Mesmerised by the Alpha

Chapter 27. The Alpha's Watch Pt. 2

I told Dana that Jasmine was my mate.

She didn't react how I expected—no gasp, no questioning look, just a dry nod and a faint smirk. "I already had a feeling," she said. "You make it too obvious."

Too obvious.

The words hit me like a blow to the gut. That wasn’t just dangerous—it was reckless. I’d worked so hard to keep my identity buried, to keep Titan and our world behind the curtain. And now, one look at my face could give the whole damn game away.

If Dana could see it… others could too. Hunters. Vampires. Ezra.

I’d been training to be Alpha since I was barely more than a boy, learning to be a leader by necessity rather than choice. I’ll never forget the night my world collapsed—receiving a mindlink from my Father's Beta, the silence in Nora’s voice.

My parents had been ambushed on their way to a private Alpha summit. We never found their bodies. Just shredded clothes, silver-tainted soil, and claw marks that didn’t belong to wolves. They were betrayed. Sold out. By one of our own.

At the time, there were only whispers—rumours of a new leader rising among the Vampire nations. Ezra. My dad had spent months gathering intel, tracking disappearances across the north. Rogue wolves and smaller packs were vanishing without a trace. Some wiped out completely. Quiet villages gutted in a single night.

It had Ezra's stink all over it.

Everyone knows wolves and vampires have never exactly been best friends. Wolves build packs—families. Vampires? They move alone, cold and selfish, feeding and discarding like we’re all expendable. And they’re messy. They leave corpses behind for humans to find, half-drained and twisted, drawing attention we can’t afford.

But Ezra? He was different. Strategic. Ruthless. He’d united factions that had been warring for centuries. He wasn’t just consolidating power—he was preparing for war. A war against us. The werewolves.

And if he ever found out I was the Alpha of the country’s largest pack, I’d be target number one.

Which is why I’d kept it hidden. For years, I wore my role like armour under my skin—silent, watchful, invisible. Until Jasmine.

When George invited me to the BBQ at St Amstein, it was a perfect opportunity for me. A chance to observe the workers, sound out the atmosphere at the hotel—and, more importantly, spend time near Jasmine without drawing too much suspicion.

I knew most of the others staying at the hotel were men. I wanted to make my presence known. Subtly, yes—but firmly. Jasmine was mine. I didn’t want there to be any confusion.

And blessings to the Moon Goddess… when I saw her.

That first glimpse—she ran to the pool, laughing, bare feet slapping the wet concrete, and threw herself in like a bloody sea goddess. Her hair fanned out around her as she surfaced, droplets catching in her lashes, cheeks flushed from the sun.

Titan nearly lost it right there. I had to fight every instinct not to stride in and claim her on the spot.

As I made my way through the crowd, I heard the whispers trailing in my wake. “Who is he?” “Is he a worker here?” The usual curiosity.

But I had my eye on one man in particular—the first one to approach Jasmine. The way he offered to partner with her in the pool game, the way his gaze lingered just a moment too long on the curve of her waist.

I didn’t hesitate. “Actually, I’ll team up with her.”

It wasn’t a request.

He stepped back, annoyed. Good. Let him be.

The game itself was a blur—sunlight, water, her laughter echoing in my ears. Her friends were good to her, I could tell that straight away. Loyal. Protective. Dana confirmed they weren’t hunters, which eased some of the tension winding through my chest.

And then she got distracted.

Some girl at the side of the pool was staring at me—Stella, I think—and Jasmine noticed. The flicker of irritation in her eyes, the way her smile faltered just slightly. It was quick, but I saw it. She was jealous.

That was when I knew.

The mate bond was waking in her, whether she understood it or not. She felt something for me. The thread was pulling taut between us, humming with potential.

And then Ashton spoke to her.

The boy hadn’t uttered a word to anyone outside the pack in over a year. But he talked to Jasmine. Full sentences. Laughed. Nora looked like she’d seen a ghost, and I couldn’t blame her. Even I was stunned. But more than that—I was warmed.

That’s what Jasmine does. She draws people in. Makes them feel safe. I’d seen it before, but this... this was different.

Of course, it couldn’t all be perfect.

Nick.

I’d picked up his scent the second he arrived. Smelt the alcohol on his breath, the aggression in the way he moved. When he cornered Jasmine, something primal snapped inside me. I barely held Titan back.

