Mates of a Human

Part Two. Chapter Two. Michael.

That slippery little devil managed to avoid me for two weeks.  Two long weeks.  I knew he was avoiding me, I caught him dashing around the corridor more than once and each time I was distracted by others.  Granted, it wasn't a problem when it was a patient, but at least twice were because of a slender nurse with more lipstick upon her mouth than found in the product.  She thrust her perky boobs towards my face as if they would tempt me and pouted when they obviously did not.  The most annoying thing was that I couldn't exactly say that I was taken, I didn't want my second mate to become more skittish than he already was.

Fortunately, there was a grey haired angel working on the ward, Clover.  It seemed that she had taken Alex under her wing.  She couldn't tell me much about him, but she did say that she believed that he had been hurt before.  "It's in his eyes," she said, sagely.  "Most people would say they looked withdrawn, distant, but I can see the underlying sadness beneath them.  I don't think he realises it himself."

Her words made me even more determined to track him down.  His scent lingered in various places, but it was often faint, likely due to the chemicals and protective wares needed for his job.  But apart from the janitor's room, it lingered in the corner of the break room and around the nurses station where Clover was usually situated when not with patients.  And that was where I finally managed to corner him.  Clover was trying to convince him to take one of her secret stash of cookies, not so secret when you had a nose like mine.  He was refusing.  A part of me was wishing he would eat, his overalls hung from his skinny frame.  I approached my skittish mate from behind him, so he could not see me and flee once more.

"Really, I am fine," he was reassuring the woman as she listed several delicious treats, trying to tempt him. 

"Is there chocolate chip?" I asked as I finally shadowed him.  He visibly flinched, before gazing up at me.  I'm not sure exactly what he saw, but he blinked his eyes while staring into mine a few times before glancing away.  He began to fidget in his seat.

"I ran out of those this morning, Doctor Haze," Clover began to chide me.  "You should know, you ate the last one."

"I was hoping you had restocked?" I said with a slight pout and caused her to roll her eyes at me.  I turned my attention on my boy.  He was definitely ready to bolt and as much as my wolf enjoyed the chase, I felt like it was time to end this.  "I don't think I've yet had the pleasure of greeting you, I am Doctor Michael Haze.  And you are?"

"Alex Rivers," he said, quietly.  I stuck my hand out towards him in human greeting, he looked at it for a moment as if it was green or something, before shyly allowing his own hand to be engulfed by mine.  Just as with the rest of his body, his fingers were thin and pale, I could feel the callouses upon his fingers and sparks shot along my wrist due to the contact.  I could tell he felt them too, he snatched his hand away at the first opportunity.

"It's really good to meet you, Alex," I murmured, softly. "I've been hoping to speak with you. Would you join me for coffee?" I had managed to get hold of a copy of his hours and it hadn't been hard to too difficult to make sure a couple of my shifts ended at the same time his did. I did owe the hospital three more night shifts next week in order to pay back my dues.

His mouth opened, possibly in order to voice a refusal, but dear Clover was having none of that. "What a wonderful suggestion!" She said, enthusiastically. "How kind of you, Doctor. Don't you agree, Alex." My heart ached at the pitifully helpless expression upon his face. His shoulders drooped and his eyes were downcast as he nodded his acceptance. I had to tighten my resolve and did not let him off of the hook. He would be reeled in, Eric and I needed him and I suspected that he needed us.

"I'll meet you here in an hour," I said and went to finish a little paperwork and check on a few patients.

Alex could have retreated, flown from the hospital without a word and continued to lead me on a merry chase like he had been, but he didn't. He waited for me, just like I had instructed him to, my chest swelled with pride. My wolf was overly enthusiastic, suggesting we should press him further in order to make him ours. I had to restrain him. He was human, not a shifter, despite my beliefs to the contrary, not all humans knew much about our ways, about mates. In this day and age, it was just ignorance, but still, better to get to know him first and figure out his stance before deciding our next moves.