The Alpha's pretend mate

chapter 18

AVELORA

A heavy hand shook my shoulder. I bolted upright. For a second, the darkness disoriented me, and the image of those glowing eyes flashed in my mind like a brand.

I gasped, reaching for a blanket only to realize I was cramped in the armchair beside Khyrix’s bed.

“Get up.”

His voice was low, controlled, and void of the agony from before. I squinted through the dim light. Khyrix was standing at the foot of the bed, fully dressed in black athletic gear that clung to his frame in all the wrong ways, or the right ones, depending on how much I wanted to lie to myself.

He looked perfectly fine. Not a single trace of the man who had been screaming at midnight remained, except for the thick white bandages peeking out from under his sleeves.

"Can you please put on the lights?" I croaked.

He flipped the switch immediately. The brightness attacked my eyes. "Goddess!" I exclaimed, shielding my face as I checked the time on the wall.

“It’s four in the morning."

Okay. I absolutely hate him.

“Are you actually insane? You were literally breaking the walls of this room at midnight.”

He ignored my logic, reaching down to pull me up from the chair by my arm. "Go dress up."

"No," I resisted, my body heavy with exhaustion. I’d stayed up all night taking care of him, the least I deserved was sleep. "I want to sleep."

"No, Avelora. You need to run."

It clicked. He hadn't forgotten about the punishment.

"But..." Maybe charming my way out of this would work. First, I needed to straighten up, the way I was standing had no name invented for it yet. Next, I fluttered my eyelashes, softening my gaze. Next...

"What are you doing?" Khyrix interrupted, looking at me like I was displaying something weird.

I was trying to charm my way out if you hadn't interrupted me.

I rolled my eyes, and damn, that caused a headache. I grabbed my head and trudged towards the bathroom.

"You have three minutes."

"Believe it or not, I’m a woman," I snapped. He was insufferable, and I hated how easily accessible I was to him in this shared space.

"Two minutes, Avelora."

I scurried into the bathroom, brushing my teeth in a blur and hurrying through a shower. I ran back into the room on autopilot, a towel wrapped tightly around my chest. He was still there, just standing.

"I believe it is time for you to make your exit," I said, my tone grumpier than intended. I looked up to see if I’d finally pissed him off.

His eyes roamed my body, the familiar gold flashing in the iris. Freaky.

"I really hope you keep your wolf in check, Alpha. I really don't have the energy for that again." I reminded him. I reached for my underwear, deciding that since he wasn't leaving, I’d make him uncomfortable instead.

"Damn, Avelora. Help a man out once and you're talking about it for the rest of our lives," he muttered.

"I'll have you know it wasn't once," I shot back with a smirk. I reached for my top, my hand going to the knot of the towel. I made sure he was watching before I began to unwrap it.

He didn't stick around for the challenge. He turned on his heel and walked towards the door the second the fabric loosened. Guess he wasn't up for it after all.

By the time I managed to get fully dressed and join him, I was already mourning my lost sleep.

"You spent five more minutes than agreed. That’s five more laps."

I didn't even bother arguing. “You are a literal demon.”

......

Thirty minutes later, I was convinced my lungs were about to liquefy and leak out of my nose.

The forest had become a blur to my tired eyes. My clothes clung to my skin, the wind stung my cheeks, and every gulp of air felt like swallowing glass. Why wouldn't he let me drink water?

Talk about the gold-eyed devil. He wasn't running, he was gliding. I envied that kind of grace. His pace never faltered, passing me for the fifteenth time while I was barely on my third lap and I already wanted to die right here on the dirt.

“Pick it up, Avelora! My grandmother moves faster than this, and she’s been dead for fifty years!” he shouted over his shoulder.

“Then go… join… her!” I wheezed, my legs feeling like jellh.

I tripped over a protruding root, my balance swinging wildly. I braced for the impact of the dirt, but it never came. In a flash of movement I couldn't track, Khyrix was there. His arm hooked around my waist, hoisting me back onto my feet.

The contact send sparks travelling my body, The heat radiating off his body was a contrast to the freezing morning air. He didn’t let go immediately. Instead, he pulled me back against his chest, his chin resting near the top of my head. I could feel the steady, powerful thrum of his heart through his shirt. It was rhythmic and calm, while mine felt like a trapped bird.

“Careful,” he whispered, the vibration of his voice buzzing against my spine. “If you break your neck, I have to find a new mate.”

I turned in his arms, ignoring the way my pulse jumped as my chest brushed his. His gaze dropped to my lips for a fraction of a second, so fast I almost missed it, before his eyes snapped back to mine. The gold was gone, replaced by a dark, intense brown that felt just as dangerous.

His hand lingered on my waist a second too long before he shoved me back toward the path. “Again. To the ridge. If you beat me there, I’ll let you sit for five minutes.”

“You’re on!” I yelled, fueled by a sudden burst of spite.

I didn't beat him, I was not even close, but I made it. By the time I reached the clearing overlooking the valley, the sky was turning into shades of purple and deep orange. I collapsed onto a fallen log, my head between my knees, gasping for air.

Khyrix stood at the edge of the cliff, his back to me. He looked like a statue carved by the Moon Goddess herself. He’d gone sixteen rounds and hadn't even broken a sweat.

“Khyrix?” I called out once my heart stopped trying to jump out of my throat.

“Hm?”

“I’ve been thinking about something. All night, actually.” I wiped a bead of sweat from my temple and stared at his b shoulders. “Why do you need this? Why the fake mate? Why me?”

He had said it was for convenience, but I knew better.

"You want me to commit to all this—I almost died yesterday, by the way—you need to tell me why. The real reason."