Page 27 of The Alpha's Pretend Mate

Alysa's mind raced. "Um, okay. How about… we've had feelings for each other for a while, but we were both too scared to make it public and dated secretly. Then, at the meeting with Marcus, you realized you had no choice but to claim me in public, so you did?"

The words felt strange on her tongue, too close to the truth she'd buried deep in her heart.

It's just a story. It doesn't mean anything.

Cassius was quiet for a moment, his expression unreadable. "That… could work. It's not too far from the truth, which will make it easier to remember."

Alysa's breath caught in her throat.

Not too far from the truth? What does that mean?

She pushed the thought away, focusing on the task at hand. "What else do we need to consider?"

"Living arrangements," Cassius said, his voice carefully neutral. "It would look strange if we didn't… share a room."

Alysa's eyes widened. "Oh. Right. Of course."

The thought of sharing a bed with Cassius sent a mix of excitement and terror coursing through her veins. She'd dreamed about it more times than she cared to admit, but the reality was far more complicated.

"We don't have to… I mean, I can sleep on the floor or something," Cassius offered, looking as flustered as she felt.

"Don't be ridiculous," Alysa said, surprising herself with her boldness. "We're both adults. We can share a bed without it being weird. Right?"

Cassius nodded, a bit too quickly. "Right. Of course."

Another silence fell, this one charged with an energy that made Alysa's skin tingle. She cleared her throat, desperate to change the subject. "What about Pack duties? Will this… change anything?"

Cassius seemed grateful for the shift in topic. "Not much. You'll be expected to attend more meetings with me, take on some additional responsibilities. But nothing too drastic."

Alysa nodded, her mind spinning with the implications. She'd always been on the fringes of Pack politics, content to let her brother and father handle the heavy lifting. Now, she'd be thrust into the spotlight as the Alpha's mate. The thought was terrifying.

"Hey," Cassius said softly, sensing her distress. "We'll figure this out together, okay? I won't let anything bad happen to you."

His words, meant to be comforting, sent a pang through Alysa's chest.

That's the problem, isn't it? You're always protecting me, always putting me first. Even if it means lying to everyone we know.

Alysa nodded, but the knot in her stomach only tightened. Two weeks of pretending to be Cassius's mate. Two weeks of living out her deepest fantasies, knowing it was all a lie.

How am I supposed to go back to normal after this?

As if reading her thoughts, Cassius reached out, hesitating for a moment before taking her hand in his. His touch sent sparks shooting up her arm. "We'll get through this, Alysa. I promise."

She looked up at him, struck by the intensity in his blue eyes. For a moment, she let herself believe that maybe, just maybe, there was more to this than a simple ruse.

But reality crashed back in, cold and unforgiving. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

Alysa pulled her hand away, ignoring the flash of hurt in Cassius's eyes. "We should probably practice, right? The whole… couple thing."

Cassius nodded, his expression guarded. "Right. Good idea."

Cassius cleared his throat, standing up from the couch. "Alright, let's try this. Pretend we're at a Pack gathering."

Alysa nodded, her heart racing as she rose to join him. They stood facing each other, an awkward foot of space between them.

"Hey there, beautiful," Cassius said, his voice pitched low and warm. He reached out, his fingers grazing her arm.

Alysa flinched, the touch sending sparks across her skin. "S-sorry," she stammered, face flushing. "I wasn't ready."

---