Page 321 of Alpha Mates

But if it wasn’t, why is Julian vomiting? Why is Katerina looking at me like that?

Her mouth moves, but I can’t hear a thing beyond the ringing in my ears.

She pushes past me to get to Julian, and I turn, following the movement. Numb.

It wasn’t real. But then why does every breath come faster, and why is fear wrapping cold fingers around my throat?

Black eyes stare at me. I stare back. Only this time, I’m not strapped to a table. And he didn’t know I was watching him. Reon.

Reon was real, and alive.

“Aiden?”

I lift my head towards Kat’s voice, and this too doesn’t feel any more real than the last few minutes because I’ve never seen her look scared before.

I feel myself frown, trying to understand why. She doesn’t even know what she’s done—how she’s just dragged us to hell and back.

She stands beside Julian, where I should be, rubbing his back as he dry-heaves. I want to take her place, but the inch I manage forward makes my knees buckle.

“What’s going on?” she asks, frantic now, eyes darting between us. “What the hell just happened?”

Do I explain to her who those rogue-shaped ghosts were supposed to be? Do I tell her about the turmoil crushing Julian and I’s bond from both ends? Do I talk about the table and the knives? Or do I just break a finger and hope that explains it all?

There has to be a right answer—some right set of words or actions after what I just saw—but I can’t figure out what it is. I don’t know how to explain that I just witnessed my greatest nightmare walk the Earth, and his name is Reon.

My lips part, but nothing comes out.

I look to Julian, hoping he can make this better like he always does, but he’s panting over a small pile of his vomit. He’s staring at the floor, and tears stream down his broken face.

I’ve only seen him look like this once before, and that was the day of Oliver’s funeral. A fake funeral.

“At what point does it stop?” I whisper, staring at him. He doesn’t hear me. He just keeps crying.

My throat burns as I try to swallow my own tears. “At what point does Goddess decide it’s enough?”

There has to be a limit—a breaking point. A moment when she looks down and says, that’s enough for one lifetime. So why hasn’t this stopped when I’m already long past mine?

I bring a hand to my throat, hoping to claw away the noose around my neck, but it’s as invisible as the permanently damaged bones under my skin.

“When does it stop?” I rasp, looking at Katerina.

She’s powerful. Maybe she could make this all go away. But when we look at each other, all I see is the girl who cried in my arms a week ago.

The elevator doors open with an eeriedingthat makes us all turn with a start, like the pair haunting us might step out. But it’s not them. It’s only Emitt, and he stops short when he sees us.

His expression flickers—confusion then alarm—as his eyes slide over each of us. The vomit. Julian’s shaking. Katerina pale and still.

He takes a hesitant step towards Julian, then glances at me, and he’s at my side a moment later.

“What happened?” he demands, reaching out before thinking better of it and stopping short.

“Aiden!”

I startle, realising belatedly that he’s been calling me. Emitt frowns at me, and now he’s scared, too. “What. Happened?”

“Reon,” I whisper, and it’s strange how the numbness remains even after I do.

“Reon?” Emitt echoes, and his eyebrows dip even lower. He glances at Katerina, then back at me when she offers nothing. “Who’s Reon?”