Chapter 6 - Alysa

Alysa's eyes snapped open, her heart pounding against her ribcage. For a blissful moment, she forgot why she felt like she'd run a marathon in her sleep. Then reality crashed over her like a tidal wave.

Cassius had claimed her as his mate.

Mate.

She groaned, burying her face in her pillow. The events of the previous night replayed in her mind, each detail as sharp as broken glass. Cassius's voice was firm and unyielding. Her brother's shocked expression. The weight of their gazes as they dropped the bombshell that had turned her world upside down.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, painting patterns on her bedroom floor. Alysa stared at them, willing time to stop, to give her a chance to process the chaos swirling in her mind. But the light kept creeping across the hardwood, indifferent to her inner turmoil.

With a sigh, she dragged herself out of bed. Her reflection in the mirror looked as frazzled as she felt—hair a tangled mess, dark circles under her eyes.

Great.

She looked like she’d been dragged through hell. Fitting, since that's exactly how she felt.

She splashed cold water on her face, trying to wash away the remnants of her restless night. As she brushed her teeth, her mind raced.

How am I supposed to face Cassius after this? How am I supposed to face anyone?

The house was quiet as Alysa made her way downstairs, each creak of the floorboards under her feet sounding like a gunshot in the silence. She held her breath, listening for any sign of Cassius. Nothing. Relief washed over her, followed quickly by a pang of… something else. Disappointment?

Don't be ridiculous.

She busied herself in the kitchen, focusing on the mundane task of making breakfast. The routine was comforting—measure the coffee, pour the water, and press the button. She leaned against the counter, inhaling the rich aroma as it filled the air.

Maybe if I just stay in the nursery all day, I won't have to deal with… any of this.

But she knew better. Sooner or later, she'd have to face the music. Face Cassius. Face the fact that for the next two weeks, she was supposed to pretend to be his mate.

The coffee maker gurgled its last, and Alysa poured herself a cup, savoring the first sip. She closed her eyes, letting the warmth seep into her bones. For a moment, she could almost pretend everything was normal.

Then her phone buzzed, shattering the illusion.

It was a text from her friend, Mia. "Hey, Girl! I heard the big news. You and Cassius, huh? About time! Call me ASAP—I want ALL the details!"

Alysa's stomach dropped. News travels fast in a wolf Pack.

Of course, it does.

She set the phone down without replying, her appetite vanishing. How was she supposed to explain this to Mia? To anyone?

She forced herself to eat a piece of toast, barely tasting it as she chewed. Her mind raced, trying to come up with a game plan.

Act normal.

She just had to pretend everything was fine. It's just two weeks.

You can do this.

But as she stepped out of the kitchen, she realized 'normal' was a thing of the past. The air in the house felt different, charged with an energy she couldn't quite name. Cassius's scent seemed stronger, more potent, wrapping around her like an invisible embrace.

Stop it. This isn't real. Focus.

She made her way to the living room, determined to distract herself with some work. But as she settled on the couch with her laptop, voices drifted in from outside. Pack members, their tones hushed but excited.

"…can't believe it…"

"…always knew there was something between them…"

"…what a power couple…"

Alysa's cheeks burned. She slammed the laptop shut, her hands shaking. This was a nightmare.

How am I supposed to keep this up for two whole weeks?

Throughout the day, Alysa kept herself busy, pouring all her focus into menial tasks around the house. She took care of Aurora, helped Abigail with lunch, and made small talk with the Pack members who passed by during Aurora's nap, all the while pretending nothing was out of the ordinary.

But she could feel the eyes on her—people were watching her, whispering when they thought she couldn’t hear.

Great.

She ran into Aleksander during her evening walk while Aurora napped. Her brother's brow furrowed as he looked at her. “You okay?” he asked, his voice low, the concern unmistakable.

She flashed a smile, waving off his concern. “Just tired,” she said, her voice tight. He didn’t push, but she could see the doubt in his eyes.

As the sun began to dip behind the trees, Alysa thought she’d made it through the day without running into him. She busied herself helping a few Pack members prepare for the upcoming hunt, but even as she moved through the motions, her thoughts kept circling back to Cassius.

Why did he say it? Was it really just to protect me?

She hated the vulnerability the situation had thrown her into, the way it made her question everything between them. It was strange that she didn't run into him once all day even though she was avoiding him.

He must be doing the same or giving me space.

