My Alpha Mate Is A Jerk

Chapter1

Mating Ball

The crystal chandeliers of the Highland Pack's grand ballroom cast golden light over silk gowns and tailored suits, but Aria Mason knew better than to be fooled by the glamour. Whispers followed her as she skirted the edge of the dance floor, each one a reminder that this wasn't just a mating ball – it was a carefully orchestrated display of power.

"That's Viktor Volkov's territory," a female wolf murmured, her diamonds glinting as she nodded toward the closed doors of the west wing. "No one goes down that hallway unless summoned."

Aria's steps faltered. Everyone knew about Viktor Volkov, the Alpha who'd turned the Highland Pack into the most feared supernatural pack on the East Coast. The rumors about his business dealings were bad enough, but the stories about his women – both human and werewolf – were legendary. A different one at his side every week, all of them discarded just as quickly.

She shouldn't have come tonight. First mating ball or not, some traditions weren't worth risking your life over. Her wolf pushed her to go and see if she could find her mate.

The music swelled, couples swirling across the marble floor, but a different sound caught her attention – the muffled thud of a body hitting a wall, followed by a whimper that raised her hackles. It came from the forbidden hallway.

Her wolf surged forward, desperate to help whoever was in trouble. *Don't be stupid*, Aria told herself. *Walk away*. But her feet were already moving, drawn by an instinct she couldn't fight.

The closer she got to the heavy double doors, the stronger *his* scent became – winter's night and expensive whiskey, threaded with something darker that made her pulse race. A scent that called to her wolf in ways that defied logic or self-preservation.

"Please, Alpha Volkov, I can explain—" A man's terrified voice filtered through the wood, cut off by the sound of another impact.Viktor had his arm around the waist of his latest plaything. She was touching his broad chest and rubbing against him like a cat.

"I don't accept excuses." The responding voice was deep, smooth as an aged bourbon, and utterly merciless. "You had one job. One simple task. And now you've drawn police attention to all of us."

Aria's hand trembled as she reached for the door handle. *Stop. Turn around. Run*. But her wolf wouldn't let her, desperate to be closer to that voice, that scent.

The door creaked.

Everything in the room went still. Three men in dark suits had another pressed against the wall, but Aria barely noticed them. Her entire world narrowed to the figure behind the massive desk – broad shoulders encased in a perfectly tailored black suit, dark hair swept back from a face that belonged in a Renaissance painting of Lucifer before the fall.

Viktor Volkov's steel-gray eyes locked onto her, and the air fled her lungs. He ordered the woman to leave and as she passed Aria she smirked. All Aria could do was stare at Viktor.

*Mate*.

The word echoed through her soul, beautiful and terrifying. His nostrils flared, and she saw the exact moment he caught her scent, watched his pupils dilate before his expression turned to granite.

"Get rid of him," Viktor said to his men, never taking his eyes off Aria. "Make it clean. No evidence."

The man being held whimpered again as he was dragged toward a different door. Aria should have been horrified, should have run screaming. Instead, she was frozen, caught in the gravitational pull of the monster who was apparently her fated mate.

Viktor rose from his chair with lethal grace. "Do you make a habit of interrupting private business meetings, little wolf? Or are you just exceptionally stupid?"

Her wolf bristled at the insult even as her human side registered the danger in his tone. "I—I heard—"

"You heard something that was none of your concern." He stalked toward her, each step measured and deliberate. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't have you removed from my territory permanently."

The mate bond hummed between them, growing stronger with each step he took. Aria forced herself to meet his gaze despite her trembling. "Because I'm your—"

"Don't." The word was a growl that vibrated through her bones. He was close enough now that she had to tip her head back to maintain eye contact. Close enough that his scent overwhelmed her, made her wolf howl with need. "If you finish that sentence, you won't like the consequences."

Heat rolled off his body in waves, his presence filling every inch of space until she could barely breathe. This close, she could see the war in his eyes – the human part that wanted to destroy this inconvenient bond versus the wolf that wanted to claim what was his.

"The universe has a sick sense of humor," he murmured, reaching up to trace one finger along her jaw. The touch sent electricity racing down her spine. "Sending me a mate who's foolish enough to walk into a killer's den. A mate that has no business being my mate. I'm sure you heard I like a variety in women and quite frankly little wolf you don't meet my standards."

Aria should have been terrified. Should have been running. Instead, she leaned into his touch, watched his eyes darken with hunger before his hand dropped away.

"Get out." His voice was winter itself. "If you're smart, you'll leave my territory tonight. If you're not..." His smile showed too many teeth. "Well. I've killed far prettier things than you, little wolf. I don't f**k the same b***h twice."

He turned his back on her, a clear dismissal. Aria's feet carried her backward until she hit the hallway, the door swinging shut between them with crushing finality.

She fled through the ballroom, past the glittering couples and watching eyes, her wolf howling in protest with every step that took her further from their mate. But Aria knew better than to stay. She'd seen the truth in Viktor's eyes. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her he was just as bad as her stepfather. A monster. A monster that didn't want her.

Some monsters weren't meant to be tamed, even by fate