Page 27 of Bully Alpha's Pregnant Mate

“Technique… sure,” Jade laughs, her voice laced with mischief.

Across the grounds, Alec meets my gaze and lifts an eyebrow, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. Heat flares in my cheeks, and I look away, suddenly intent on Penny, who’s got a tiny fistful of my sweater now and seems determined not to let go.

“Isadora!” Alec’s voice cuts through the chatter around us, pulling me back. “You’re just gonna watch, or are you ready to get in here and show us what you’ve got?”

I don’t take the bait. “Unlike some people, I don’t feel the need to show off,” I call back.

His laugh is low, carrying across the space. He brushes a hand over his hair, and the whole motion is maddeningly natural, like he’s just standing there, being… effortless. “You sure?” he retorts. “From where I’m standing, it looks like you’ve been watching plenty.”

“Oh, so you were paying attention, too?” I fire back, rolling my eyes but unable to hide the smirk tugging at my lips. But he’s already weaving his way over to us, and the closer he gets, the more my pulse stirs, drumming a painful beat.

As he approaches, the last few kids disperse with laughter, and his niece runs over, grabbing onto his leg with a grin. Alec leans down, ruffling her hair as he talks quietly to her. There’s something so genuine in the way he looks at her. I know I should turn away and give them their moment, but I can’t.

Quincey ambles over. “Well, well, looks like our alpha’s got an audience today.”

Alec gives him a lazy smile, and his gaze flits briefly to me. “Hard to blame them, isn’t it?” His eyes meet mine, and there’ssomething heated in his gaze, a slow-burning confidence that sends my heart stuttering.

“Confidence isn’t a replacement for actual talent, you know,” I mutter, fighting to keep my face straight.

“Is that so?” he responds, stepping close enough that I catch a whiff of that woodsy signature scent lingering on the breeze. “Tell me, Isadora. If I’m such an unskilled alpha, why do you look like you’re enjoying the show so much?”

I cross my arms, pretending to shrug off the flutter in my chest. “Because it’s like watching a puppy try to impress everyone at the park. Cute, but not exactly ground-breaking.”

His smirk widens, and he leans in slightly, dropping his voice low enough that only I can hear. “And yet, you’re still watching. So tell me, does that make you a fan of the cute, or the impressive?”

I roll my eyes, though my pulse is far from calm. “Maybe I just enjoy a little entertainment on my otherwise quiet day.”

“Quiet day, huh?” He raises an eyebrow, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “How about we change that? A little one-on-one sparring? Unless, of course, you’re worried about keeping up.”

It’s the challenge in his voice that gets me. “Oh, I can keep up.”

“Good. Because I’d hate to think I scared you off.”

The words send a thrill through me, as unbidden as it is infuriating. “Just… don’t get too confident,” I say, struggling to keep my composure. “One day, someone might actually take you down a peg.”

He laughs softly, stepping back, but his gaze holds mine for a lingering second, like he’s daring me to follow through on my words. “Looking forward to the day,” he says, his voice asmooth, easy tease, but I see the unmistakable flicker of heat in his eyes. And it’s enough to send my mind reeling, to make me wonder just what game we’re playing at.

I try to act unaffected, settling back down beside Jade as Alec rejoins Kai and Quincey. But I can feel his gaze drifting over every now and then, and every time our eyes meet, it’s like a spark igniting something I don’t have a name for.

Jade nudges me, hiding a grin. “So, still just ‘admiring the technique,’ right?”

I let out a breath, trying to ignore the warmth lingering in my cheeks. “I—yes, obviously. That’s all.”

But my voice sounds hollow, even to my own ears, and Jade’s knowing smile doesn’t help. Because, deep down, I know she’s right.

And the worst part? Alec knows it, too.

Chapter 13 - Alec

By day three of the silent treatment, it finally sinks in: Isadora’s avoiding me.

At first, I thought maybe it was just the usual cat-and-mouse thing she likes to pull—keeping her distance, letting tension simmer between us. After all, it’s not exactly new territory. But this? This feels different. She doesn’t just sidestep me with a quick glare or a half-smile. No, she’s flat-out gone, slipping out the door before I’m up, “busy” the moment I get home, and managing to be anywhere I’m not.

And it’s starting to drive me up a wall.

Every morning, I wake up earlier, hoping to catch her before she disappears into whatever new task she’s concocted. But each day, I’m met with the same thing: an empty kitchen, a lingering trace of her scent, and that stubborn silence. If anything, the house feels colder. Every room is a reminder of the distance she’s putting between us, and every door she closes feels like a wall slamming down.

I tell myself it’s nothing. I’ve been an alpha long enough to know when I’m being tested. But we’ve been making progress. Every laugh, every lingering look, every accidental touch that seemed to last a little too long—all of it was real. Or at least, I thought it was.

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