The Alpha’s Forbidden Mate

Elera Vale' Point of View. People think working at Draven Corporation is a dream. Maybe it is—for people who belong here. I don’t. Every morning, I walk through the glass doors with my head down, coffee in one hand and stress in the other, pretending I’m not already exhausted before the day even starts. The building is too polished, too expensive, too perfect. Everything shines. The floors. The elevators. The people. Especially the people. Everyone here looks important. Confident. Powerful. Then there’s me. Elera Vale. Twenty-three. Assistant in the marketing department. Forgettable face. Forgettable position. Forgettable life. At least, that’s what it feels like most days. “Elera!” I looked up just in time to see Mina rushing toward me with heels clicking loudly against the marble floor. Her long dark hair bounced as she walked, and unlike me, she actually looked alive this early in the morning. “You’re late again,” she whispered dramatically as she grabbed my arm. “I’m two minutes late.” “That’s late in corporate language.” I snorted softly while we stepped into the elevator together. Mina pressed the button for the thirty-second floor before turning toward me with narrowed eyes. “You look terrible.” “Good morning to you too.” “I’m serious. Did you sleep at all?” I leaned against the elevator wall and sighed. “Barely.” That wasn’t unusual anymore. Lately, sleep felt strange. Restless. Like my mind stayed awake even when my body didn’t. Sometimes I woke up feeling like someone had been calling my name, though the apartment was always empty. Mina studied me for another second before softening. “You need a vacation.” “I need money first.” “That too.” The elevator opened with a soft ding, and reality hit again immediately. Phones ringing. Keyboards clicking. Voices everywhere. Another day inside the giant machine called Vale Corporation. I followed Mina out quietly, already feeling small again. “Morning, girls,” Daniel from accounting greeted as we passed. Mina smiled brightly. “Morning!” I gave a small nod. Most people here knew Mina. Most people barely noticed me. And honestly, that was fine. Being invisible was easier. No pressure. No expectations. No disappointment. I walked toward my desk near the corner of the office and sat down quietly. The computer screen lit up in front of me while I tied my hair back into a cleaner ponytail. My inbox was already full. Of course it was. I had barely started working when Sofia from management suddenly appeared beside my desk. “Elera.” I looked up quickly. “Yes?” “We need these reports brought upstairs.” Upstairs. My stomach tightened a little. The executive floors. I nodded carefully and took the folders from her hands. “Okay.” “And don’t mess anything up,” she added before walking away. I stared at her back for a second. Good talk. Mina rolled her chair closer to mine. “One day, I’m fighting her for you.” I laughed quietly. “Please don’t. I need this job.” “That woman acts like she owns the company.” “She probably wishes she did.” Mina grinned. “See? You are funny when you stop acting emotionally dead.” I shook my head, trying not to smile as I stood up with the folders in my arms. The executive floor felt colder. Not temperature-wise. Just… different. Quieter. Cleaner. More intimidating. The employees upstairs moved with purpose, dressed in expensive suits and sharp expressions. Nobody rushed. Nobody looked lost. Unlike me. I walked carefully past the reception area, trying not to look nervous even though my pulse had already started climbing. “Delivery from marketing,” I told the receptionist softly. She nodded politely. “Conference room three.” I thanked her and continued down the hallway. The deeper I walked into the executive section, the more pressure I felt building in my chest. It made no sense. It was just another floor. Another meeting. So why did it suddenly feel hard to breathe? I tightened my grip on the folders. Then I felt it. Not heard. Felt. Like the air itself shifted. My steps slowed. Something about the hallway suddenly felt too quiet. Too heavy. And before I could understand why— Someone turned the corner. Tall. Broad shoulders. Black suit. Cold eyes. My breath caught instantly. The man walking toward me looked like he belonged in a different world entirely. Calm. Sharp. Dangerous in a quiet way that made my body tense before my brain could even process it. His gaze landed on me. And everything stopped. It was ridiculous. People looked at each other every day. But this— This felt different. The pressure in my chest tightened painfully, like something invisible had wrapped around my ribs. My fingers almost loosened around the folders. His eyes narrowed slightly. Not confused. Focused. Like he recognized something. I should have looked away. Instead, I stood there frozen like an i***t. The stranger stopped a few feet in front of me. The hallway suddenly felt too small. Too quiet. Too intense. And for some reason, my heartbeat sounded unbearably loud in my own ears. His gaze slowly moved over me, unreadable and heavy at the same time. Then finally— “Who are you?” His voice was low and controlled, but it still sent chills down my spine. I swallowed hard. “E-Elera.” Something shifted in his expression. Not softness. Not surprise. Something stranger. Like my answer meant more than it should have. Behind him, another man appeared from the hallway. Slightly taller. Lighter expression. Calm eyes. But the moment he saw me— He stopped too. Silence filled the hallway. And suddenly both of them were staring at me like I had become the most important thing in the building without understanding why. My chest tightened harder. I didn’t understand what was happening. But somehow— They did.