ALPHA UNIVERSE #6: CRAVING YOU

CHAPTER 26

Rain started to pour as they sat beneath the awning of the small ice cream shop, their hands wrapped around cold cups, the sweetness melting on their tongues. Despite the weather's gloom, an unexpected warmth settled between them—something familiar, something missed.

It didn't take long for them to slip into easy conversation, laughing over past events, sharing small grievances about exams, and catching up on things they had neglected to tell each other. It was as if the past two weeks of silence had never happened, like their unspoken tension was nothing more than a fleeting misunderstanding.

Their inner alpha and omega seemed to know better than they did.

Because the moment they started speaking, the moment their voices intertwined again, they realized just how much they had missed each other.

Two weeks apart had been unbearable.

Mark exhaled, his breath steadying as he finally broached the topic that had lingered in the back of his mind since that night. "About that night..." he trailed off, glancing at her hesitantly, gauging her reaction. "I meant what I said, Elle. I was serious. I like you."

She swallowed, gripping her cup a little tighter. "I know."

"You do?"

Danielle nodded, shifting in her seat. "I'm sorry."

Mark's brows furrowed. "For what?"

"For running away," she admitted, guilt pooling in her chest. "I didn't know how to handle it."

Mark shook his head, offering her a reassuring smile. "You don't need to apologize. I get it. Did I scare you?"

"No, Mark. Why would you?" she chuckled softly, though her voice carried a slight tremor. "I wasn't lying when I said it was a lot for me to take in. Your confession... it was just unexpected."

"Surprising, right?"

Danielle nodded again, chewing on her bottom lip.

"But you shouldn't feel like that," Mark continued gently. "You're easy to like."

She let out a quiet laugh. "You just like me, right?"

Mark's lips curled into something softer, something deeper. "No. I like you so much that I want to be your mate."

The word settled between them, heavy yet reassuring.

Danielle blinked, taken aback. "Mate... You really want to be mated with me?"

"That's how serious I am."

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken thoughts. Danielle opened her mouth, then closed it again, her mind scrambling for the right words. But nothing seemed to come out the way she wanted.

Mark noticed her hesitation and reached out, resting his warm hand atop hers. It was grounding, steady. A quiet promise.

"I want us to start over if you'll let me," he said. "We're not in a rush. I can stop too—just tell me."

"You'll stop?"

"If I'm too much for you, I will," he assured her, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. "But I'm willing to change for you, if that's what it takes."