Page 36 of The Alpha's Shattered Bonds

“You’ve had so much strain lately. We both have. There’s nothing wrong with blowing off some steam,” she said.

My instincts roared. The lingering warmth of the drink ignited a clarity I couldn’t ignore.

“I have to go,” I said, pushing her away, resisting the heat in my chest that seemed to tell me I wanted her touch. Dread curled in the pit of my stomach as Iknewthat was the last thing I wanted.

“Don’t fight it,” she urged, following me. “I know you feel it, too. There’s still something between us, Tyler.”

In a moment of self-preservation, I hurried to the front door.

“Tyler, wait!” she called after me. But I was already yanking the door open and stomping out into the night. The cool air felt heavenly against the heat prickling against my skin.

I’d forgotten my coat, but I didn’t go back. I fought against the rush of adrenaline flooding my body as I strode away. I needed to get as far away as possible from Linda. Striding through the night, all my focus speared on the sole thought of getting back to my own space. There, I’d be safe and could wait for this noxious heat that Linda had poisoned me with to pass through my system.

Chapter Sixteen

Seraphina

When I got back inside, I hastily threw on my clothes. I shut the night out and tried to stop thinking about what I’d seen. The wind’s bitter chill had settled deep into my bones, and my leggings and tank top did little to shut out the cold.

I heated a cup of milk in the microwave, the rhythmic hum connecting me to the present, albeit momentarily. Stirring in some dark hot chocolate powder, I let the aroma conjure a myriad of memories—Tyler and I laughing and baking together in this very kitchen.

The heady scent, both rich and sweet, comforted me. I closed my eyes, inhaling it and letting it soothe me. Yet, too soon, the thought of Tyler being elsewhere clawed its way back into my mind. I could see him sitting on that couch, with Linda leaning in, her fingers grazing his arm. The bitter seed of jealousy took root in my stomach again, twisting tighter, suffocating the warmth of happier memories.

My heart thudded with agitation as I made my way up to my bedroom. I ran my brush through my tangled locks, the feeling evoking the familiar movement made by Tara and Selina when they combed my hair. Tyler was probably just at Linda’s on pack business.

I tried to get my mind off it, settling down in front of my altar and lighting some white sage incense. But every moment thatthe house remained silent grated against me. He still hadn’t returned, and it was getting late. Her touching his arm replayed in my head, each thought sending that familiar roil of jealousy churning anew.

Frustrated, I set the brush down and settled cross-legged in front of my altar, lighting white sage incense and watching the tendrils of fragrant smoke curl into the air. But the silence of the house taunted me, every moment stretching taut with longing.

I couldn’t bear the thought of Tyler and Linda together. It was like poison coursing through my veins. The idea of him being intimate with her made me break out in a cold sweat, and as I tried my hot chocolate again, even its rich taste seemed bitter.

As I fixated on Tyler, I felt as if I were conjuring him from the depths of my longing. He was so vivid in my thoughts: his tall, muscular figure clad in jeans and a plaid shirt, his short brown hair framing his bright blue stare. I could almost hear his laughter and the fierce yet gentle energy radiating from him that both settled and thrilled me.

Determined, I sprang to my feet, a newfound resolve coursing through me. I needed to find him. I needed to tell him what I had left unsaid. Tyler had heard from my lips that Logan was my fated mate, but he remained unaware that I had no feelings for him. My heart beat only for Tyler.

Charging downstairs, I stepped into the kitchen, a rush of hope swirling in my chest. I’d only gotten halfway across the room when the back door burst open.

My breath caught in my throat. Tyler filled the space, his form silhouetted against the night. He only wore a thin sweater, jeans, and boots. The cold had gotten to his cheeks, a line of color onhis cheekbones. His body was tense, hunched against the winter wind at his back. His head bowed down—he hadn’t noticed me yet.

He kicked the door shut. The movement was more forceful than he’d clearly intended as the bang resounded in the silence. His gaze shot upward as if he were worried he’d disturbed me. That’s when his bright blue eyes found me.

I stood frozen, my heart thumping, a swelling wave of need crashing over me again. The deep yearning that I’d felt during these long, torturous days apart consumed me. I had been starved of his presence, and now he was here, breathing the same air I was—his chest rising and falling rapidly as if matching the frantic tempo of my heart.

“Seraphina,” he breathed, saying my name like an incantation. His low voice was enough to spark tremors through me.

As my breath quickened, his name was on my tongue in a heartbeat. “Tyler.”

He strode forward, the space between us closing in an instant. When he pulled me into him, I gasped, taken aback by the heat radiating from him. I had expected him to feel cold, a remnant of the bitter wind, but instead, his skin burned against mine. That’s when I noticed the dilated pupils and the blaze in his eyes. Had he returned here thinking of me, too? Could it be that the longing that had been eating me alive was echoed in him? Could this moment mean he felt just as much for me, even without our mate bond?

I wanted to ask him to break the thick tension lingering between us, but before I could form the words, his mouth crashed into mine.

As he kissed me, my own feelings sizzled up like fireworks. Everywhere Tyler touched me lit up as glorious need coursed through me.

I whimpered as his tongue found mine, tasting me, tangling with my own as if he were famished. His hands wound through my hair until they slipped down to my tank top and began to tug it off.

I lifted my arms eagerly, feeling bereft without the connection of his lips as we pulled apart for that brief moment. His bright blue stare raked over me, dipping down to the swell of my breasts, hungry and appreciative.

“Goddess, you’re beautiful,” he murmured, planting kisses and licking his way down the column of my neck. The intensity in his voice sent shivers through me as much as his touch did. His desire enveloped me, and I felt an electric charge sparking between us, pulling tighter and tighter until it was nearly impossible to breathe.

---