Arranged Mate Bond

20.- On shaky grounds

Since you guys have been so amazingly patient with me I decided to post another chapter right after the last one! I just want to add that I'm extremely grateful for all the support I'm getting from all of you. Even my silent readers who every now and then share their thoughts with me. You guys are the best!!

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Brooke's POV

'Is that you?' I send through the mind link after sensing a hint of his presence.

I looked around me. No one seemed to notice any unusual guest. It could have been because we were spending much more time with each other that I noticed him before anyone else did.

Trying to ignore the gentle tugging at my heart I watched the boys in front of me spar. I tried not to compare the sensation to what I felt when Michael used to get near get near me.

'Yeah, hope I'm not interrupting,' Aiden answered.

A smile crept onto my face. 'You? Never. I think the boys will enjoy showing off to their Alpha.'

Damien, one of the boys I was currently training, tilted his head to the side and watched me intently as his arms were in a protective stance in front of his body. I raised a brow at his sudden focus of attention.

"Eyes upfront, Damien," I ordered. "You need to keep your opponent in sight at all times."

Today was a long one. The sun was starting to set and the sky was darkening above our heads. We had been going at it the entire afternoon. Because we were finally seeing some real improvements with the boys Mike wanted to push them harder to see how far we could get them to go.

"Are you dirty mind-messaging our Alpha?" he smirked and dropped his arms to his side.

As expected, Damien's opponent took the opening and landed a kick in his stomach, sending Damien flying.

"What the hell, Jesse?!!" Damien cried out after he landed with a thud on the ground.

"Luna did warn you. But what else can we expect from someone who has an attention span of a goldfish," Jesse taunted.

"Jesse," I warned.

Fortunately for the boys all attention turned to their Alpha who had just walked onto the field. My smile involuntary widened when our eyes met.

Aiden had changed into dark jeans and a red sweater. Like a true Alpha he strode towards us with an air of confidence radiating from him, making him look incredibly handsome. Sexy even.

That last thought caused my cheeks to heat up.

As if reading my mind, the corners of Aiden's mouth tugged up into a smile that even reached his eyes. He was only a few feet away from now. The fact that he looked genuinely happy to see me warmed my insides.

"Definitely dirty mind-messaging," Damien grinned, still on the ground.

"Disrespecting the Luna I see," Aiden said to Damien.

Damien quickly got to his feet. "No, sir. I was just teasing her a bit. In a respectful way of course," he said in one breath.

"Relax, Damien. He's just joking around," I told the kid before he stopped breathing all together.

I remembered I looked like a mess with my sweats and simply top. Feeling self-conscious I pushed some strands of hair behind my ear, hoping it didn't look as disastrous as it felt.