Alysa was grateful that he granted her that request she had made yesterday, at least. The day had been a blur with her time with Aurora the only bright spark. Now, she was eager to sleep.

Who knew avoiding your mate could be so stressful?

The next morning, Alysa was up early, hoping the quiet would offer her some solace. She stood in the kitchen, her fingers working mechanically as she brewed a pot of coffee. The rich aroma filled the room, but she barely noticed it.

As she poured herself a cup, the front door opened, and Alysa froze. Footsteps approached, and she held her breath, praying it wasn't—

"Alysa?"

Cassius's deep voice sent a shiver down her spine. She turned, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. "Hey."

He stood in the doorway, looking as uncomfortable as she felt. His hair was tousled as if he'd been running his hands through it repeatedly. The sight made her heart do a little flip.

Stop that.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, his blue eyes searching her face.

Alysa shrugged, aiming for nonchalance and missing by a mile. "Oh, you know. Just peachy. Nothing like the entire Pack treating me as if we're mates."

Cassius winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't think the news would spread so fast."

"It's a wolf Pack, Cassius. Gossip travels faster than the speed of light." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "What are we going to do?"

He moved closer, hesitating before sitting on the opposite end of the couch. "We need to talk about that. Figure out how we're going to handle this."

Alysa nodded, her stomach churning. "I guess we do."

An awkward silence fell between them, thick with unspoken words and tangled emotions. Alysa fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, hyperaware of Cassius's presence beside her. His scent enveloped her, a heady mix so uniquely him that it made her wolf stir.

Focus, Alysa. This isn't real.

Cassius cleared his throat. "I know this isn't ideal—"

Alysa snorted. "Understatement of the century."

"—but we need to make it convincing," he continued, shooting her a look. "For the next two weeks, as far as everyone else is concerned, we're mates."

The weight of his words settled over her like a heavy blanket. "And how exactly are we supposed to do that? I can barely look at you without blushing, let alone pretend we're… you know."

A hint of a smile tugged at Cassius's lips. "We'll have to work on that. Maybe start with using the word 'mates' without looking like you're about to pass out."

Alysa glared at him, but there was no real heat behind it. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to pretend to be madly in love with their brother's best friend."

Something flashed in Cassius's eyes, too quick for Alysa to decipher. "It won't be that bad. We're already close. We just need to… amp it up a bit."

"Amp it up?" Alysa raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean, exactly?"

Cassius ran a hand through his hair, a gesture Alysa recognized as a sign of nervousness. "Well, for starters, we'll need to be more… physically affectionate in public."

Alysa's heart skipped a beat. "Define 'physically affectionate.'"

"Nothing too extreme," Cassius said quickly. "Just… holding hands, maybe the occasional hug or… kiss on the cheek."

The idea of Cassius's lips anywhere near her sent a jolt through Alysa's body. She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way her pulse quickened. "Right. Okay. I can handle that. Probably."

Cassius nodded, looking relieved. "Good. We should also come up with a story about how this happened. When we realized our feelings, that sort of thing."

Alysa's mind raced. "Um, okay. How about… we've had feelings for each other for a while, but we were both too scared to make it public and dated secretly. Then, at the meeting with Marcus, you realized you had no choice but to claim me in public, so you did?"

The words felt strange on her tongue, too close to the truth she'd buried deep in her heart.

It's just a story. It doesn't mean anything.

Cassius was quiet for a moment, his expression unreadable. "That… could work. It's not too far from the truth, which will make it easier to remember."

Alysa's breath caught in her throat.

Not too far from the truth? What does that mean?

She pushed the thought away, focusing on the task at hand. "What else do we need to consider?"

"Living arrangements," Cassius said, his voice carefully neutral. "It would look strange if we didn't… share a room."

Alysa's eyes widened. "Oh. Right. Of course."

The thought of sharing a bed with Cassius sent a mix of excitement and terror coursing through her veins. She'd dreamed about it more times than she cared to admit, but the reality was far more complicated.

"We don't have to… I mean, I can sleep on the floor or something," Cassius offered, looking as flustered as she felt.

"Don't be ridiculous," Alysa said, surprising herself with her boldness. "We're both adults. We can share a bed without it being weird. Right?"

Cassius nodded, a bit too quickly. "Right. Of course."

Another silence fell, this one charged with an energy that made Alysa's skin tingle. She cleared her throat, desperate to change the subject. "What about Pack duties? Will this… change anything?"

