Page 48 of The Alpha's Pretend Mate

Maybe he just got up early.

A hollow pit settled in her stomach as she slowly sat up, staring at the spot beside her where he had been. The sheets were still rumpled, and his scent was everywhere—infusing the space with memories she wasn’t ready to let go of.

She trailed her fingers through the empty space, wondering why it already felt like a distant memory. Was it foolish to believe in something that fragile? Was last night an exception, or had she imagined the connection entirely?

She tried to quell the unease rising in her chest. He is the Alpha, after all. He probably had important Pack business to attend to.

But as she slipped out of bed and padded to the bathroom, doubt gnawed at her. The air felt different somehow, charged with an undercurrent of tension that hadn't been there the night before.

Alysa caught sight of herself in the mirror and paused. Her chestnut hair was tousled, her lips still slightly swollen from Cassius's kisses. She touched her neck, remembering the feel of his mouth there.

The day passed in a blur of routine tasks and stolen glances at the clock. Alysa went through the motions of caring for Aurora, her mind constantly wandering to Cassius. Where was he? Why hadn't he come to see them?

Each smile from Aurora ignited warmth within her, but the laughter echoed hollow without Cassius's presence.

By evening, the knot in her stomach had tightened to the point of pain. She put Aurora to bed, her movements mechanical as she sang the baby's favorite lullaby. As the last notes faded, she heard the front door open and close.

Her heart leaped.

Cassius.

Alysa hurried downstairs, a smile already forming on her lips. But as she rounded the corner into the living room, shestopped short. Cassius stood by the fireplace, his back to her, his posture rigid.

"Cassius?" she said softly.

He turned, and the look in his eyes made her breath catch. Gone was the warmth, the tenderness she'd seen the night before. In its place was a cool detachment that chilled her to the bone.

"Alysa," he said, his voice clipped. "I hope Aurora didn't give you any trouble today."

She blinked, thrown by his businesslike tone. "No, she was fine. Cassius, about last night—”

"I have some work to finish," he cut her off, already moving toward his study. "Goodnight, Alysa."

The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving Alysa standing alone in the sudden silence.

What just happened?

They had shared something intense, something real, but that intimacy now felt like a fleeting shadow. She sat on the couch and wrapped her arms around her knees, her mind racing.

The next morning dawned grey and overcast, matching Alysa's mood perfectly. She'd tossed and turned all night, replaying Cassius's cold dismissal over and over in her mind. As she made her way to the kitchen, she steeled herself for another encounter.

But Cassius was nowhere to be seen.

Abigail was already bustling about the kitchen. She greeted Alysa with a warm smile. "Good morning, Dear. The Alpha left early for a meeting. He said not to expect him back until late."

Alysa's heart sank. "Oh. I see. Thank you, Abigail."

Alysa lingered in the doorway, watching Abigail with an unreadable expression. "Does he… He doesn't always leave so early, does he?" she asked, trying to keep her voice casual but failing to mask the uncertainty creeping in.

At least he didn't when I first got here.

Abigail glanced up from the dishes, her hands pausing for just a second too long before she smiled. "The Alpha? He's a busy man, Dear. Always something to handle for the Pack."

Alysa’s lips pressed into a thin line. Busy, sure. But was that all it was? A nagging voice in the back of her mind whispered otherwise. "I suppose that's true," she muttered, feeling no closer to the answers she desperately craved.

She went through the motions of the day, her mind a whirl of confusion and hurt.

Why is he avoiding me? Did I do something wrong?

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