Alec’s

"It's what a mate does," he says simply, his voice steady. "And it's what I wanted to do."

I meet his gaze, and the sincerity there steals my breath. For a moment, neither of us speaks. The air feels heavy, weighted with words neither of us seems ready to say.

I can't even begin to express how I am feeling or how I have felt these past few days. He has been there, both Knox and him. They helped us in ways I can't be able to understand. They didn't run. They didn't force their need on us. Instead they were patient and stayed by our side. That is something I can't get over.

Finally, Alec breaks the silence. "You slept for a while," he says, picking up his coffee and taking a slow sip. "How are you really feeling?"

I exhale, pressing my palm to my forehead. "Like I was hit by a truck. But... I don't feel like my insides are burning anymore, so that's a plus."

He nods, his jaw tightening. "I hated seeing you like that," he admits, his voice rough. “Knowing you were in pain and not being able to do anything about it..." He drags a hand through his hair, the tension returning to his shoulders. He didn't finish the sentence, but I got what he was saying.

Seeing your mate suffer and not being able to do anything about it must be a

different kind of torture. Especially for an Alpha male like Alec.

I stare at him, something heavy pressing down on my chest. There's a

vulnerability in him I haven't seen before, and it makes something inside me crack open.

"What about you?" I ask, my voice soft. "Are you... okay?"

Alec looks at me like I've surprised him, like he wasn't expecting me to ask. He leans back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the table. "I'm fine," he says, but it's too quick, too tight.

I tilt my head, studying him. "Really?"

Alec's jaw works, and for a moment, I think he's going to brush me off. But then he sighs, running a hand over his face. "Honestly? It was... hard. Harder than I expected."

I had been so focused on me and my pain, that I didn't pay attention to him. Instead I just took all the strength from him without wondering how this was for him. Now, it made me feel like a complete asshole.

A lump forms in my throat. "Why didn't you say anything? Why would you let yourself suffer alone?"

Alec leans forward, his elbows

resting of the table. "Because it

on

wasn't about me, Sadie. It was about you. You were the one in pain. You were the one hurting. I couldn't... I couldn't add to that."

"But you were hurting too," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

Alec reaches across the table, his fingers grazing mine. "I wasn't hurting in the way you were," he says, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "It was more of a case of blue balls."

He was trying to make things light with his last statement, but there's something raw in his eyes, something that makes me feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff. Before I can say anything, Alec gives me a small, lopsided smile. noveldrama

"Besides," he says, his tone lighter now, "seeing you in my shirt kind of makes it all worth it."

I roll my eyes, but I can't stop the heat from rising to my cheeks. "It's the only thing I could find."

"Keep it," he says, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. "Looks better on you anyway."

I take another bite of toast, chewing slowly, my heart still racing from his words. I can tell he meant every word, and that made me blush, given I had nothing on except the shift. Then again, why the hell was being shy when he has already seen every single inch of my body?

Alec watches me, his gaze soft but intense, as if he's searching for something, something he hasn't found yet.

I drop my eyes to my plate, my fingers tightening around the fork. Maybe it's time I

stop pretending I don't care. Maybe it's time to admit that something has shifted between us.

Because it has.

And now, I don't know what to do about it.