Page 151 of Alpha Mates

Good Goddess. I shudder, but nod, and his smile reappears in full force. He swims forward to plant a wet kiss on my cheek, starts swimming towards the plunge pool at top speed.

I’m not in the mood to chase him or get barraged by water, so instead I stretch myself out until I’m floating on my back and I let my eyelids fall shut.

The current pulls me along and I let it. I let it take my thoughts and worries too as I float dazedly.

This isn’t so bad. The sun on my skin, Aiden treading around out there somewhere, and nobody here but us.

It isn’t bad. In fact, it’s kind of amazing.

“Thank you.” Kiss.

“Thank you.” Kiss.

“Thank you.” Kiss.

“Thank youuuuuuuuu,” Aiden extends this one extra-long before kissing me for all I’m worth.

“Uhmm,” I hum against his lips.

Satisfied, he pulls back and finally faces the young girl who watches us with obvious amusement. “I’m ready,” he says, marching towards her so she can hook up his harness.

“Have fun,” I encourage, even though my fingers already itch to pull him back.

My heart’s in my throat just being up here, without water to catch the fall at the bottom, but there are railings and bannisters and even when those move, the ropes will catch him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to do it too?” he asks as the girl and another employee hook multiple ropes to him, tightening his harness as they go.

“Positive.” Cliff diving is where my adventurous streak reached its limit.

“You ready?” the girl asks as she gives Aiden’s harness one last tug.

He nods his head like an eager pup, and she steps back, managing the ropes of her own harness as she helps him into place.

The railings slide back, leaving them poised above the gorge. I cling to the safety of the chest-high barrier, watching closely while she checks him one more time.

“All good,” she says, stepping back. “All on you now.”

With the go-ahead, Aiden gingerly walks himself to the edge of the platform before he turns to face me. My heart flip-flops, and my grip on the railing turns lethal.

His dark eyes glow red, and for the first time, the colour seems to shimmer as he spreads his arms wide.

“Geronimo!” he shouts—then he falls back.

The railing’s metal bends beneath my fingers as I watch my mate fall to his death. He falls and falls, and while he hollers like he’s having the time of his life, I barely manage to contain my scream as I break out into a cold sweat.

Once upon a time, I’d have cut the rope just to be sure the job got done, but now, I’m so scared that I can barely breathe as I watch him fall from the mountain post at the valley’s highest peak.

It feels like he’s falling for an eternity before the rope finally reaches its limit. He stalls, jerks, and then suddenly, he’s springing straight back up.

I hear his laughter long before he reaches the top, long before he swings up, nearing the other side. He’s high enough for me to spot his innocent grin for a moment before he falls back down to his doom. He screams, elated, while the railing becomes indented with the outline of my fingers.

“How long have you two been together?” the attendant asks, and though I know I should probably look at her, I can’t take my eyes off Aiden.

Need to make sure he’s okay. Alive. The psychopath. And Goddess, I’m worse for encouraging it.

“About a month,” I mumble, only just beginning to breathe as the swinging of the ropebegins to slow.

Now Aiden’s just swinging and howling so loudly it echoes across the valley.