Alpha Under the Mistletoe

PROLOGUE The town square sparkled with Christmas lights, each bulb twinkling like it knew a secret Lila wasn’t ready to hear. Snow fell softly around her, but it did nothing to warm the chill in her chest. She hugged her coat tighter, watching couples stroll past, laughing, sipping hot cocoa, perfectly happy in ways she had long stopped believing existed. And then he did it. Her boyfriend—her so-called boyfriend had chosen this perfect, snowy evening to betray her. Right there in the middle of the square, with Christmas carols playing, he kissed someone else. Lila’s heart shattered, tiny shards of hope scattering into the icy wind. She spun on her heel, ignoring the stares, ignoring the tears she refused to shed, and trudged through the snow until the glow of the square faded behind her. Alone. Again. And that’s when she felt it—a presence behind her, not threatening, not familiar, but impossible to ignore. Strong. Warm. Dominant. “You shouldn’t walk alone in a storm like this,” a voice said. Smooth, low, and carrying a weight she couldn’t place. Lila froze. Slowly, she turned, and there he was. Not her ex. Not anyone she knew. A man tall, with eyes that seemed to see right through her, and a presence that made her pulse spike in ways she hadn’t felt in years. “I… I’m fine,” she said, though the words trembled. He didn’t step back. “No, you’re not. And that’s why I’m here.” The snow swirled around them, and in that moment, Lila had no idea that her life and her heart was about to change forever.