“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.
