Page 233 of Alpha Mates

“Anything.”

“Can you forgive me too?”

Aiden blurs before my eyes, becoming a wobbly version of himself as a shaky smile breaks through my tears. My body moves on its own, sending him to the ground as I barrel into him. His chuckle rumbles against me, or maybe that’s just me and the way I’m shaking.

Aiden hugs me back, letting his arms slide around my waist with an unrelenting grip that annihilates any thoughts of him ever letting me go again.

“Jewels,” he half-groans as he pulls me back so he can wipe my cheeks. “When did you turn into such a crybaby?”

I laugh, but it’s a wet thing that only gets worse when I touch him,reallytouch him, so that I can relish in the electric sparks that run between us.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble, unable to stop with the sheer happiness coursing through me. “I-I just love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” he says it without hesitation, and Goddess help me, it wrecks me.

I bury my face against his collarbone, right over his mark, as our bond grows lighter between us, mending.

I never thought I’d need someone’s love this much, or that I could have it, but I do. I have Aiden and he makes me feel whole in every way—like I am and could be more than I was. The worldisbrighter with him around, and I hate living in the darkness when he’s not.

Drawing back, I try to regain enough control over myself so that I can speak. Aiden smiles as I do, brushing my hair behind my ear while he looks at me like he used to, the love so evident in his eyes that I just want to kiss him.

“I know we still have a way to go,” I say, brushing my fingers along his jaw, “but thank you. For still loving me.”

“Julian,” he whispers, smiling. “No matter what happens, I’ll always love you.” I watch that smile shift into a familiar smirk. “I’ll never stop loving you Jewels.”

With a sob, I press my forehead against his, my soul brightening at the sound of our hearts, beating in sync again.

I have my mate back.

Chapter 47

Aiden

I shift left, and Julian shifts left. I move right, and Julian moves right. Like a perfect shadow, except I’d never known shadows to glower at you.

“I can feel you staring at me.”

I glance back just in time to catch Julian’s eyes. He blinks at me.

“I’m not staring at you,” he corrects smartly. “I’m staring at your back.”

A snort escapes me as I finish chopping mushrooms for the meal I’d be serving both myself and the vegetarian werewolfnotstaring at me. I’d made him a big lunch after our talk, but I wasn’t letting up. Julian would be getting three very large, very filling meals each day. He’d lost enough weight already, and I wasn’t about to let his health fall behind while we rebuilt us.

“Being this close isn’t enough?” I tease, moving to the sink to rinse the lettuce. Jewels trails each of my steps. “Holding my shirt isn’t enough?”

When I look back this time, his face goes bright red as he stares at the death grip he’s got on the hem of my shirt. I bite back my grin, and he scowls at his own hand like he’s mentally willing it to let go. It doesn’t. If anything, his fingers tighten as he steps closer.

I hadn’t expected us to be this close again, not this quickly.

After our talk today, that had been as painful as it’d been helpful, I figured Julian might need some space. Hell, I figuredIwould. But we haven’t been able to stay more than a foot apart, as if that’s the cure to fix all this. With Julian so close, it almost feels like it.

“You know what this reminds me of?” I ask as I peel the leaves back. “When we were kids and our parents used to make us hold hands as punishment for fighting.”

Julian huffs a laugh as a burst of amusement sparks down our bond.

“I used to hate that,” he grumbles, but I can hear the smile in it.

“Really?” I challenge, smirking over my shoulder. “’Cause I could’ve sworn there were times when you insisted we keep holding hands, even when they weren’t looking.”