To Love a Stray

Chapter 13

Micah’s story:

I glance across at Rosy where she is curled up between her brothers. I frown when I see her eyes are closed and she appears to be asleep. It is not the fact she is asleep that bothers me, rather the fact she seems to be avoiding sleeping in my bed with me. I walk closer to where Sam and Mitchell sit relaxed on either side of her and catch Sam’s eye. I jerk my chin towards the hallway door before heading that way without waiting to see if he follows. I don’t stop in the hallway but make my way outside before turning around and waiting for Sam to reach me.

"Yeah, I guess I know what this is about," Sam says quietly as he walks through the door.

"I don’t want to push her Sam, but this will be the third night in a row she has avoided sleeping with me," I say evenly.

"Has this talk got anything to do with a concerned phone call from Doc?" Sam asks calmly.

"No," I say with a frown. "He only called to say he informed the Board of Rosy’s pregnancy."

Doc called yesterday to let me know he notified the Were Board of Governors of the pregnancy and received confirmation that it was noted in the records as with each confirmed pregnancy for a she-kitt or Queen.

"You got something to tell me?" I ask after a few moments silence.

"Doc phoned me today to ask how you and Rosy are getting on," Sam says quietly.

"Apparently the Board contacted him asking if Rosy is going to be getting married real soon," Mitchell says as he walks outside to join us.

"Neither of you thought of mentioning this to me?" I ask tightly.

"We don’t want to see Rosy pushed into anything she doesn’t want," Sam states firmly. "Doc said that when he told the Board she was seriously involved with you, they were satisfied for the time being."

"Either both of us, or one of us, was going to talk to you tonight," Mitchell says lightly. "You beat us to it."

"Rosy needs all the support she…" I start to say but Sam lifts a hand and I stop mid sentence.

"She needs to build stronger bonds with you," Sam states with a nod. "With all of us here. But at the moment I think she’s embarrassed over what happened in the lounge room, and the fact everyone was watching is making her hesitant about sleeping with you."

"I didn’t mean to lock-up inside her," I say with a glance towards Mitchell. Yesterday morning he got in a few good punches before Sam was able to make him back off. I didn’t fight back as I realised it was his punishment to me for locking-up inside his sister so early in our relationship.

"You’ll be wanting to sleep beside Rosy in the lounge room or have just you and her in your room tonight," Sam says with a quiet sigh.

"Yes," I admit. "Already there is a matebond forming. I can feel her at the edge of my mind. I can’t get into her mind but I can feel her presence. I don’t want to have to use our bond to make her let me sleep beside her."

"You sure there is a matebond forming?" Mitchell asks sceptically.

"Yes," I say firmly as I meet his eyes. Matebonds generally don’t form so quickly between couples. It usually takes several years before the individuals can feel each other subconsciously - then a shorter time before they can communicate silently.

"Maybe if we back off, Rosy will turn to you for the support and reassurance she seems to need so badly," Sam says with a sigh.

"I’m going to go see if Rosy will wake up a bit," Mitchell murmurs as he looks away from my stare and heads inside.