Page 206 of Alpha Mates

“I hate that you’re the most caring and wonderful person I know, even though you try to pretend otherwise,” I whisper, words meant only for him. “I hate that even though you’re a genius, you’re really an idiot. But most of all …” I take his face in my trembling hands. “… I hate that all those things are what I love about you.”

Julian stiffens in my arms while fresh tears swim in his already watery eyes.

“I love you, Julian.”

He exhales like a dam breaking, the same way I do, as something in me cracks open and lets him in entirely.

Tears pour down his cheeks. I try to wipe them away, but they refuse to stop. Lips quivering, he tries to speak but can’t; his soft sobs grow louder, becoming heavy and real.

My eyes bulge as I try to soothe him. Despite my teasing, I hadn’t expected him to react like this.

I’d been prepared for everything else, even him freaking out and running away, not him unravelling in front of me.

“I … I—” he tries and fails miserably, making me chuckle.

“Sshh, breathe,” I say, but he shakes his head, utterly determined to get the next few words out.

“I-I—” He swallows hard, then forces it out. “I love you too.”

It’s shaky, breathless, but clear.

It’s unfamiliar, the wave of something warm and thorough that ripples through me, but it fits into place like a puzzle piece. It unlocks that joy inside me, the same one he sparks with every one of his sweet smiles.

That joy only grows stronger as he kisses me suddenly.

“I love you,” he says against my lips, not stopping even as his words make tears stream down my face. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

He says it over and over, like a broken record that I never want to stop playing.

Chapter 41

Julian

“Aiden,” I whisper while I give his shoulder a hesitant shake. “Aiden.”

“Ugh,” he groans, shaking me off.

“Aiden,” I say a bit louder, but he doesn’t move.

My hand hovers over his shoulder, and for the first time in a long time, I’m not sure what to do.

Aiden’s in a funk. No, a mood. I don’t know. What I do know is that something is wrong.

It’s not the pack, it’s not our friends, and for once, it’s not our parents. Life is good—better than it’s ever been, I’m sure, and yet, he’s … different, anddifferentis the last thing I expected after he told me he loved me.

Love.That isn’t something I’ve had much of, and coming from him—my partner in crime and the man who owns the other half of my soul—it undid me.

Down went my walls, along with every lingering fear about our past. I was his. All his, and he was mine. He was supposed to be mine.

And he is. It’s not like this just happened suddenly. We had a month of bliss after that day, where everything just clicked into place. I got back into school, continuing classes with Aiden at my side, mostly. He started skipping, but that was fine when we did everything else together. At home, we watched movies, cuddled, cooked dinner. and went for runs. And outside of it, we were the alphas we spent so long preparing to be.

My parents finally got the message to stay out of my business, even if they refused to hear the one that said I wasn’t ready for whatever relationship they wanted us to have. Even so, it was fine, better than fine.

And then, a week ago, Aiden just changed.

It’s like his light got smothered out. Since then, he’s been a stagnant, immovable brick that lounges around the house or sleeps his days away.

It’s such a stark contrast from the man who got me a telescope and said those words.