Page 11 of The Forbidden Alpha

My stomach cramped as we reached the gates to my personal hell. The iron bars had stopped reading as protection. Now they were a cage. The guard—built like he’d been made for this job—took his time inspecting us. Nikki blew him a kiss.

The sound of Mavy’s impatient sigh was enough; he knew better than to stall the Alpha’s daughter. He signaled the gates open. Nikki waved us goodbye as we slipped into the cobblestone driveway with minutes to spare before the evening meal. The house was unnervingly silent, the shadows of the foyer reaching out to greet me.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Mavy’s voice was soft, laced with that sisterly intuition that usually saved me, but today, it threatened to undo me.

“I’m fine, Mavy. Just… a lot on my mind.” I bit my lip, the guilt hitting me in waves.

“Well, tomorrow will be better. Nikki is doing our makeup for the ball. We’re going to be the prettiest women there.” She gave me a playful, doe-eyed look, trying to coax the old Adea back to the surface. I couldn’t fault her for being so carefree, so I gave her the most convincing smile I could.

“What if we take a walk down memory lane?” she bargained, her eyes sparking with a desperate sort of hope. “A chance to jump on Daddy’s couch like we used to? Just one more time before everything changes tomorrow?”

I stayed quiet, pretending to weigh the offer while my heart hammered against my ribs. I didn’t want to jump; I wanted to crawl into a hole. But Mavy was looking at me, trying her best to make me happy.

“Okay,” I agreed.

Her face transformed, a sly, triumphant smile breaking across her lips as she intertwined her fingers with mine and hauled me toward the oversized leather sofa.

As we walked toward it, a heavy thud of the front door echoed through the hall.

“Mavy and Adea, you two are too old to be jumping on my couch.” My spine straightened at Alpha Jaxon’s voice. My knee pressed into the cool material as my index finger dug into my palm. He made his way into the living room, his presence filling the space.

“You always spoil the fun, Daddy,” Mavy grumbled, slumping onto the sofa and crossing her arms like a child. I remained standing, awkward as I didn’t know what to do with my hands.

“Is that how you treat someone who bought you chocolates?” He held a small bag of chocolates in his hand as he walked closer. When we were younger, he’d do this after the meetings and she’d always give them to me.

“Thank you,” Mavy squealed, rushing up to him and burying herself in an embrace.

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

He reached over, pulling me into a brief hug. I went rigid. My breath hitched as his nose brushed near my hair. He scrunched his nose in a way that would have been playful if his eyes didn’t sharpen with a sudden, knowing intensity.

“You two smell like unmated males,” he said.

I stiffened. He didn’t just smell males—he smelled the aggressive, territorial musk of his son. I pursed my lips, avoiding the weight of his gaze.

“Both of us?” Mavy asked, shooting me a confused glance.

“Mavy must have rubbed off on me, Alpha,” I whispered.

Alphas were bigger, stronger, and their senses were ten times more acute than the average wolf. He saw right through my lie.

He hummed, mulling something over as Mavy ripped open the bag of chocolates.

“Well, I’m going to get started on dinner.” I laughed nervously, the skin on my arms itching with the need to get away from under his stare.

“You don’t want any chocolates?” Mavy’s silver eyes grew wide with disbelief.

“I’ll have some later if you save me any,” I said as I made my way toward the kitchen.

“Dad, where is the ball being held?” Mavy asked behind me.

“Desert Moon,” he replied.

I heard her squeal and felt her hand grab my arm again, pulling me back for a second. “We have a chance at finding our mates, Adea!” I tensed. I’d been so close to getting away.

“We never get to see the unmated males at Desert Moon,” she continued, her voice high with excitement. “They got a new Alpha about two years ago and Daddy hasn’t brokered an alliance yet.”

Everyone had heard of the Desert Moon Kingdom’s new king. He’d taken the territory by force. It was rumored to have been so bloody he left the earth stained red. While our Alpha ruled through lineage and respect, the King of Desert Moon ruled through a graveyard of those who’d dared to challenge him. To us, he wasn’t just an alpha; he was a predator of predators, a man who had devoured every smaller pack on his borders, expanding his own kingdom.