Sam happily hurried off to the infirmary every morning after dropping Mik off at the fitness center.
For weeks, he'd been working his ass off, eager to finish his training and be the pack's only male nurse. He poured over his books, scribbled down his notes, and crammed for exams like he'd never crammed before.
He always hated schoolwork. Even when he was home-schooled after being taken out of his parents' care, he didn't care about his studies. He missed Andrew terribly. He felt lost. He held no purpose and didn't know what to do with his life.
Now, his life held purpose. His life had meaning. He was enthralled with Mik's support of his studies and pursuits.
It was the little things that gave him hope. Mik preparing the meals for them. Hunting in the afternoons together. Mik bringing him food and drink, and bones to chew on while he crammed for exams. Mik maintaining a schedule for breaks so Sam didn't burn out. Mik putting a blanket over him when he fell asleep while studying. Washing dishes together. Doing laundry together. Building campfires on the weekends and sitting together and drinking sweet tea as they watched the sun set.
They would take longer than other mates, but Sam was hopeful. Even as the days shortened and the leaves started to change colors, Sam held onto the dream that Mik would one day embrace him and apologize for not accepting him before; that he loved him now and would do anything for him.
He longed for the day Mik would kiss him again. Touch him in an intimate way. The very idea of making love made Sam blush so hard, he had to push it from his mind and focus on his studies. He couldn't think about it yet. It was too soon. It would only eat up his concentration and he'd fail his weekly exams.
He wanted to make Mik proud. That he wasn't some worthless runt rejected by his mother at the border of a pack she didn't belong to. That he could be great and valuable as a mate and a member of the pack that took him in instead of letting him die alone in the bosom of the earth. That his Klinefelter Syndrome wasn't a defect but a surprising twist in Her plan for him.
He needed to tell Mik about his chromosomal abnormality. How he could have been a female if the Goddess hadn't given him an extra chromosome that made him male with some female impulses and attributes. But he needed to tell Mik when the time was right. Right now, it could set him off and Sam feared it would turn Mik away. That it would disgust him instead of offering more clarity as to who Sam was and why he was that way.
Mik still wasn't ready, but Sam hoped he would come around soon. He wanted to be open and honest with his mate about everything, including something genetic that he couldn't change.
After four weeks of Mik going to the gym and Sam going to the infirmary for one-on-one instruction and hands-on learning, Alpha pulled him aside at the end of his lesson to have a word with him.
"How are you doing?" Alpha asked.
Sam puffed his chest with pride. "Great! I love what I'm learning and can't wait to finish my studies and start training full-time. Heather is having triplets in a few months and I'll get to be there for it!"
Alpha's smile was one of pride and joy, but Sam felt there was something else behind it as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down in his throat. "I'm very pleased to hear that your training is going so well. I know how hard things have been for you and the fact that you've found something that you enjoy and motivates you is exactly what you needed. You deserve to have everything you achieve, Sam."
Flushed with warmth at Alpha's praise, Sam bowed his head, smiling broadly. "Thank you, Alpha."
"How are things with your mate?"
YOU ARE READING
The Defiant Claim (The Claim: Book 2) LGBT
Werewolf[COMPLETE] Revenge drove him. Bloodlust raged in his veins. All 22-year-old Mik (Mikwam) wanted was to reclaim his birthright and destroy the alpha that took it from him. He never expected to find his mate within the pack of his enemy -- nor was he...
