ALPHA UNIVERSE #6: CRAVING YOU

CHAPTER 36

That night was cold—colder still as the seconds ticked by.

Neither of them spoke when they entered the house. Words felt unnecessary, or perhaps too heavy to say. Instead, they fell into their usual routine, each tending to their own tasks until exhaustion pulled at their limbs, urging them toward the comfort of the bed.

Danielle was the first to retreat to the bedroom, leaving Mark behind in the dimly lit living room.

For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do.

His mind—always sharp, always brimming with solutions—felt useless. He was a man of action, a strategist, someone who could fix things with precision. But Danielle? Danielle wasn't a problem to solve. She was his mate. And this... this was different.

A few glasses of alcohol did little to steady the storm raging inside him. The absence of his mate's touch burned on his skin, a dull ache spreading through his chest. His heartbeat, usually steady and controlled, felt erratic, restless.

Only when he felt the slight haze of intoxication did he finally stop. He dragged himself to the bathroom, brushing his teeth in an attempt to wash away the lingering taste of alcohol, as if that could cleanse the turmoil suffocating him.

By the time he entered the bedroom, the room was cloaked in darkness.

Navigating through the space was second nature to him, his footsteps soundless as he approached his side of the bed. The sheets were cold beneath his touch—a stark contrast to the warmth that always came with Danielle's presence.

He lay down beside her, breathing in the faint scent of her, feeling the subtle rise and fall of her chest as she slept.

A heavy silence settled between them.

Mark forced himself to sleep in it.

The next morning, asoft press of lips against his cheek pulled him from unconsciousness.

Mark's eyes fluttered open, met by the sight of Danielle's gentle smile.

Of course, it was her.

For a brief moment, he forgot about last night. Forgot about the ache in his chest. Forgot about the unspoken words lingering between them.

He wanted to talk to her, to bring it up—to tell her that he hated the distance growing between them, even when they were side by side. But when he saw the lightness in her expression, the warmth in her touch, he hesitated.

She seemed... okay. And if she wanted to move past it, he wouldn't drag them back into the weight of last night.

Instead, he let it go.

In the kitchen, Danielle prepared breakfast while Mark clung to her, his arms wrapped around her waist, his face buried in the crook of her neck.

She hummed in amusement. "Are you planning to help or just hold me hostage?"

"Both."

They shared lazy kisses between bites of food, the morning settling into a comforting rhythm. Later, as they drove to school, soft music played in the background, filling the car with a quiet serenity.