Page 67 of The Alpha's Silent Mate

“The pack is fine; the courtyard is fine. There’s one thing that isn’t.”

I lift my head to meet his eyes. “What’s that?”

“You.”

Shaking my head, I return my gaze to the fire and the pot hanging over it. “I’m okay.”

If I ignore all the things that Aron nearly did to me, my still-throbbing jaw, and my memory of the men waiting to kill Shay right in front of me—a sight that will haunt my dreams forever—then I can almost believe it.

“Lexa?”

My gaze remains locked on the flickering flames. “Yeah?”

When Shay suddenly blocks my view, I blink in surprise, because I didn’t even see him move. He crouches in front of me, his eyes serious. “You remember when we had a talk in front of a fire just like this one?”

After a moment, I do. “I had a nightmare, and you brought me back.”

“And what did I tell you?”

“That I shouldn’t hide when I’m hurt from you,” I admit in a small voice.

“And what are you doing now?”

Briefly, I close my eyes and sigh. How can he know me so well?

His hand strokes the hair back from my face. “Don’t do it again,” he murmurs before giving my lips a hard kiss.

I open my eyes and study him for a long moment in silence. “I don’t want to talk about any of it. I just want to pretend it never happened.”

He doesn’t seem the least bit surprised by my response. “I know. But like grief, trauma won’t hurt so much if you share it.”

“When you say things like that, you sound older than you are.”

His lips twitch. “Wise,” he corrects me as he rises to his feet. “The word you’re looking for is wise, as all alphas are.”

“Do they all have big heads to make room for their wisdom?”

The lip twitch kicks into a wide grin. “I was wrong. It’s not the alpha who’s wise, it’s his mate.” He holds a hand out for mine. “Up. Let's get you in the tub.”

“You’re always putting me in a bath,” I mumble as I close my hand around his and he pulls me to my feet.

“And I’ve told you why.”

Halfway to the steaming tub, a twig snaps outside and I jerk my head toward it, my heart racing. Aron is dead, I know that—but there were so many of his men.

What if some of them got away? What if he told others what I was, and they come back to finish what he started? Shay sent Ewan and the others away, so we’re alone here.

Shay could still die.

“Lexa? Lexa.”

Shay’s voice slowly penetrates, and I turn from the door to him. I get the sense it wasn’t the first, second, or third time he tried to call me. “Yeah?” I ask, around my still racing heart.

“It was just a twig. There’s no one there.”

I summon a smile. It’s weak, but I hope it’s enough to reassure Shay that I’m not about a second away from falling apart. “I know.” Although I continue toward the tub, he doesn’t come with me. “Shay? You’re not moving.”

After giving me a searching look, he leads me to the bed. “I thought the water would relax you, but I think we need to talk first.”

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