Page 23 of Alpha Mates

I try to rub the compulsion away while I watch Aiden circle the sleek car to pluck a set of keys from under the front wheel. He twirls them around his ring finger.

“That’swhere you leave your keys?”

The car chirps between us, and he frowns. “Not like anyone’s going to try and steal it,” he says, popping the door open.

I return his frown. “That’s not a fact.”

Rolling his eyes, Aiden shakes his head as he mutters, “Whatever you say, Jewels.”

A quiet flutter starts in my stomach while Aiden slips into his car without another word. He’s completely oblivious to the fact that I have to take a moment to breathe before I can do the same. Not that it helps, because the second I sit down, Aiden’s scent ambushes me.

Oh fuck, Alex moans as he squirms in my mind.

The car is drenched in his scent. It sets my skin aflame and my heart racing as I breathe it in. It’s like those rough hands are on me again, only they touch me everywhere now as his scent infiltrates my system.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

I jerk in my seat, turning stiffly to face Aiden. He stares at me with a deep frown andare you good?eyes.

“Nothing,” I snipe as I glance around. “Your car is just dirty.”

Aiden’s frown reappears as he forces his key into the ignition. “Does anything make you happy, Jewels?”

“It would make me very happy if you stopped calling me that stupid name,Jade.”

“Ha! Nice try, but I actually love my middle name,” Aiden says, grinning at me as the car purrs to life beneath him. “But as for giving up your special name?” He winks, “Never going to happen,Jewels.”

… We are so fucked,Alex whispers on a near sob.

“Fucked” didn’t even begin to cover it.

Aiden pulls at his clutch, and I scramble to put on my seatbelt. It clicks into place a second before Aiden swings out of the lot so quickly that I gasp while my stomach lurches. He laughs wickedly before he takes off like afucking rocket. My hands immediately find the handle on the ceiling, and I clutch it for dear life while my apparently suicidal mate speeds through my pack’s empty roads.

“You look worried, Jewels,” he acknowledges with feigned concern. “Something wrong?”

Plenty of things are wrong right now, but telling him to slow down would only goad the maniac to drive faster, and there’s no chance in hell that I’m admitting how terrified I am.

“Take the next right,” I grind out through clenched teeth, and Aiden laughs wildly before he swings his car to the right.

Craziness aside, he follows my directions until we screech to a stop in front of the very last place I want Aiden to be. I’d claimed the compact two-bedroom as mine a month ago. It was well-suited for an alpha—a central location so I’d be close to my pack, while still providing me the privacy to withdraw. It was also the perfect size for two because, at the time, I’d been preparing for the best case where I’d be so lucky as to find my other half.

I glance across at what “luck” has gifted me and scowl.

“Let’s be quick about this,” I say, before I get out and head for the door on somewhat wobbly legs. “I don’t want you tainting the place.”

Aiden’s door slams after me as he follows suit. “Now, we both know it’s not nice to say things like that to your mate,” he scolds, sounding far too pleased with himself.

I flip the demon off behind my back while I open the front door. Inside, I slip through the stacks of boxes and make a beeline for the one markedtoiletries. Thankfully, Aiden keeps his mouth shut while he looks around my new home.

I try to imagine Aiden staying here with me, but when the thought fills me with a confusing mix of unfiltered rage and joy, I push it away and focus on packing a bag.

“I think you’re good,” Aiden says from the wall he’s propped himself against while I triple-check my bag.

“I didn’t ask you what you thought.”

Aiden groans like the man-child he is, but I ignore him while I make sure that I have everything I need. I wasn’t borrowing anything that cesspool owned. Once I’m satisfied, and only then, I zip the duffle closed and get to my feet.

“Finally,” he cheers while I shove past him to return to his death mobile.