Page 48 of Alpha Mates

I frown as fresh confusion floods in. “And what does that have to do with me?”

Julian starts to speak, only to falter aimlessly. I stay as I am, waiting until he finally just looks at me. “You know,” he mumbles.

“No, I don’t,” I reply, and it’s true.His fingers twist in his lap, a nervous tick I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do. He stares at me as if I have the answer, but I don’t hold the answer to shit. “Come on, just spit it out.”

“If we stay together, I’ll get distracted,” he says it so quickly that I almost miss it. Almost.

Distracted? By me?

WastheJulian Heil trying to say that I distract him?

Pleasure surges through me as I twist in my seat to face him properly.

“Jewels,” I sing softly, a smirk already spreading across my lips. “Are you saying you can’t keep your eyes off me?”

Julian’s cheeks go up in flames, and he immediately turns away. He tries to get out of the car only to end up in a one-sided battle against his seatbelt.

“Julian,” I laugh, catching his arm before he can escape. I force him to look at me as my chuckles die down. “I’m just teasing. No need to run.”

Julian reluctantly looks back at me with a fresh glare. Fuck, I’m starting to like those, too.

“Look, it’s fine. I’ll stay away today.”

I feel sick just saying the words, but if that’s what Julian wants, then—

“No. You don’t have to—I just want …” He sighs and runs a frustrated hand through his hair.

“I’m just that much, huh?” I ask with a sympathetic hum.

“Aiden, I will murder you,” Julian warns, but it only widens my grin. Despite himself, he smiles a little as he looks at me. “Can we just meet at lunch?”

“Lunch?” I’m not sure I can make it that long without seeing him.

“If you want to,” Julian adds into the quiet. “We don’t have to—”

“Sure.” I cut in just to make him stop, and thankfully, it brings an instant smile to his face. It’s fucking blinding.

“Okay, cool.” Julian laughs a little, and my heart does weird stuff again. “Um, I’ll see you later. Lock up when you go.”

I nod since words are currently impossible for me, and he hops out of the car, sharing one last, hesitant smile before he heads inside.

When the door shuts, I sink back into my seat, because I’m already itching to follow, to keep us close, and I can still see him in the rearview mirror.

“Fuck …” This isn’t going to end well.

Chapter 10

Julian

“I just don’t understand why you’d willingly come back here,” Isabel says, dragging her feet beside me. “Don’t you love the pack more than”—she gestures to the grey halls around us—“this?”

“I like the education,” I reply, a sentiment I’ve already shared numerous times.

“But you’re failing biology,” Beckett says, almost curiously, but when I glance at him, there’s already a too-pleased grin waiting on his lips.

“Weren’t you failing everything?” I shoot back, making Isabel snicker. “And didn’t you get kicked out of physics for failing so particularly well?”

“Speaking of physics—is that why you’re smiling?” Isabel asks, brow quirked. “Because we have it first period?”