Page 234 of Alpha Mates

“Because I didn’t want to get into more trouble,” he protests despite the way his grip on my shirt turns damn near lethal. “I remember you beingparticularlynice on those days. You used to stare, too.”

“I was staring at your janky features,” I argue as I slip an arm back to tug him forward. He stumbles, steadying at my side where I can see the full blush on his face. “How lucky am I that you grew into them, huh?”

A sharp poke under my ribs makes me fall forward with a cry.

I straighten with a mind to jab the fucker I call a mate back, but the cheeky grin on his face wipes the irritation clean.

“If you’re going to stand here, you might as well help,” I tell him, shoving the mixing bowl into his hands. “Make the dressing.”

Smile still in place, Julian does as he’s told and starts throwing together the ingredients I laid out at the start to make our salad for the night. He’s extremely focused as he scoops out the Greek yoghurt and adds his spices, but each time he risks a peek at me and finds me already watching him, he fumbles a little. His blush deepens, and it’s exactly why I can’t stop watching him.

That’s why I see the moment something changes. His smile slips away, taking the light in his eyes too, and something dark washes over Julian.

“Hey,” I say quietly. “You okay?”

He blinks as if he’s just woken up, and when he looks at me, he seems lost. His lips part, but there’s no sound. Just confusion flickering across his face.

Something’s wrong. Did I move too fast? Going back to joking and teasing him when we’ve only just started to move forward? Or was our talk today not as fruitful as I thought it was.

“I’m fine,” he replies with a smile, but it’s too tight. “Just got lost in thought for a moment.”

He turns back to the bowl, looking every bit as happy as he’d been before that weird moment. But I feel it—wefeel it.

Max whines as he stirs in my mind, claws scraping against my nerves. I try to calm him down before Julian can feel our worry through the bond.

I want to speak to Alex,he growls, pacing anxiously.I need to speak to him now.

And you will, but we need to give them time, Max.I remind him as gently as I can, but his emotions are torpedoing.We only spoke today, and he’s anxious—scared about something. Let him settle a bit.

Max growls his frustration, but he gives in, letting the fight go for the time being.

I want him to speak to Alex too, to find the same kind of peace Julian and I had. But Julian’s still fragile. We have to take things slow. We owe him that much.

“Ironic, isn’t it?” I say and Julian pauses mid-stir to look at me. “You’ve been in the kitchen this whole time, and I’m really the better cook.”

Lips spreading wide, Julian’s entire face lights up with amusement as he readily takes the bait, diving into a rant about how he was such a superior cook to me.

I listen, chiming in here and there just to keep him talking, and keep that light in his eyes alive. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that something’s wrong, but I’m not going to push it. Not yet.

I’ll show him that he’s safe. And when he’s ready to speak, I’ll bethere.

We eat together like we used to, talking between bites, and nudging each other under the table, finding excuses to touch. I relish in every sweet laugh I manage to coax out of him.

When he finishes his plate, I slide the leftovers towards him until he eats those too.

Then I push him towards the shower.

“I’ll wash everything up, you go take a hot shower.”

Julian’s brows dip in that telltale way they do when he’s about to argue, but he stops himself. Instead, he nods and shuffles off towards the bathroom. Pliant and agreeable—too agreeable. I watch him go, trying not to let the disappointment slip through the bond.

We’re still finding our back. It’ll take time before he’s fully comfortable again. I just have to be patient.

I make quick work of washing the dishes and cleaning up before I face the bed that’s in desperate need of fresh sheets. Easy enough.

Not.

Biting back a curse, I tug the fitted sheet over the last corner of the mattress. I don’t know who made this shit, but they’re enemies of all species alike and need to pay for their crimes.