Page 26 of The Alpha's Pretend Mate

He must be doing the same or giving me space.

Alysa was grateful that he granted her that request she had made yesterday, at least. The day had been a blur with her time with Aurora the only bright spark. Now, she was eager to sleep.

Who knew avoiding your mate could be so stressful?

The next morning, Alysa was up early, hoping the quiet would offer her some solace. She stood in the kitchen, her fingers working mechanically as she brewed a pot of coffee. The rich aroma filled the room, but she barely noticed it.

As she poured herself a cup, the front door opened, and Alysa froze. Footsteps approached, and she held her breath, praying it wasn't—

"Alysa?"

Cassius's deep voice sent a shiver down her spine. She turned, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. "Hey."

He stood in the doorway, looking as uncomfortable as she felt. His hair was tousled as if he'd been running his hands through it repeatedly. The sight made her heart do a little flip.

Stop that.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, his blue eyes searching her face.

Alysa shrugged, aiming for nonchalance and missing by a mile. "Oh, you know. Just peachy. Nothing like the entire Pack treating me as if we're mates."

Cassius winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't think the news would spread so fast."

"It's a wolf Pack, Cassius. Gossip travels faster than the speed of light." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "What are we going to do?"

He moved closer, hesitating before sitting on the opposite end of the couch. "We need to talk about that. Figure out how we're going to handle this."

Alysa nodded, her stomach churning. "I guess we do."

An awkward silence fell between them, thick with unspoken words and tangled emotions. Alysa fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, hyperaware of Cassius's presence beside her. His scent enveloped her, a heady mix so uniquely him that it made her wolf stir.

Focus, Alysa. This isn't real.

Cassius cleared his throat. "I know this isn't ideal—"

Alysa snorted. "Understatement of the century."

"—but we need to make it convincing," he continued, shooting her a look. "For the next two weeks, as far as everyone else is concerned, we're mates."

The weight of his words settled over her like a heavy blanket. "And how exactly are we supposed to do that? I can barely look at you without blushing, let alone pretend we're… you know."

A hint of a smile tugged at Cassius's lips. "We'll have to work on that. Maybe start with using the word 'mates' without looking like you're about to pass out."

Alysa glared at him, but there was no real heat behind it. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to pretend to be madly in love with their brother's best friend."

Something flashed in Cassius's eyes, too quick for Alysa to decipher. "It won't be that bad. We're already close. We just need to… amp it up a bit."

"Amp it up?" Alysa raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean, exactly?"

Cassius ran a hand through his hair, a gesture Alysa recognized as a sign of nervousness. "Well, for starters, we'll need to be more… physically affectionate in public."

Alysa's heart skipped a beat. "Define 'physically affectionate.'"

"Nothing too extreme," Cassius said quickly. "Just… holding hands, maybe the occasional hug or… kiss on the cheek."

The idea of Cassius's lips anywhere near her sent a jolt through Alysa's body. She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way her pulse quickened. "Right. Okay. I can handle that. Probably."

Cassius nodded, looking relieved. "Good. We should also come up with a story about how this happened. When we realized our feelings, that sort of thing."

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