Page 24 of Alpha Mates

Back to driving like a psychopath, Aiden takes us through the private roads meant for commuting between our packs. Technically, we’re out of pack boundaries, which always made me nervous, especially at these latehours, yet Aiden hadn’t even flinched when we passed through the borders’ magic.

“What now?” he snaps with a glance my way. “Am I breathing wrong?”

I look away. I didn’t even realise I was staring.

“No,” I mumble. “I’m just thinking about what I’ll eat for dinner.”

“Shit,” is all Aiden says before he makes a sharp turn that makes his tyres cry as he almost sends us into a tree.

“What the hell!” I shout. “What are you doing?”

“I have no food at my place,” he replies in aduhtone, “so I’m going to get some.”

“Outside of the pack?” My heart drops. “We’re not allowed to leave the packlands like this,” I remind him while I look frantically between him and the car’s screen. “We don’t have any protection, Aiden. If something happens—”

“Oh my Goddess.Relax, Jewels,” Aiden groans, his eyes rolling hard as he drives on. “If something happens, we’ll handle it, and in case you forgot, what we’re allowed to do is up to us now.”

My readied response dies because he’s right, at least about the rules, which, of course, makes the thick dunce grin as he takes another turn.

“But still, we shouldn’t go alone. We—”

“Weare going to get some food. Everyone is out running, so unless you plan to rob someone, this is our only option.”

It isn’t. We can get food from literally any of the packhouses between our lands. They were always stacked—at least mine were. Aiden knows that. I know that. And yet I find myself chewing on my lip as I catch sight of the headlights in the distance.

“Live a little,” Aiden encourages, glancing at me with a glint in his eyes that does unfortunate things to my insides. “Besides, I’m driving, so you’re coming unless you want to dive out of the car.”

“Because of the bond,” I mutter as I settle in my seat and ignore the bastard’s victorious chuckles.

“Alright, you’re gonna have to use these.”

Aiden had parked his death machine in front of a large blue building with a name I didn’t recognise and now held out an identical pair of his shades for me. Apparently, the douchebag owned multiple.

“Before you start bitching, I think you can agree that we don’t wantanyone freaking out about your eyes in there.”

“I’m not stupid,” I snap, snatching the dark things from him and shoving them on to glimpse the world from his perspective. It’s not nearly as dark as I expect it to be. Instead, they have an almost green tint that paints everything in a sickly light.

I turn towards him, and Aiden immediately snorts.

“I hate you.”

I follow him out of the car and to the building’s entrance, where he shoves his key into the back of one of the large trolleys, and it pops free from the rest. I marvel, wondering if all keys did that, before he shoves it towards me.

“Well, go on,” he grumbles impatiently.

I stare down at the cart. “And do what?”

“Pick all your vegetarian stuff,” he snaps and walks ahead.

I follow, puzzled, even as I study him. Did he bring us all this way because it was easier or because he wanted me to get food suited to my palate? A disturbing bout of happiness surges through me, but I bat it away as I push the cart forward.

Inside, I look over the enormous, brightly-lit space with numerous aisles stacked with all sorts of foods. Like us, everyone else walks about with their carts. They fill them up with items without immediately paying for them, which is strange, but there seems to be a section to account for everything at once.

“Have you never been in a grocery store?” Aiden whispers against my ear, making me jerk back.

“No,” I admit while I walk on. “I’ve only gone to school and back.”

Tsking like a schoolteacher, Aiden shakes his head as he takes the lead. “Well, I guess it’s time for you to take a class from the master.”