The Alpha Bond 150

The evening air was cool and fragrant, carrying the scent of flowers from the garden as I made my way through the dimly lit stone pathway behind the hotel. I had spent the past hour handing out the little souvenirs I had picked up from the Idrija Lace Festival, and when I had given Austin his gift, I had asked where Elijah

was.

"He went outside to get some air," Austin said.

I gave him a kiss on the cheek before heading outside..

The garden behind the hotel was quiet and peaceful, with only the soft rustling of the trees and the distant hum of the festival still lingering in the night air. As I rounded a corner, I spotted Elijah, sitting on a wooden bench beneath an old willow tree. His posture was relaxed, but there was something heavy about the way his shoulders slumped as if he carried the weight of something unseen.

A pang of concern tightened in my chest.

Without making a sound, I snuck up behind him, reaching out carefully before covering his eyes with my hands.

"Guess who?" I whispered, my voice laced with amusement.

There was a brief pause before he let out a low chuckle.

"My lovely mate,” Elijah murmured, his voice deep and full of warmth.

I smiled, feeling a flutter of happiness in my chest. I removed my hands and

moved around to face him, settling myself onto his lap without hesitation. As soon as I did, Elijah's strong arms wrapped instinctively around my waist, pulling me close.

"You're in a good mood," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.

"I am," I admitted, leaning into him. "The festival was amazing. I wish you had come with us."

out a small huff. "Austin

I could look into

moment alone," I guessed.

something unreadable before he sighed, resting his

admitted. "I don't think I ever truly let myself process

for him. Elijah had lost his parents-his entire family-just days ago. And yet, he had barely spoken about it, throwing himself into our mission with unwavering

understood him too well. I knew what it was like to bury pain so deep that it almost

broad shoulders, holding him close. "You don't have

breath,

to not be," he confessed, his

touch

of crickets and the rustling of the willow

1/3

Chapter 145

Elijah was crying.

My heart clenched.

my neck, his breathing uneven, his body nse with unspoken grief. I didn't say anything-I didn't need to. Instead, I

I whispered. "You don't have to hide this

immediately. But after a few

fair."

swallowed the lump in my throat. "I

いく

laugh, his grip on me tightening. "I used to think... no matter what happened, my parents would always be

exhaled sharply. But

her own eyes sting with unshed tears. I knew exactly what he meant. There was

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