Page 21 of Alpha Mates

“Nothing?” Michael asks Julian.

“It’s manageable,” he answers, but he sounds tense.

“Maybe it’s when you’re out of his line of vision,” my dad suggests.

Max stirs restlessly, but I step away from the doorway until all I see are stacked bricks.

“A little worse,” I admit, “but not as bad as the first time.”

“I think we should try closing the door again,” Michael says from inside.

“What? No!” Julian shouts, making my blood boil as I step forward.

Dad presses a hand on my chest, trying to calm me, but it only makes me snarl.

“We have to see if it was a one-time thing,” he explains, snatching his hand away. “Don’t you want to know if this comes with the bond? If it’s permanent? If it is, it will make life exceedingly more challenging for both of you.”

I listen for a protest from Julian, a single sign of distress that I could use as an excuse to be with him again, but when none comes, I force myself to stop resisting.

With a sigh of relief, my dad gestures to the end of the hallway. “Go further away from the door this time.”

“It’ll be worse.” I don’t need a test to know that, but he just frowns.

“We need to check.”

So, this is his revenge. Make me endure the pain, or admit that I’m too scared to. I’d take pain any day.

I walk away until I’m as far from the room as I can handle right now, and the second I stop, he shuts the door without warning. It’s like free-falling back into hell.

That unforgettable pain erupts within my body again, but this time, it is so much worse. My brain gets put back into a blender, and so does my body. I need to get back to my mate because clearly, if I don’t, this agony will never stop.

I manage a single step before the door opens, and I immediately sink to my knees. The pain fades slowly, and then altogether as Julian rushes out of the room. When his frenzied gaze settles on me, he sprints towards me andcrashes into my open arms without hesitation.

It’s soothing like warm water over my scalp, and I groan into his skin as his arms wrap around my neck, keeping me caged against him.

“We’re not doing that again!” Julian growls at our approaching fathers. Fuck knows how he has so much energy while I’m still struggling to get myself back in working order.

“Sorry, but now we know it only happens when there’s a physical barrier between you,” Michael says, his discomfort obvious.

“It’s a new bond with weaknesses that you should keep to yourselves,” my dad mutters, staring at me.

“We will,” Julian snaps with more venom than I’ve ever heard him use towards his father. Michael notices.

“We’ll leave you guys alone,” Dad says, taking a step back. “Try to get some rest and we’ll pick this up in the morning.”

Julian tracks their retreat as they leave us for the second time, only relaxing when they’re out of sight. It’s only a breath before that short-lived relief evaporates.

Stiff as a board, Julian blinks owlishly at me—then bristles like a startled cat.

“What did I do now?” I ask as I sit up with him still in my arms. He shifts in my lap as I do, and I try not to think about how good he feels there. How fucking badly I want to keep him there.

“Nothing. Nothing yet,” he says before he buries his nose back in my neck. He inhales deeply and groans as his fingers find their way into my hair. “This is so weird.”

“I know.” I pull him closer, my grip tightening on his hips.

“I still hate you,” he grumbles—because of course he does.

I chuckle against his skin, but don’t leave him hanging.