Page 53 of Brutal Alpha's Forced Mate

“I don’t want them to see,” I admit, the words cracking as they escape. “Not them. Not him.”

“Then don’t let them,” he replies. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met, Jaslyn. You don’t have to prove that to anyone. Least of all Malcolm.”

The mention of his name sends a fresh wave of heat and shame crawling up my throat. My breath hitches, and I press my fists harder into my thighs, trying to ground myself.

“Hey.” Gray’s voice is sharp, cutting through the spiral before it can take me under. His hand covers mine. “Don’t go there. Stay with me.”

“I’m trying,” I rasp.

“I know. I’m here.”

His words are an anchor, and I cling to them with everything I have. My chest is tight, my throat burning, and the world feels too close, too loud. I can feel it building—the panic,the helplessness, the fear. It’s a familiar enemy, one I’ve fought more times than I can count. But it still hits like a freight train every damn time.

“I hate this,” I whisper. “I hate feeling like this.”

“I know,” Gray says again. His thumb brushes over my knuckles in a slow, soothing rhythm, and the warmth of his touch pulls me back inch by inch. “But you’re not alone. You’re never alone.”

Something inside me splinters at that, at the quiet certainty in his voice. He doesn’t say it like a promise or a reassurance. He says it like a fact. Like it’s as unshakable as the ground beneath us.

I take a shaky breath, then another, trying to focus on the steady rhythm of his touch.

“You’re okay,” Gray says. “Breathe, Jas. Just breathe.”

I do. It’s not easy. Every inhale feels like dragging air through broken glass, but I do it, anyway. And slowly, the tightness in my chest starts to ease. The trembling in my hands subsides. The storm quiets, just a little.

Gray doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t push. He just stays there, and that’s enough. For now, it’s enough.

By the time I can finally breathe again without feeling like my chest is in a vice, Gray leans back, giving me enough space to reclaim a shred of dignity but not enough to make me feel exposed. His hand lingers on mine for a moment longer before he pulls it away.

“You good?” he asks.

I nod, brushing a stray curl out of my face. “Better. Thanks to you.”

His lips curve into a soft, almost shy smile that makes my stomach flip. “What can I say? I’m a great strategic support.”

That earns a small laugh from me, weak but real, and he seems to take that as a win. He stands and offers me a hand, which I take, letting him pull me to my feet. For a moment, I’m not sure I can face the group after all of this, but Gray’s steady gaze anchors me.

“Ready to go back?” he asks.

I take a deep breath and nod. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”

When we return to the group, they’re clustered near a hastily constructed campfire. The witches are chatting in low voices while the wolves keep watch on the perimeter. Theo gives me a quick glance but says nothing, keeping his expression carefully neutral. It’s Jade who speaks first, and her eyes move between Gray and me like she’s piecing together a puzzle.

“Everything okay?” she asks, and there’s a note of genuine concern beneath the coolness.

“Fine,” I reply quickly, stepping past her to join the others. “What’s the plan?”

Jade exchanges a look with Isadora before answering. “We need direction. Tracking the portals blindly is only going to waste time, and we don’t have the luxury of guessing.”

“I can scry for a vision,” Jade adds. “It’ll give us a glimpse of what’s ahead, maybe even lead us to the next portal.”

Isadora nods, already pulling a small pouch of herbs from her satchel. “I’ll reinforce her magic. It’ll make the vision clearer and help her focus.”

“That’s risky,” Gray interjects. “You’ll be vulnerable while you’re working. If anything comes at us—”

“We’ll handle it,” I cut in, meeting his gaze with a confidence I don’t entirely feel. “I’ll keep watch.”

Gray doesn’t look thrilled about the idea, but he nods after a moment. “Fine. But I’m watching over you while you’re watching over them.”

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