Page 43 of Marked By the Alphas

And if he didn’t come back for any reason, then he called or texted. So it was very unusual that I had yet to hear from him, especially since we had plans for the evening that he didn’t reschedule or even acknowledge. The thought of all of this was making me restless and it kept pushing sleep farther away from me.

The incident from our date clouded my mind and threatened to overwhelm me. It had happened so fast. One moment, I had seen the shadow at the end of the clearing, seemingly watching us, but before I could even call any attention to it, it had disappeared.

I remembered the panic that had gone through me and the way that it had quickly caught Rhys, Kai, and Rowan’s attention. When I revealed that I thought I saw something, Rhys and Kai had offered to go check it out while Rowan remained with me, but after a couple of minutes, they came back to reassure me that there had been nobody there.

The date had ended soon after that, but the paranoia remained with me. I knew what I had seen, and although Rhys had said it could have been a trick of the light, I knew better. Someone had followed us and had been spying on us. Now, every minute that Rowan was away, I couldn’t help but wonder if whoever it was had been lurking in the shadows had gotten to him.

The thought sent panic through me, and I threw my feet out from under the covers, slipping them into some slippers. I plucked up a robe to drape over my pajamas before padding out of the room. I needed to focus my mind on something else. Maybe that would help me relax enough to fall asleep. My first thought was the herb garden.

The cool night air felt like a balm on my overheated skin. I could feel the weight of the evening ease as I made my way to the herb garden. The guards that were posted around the house responded to my wave with a curt nod and their presence made me feel safer in the open night air.

The familiar scent of chamomile, lavender, and mint washed over me as I stepped into the herb garden, and it did wonders grounding me to the present. As I moved through the rows, carefully picking out some herbs to make tea, I hummed a soft tune. The rhythmic motion of my hands and the soothing fragrances were beginning to work their magic on my mind when I heard the crunch of gravel.

My body stiffened and I turned around slowly in its direction. There, at the entrance to the garden, stood Rowan. His usual quiet demeanor was replaced by a stark intensity that chilled me to the bone. His eyes, usually sparkling with mirth, were now dark and brooding, filled with a turmoil I couldn’t immediately fathom.

“Rowan, welcome back,” I called in greeting, offering him a smile.

He hesitated, as if unsure of his next move. Then, with deliberate steps, he walked toward me, and once he was close enough, he pulled me into a hug. It was nothing like the hugs that I was used to getting from him and it made me break out of his hold. I looked up at him, searching his eyes, hoping to find something that would give away the thoughts that were running through his mind, but it was futile.

“You're up late,” his voice, when he spoke, was low and controlled.His eyes roamed around my face like he was also searching for something and it made me feel uncomfortable.

“I couldn’t sleep so I was hoping to get some herbs to make tea,” I revealed, and he nodded in understanding, running a thumb across my face in a lazy line.

“Are you okay? You missed our hair appointment, and I haven’t been able to reach you all day,” I said, unable to hide the hurt in my voice as I spoke.

“I’m sorry.” His voice softened as he spoke and even the darkness in his eyes eased. “I got caught up with work and didn’t get much of a chance to be on my phone. We can reschedule our hair appointment,” he reassured me, and almost immediately, I felt myself completely relax into his touch.

I didn’t realize how much his silence throughout the day had affected me until his apology. I smiled, and this time, he returned it, although I noticed how the smile didn’t completely reach his eyes.

“What are you gathering?” he asked, his eyes dropping to the herbs in my hands.

“Chamomile for relaxation, lavender to soothe the mind, and a touch of mint for clarity.”

“Sounds like I might need a cup of that myself,” he responded, and I nodded, plucking a bit more of each herb.

Once I had enough, we made our way back into the house in silence, the weight of something unspoken hanging heavy in the air between us. It made me wonder what really happened duringhis day. His attitude was so much different than it was this morning before he had left the house. Although it was hard to pinpoint, I could tell that something had happened.

Back in the kitchen, I busied myself with making our tea. The rhythmic clinking of china as I prepared the tea and the hissing from the boiling water provided a momentary distraction from the growing tension.

Rowan watched me as I moved around the kitchen, his eyes never leaving me. Usually, I didn’t mind his eyes on me, I enjoyed it even, but this time his gaze prickled over my skin.

As I handed him the steaming mug of tea, our fingers brushed against each other. For a brief moment, our gazes met, and I saw something in his eyes that made my heart skip a beat.

He took a sip of the tea, then set the mug down.

“This is good,” he said, his voice barely audible.

“Thank you.”

We drank our tea in silence. The only sound that passed between us was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the living area.

Once we were done, I rinsed out the cup, and after the lights were turned off, we made our way up the stairs with our hands locked together. It was the first form of intimacy I had gotten all evening from Rowan, and it soothed me more than I thought possible.

Of the three of them, Rowan was the most loving, and I had gotten so used to him wanting to constantly touch a bit of me or just holding on to me in general, so the coldness that I hadgotten from him since he stepped into the house was unusual and it made me so worried.

I stopped by my room door but didn’t get the chance to pull it open, because Rowan gently tugged me in the direction of his own room. Once we were in it, Rowan pulled me into the shower with him, and I thought he wanted to have sex, but all we did was wash each other before rinsing off and preparing for bed.

Rowan held on tightly to me under the covers, and in the quietness of the room, I could hear the rapid beat of his heart.

---