THE CELEBRITY ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN BABY MAMA

Elena's POV “Hey, scholarship girl. You missed a spot.” The words hit me before the towel did. I looked up just in time to see a damp cleaning rag slap against the bleachers, inches from my face. Laughter echoed across the gym, loud and careless, bouncing off the polished floors like it belonged there more than I did. “I’ll get it,” I said, forcing my voice to stay light. Always light. Always polite. That was how you survived Silverwood University when you were at the bottom of the food chain. I bent back down, scrubbing harder at the invisible stain on the floor. Bleach burned my nose, my hands already raw from hours of cleaning. It was past ten, the gym nearly empty except for the Bloodmoon Pack’s star players finishing practice. And him. Caleb Sterling. Even without looking, I could feel his presence the way you feel a storm coming—pressure in the air, something heavy and electric crawling over your skin. He stood at center court, shirtless, sweat glistening on bronzed skin, muscles flexing as he laughed with his teammates. Golden boy. Celebrity Alpha. Campus royalty. And I was the girl paid to wipe up his footprints. “Careful,” another voice said mockingly. “If she looks at you too long, she might think you’re her mate.” More laughter. My stomach twisted, but I kept my head down. Mate talk was everywhere these days. It always was around Silverwood, where elite werewolves and gifted humans lived side by side, pretending fate wasn’t ticking like a bomb under everyone’s skin. I wasn’t supposed to be part of that world. I didn’t even know I had a wolf until last month. Twenty years of being ordinary, invisible, human-adjacent. That was my life. Scholarships. Three jobs. A sick mother back home who needed every dollar I sent. No time for fantasies about mates or destiny. Still, my chest tightened in a way I didn’t understand. “You okay?” Sara’s voice cut through the noise as she slipped through the side door, ponytail swinging, eyes already blazing with anger. I risked a glance up. Sara took one look at my face and then at the players, her jaw locking. “Don’t,” I whispered. She ignored me. “You done throwing things at employees now, or do you need an audience?” A few of the guys snorted. Someone muttered something about “feisty human.” Caleb’s laughter faded. Slowly, he turned. I wish I could say that moment didn’t matter. That it was just another glance, another reminder of where I stood. But the second his golden eyes met mine, the world tilted. It wasn’t dramatic. No lightning. No sparks. Just a sudden, suffocating pull in my chest, like an invisible thread had snapped tight between us. My breath hitched. His smile vanished. For one terrifying second, his eyes glowed brighter, something wild and ancient flashing beneath the surface. The gym seemed to fall silent, even the air holding its breath. Then his expression hardened. Cold. Sharp. Afraid. “What are you staring at?” he snapped. The thread burned. Pain bloomed behind my ribs, sharp and unexpected, stealing the air from my lungs. I staggered back a step, gripping the mop handle to stay upright. “I— I’m sorry,” I said automatically. “I didn’t mean—” “Don’t flatter yourself.” He looked me up and down like I was dirt on his shoe. “Just do your job.” The ache worsened, spreading through my chest, down my spine. My knees trembled. Inside my head, a voice stirred. There you are. I sucked in a breath, panic flooding me. No. Not now. Not here. You feel it, don’t you? the voice murmured, calm and impossibly strong. After all this time. I pressed my lips together, shaking my head slightly as if that could silence it. “Elena?” Sara whispered. “You don’t look so good.” “I’m fine,” I lied. But my body was betraying me. Heat rushed through my veins, my heart pounding too fast, too loud. The world narrowed until all I could see was Caleb Sterling standing there, watching me like I was a problem he hadn’t planned for. “Practice is over,” he said abruptly to his teammates. “Out.” They hesitated, surprised, then obeyed. One by one, they filed out, glancing between us with curiosity and poorly hidden amusement. I wanted to disappear. The gym doors slammed shut, leaving the three of us in heavy silence. Caleb took a step closer. The invisible thread yanked tight. I gasped. His jaw clenched. “What did you do?” “I didn’t do anything,” I said, my voice shaking. “I swear.” Sara moved in front of me without hesitation. “Back off, Sterling. She’s working.” His eyes never left mine. “Get her out of here.” “What?” Sara snapped. “Now.” Something in his tone made my stomach drop. Not anger. Fear. Sara looked at me, concern softening her anger. “I’ll walk you home.” I nodded gratefully, but before I could move, pain exploded in my chest, dropping me to my knees. “Elena!” Sara panic. I curled forward, clutching my shirt as if I could tear the feeling out of myself. My breath came in short, ragged gasps. Inside my head, the voice grew clearer. Easy, little one. Your wolf is waking. Wolf. “I don’t have a wolf,” I whispered. You do now. Footsteps approached. I sensed him before I saw him, the air thickening, my pulse reacting like it knew him better than I did. Caleb crouched in front of me, close enough that I could smell sweat and something sharper, more dangerous beneath it. “Get her to the infirmary,” he ordered. “Now.” “And you?” Sara challenged. “I said now.”