Cassius seemed grateful for the shift in topic. "Not much. You'll be expected to attend more meetings with me, take on some additional responsibilities. But nothing too drastic."

Alysa nodded, her mind spinning with the implications. She'd always been on the fringes of Pack politics, content to let her brother and father handle the heavy lifting. Now, she'd be thrust into the spotlight as the Alpha's mate. The thought was terrifying.

"Hey," Cassius said softly, sensing her distress. "We'll figure this out together, okay? I won't let anything bad happen to you."

His words, meant to be comforting, sent a pang through Alysa's chest.

That's the problem, isn't it? You're always protecting me, always putting me first. Even if it means lying to everyone we know.

Alysa nodded, but the knot in her stomach only tightened. Two weeks of pretending to be Cassius's mate. Two weeks of living out her deepest fantasies, knowing it was all a lie.

How am I supposed to go back to normal after this?

As if reading her thoughts, Cassius reached out, hesitating for a moment before taking her hand in his. His touch sent sparks shooting up her arm. "We'll get through this, Alysa. I promise."

She looked up at him, struck by the intensity in his blue eyes. For a moment, she let herself believe that maybe, just maybe, there was more to this than a simple ruse.

But reality crashed back in, cold and unforgiving. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

Alysa pulled her hand away, ignoring the flash of hurt in Cassius's eyes. "We should probably practice, right? The whole… couple thing."

Cassius nodded, his expression guarded. "Right. Good idea."

Cassius cleared his throat, standing up from the couch. "Alright, let's try this. Pretend we're at a Pack gathering."

Alysa nodded, her heart racing as she rose to join him. They stood facing each other, an awkward foot of space between them.

"Hey there, beautiful," Cassius said, his voice pitched low and warm. He reached out, his fingers grazing her arm.

Alysa flinched, the touch sending sparks across her skin. "S-sorry," she stammered, face flushing. "I wasn't ready."

Cassius's brow furrowed. "Alysa, you can't jump every time I touch you. It needs to look natural."

"I know, I know," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Let's try again."

This time, when Cassius approached, Alysa forced herself to stay still. His arm slid around her waist, pulling her close. She could feel the heat of his body, smell his intoxicating scent.

"Better," Cassius murmured, his breath tickling her ear. "Now, lean into me. Like you can't get enough of my touch."

Alysa's breath hitched, but she did as he said, molding her body against his. She tried to remind herself that this was just pretend, even as her wolf purred with contentment.

"Good," Cassius said, his voice a bit strained. "Now, let's try walking together."

They moved around the living room, Cassius's arm still around her waist. At first, Alysa felt stiff, hyper-aware of every point of contact between them. But as they continued, she found herself relaxing, her steps falling in sync with his.

"See? Not so bad," Cassius said, offering her a smile that made her knees weak.

"Speak for yourself," Alysa muttered, but there was no anger behind her words.

Each touch, each shared glance, sent Alysa's heart racing. But as the hour wore on, she found herself settling into the role, the awkwardness fading into something that felt dangerously close to comfort.

By the time they called it quits, Alysa felt drained, emotionally and physically. She collapsed back onto the couch, closing her eyes. "Well, that was… interesting."

Cassius chuckled, the sound warming her from the inside out. "That's one word for it. You did well, though. I think we might just pull this off."

Alysa opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. "You really think so?"

He nodded, a soft smile playing on his lips. "I do. We make a good team, Alysa. Always have."

The sincerity in his voice made her heart ache.

If only he knew…

As Cassius stood to leave, Alysa found herself wishing he would stay. The thought startled her, and she pushed it away.

Don't get too comfortable, Alysa.

"I should go," Cassius said, hesitating at the door. "Pack business to attend to. Will you be okay?"

Alysa nodded, forcing a smile. "I'll be fine. Go, do your Alpha thing."

He lingered for a moment longer, looking like he wanted to say something more. But in the end, he just nodded and left, closing the door softly behind him.

Alysa let out a long breath, her mind reeling from everything that had happened. Two weeks. She had two weeks to pretend to be Cassius's mate, to live out a fantasy she'd never dared hope could be real.

And then… what?

She pushed the thought away, focusing instead on the immediate future. Two weeks of stolen glances, casual touches, and pretend intimacy. Two weeks of living in close quarters with the man she'd been secretly in love with for years.

I am so screwed.

The game was on. And Alysa had no idea if she was ready to play.