Page 66 of Alpha's Unclaimed Mate

Just as I’m about to call the stewardess over, the plane shakes again. This time it’s harder and doesn’t show any sign of stopping.

“Relax, it’s just turbulence,” I say gently, placing my hand ontop of hers, hoping she doesn’t take this as a sign of how her time at Mammoth Lakes is going to be.

“Wow! Thanks for stating the obvious,” she snaps, her voice strained. She pulls her hand away, adding with a hint of sarcasm, “Why don’t you try stand-up?”

Her sharp comment makes me smile. “Touché.”

The plane shudders again, even harder this time, and she gasps. The captain announces we’ve hit some unexpected poor weather that will probably last for at least another hour.

Before the announcement is over, one of Seren’s cold, clammy hands grips mine.

Titan and I hold back a smile. “Want some peanuts?” I offer, trying to lighten the mood.

Her lips twitch without amusement as she closes her eyes, murmuring under her breath.

I frown. Since when did she get religious?

The turbulence finally eases, and the ride smooths out. Seren’s hand stays wrapped around mine, but her gaze remains fixed straight ahead, her expression a strained attempt at calm.

I’m actually grateful for the bad weather. It’s given me a chance to savor her touch, something I haven’t felt in years. I know the moment she realizes her hand is still around mine, she won’t waste a second pulling it away.

While she shuts the window and stares at the blank wall, I study her. Like always, she doesn’t wear a lot of jewellery, but there’s a pair of dainty earrings mostly covered by her hair, complimented by an elegant necklace. Her choice of clothes also seems intentional. The singlet under her jacket shows off her soft curves. Her skirt is shorter than I’ve ever seen herwear, and the boots beneath it seem more sophisticated than anything she used to wear. And the most distracting feature—her plump lips—looks bright and utterly kissable.

She looks gorgeous and completely put together, but her face is stony. The softness that used to ooze out of her seems lost. I can’t help but think how different she is from the girl I once knew—the one who used to look at me like I hung the moon.

I’m flat on my back, watching this girl twist her hair up behind her head, tying it in a knot as she continues to ride me, moaning. Her breasts seem a lot bigger than the last time I saw her a year ago. I reach out and touch them, fondling them, but they feel much firmer than they should be. Is this what fake ones feel like?

When I try to pull her down so I can take one in my mouth, she pushes me back and places her palms on my shoulders before bouncing on me harder, clenching around me.

Her breasts now hang right above my face, and I notice the faint scars on their undersides. I frown and look away, out the window.

The rain is pounding hard against the glass. It’s a crazy night to be out. Maybe I’ll let this girl stay over in one of the guest rooms instead of sending her back to her cousin’s house. I don’t want her to fall ill during her short trip to the rest of our pack. I can’t afford unnecessary attention on me.

Suddenly, my eyes widen.

Fuck! Seren.

I push the girl off me, get rid of the condom, and throw on a pair of boxer shorts before racing to the gardens behind the estate.

The sight of Seren, hunched over the log and drenched to the bone, sends a sharp pang of guilt through me. How the hell could I haveforgotten that I was supposed to meet her here tonight? Before the guilt can settle in, anger surges, masking my shame as I reach the log.

“What are you doing here?” I roar, my voice harsh in the night air. “Why didn’t you go inside when it started raining? Can’t you use your brain?”

Seren looks up, her face pale and her eyes brimming with unshed tears, and I feel like a horrible monster. But she always makes me feel like this. It’s all her fault.

Grabbing her arms, I grit my teeth. “Why do you always wait for me? It can’t be my responsibility to entertain you every hour of the day. Why can’t you just fucking stay indoors? Go hide somewhere. Make new friends. I don’t know.”

“Do you not want me to wait for you?” The way her voice cracks, I sense I’ve said something wrong again.

That single question had jolted me right to my toes that night but as always, I had brushed it off, thinking the possibility of us being together was less than zero.

I steal a glance at Seren’s profile. Her lips are pressed into a thin line, her jaw clenched—a look that eerily reminds me of the moment she stood up to me in front of that man she brought home. The tension on her face was unmistakable as she tried to protect him from me.

The pain of seeing your mate in someone else’s arms is unbearable. My vision had gone red as Titan roared within me, wanting to shift, tear him apart, rip his tongue out. But I didn’t move a muscle. For her sake.

I couldn’t bear to look at him. I needed him to be far away from her.

Knowing she hadn’t waited for me these two years had hit me hard. I know I deserve it, but has she erased all her feelings for me? Is she in love with that guy?

---