Bound to the Alpha Racer

His Authority, My Battlefield

The smell of burned rubber, lubricant, and high-octane fuel was something I had missed these past few days. After being cooped up in Cassiel’s mansion, he finally brought me back to the circuit.

But today, the scent felt suffocating. My body tensed the moment we arrived. Because I knew one thing for sure—I wasn’t welcome here.

Cassiel’s team garage was no place for the faint-hearted. The walls vibrated with the roar of impact wrenches. Mechanics shouted rough, crude words as they moved back and forth, carrying slick tires still wrapped in tire warmers.

The air was thick with raw testosterone.

And me? I was nothing more than a rusted plaque on the wall. Decorative. Useless.

“Hey, brunette,” Fin’s voice came from behind me. “You missed a spot on the rear rim. Scrub it until I can see my reflection.”

His tone was friendly but dripped with mockery.

I clenched my teeth, my hand tightening around the microfiber cloth. “My name is Lune. And I’ve already cleaned it twice.”

“Do it again,” Fin smirked.

He dropped a dirty rag right onto my shoe. “That’s the only use for those ‘mechanic’ hands of yours around here.”

I wanted to throw a wrench at Fin’s face.

Really.

But I remembered my place. I wasn’t just Lune, the daughter of a garage owner, anymore. I was here because Cassiel had given me a chance.

I swallowed my anger and turned back to the carbon rim, scrubbing harder.

This was nothing compared to breaking Machar’s curse from Cassiel’s body.

But as I crouched beside Cassiel’s bike, something caught my eye. Something was off with the rear suspension.

“Fin,” I called, forcing my voice to stay neutral.

Fin was joking around with another crew member near the telemetry table. He glanced over lazily. “What? Break a nail, sugar?”

Laughter erupted across the garage.

Bastard.

My face burned, but I kept my anger under control. I stood and pointed at the shock absorber.

“The rebound setting is too slow for this track. And the air temperature is high,” I said firmly, locking eyes with Fin. “Cassiel’s going to lose traction. He’ll high-side.”

Silence fell.

The crew exchanged looks. For a second, I thought they were actually listening.

Then Fin stepped forward, intimidating. He stopped right in front of me and leaned down slightly, staring at me like I was a bug stuck on a windshield.

“Listen, sugar,” Fin hissed.

His finger jabbed hard into my shoulder, forcing me back a step.

“You’re here because of your pretty face. And because Cassiel needed a new toy,” Fin clicked his tongue. “Don’t ever think you know more than us.”

“This is technical. Just check the data and—”

“Shut your mouth!”

Fin’s voice echoed through the garage, bringing everything in the paddock to a halt. Every pair of eyes turned toward us.

“You’ve never even set foot in a mechanical school, woman!” he barked. “Go back to your corner, polish rims, and make yourself look pretty. Or get the hell out of my garage!”

I froze.

Shame and helplessness spread through my chest. Not because I was wrong, but because I was powerless against this stupid hierarchy. In their world, I was an intruder—and a woman.

Then, from the wide-open garage entrance, a tall silhouette appeared.

The noise died instantly. Even the crew seemed to stop breathing. At the same time, that calming scent reached me.

Cassiel.

He still wore the lower half of his leather racing suit. The top was tied around his waist, revealing a tight black T-shirt stretched over his muscular frame.

Cassiel stepped inside, his movements quiet and lethal. His eyes locked onto Fin, who was standing far too close to me.

Everyone looked terrified—not just because Cassiel was the team’s lead rider, but because something else radiated from him.

Alpha aura.

That was what Carlyn and Aislin had explained to me. A pressure in the air that made your knees weak just by being near him.

“Whose garage is this?” Cassiel asked, cold and sharp.

Fin, who moments ago looked like a raging bear, visibly shrank. “Cassiel, I was just disciplining—”

Cassiel scoffed and raised one hand, silencing him. Then he stopped directly in front of me.

“Lune?” Cassiel called softly.

My heart raced. Was he angry at me for causing trouble? I had promised I’d behave in the paddock.

Cassiel studied my face, scanning for tears. When he found none, his jaw loosened slightly.

Without warning, Cassiel wrapped an arm around my waist, possessive and intense, pulling me hard against his side.

Then he turned us to face Fin and the crew, who now stood frozen and pale.

“Who gave you permission to speak to Lune like that?” Cassiel’s voice was low and flat, but razor-sharp.

Fin stammered, cold sweat beading on his forehead. “She… she interfered with the bike setup, Cassiel. Tried to lecture us. I was just reminding her of her position here.”

Cassiel’s grip tightened, a low growl vibrating in his chest. This wasn’t just an embrace.

It was a claim.

In front of dozens of men, in this territory ruled by masculinity, Cassiel marked what was his.

“Listen carefully, because I won’t repeat myself,” Cassiel said, his gaze sweeping the room.

Every man lowered his eyes.

“This bike,” Cassiel nodded toward it, “will not start, leave this garage, or touch the asphalt unless she says it’s okay.”

Sharp breaths were sucked in across the room.

Cassiel had lost his mind. Giving technical authority to an outsider like me could cause chaos.

Cassiel’s eyes settled on Fin. “Do you know what her position is now, Fin? She holds my key. Lune is the brain behind the machine you maintain. Insult her, and you insult me.”

Cassiel exhaled slowly. “One more word out of your mouth to demean Lune, and you’re off my team. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes, Cassiel,” Fin replied shakily, completely broken.

Cassiel snorted and turned to the suspension crew. “And about the suspension—check what Lune said. Fix it. Now.”

The crowd dispersed instantly. No one dared look at us. They returned to pretending to work, though I knew their ears were still tuned in.

Cassiel didn’t let go of me. Instead, he turned and guided me away from the bike, toward a quieter corner of the garage behind a stack of tires.

Once we were out of direct sight, my knees finally gave out. I trembled.

Cassiel noticed. He leaned his back against the wall and pulled me between his legs. His large hand slid from my waist to my jaw, lifting my face so I had to look at him.

His gaze was intense, but warm.

“You’re shaking,” he murmured, his thumb brushing my cheek.

“I… I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” I whispered.

Cassiel’s eyes softened. A faint smile tugged at his lips. “I know.”

He leaned down, his face so close our noses almost touched. I could smell peppermint and danger clinging to him.

“From now on, lift your chin, Lune,” he said, half command, half promise. “Never let them make you feel small. In this circuit, in this world… you’re mine.”

My eyes burned. It sounded like fate.

“Now,” Cassiel said, shifting back into focus, “wait for me in the motorhome. I’ll finish qualifying, then we go home.”

I could only nod, watching his broad back walk back into the battlefield, leaving me frozen with my heart pounding wildly.

God… did I just give my heart to the devil of the circuit?