Page 34 of My Brutal Alpha

Climbing back in the truck once the bags were put away, I couldn't help but feel how our bond seemed even stronger than before.

In a sense, it worried me. The stronger the bond, the more painful the break.

While I didn't want to break it, the thought of Zoe considering it nagged at me.

I didn't know how she felt about it, and the thought of asking her outright seemed so daunting.

But even if our growing bond concerned me, I wasn't going to deny how good it felt.

Before I could start the truck, my stomach made a noise, and I realized it was close to dinner time. Getting an idea, I glanced at her. "Want to grab something to eat before we head back?"

Zoe perked up at the question, nodding without needing any time at all to consider it. "Sure, I'm starving."

Pleased she had agreed, I smiled faintly. "What do you fancy?"

After a beat, her features brightened with satisfaction at the thought that crossed her mind. "I'd love a burger."

I cocked a brow at her as another flare of affection moved through me at hearing her say that. I was almost ashamed of how attractive I found that.

Pushing the feeling aside, I grinned and turned the keys in the ignition. "Burgers it is."

Chapter 16 - Zoe

Reaching the takeout truck was a relief after spending the whole afternoon shopping, and luckily, the two of us were on the same page.

Before long, we placed our order and waited for the food, surprised by how easily we seemed to pass the time.

Even more surprisingly, I didn't have it in me to deny how much better the day went than I expected.

I feared it would end in a complete disaster, seeing as we could hardly get through most things without bickering. Yet, we both proved me wrong.

Everything went smoothly while we shopped, and Ezra was surprisingly agreeable. Almost like he used to be before when everything came so easily for us.

For a moment, I saw a glimpse of what we used to have and of the man I had fallen for so quickly.

Of course, I didn't want to get ahead of myself again, but it was nice to see him less confrontational.

The mood was lighter, especially as we brought our food over to one of the picnic tables and sat down together.

It was nice not to feel quite so guarded, and even if he didn't say it, I could tell Ezra was feeling the same way.

Before, I told myself I'd never let myself fall for him again. That I'd never even open myself up to that possibility. I wanted to keep him locked out forever, all to spare myself that pain again.

But as we spent our day together, I was slipping and becoming more curious about not only him but our connection as well. Despite wanting to be guarded for my safety, I was wellaware of the bond between us and how it wouldn't go away unless we decided to reject it.

With at least some shame, given what happened the last time I made myself available for him, I couldn't help but wonder what we could become.

There was no mistaking how different the connection felt the second time around. It was almost like it purposely made itself strong to resist being broken again. In a way, the idea of ignoring the bond made my stomach drop, and a sense of melancholy came with it.

Even if a part of me was already resisting it, the thought of cutting it off completely was painful. Given how badly I had always wanted a mate bond of my own, it would feel like a shame to get rid of it.

While we ate, a gentle silence settled between us, and I found myself mostly lost in thought until his voice broke up the silence.

"You know," Ezra began, aimlessly moving his fries around before he glanced up at me. "I'm sorry about the whole fiancée thing. I know it wasn't very fair of me to rope you into it...and you probably felt pressured to agree to it in the first place."

While he wasn't entirely wrong, I dismissed him with a small wave of my hand. I didn't want to sour the mood by admitting how angry I had been about it.

But in all fairness, if he never did it, I wouldn't have found myself sharing this surprisingly pleasant day with him. And our bond would've remained long buried.

---