Page 39 of Alpha Mates

“I know we can do this!” he shouts, shaking his raised fists. “It’s not a dream. It’s a possibility, we just have to want it. Do you want it?”

Cheers erupt.

He grins wide, arms spread. “Then let’s become the greatest pack this world has ever fucking seen!”

The ground shakes as everyone gets to their feet. They scream and shout, stomping their feet on the earth, celebrating the picture he paints of what we can be with a full heart.

My shoulders relax. I’d feared the worst, but watching Aiden pace the stage, not just goading them on, but sharing in their excitement, I can’t remember why.

Then he turns towards me with his smile so blinding it steals my breath—and my chance to escape.

“No, no, no,” I protest, backing up until there’s nowhere to go but off the stage.

“Oh, yes, yes, yes,” he mocks, as he grabs my hand and tugs me forward.

Dragging me to the edge of the stage, he raises our joint hands, and I wince as the crowd erupts. It’s deafening, and I think my ears are going to bleed. But I’m still smiling.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Chapter 8

Aiden

The next four days pass by in a blur of meetings I fear will never fucking end.

Announcing a plan to merge two ancient packs was one thing, actually doing it was another. Once the news got out, the Council wasted no time sending their best healers to examine our bond, making sure it wasn’t the result of some overlooked magic. It was annoying, and honestly a bit insulting, but we couldn’t ignore the Council. Besides, I’d be lying if I said that part of me hadn’t hoped they might find something while they smoothed their elixirs over my skin.

They didn’t. No hidden ruin or curse—just confirmation that Julian and I were mates. Then the real work began. And by real work, I mean paperwork. So. Much. Paperwork.

Every day, I trekked over to the Black Moon packhouse for another round of our highest-ranking officials filling our ears with all the shit we had to do. It felt like I was drowning in work, and the only relief was that I wasn’t doing it alone.

I had Julian, and as strange as it was, we were too busy to argue so, we’d fallen into a system of sorts. Julian’s computer brain sifted through all the technical, political shit, making sure all our Xs were crossed and Os circled, or whatever the fuck that saying was, and I managed our everyday tasks while dealing with the fires that popped up in our packs.

We were doing pretty well, all things considered, but I’m still fucking exhausted. And even after another full night of undisturbed sleep, I’m frowning before I even open my eyes. When I look over and see Julian curledon the far side of the bed, it deepens.

Since our first night, Julian and I haven’t woken up anywhere near each other. It’s like he’s trained his body to stay on the very edge of the mattress, never slipping closer. Not that I want a repeat of that morning. And Goddess knew, a lot happened that day.

It’s just that every morning, when I wake up and see his blonde hair strewn across the pillow, I get irrationally annoyed that he isn’t close enough to touch it. And I can’t tell if that feeling is coming from the bond, or me.

Drawing my gaze away, I drag myself to the bathroom and leave the door open. It’s second nature at this point, to avoid the pain of our first day as mates returning.

Only a handful of people know about that particular oddity in our bond. We don’t need anyone trying to exploit a potential weakness, so we’d agreed to keep the list to our parents, betas, and elders.

The elders were investigating the anomaly for us and yesterday, one of them finally uncovered a name for it in the archives—vinculum conscientia, which they’d said translated to “mate or bond awareness.”

The cause is yet to be determined, but supposedly, the effect fades the more time we spent together. Julian guesses, or prays, that since we literally haven’t parted since our coronation, it should be gone any day now. Which is a good thing. Agreatthing.

In the shower, I try to scrub that into my faulty brain, and by the time I step out it’s taken root. It’s unfortunately rinsed right back out when I slip out of the steamy bathroom and find Julian sitting on the edge of the bed. His usually perfectly combed hair is a mess of wild strands that stick out everywhere. Still half asleep, it takes him a moment to notice me, but when he does, his sleepy eyes lift to mine, and he offers me a weak, lopsided smile.

My heart rams itself against my ribs. It batters them, going wild while I stare at my mate, more specifically at his mouth as he smiles.

“Morning,” he mumbles before he rubs the expression away and heads for his turn, completely oblivious of the way I stare after him until I can’t.

This is madness, I say to Max the second I hear the shower start.These feelings are madness!

This is the bond, he replies gruffly.

The bond is supposed to be a pull,I argue.This feels like compulsion.