Page 35 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

My breath hitches.

The moment stretches, Alex stands silently as I struggle to take process what he’s just said.

Just then he speaks again, his eyes narrowing in thought. “That jeep. Do you know anyone who might want to hurt you?”

My mind races, searching for answers, but only one name surfaces.Frank.

Could he have sent them? Could he be that desperate?

I don’t speak but my eyes must give away the worry that creeps up on me. I’ve never felt like this before, never had mylife threatened and seen it flash before my eyes. It’s a kind of humbling sensation that stills me.

Alex steps closer, his expression softening. “What matters right now is that you’re safe,” he says.

His voice… it tugs at something deep inside me. The fear slightly relaxing, replaced by something else… gratitude. He saved me. If it wasn’t for him that tree branch would have gone straight through me instead, and unlike him I don’t exactly have super healing powers.

“Thank you,” I say, my voice low. “You… you saved my life.”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. His face is thoughtful, almost conflicted. “It’s what I’m supposed to do.”

“No,” I retort, shaking my head. “The contract said nothing about… ”

“I’m not talking about the contract, Katherine.”

His words stop me cold.

“What do you mean?” I ask, confusion swirling with something else… an inexplicable pull toward him, a need to understand.

Alex takes a deep breath, his eyes locking onto mine. “You’re my fated mate, Katherine.”

Fated mate?

“Do you know what it means… fated mates?” Alex asks, stepping closer.

I shake my head, trying to process his words.

“It means we’re meant to be together, Katherine,” he says, his voice steady, eyes locked on mine. “You and me—we’re bound to each other.”

“But… how?” The question leaves my lips.

“You must feel it too,” he says, his voice lower now, almost a whisper.

He’s so close I can feel the heat radiating off him, smell the faint scent of wood and pine that clings to him.

“This… unexplainable pull… this desire to be close… you feel it just as I do.”

The intensity of his words, of his presence… it is overwhelming.

I nod, unable to speak.

Alex steps even closer, his hand reaching out to cup my cheek. He lifts my chin, and I allow myself to look into his eyes.

The sight would be scary if it wasn’t so exciting. His eyes are sinking in the same oceans of desire that are pulling me under.

“You see it too, don’t you. The golden thread…” He says, his breath beating against my lips.

The image of it flashes in my mind just then.

That thread… I’m not seeing things after all.

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