Alpha Alec's Redemption by Kathy M

Chapter 264

The first thing I notice when I open my eyes is the quiet. The silence is almost startling, like the world is holding its breath.

For the first time in three days, I can take a breath without feeling like my skin is too tight, without the ache deep in my bones and without the relentless, burning heat consuming every inch of me.

I feel... reborn. Exhausted but lighter, as though a storm has passed, and all that's left is the calm aftermath.

The bed is empty beside me, and the space where Alec had been is cool to the touch. I shift slowly, my muscles aching with the remnants of the heat cycle. My legs feel like jelly, and when I try to stand, the room tilts slightly.

I grab one of Alec's shirts from the floor, his scent enveloping me as I slip it over my head. It's oversized, the hem brushing against my thighs as I make my way to the door.

I hear movement from the kitchen, soft and rhythmic-a familiar sound. Pans clinking. The sizzling of something frying. I pad slowly down the hallway, using the wall for support until I reach the kitchen doorway.

Alec is there. Half-naked with only a pair of sweatpants hanging low on his hips and an apron tied around his waist. His hair is still damp, droplets trailing down the curve of his spine. He's frying bacon while simultaneously keeping an eye on a toaster, moving with an ease that makes something warm and unsettling twist low in my belly.

For a moment my heart stops. This! This is one of the many things I've always dreamed of. Always wished for. Always wanted. Always craved. Seeing him in the kitchen, in sweatpants and bare-chested, is like watching a long-forgotten dream come alive.

I blink several times, hoping that I'm dreaming. Hoping that I'm still delirious from heat, but nothing changes. The image is still the same.

and warm like the sun breaking through clouds. And just like that, my heart starts again and

says, his voice gentle but carrying a hint of relief. He sets down the spatula

am," I reply, my voice

anything else, he reaches for me, his hands gentle as he takes mine, his thumbs brushing over my knuckles. The simple touch sends a shiver through me,

his brows knitting together.

nod, even though the truth is more complicated than

shoulders relax, and

had been pinching his

tucks a

behind my ear,

cheek. "I

flame. Fuck it! The moon heat is already over, yet my desire for him isn't. I thought

heat to blame

says, his hand sliding down to the small

sit."