THE ALPHA'S UNWANTED CONTRACT

CHAPTER FOUR: THE NIGHT I FOUND MY MATE

ALPHA PATRICK

I had been drugged that night.

I was still trying to get myself together when I stumbled and found her under that big tree. My mate. I felt it the moment I marked her but before I could see her face properly she was already running and then Harry was beside me crossing my arm over his shoulder.

"Alpha here you are, the pack councils are waiting for your wedding arrangements. We need to go now."

"I'm not going anywhere. Go after her. She just ran, find her now."

"Who are you talking about Alpha?"

"My mate. I just found my mate Harry. I am not marrying that human girl."

"Alpha you need to go, the councils are waiting."

"Find out who drugged my drink tonight first. Someone did this on purpose. Find out who is behind it and bring them to me." Go and find my mate now.

Harry sends some of the pack guards to look for her while he takes me home.

The next morning Harry knocked on my door.

"Alpha Patrick, it's me."

He came in and I looked at his face before he even spoke. It wasn't convincing.

"Did you find her?"

"No Alpha. But we will keep looking."

Then another knock came immediately after.

"Alpha Patrick, we have found your mate. She is here."

I jumped down from the bed and put something on. "I'll be in my office. Bring her there right away."

I walked straight to my office and waited. When Harry opened the door he looked at me carefully.

"Alpha, she's here. Can she come in?"

"Yes. Let her in."

The door opened.

I was not prepared for what I saw.

Lydia.

I stood there for a moment just staring. How was this possible? I moved closer and shifted her hair to the side of her neck. The mark was there.

"Lydia." I stepped back. "It was really you. We grew up together. We have been in this pack for years. Why didn't I know until last night."

The mark was there so I had to believe it. But something felt wrong. I felt nothing standing in front of her. Nothing. The only thing I kept thinking about was the she-wolf I had marked in the dark. Lydia doesn't smell like her, but why does Lydia have my mark?

"Harry, leave us."

"Yes Alpha."

The door closed.

"Let's complete our bond," I said to Lydia.

She smiled. She looked genuinely happy. I was supposed to feel the same but no matter how hard I tried nothing came. I moved closer and pulled her in and bent toward her neck to complete the bond.

I stopped.

Something was blocking me. I felt nothing. Just emptiness where there should have been something.

"Let's go to your room instead," Lydia said, taking my hand. "It will be better there."

We walked to my room and I tried again. Same thing. Something kept stopping me every single time, like a wall I couldn't push through.

Then I heard a sound from the hallway.

I opened my eyes.

A woman was standing there. And that scent hit me immediately.

I knew that scent.

I was already moving toward her before I had even made the decision. With my Alpha speed we were outside under the tree before she could process what had happened. I pinned her there and my wolf was reacting in a way I couldn't control. She smelled familiar. Too familiar.

I reached for her collar to check her neck.

Nothing there.

I stepped back. She's a human. What was I thinking? It's impossible for a human to carry a scent like that. Something is wrong with me.

Then she shoved me and slapped me across the face.

"How dare you touch my collar. Is that how you behave with strangers?"

She was already walking away before I could even react. My hand went to my cheek. No one in this pack had ever raised a hand to me. Not once.

When Lydia appeared my hand was still on my face.

"Patrick." She looked in the direction the girl had gone. "Is that really the kind of wife they want you to marry?"

My eyes were still following the same direction. "There is nothing between me and her. There will never be anything. You are my mate and that is all there is. She won't last here long."

But even as I said it something felt off. Something I couldn't explain and wasn't ready to look at directly.

"Lydia, let's complete the bond later. I have reports to deal with in my office."

She nodded and left.

Harry walked in the moment I settled behind my desk.

"Alpha Patrick, I apologize. Your wife arrived very early this morning and I didn't want to disturb your sleep."

"She is not my wife. I have my mate and that human will never be my Luna. Do you understand?"

"But Alpha…"

"I said," Do you understand?"

"Yes Alpha."

"Good. I don't want her and I never will."

"Alpha, the contract between the humans and werewolves exists to maintain peace between both sides. If the council finds out you are not cooperating it could cause serious problems for the pack."

"Let it cause problems."

Harry went quiet.

"Let me ask you something, Harry. Could you live with a human wife? Sleep in the same bed? Do anything together?" I leaned back. "I cannot. She can't shift. She is not one of us. Now do you understand my position."

He said nothing.

"Get her a maid. Send Anna to her with breakfast and her wedding dress for tomorrow. After the wedding I will find a way to handle this situation."

"Yes Alpha."

He turned to leave.

"And Harry." He stopped. "No one is to disturb me for the rest of the day.”

A few minutes after Harry left I went back to my room to pick up the contract papers. Harry had left them on my desk before I woke up and I had walked out without them.

The pack maids were in the hallway and the way they were looking at me told me something was wrong. None of them said a word though.

Then I heard the noise.

It was coming from her room. I looked down at the papers in my hand and saw her name properly for the first time.

Lizzy.

The noise got louder. I moved closer and then I heard Lydia's voice and everything in me went still.

I pushed the door open.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Lydia had shifted, not fully but enough, and she was standing over Lizzy ready to attack. Lizzy had her back against the wall with nowhere to go.

I stepped between them and grabbed Lydia back.

"Stop it Lydia. You're crossing the line. You know the rules of this pack. She is not a werewolf."

"Patrick, she started it." Lydia's voice went soft immediately, tears coming fast. "You didn't hear what she said to me."

"I don't need to know what she said. Leave this room. Now. And don't ever do this again."

She opened her mouth.

"Lydia. I said leave."

She looked at Lizzy once then walked out.

I was not supposed to feel sorry for her but I did.

I could have let Lydia finish what she started, at least that would have helped me get rid of her. Problem solved. Instead here I am saving her from danger that nearly scared her heart out of her body.

When I looked at her she was still shaking. I moved closer to clean some food off her clothes and she panicked. "Please don't hurt me."

But why do I even care about this human girl? I left. I have to leave that room before I do something stupid. I was not supposed to care about her. She is a human and I have my mate.

The next morning, our wedding day, I made sure Lydia was sitting at the front. So I could remind Lizzy again that I have my mate and she should stay within her limit. There is nothing between us and nothing will ever be.

The moment she arrived at the altar she was looking prettier than I expected. After the priest finished I was not expecting what came next.

"You may kiss your bride."

My heart sank into my stomach.

I looked at Lizzy's lips. Something worth kissing. I told myself I couldn't do this. She was just a human. But what I was feeling standing next to her I had never once felt standing next to Lydia. Was my own mind confusing me?

I bent down and kissed her. I planned to make it brief and stop but the moment I started I couldn't. I was completely lost in the kiss wanting more of her.