Page 46 of Alpha Mates

It’s just a bath that Julian prepared forme. Something warm, giddy, and stupid sparks to life inside of me, but I don’t let myself think too much about it as I sink into the scalding water.

I could spend the day in here, but knowing Julian would sooner leave me behind than be late has me climbing out far too soon. Dried off, I head for my closet, only to come up short at the sight of the bed, already remade with fresh sheets, and a set of clothes laid out: dark jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of shades sitting atop them.

He’s planning your death,Max says simply. He’s already resigned to our fate. These are all warning signs.

Julian’s always planning our death, I counter, eyeing the clothes.I think he’s just being nice.

It’s weird to think it, weirder still to believe it, but how else do you explain this?

Julian Heil is anything besides ‘nice,’ Aiden. He and his demon wolf are the humans’ anti-Christ.

I can’t argue that, but there’s the bond between us … and whatever happened last night.

It’s weird because I still hate him. I think. But I don’t hate the way he felt in my arms or waking up to him in the morning. I don’t hate that at all, and maybe I’m not the only one feeling what’s going on here. Maybe Julian’s trying to find a way to deal with all of this, too.

That doesn’t change the fact that he is a fucking psychopath!

I leave Max to his ramblings about the coming hours, and get dressed.

I whistle as I enter the kitchen and spot a plate piled high with pancakes, sausages, hash browns, and eggs. “Is that all for me?”

“Yeah,” Julian says nonchalantly while rinsing dishes.

Yeah, maybe this is the end.

“Thank you,” I say carefully while I ignore Max’s wails, “but uh … what’s the occasion?”

Julian glances at me from over his shoulder, looking at me as if I’ve proven his low opinion of my intelligence. “Breakfast, Aiden. The occasion is breakfast. Do younotwant to eat?”

“I do,” I protest, grabbing the plate.

“But?”

“But nothing.” I start shovelling food into my mouth.Butthis is weird?ButI don’t want to die if you’ve poisoned this? I don’t say any of this out loud in case … well, in case he stops.

“Did you eat?” I ask around a mouthful of greasy pork sausage.

“Yeah, I had the same thing, just without… the sausages…” Julian’s words fade on his tongue as he turns a little green.

“What?” I ask, and he cringes.

“We still have ten minutes, so feel free to take your time. You know … to take smaller bites.”

I don’t usually give two shits about what Julian or anyone else thinks about the way I eat, but now I’m wiping my mouth to look better for my mate. Thankfully, he doesn’t notice, too busy cleaning to see what he and this bond are doing to me.

I take advantage of it, letting my eyes linger on him while he silently cleans, as if he hadn’t done so much already. From the bath to my clothes, breakfast, and now cleaning … Julian is like the perfect mate. More than that. Even if he weren’t my mate, as a person, he’s …

Obviously, you have to brush aside his pompous attitude, his dictionary brain, and the rest of his annoying qualities, but once those are out of theway, then yeah. Julian’s sort of, maybe, kind of great.

“What?” he snaps when he finally catches me staring. Usually, that tone makes my rage simmer, but now it makes my heart beat faster.

He’s still covered in my scent, and me in his, and that’s all the reminder I need that things between us are weird as fuck, so I might as well enjoy something about it.

“Can you come here for a second?” I ask, pushing away my plate.

Suspicious, his shoulders draw up as he studies me. “Why?”

I roll my eyes. “Just come here.”