I’ll never hate you, Hayden. You saved my life more times than you’ll ever know.”

“Nico...” She sniffled and sobbed, trembling in his arms. “I’m so scared all over again. I feel like everything is so out of control.”

“Then use me as your center, little wolf. We’ve always leaned on each other. You’ve always had me to keep you grounded.” This time when he stared down at her, she met his gaze. “There you are, little wolf. I see you now. I’ve missed you too.”

Her she-wolf sat up and pushed forward, preening at Nico’s attention. “I’ve missed you too.”

“I know you have, Hayden. I know, baby.” He groaned then and laid his head back on her lap. “Okay, I can admit, maybe fighting wasn’t the best decision I’ve ever made.”

She wouldn’t laugh. “I had Bodhi go get the healer for you.”

“Good,” he murmured. “Hey, little wolf, have lunch with me tomorrow.”

“Why?” She tilted her head.

"Call it thanks for tending to my wounds." He took her hand in his again.

She eyed him speculatively while going back to cleaning his wounds. “Only lunch?”

“Only lunch.”

“Okay.” She grabbed a fresh four by four square. “We can start small, with lunch.”

“Thank you.” He closed his eyes. “Don’t freak out, but I’m going to pass out now.”

His body went lax in her lap, and she let out a startled squeak before checking his pulse. His heartbeat was steady and strong. As she waited for the healer to arrive, she couldn’t take her eyes off her mate.

“Remember, there is a quiz tomorrow on the difference between a zygote and an embryo,” Professor Phillips announced while dismissing the class. “Also, my office hours have changed. I will only be available Monday, Thursday, and Friday from one to three in the afternoon, if you have an issue or questions before then, please send me an email.”

Hayden dumped her book into her backpack and stood, thankful biology was her last class for the day. The lecture time gave her a chance to think about last night, about her reaction to seeing Nico fight for her and their conversation that followed. In some weird way, seeing him fight made her stomach flutter and her heart skip a beat. Watching him as she had also twisted a visceral part of her. She equated it to Darwinism. The strong only sought out the strong, and her wolf saw demanded she claim the man.

Their conversation, however, opened old wounds to be cleaned properly and gave her a new prospect on, well, everything. A part of her was still so angry at Nico. Yes, he had put himself in a bad situation, yet she also understood why. She was partly to blame as well. Things were so fucked up. At the time, she didn't understand the consequences of going to him as she had. All she'd cared about was being with her mate. She flung all caution and rules out the window and indulged in her wants. She sank into the taboo. She became a spoiled child wanting a new toy, she hadn't stopped to think about his feelings as well. She put him in a no-win situation then brushed all of it off because thinking would stop her from taking what she desperately wanted. She now understood why she should have waited. She wasn't ready. And her not being in the right headspace, put them in the predicament they were in now.

Talking to Nico though had cleared away some of the old hurt. Though she was angry for another reason, she also accepted the fact she did love him. As angry as she'd been at the notion, Nico was her mate, and anything they did for that moment on would shape the rest of their lives. So, she decided then and there, as she waited for the healer, to forgive herself. Forgive him and begin again. After last night, they'd never talk about any of it again. In order for them to move forward, their past needed to stay firmly in the past.

Which led her back to the lunch date she’d agreed to. In those last moments spent in the locker room, a part of her wanted to know when they’d go out. Yet another part liked the idea of it being spontaneous. Before she left his side, he’d grabbed her hand and tugged her back to him. His dark eyes blazed with desire seconds before he dipped his chin and claimed her mouth. His arm banded her, pressing her flush to his body. Their kiss was exploratory. Lazy. He tasted her. Sipped from her lips. He’d coaxed her into it, drawing out her yearning. Hayden had wound her arms around his neck sinking into all of it. It felt like coming home for her. So right she didn’t want to let go.

Almost a little too perfect.

When he drew back, wonderment and a hint of awe had filled his features. In the next second, he’d schooled his expression before walking toward the shower, leaving Hayden to stare after him.

As she pushed the classroom door open, she spotted Nico waiting for her outside, his arms crossed over the wide expanse of his chest and his feet evenly spaced apart. The air of authority and dominance rolling off of him made a shiver of delight roll through her. Hayden’s wolf preened at seeing her mate. Instead of going straight to him, she turned and marched down the hall in the opposite direction.Why not, I didn’t see you standing there.

The farther she got from him, the less her body hummed with energy. Her wolf paced and snarled at her.

"Done with classes?" His silky-smooth voice wrapped around her, knocking her off-kilter. She should have known he'd catch up. "I thought you saw me standing there waiting. Or did you ignore me?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”Liar, liar pants on fire.

“I thought we could grab some lunch today and continue our talk.” He kept pace with her, parting the crowd with ease.