Page 8 of Sweet on the Alpha

Grace shivers, and I pull her into my arms, wishing I could shield her from the darkness of my world. “What does he want, Aiden?” she asks softly. “Why can’t he just leave us alone?”

I shake my head, my jaw tight with tension. “I don’t know, sunshine. But whatever it is, it can’t be good.”

I hold her close, breathing in her soothing scent while trying to calm the agitated beast within me. “I won’t let him hurt you, Grace. I swear it. No matter what games he’s playing, I’ll keep you safe.”

Grace nods against my chest, her faith in me unwavering. But as I stare out the window into the gathering dusk, I can’t shake the sense of foreboding settling over me like a dark cloud.

Across the street, I catch a glimpse of Victor in the town square, chatting amiably with a group of locals. But even from this distance, I can feel his gaze on me, calculating and cold.

A silent challenge. A gauntlet thrown.

Game on, old friend, I think grimly.Game. Motherfucking. On.

Chapter 5

Grace

I stand at the counter, methodically kneading dough for a batch of cinnamon rolls. The repetitive motion usually soothes me, but today, my mind is awhirl with worries I can’t seem to squash.

Aiden has been distant lately, often lost in thought. He’s still attentive, still showers me with affection, but a shadow lingers in his eyes that wasn’t there before. A tension in his shoulders never quite eases, even when we’re tangled together in the warmth of his bed.

I tell myself it’s just stress from Victor’s unwelcome presence. Aiden is just being protective, on guard against a potential threat. But a nagging voice in the back of my mind whispers it’s more.

Secrets. The word hangs heavily in my thoughts, taunting me. What isn’t he telling me?

I try to push the doubts aside, focusing on the task at hand. But even as I shape the dough into neat coils, my mind wanders to the feel of Aiden’s hands on my body—the way his touch ignites a fire in my blood, the way his eyes glow gold with desire when he looks at me.

The memory sends a shiver down my spine, and I find myself craving his presence, his touch, with an intensity that steals my breath. I ache to complete our bond, to fully claim him as my mate in every sense of the word.

Lost in my daydreams, I almost miss the sound of voices outside the open kitchen window. But the mention of Aiden’s name snaps me back to reality, and I inch closer, straining to listen.

“You need to leave, Aiden,” a smooth, cultured voice carries on the breeze.Victor. “Your presence here puts everyone at risk, especially that sweet little mate of yours.”

My hackles rise at the mention of me, at the condescension dripping from Victor’s tone. I bite my lip to keep from growling, knowing Aiden wouldn’t want me to reveal myself.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Aiden snarls, his voice low and dangerous.

“Don’t I?” Victor counters, a smug lilt to his words.Asshole. “Does she know about what happened with your old pack? About the lives lost because of your actions?”

My heart stutters in my chest. Lives lost? What is he talking about? I know Aiden has a past, parts of his history he’s not proud of. But this… this sounds serious. Far more grave than I’d imagined.

“That’s none of your business,” Aiden growls, his voice tight with barely restrained fury. “My past is just that—the past. It has nothing to do with my life here with Grace.”

Victor laughs, the sound cold and mocking. “Oh, but it does, old friend. You think you can just run away from what you’ve done? That you can start fresh, play house with your pretty little human? You’re deluding yourself.”

“I’m warning you, Victor,” Aiden’s voice is a low rumble, more beast than man. “Leave now while you still can. Because if you threaten my mate, if you so much as breathe in her direction… I will tear you apart.”

A tense pause follows, the air crackling with the promise of violence. When Victor speaks again, his tone is dripping with false sincerity.

“No need for dramatics, Aiden. I’m just looking out for you, for old times’ sake. But by all means, carry on with your little charade. We both know it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out. Before she sees you for the monster you really are.”

I hear the crunch of footsteps fading into the distance as Victor walks away. For a moment, silence reigns. Then I hear a snarl, low and vicious, followed by the sound of flesh impacting wood. I flinch, realizing Aiden must have punched something, likely the tree beside the bakery.

I’m left standing in the kitchen, my hands shaking, the forgotten cinnamon rolls rising on the counter. My mind is reeling, a thousand questions burning on my tongue.

I go through the motions of the day in a daze, my mind spinning with worst-case scenarios. By the time I close up the bakery, my nerves are stretched taut, ready to snap.

Aiden is waiting for me on the porch, as he always is. But instead of the warm comfort his presence usually brings, I feel a knot of dread tightening in my stomach.

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