The Alpha's Secret Mate

chapter 13

“Then I’m glad you wanted to experience it with me. Tell me… what else haven’t you tried?” I asked, my curiosity impossible to hide.

She froze for a heartbeat, her wide eyes lifting to meet mine before darting away again. A faint blush crept across her cheeks. “Uh… I think the list is endless,” she admitted softly, a nervous smile curving her full lips.

My gaze caught there, lingering longer than it should have. Those lips were distracting in ways I didn’t care to admit. Slowly, I dragged my eyes back to hers.

I had only met her a few hours ago, yet my thoughts were already straying into dangerous places—visions of stolen moments, whispered confessions, and all the firsts I wanted to claim beside her.

But she was cautious, wrapped tightly in walls built long before I arrived. I could see it in the way she held herself, the hesitation in every glance. Winning her trust would take time. Patience. Care.

And for her… I was willing to wait.

Because one thing was certain—she was staying with me from now on.

Drake purred inside me, fully pleased with that decision.

“I see,” I murmured. “Then write me a list.”

Her brows lifted in confusion. “A list? Why?”

A slow smile touched my lips. “You’ll know soon enough.”

I wanted to be the one who stood beside her through every untouched experience. The one who watched wonder light up her eyes. The one she reached for first.

The thought alone sent a strange, boyish thrill rushing through me.

Half an hour later, Luana had fallen asleep. Her breathing softened into a peaceful rhythm as I carried her to the bed inside my private jet—the one I usually reserved for long flights.

I laid her down carefully, then sat at the edge of the mattress, unable to pull myself away.

For a long moment, I simply watched her chest rise and fall, steady and serene, like gentle waves kissing the shore beneath moonlight.

Her long lashes cast delicate shadows over cheeks still warm with fever, while her dull grey eyes remained hidden beneath heavy lids. She looked tired—far beyond the weariness of one difficult day. It was the kind of exhaustion carved into the soul after years of surviving too much.

A strange fear tightened in my chest.

If I wasn’t careful with her, she would break in my hands like thin glass.

Strange.

“I can’t understand her,” Drake growled inside my head, restless and frustrated. His attention was fixed on Luana’s wolf, but mine had already drifted elsewhere—to the bruises scattered across her skin, slowly fading beneath the cream I had spread there moments ago.

Her healing was far too slow for a wolf. Even the weakest among our kind recovered quicker than this, and some were blessed with natural regeneration. Yet Luana possessed none of it.

It was almost as if she were human.

But that thought made no sense.

Her scent still carried the unmistakable force of an Alpha, rich and commanding. Her aura wrapped around the room like a silent storm. No ordinary human could hold such power.

Something about her was wrong. Or perhaps… hidden.

She also seemed utterly unaware of the mate bond tying us together. She hadn’t spoken of it once, hadn’t shown the slightest reaction. Perhaps she was trying to reject it. But no… that explanation felt hollow.

The truth was simpler.

She didn’t know I was her mate.

I reached for Grey through the pack link, my command sharp and immediate.

“Get me everything on Luana.”

“Already working on it,” Grey answered at once. “I knew you’d ask. That girl seems very important to you now.”

My gaze returned to Luana, to the fragile stillness of her sleeping form.

“She is”.

Grey continued, “I’ve already ordered the files.

“It will all be on your desk before the week ends,” he said cooly.

Silence followed.

Grey was many things—efficient, loyal, quick-minded. But above all, he understood when not to ask questions.

That was precisely why I had chosen him as my Beta.

He knew what I wanted before the words even left my tongue—a trait that was as useful as it was unsettling.

"Keep me updated on the Southern pack," I added, my voice low. "Smith is a cunning man; don't give him an inch."

"And do you think it was the best decision? Breaking the deal?" he asked. The irritation was no longer hidden; it was vibrating in the air between us. He wasn't just skeptical; he was angry.

I felt my brow furrow, my jaw tightening instinctively. "I will not maintain alliances with those who lay a hand on my mate."

"Figures," he snapped, pacing the small space. "I understand your loyalty, Alpha, but you made a rash decision. Now, we don’t just have a displeased neighbor—we have the Council to answer to." He stopped, fixing me with a hard stare. "We’re already bled dry from the project. People are hungry. The pack is suffering. Do you honestly think they can bear the impact of what you just did?"

I wanted to snap at him, to pull rank and remind him who led this pack. But the words died in my throat. I couldn't reprimand him for the truth. I had let the wolf take the lead, acting on raw, jagged emotion the moment I saw Luana’s face. In that second, the world had shrunk down to her pain and my need for vengeance.

Now, the nerves had cooled, leaving behind the cold, hard weight of reality.

The Council wasn't some ordinary pack I could simply charge in an afternoon of war. They were the architects of our world—the law itself. If you pulled a thread from their tapestry, the whole thing began to unravel like a domino effect.

I knew their reputation. They didn't just govern; they hunted. They had been looking for a reason to dig their claws into us for months, waiting for any sign of instability. They took pride in destroying independent packs, breaking the strong until they had no choice but to kneel in total submission.

And I had just handed them the shovel to dig our graves.

"I’ll find a way through this," I said, my voice anchored by a confidence I had to force myself to feel.

"We have to," he replied, his tone grim. "Because you realize the alternative, don't you? If the Council squeezes us any harder, you’ll be forced to collaborate with Smith."

"I won't let it come to that," I growled. The thought of an alliance with that man tasted like ash. I turned my attention to the sleeping woman beside me, tracing the line of her cheek with the back of my hand. The skin was soft, a stark contrast to the violence of my thoughts. "Nobody will hurt you again," I whispered, a vow intended for her ears alone. "I promise."

Luana

Time had slipped away from me in a haze of exhaustion. When the world finally drifted back into focus, I realized I was in the back of the car, the rhythmic hum of the engine vibrating beneath me. My head was pillowed against something warm and incredibly solid—his shoulder.

He felt like granite beneath me, steady and unyielding. As I stirred, I lifted my gaze only to collide with his. His eyes were a storm of dark emotion, beautiful and terrifying all at once. For a heartbeat, the proximity stole my breath.

Then, the reality of the situation crashed down on me.

I adjusted upright, my heart beating against my ribs. "I—I am so sorry!" I stammered, my face heating until it felt like a physical burn. "I didn't mean to... to overstep. I didn't mean to crowd you."

I squeezed my eyes shut, mortified. What is wrong with me? "Lamb, calm down." His voice was low, laced with a slight frown that I could hear even without looking at him. "I'm not offended.”