The Alpha Twins' Elusive Mate novel Chapter 7

FIONA

My eyes open, taking in the warm, bright sunlight kissing my face. There's a weight around my body, and I move to see what it is . . .

It's Harry's arm wrapped around me. His warm breath gently fans against the top of my head as he sleeps. I try not to wake him as I shift in his embrace, but it turns out that something else is very awake. It's nestled against the fabric of my jeans, poking the soft flesh of my thigh.

My cheek heats up in embarrassment. I pull away from him, but this time, I'm not discreet enough, and he comes awake. His eyes fly open, and his arm tightens around me, like he's afraid I'll leave him.

"Good morning," I tell him, pushing myself up into a sitting position. I look down at his shirtless body, itching to run my hand over his chest.

But not yet. Not until after he explains himself. There's something odd about him, even though he looks exactly the same. He's more . . . free, like a caged bird suddenly released.

Scars run across his arms, chest, and there are even a few small scratches on his neck. The one that gets me the most is one that runs across his eyebrow. It's a small nick, almost unnoticeable, but I can swear that until last night, I'd never seen it there before.

He sits up as well, and his arm falls from my body. His gaze runs over my face and body, making me even more self-conscious. Without thinking, I lift my hand to his face, caressing his jawline gently. I can't believe he's here with me right now.

He closes his eyes and leans into my touch, moving so close to me that I can feel the heat radiating from his muscled body. I move close to him as well, watching with rapt attention as he tilts his head, bringing his mouth close to mine.

"Why?" I ask him, and he stiffens, which breaks the spell bringing us together. "Why are you here with me right now, Harry? Please be honest."

"Fiona, I . . ." He trails off, eyes full of an emotion I can't place.

"You've been so cold towards me from day one, and now you're here with me, telling me that I'm your mate and that I'm yours. I don't know how that seems to you, but to me, it isn't fair at all.

"I've been here, trying to get you to see how much I care for you, but you never saw me, you never cared, up until yesterday. Why?"

Harry sighs and pulls away, rising to his feet. Around us is the inside of a hidden cove within the woods. After he'd come to me under the full moon and told me the words I'd been looking forward to hearing, he'd taken us here and held me to him until I fell asleep. I could tell he wanted more, but I wasn't quite ready for that yet, not after all the confusing signals he's been throwing my way these past few days.

This gentle, considerate man before me now, who is he? And why is he revealing his true feelings now?

"I've always cared about you, Fiona. I don't really know what you want me to say," he says, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down at the floor. Is he . . . embarrassed? I've never seen this side of Harry before.

"If you've always cared about me, why did you like to treat me like I'm worth nothing to you? Why did you go ahead and pick Alice when you knew how I felt about you?"

"I . . ." he trails off again, looking thoroughly flustered. I'd have found the sight endearing, but I'm too infuriated to care right now.