Page 9 of The Raven's Alpha

His expression twists, and for a moment, I see a glimmer of fear in his eyes. Then, he takes a deep breath and tries to compose himself. "Okay, fine. I...I didn't mean to fall asleep," he admits grudgingly.

I sense a weight shifting in his words, and my instincts scream at me to dig deeper. "What's going on?" I press, my voice low and urgent.

Ezra's words are laced with an unconvincing tone, and his eyes dart away from mine as he speaks. "Nothing. I've just been working late for the past couple of days and after falling asleep at my desk, I just thought it would be better if I were more comfortable." His voice trails off, and he nervously scratches at his arms.

"This has nothing to do with Ma..."

His face contorts in a mixture of rage and desperation as he cuts me off with a loud shout, “Nope!” He holds a shaking hand out to me, his fingers splayed like claws, as if trying to physically stop me from saying the words. His eyes blaze with anger, and his jaw clenches so tightly that I can see the tendons straining in his neck.

I freeze, my mouth open mid-sentence. My heart races as I take in Ezra's reaction, my mind racing with questions. What's going on?Why is he so upset?

The air seems to vibrate with tension as we lock eyes, the silence between us heavy with unspoken emotions. I can feel my own pulse pounding in my temples, and I'm acutely aware of the weight of our past bearing down on us like a physical force.

I fix him with a pointed stare. "Ok. I'll leave it alone. But you know you can always come to me if something happens, right?" I say, my voice low and even.

His eyes flicker up to my face, his expression neutral but his eyes betraying a hint of wariness. "Yeah, I know. Thanks Eddy." He pauses, his gaze drifting away from mine before snapping back into focus. "Anyways, what can I do for you? Do you need a new book already? You only got one a couple of days ago."

"Now that I'm here, I may as well grab another one... but I wanted to talk to you about something else."

Ezra's expression turns sceptical, his eyebrows rising in inquiry. "Shoot."

I rub the back of my neck, feeling a sudden surge of anxiety like a cold breeze on a summer day. "I met my fated last night," I say, the words tumbling out in a rush.

His eyes, which had been narrowed in concern, now crinkled at the corners as he grins. "Eddy, that's amazing! Congratulations!" Ezra's eyes light up with excitement as he asks, “What's he like?”

I launch into an enthusiastic description, trying to convey the intensity of my feelings. "He's young, early twenties if I had to guess. A lot shorter than me, maybe around five feet. He has this incredible dark hair that falls down his back like a waterfall, and his eyes are like two dark pools that draw me in."

I pause, searching for the right words to describe the mate who had captured my heart. "And when he smiles... oh, Ezra, it's like the sun breaking through the clouds. He's gorgeous, and I feel like I'm drowning in his beauty."

Ezra nodded enthusiastically, his own excitement building. "I can see why you're so taken with him," he said, his voice filled with understanding.

“And then, I don’t know, Ezra. We only spoke for a couple of minutes, after he seemed to have a forced shift. He was really upset because one of my friends was flirting with me... and then she stole his necklace.”

“Wait, what? Forced shift? And what necklace?” Ezra asks, clearly confused.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. “So, I was closing up the bakery last night and my friend Cleo turned up uninvited, like she always does. She's been making it clear she's interested in me for years, but I've told her repeatedly that I'm waiting for my fated mate.'"

His eyes narrow as he asks, "What do you mean?"

I hesitate, unsure how much to reveal. "Let's just say she's been pushing my boundaries lately. And then, when we got to my house, things got really weird."

I pause for a moment, letting the drama sink in. "As I got out of my truck, a raven came swooping down, its black feathers glistening in the fading light. It landed on the roof of my truck, its eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intelligence. And then I noticed something in its beak – a necklace."

His eyes widen in surprise. "A necklace?"

I nodded grimly. "Yeah. A real beautiful one. And when I went to reach for it, Cleo snatched it away.”

Ezra holds up a hand, "Wait, is this the first time meeting the raven or...?"

I shake my head, "No, kind of. He's been hanging around my property for a while now, but I wasn’t sure if he's one of us or just a regular bird. He leaves me little gifts on my doorstep and I leave him seeds and fruit in a littlebowl in return."

He nods his understanding, his eyes fixed intently on me.

"So yeah, he has this necklace, and when I started speaking to him, Cleo suddenly appeared out of nowhere and began taunting him. Her words dripped with venom as she spat out insults. I wanted to intervene, but I was too slow - she snatched the necklace and fastened it around her neck before strutting into my cabin like she owned the place. I was too shocked to do anything in the moment and then when she was gone, I could tell the raven was getting overwhelmed and then he shifted into his human form... his very naked human form.”Don’t get turned on. Don’t get turned on. Don’t get turned on.

Ezra laughs as he holds up his hand, his nose wrinkling in distaste. “You really need to work on your self-control, Eddy,” he says, his voice low and exasperated. “I love you, but I didn't sign up for this... aroma.” He waves his hand again, and I couldn't help but feel a sting from his words.

“Shut up,” I say with a scowl.