It was lucky that Nate stepped in, telling him to back off. But it wouldn’t last. Men like that don’t listen.

I warned Jasmine to be careful. She nodded, but I could see the confusion in her eyes. The questions.

The next day, Nora mindlinked me.

“She came by the shop,” she said. “Asking to speak to Ashton.”

My heart sank. I’d hoped she’d brushed off his cryptic comment—chalked it up to a child’s imagination. But she was smarter than that. She was digging.

If Ashton slipped up—said too much—it could unravel everything.

I ran.

I was halfway through the woods when I bumped into Stella. She fell into step beside me, asking questions, tossing her hair like she thought I cared. I tried to be polite. Said I was in a hurry. But she didn’t get the hint, and I didn’t have time to waste.

I left her in the dust.

By the time I reached the shop, Jasmine was already outside, looking tense. Titan surged forward when he saw her, desperate to close the gap, to nuzzle her and make things right.

But then Stella appeared.

Perfect timing.

The tension between them was instant. Jasmine’s jaw tightened, her arms folded. Stella sauntered up beside me like she owned the place, all smirks and false innocence. Jasmine made her excuses and left. Quickly. Too quickly.

It stung more than I expected.

I turned to Stella, fire in my chest.

“I’m not interested in you,” I said flatly. “I never have been. The only girl I want is Jasmine. Don’t try to come between us again.”

She blinked, stunned by the bluntness, before turning on her heel and storming off.

Good riddance.

I texted Jasmine later. Told her it wasn’t what it looked like. That I needed to explain. No reply.

Titan paced relentlessly in my mind, urging me to go to her. To find her. To explain. I couldn’t sit still. That evening, I made my way through the trees, hoping for a glimpse of her.

I found her.

She was curled up in a swing seat with Nate. A bottle of wine between them. Laughing. Relaxed. And then… he kissed her.

Titan roared.

I lost control.

He burst free, shifting before I could stop him, crashing through the undergrowth. All I could think about was sinking our teeth into Nate’s throat.

But Jasmine seemed terrified.

And when she ran to George.

Only then—only when she touched another—did Titan relent. I backed off, vanishing into the forest, leaving Nate shouting after me like an i***t.

I didn’t stop running until I collapsed into my bed, heart broken, Titan howling in despair.

I couldn’t leave it like that.

The next day, I returned to the woods. Sat in the tree line, waiting. Hoping.

Nothing.

Hours passed. I almost gave up. I ended up spending the night curled under a tree.

Then I picked up her scent. She was near. Running.

Titan perked up instantly, ears twitching. We followed at a distance, watching her move through the undergrowth, graceful and strong. She stumbled across a pit—an old hunter trap—and climbed down to rescue a whimpering wolf pup.

My heart stopped.

The pup was fine, but its mother was near—and furious.

I caught her scent moments before I heard the snarl.

Jasmine froze.

I didn’t hesitate. Launching myself between them, baring my teeth, warning the mother off. She hesitated, then turned away, melting into the trees.

And then it happened.

Jasmine stepped closer. Slowly. Carefully.

She reached out—and touched me.

Ran her fingers through my fur.

And for the first time in my life, everything went still.

Titan—silent.

My heart—slowing.

The whole world narrowed to the feel of her hand on my head.

She didn’t flinch.

Didn’t run.

She chose to touch me.

But before I could react, she stepped away. Saying she had to get back.

And left.

Leaving Titan and me standing there, caught between agony and awe.

I glanced up through the trees, the morning sun casting long golden fingers across the forest floor. Somewhere in the distance, birds stirred in the underbrush. A squirrel chattered above me. Normal life.

But nothing was normal anymore.

I shifted back into human form behind a thicket and pulled on the clothes I’d stashed nearby. My body ached from the transformation—more from the emotional weight than the physical shift. I ran a hand through my hair, breathing in the forest one more time before heading back toward town.

She was safe, for now. And she’d saved a pup. My heart swelled at the thought.

There was no denying it anymore. The way she spoke to the wolves like they could understand. The tenderness in her voice. The way the black wolf—me—stood between her and death, and she hadn’t run. Hadn’t screamed. She’d trusted him. Trusted me.

The bond was growing. Stronger with each encounter.

But so were the dangers.

Because Jasmine Green had no idea that she wasn’t just caught between a hotel and a forest. She was caught in a war.

And whether she realised it or not—she was right at the centre of it.