Cassiel: When Another Alpha Enters My Territory
1184 Words
I stepped into the garage, and the mechanics—along with Finn—immediately stiffened. Since the warning I’d given yesterday, none of them dared to step out of line.
Even though their attitude toward Lune was still awkward, at least no one underestimated her anymore.
The clatter of wrenches striking metal sounded more cautious now, and the looks they gave were no longer demeaning.
I was just about to unzip the top half of my racing suit when something else—something foreign and dangerous—stabbed at my senses.
A dangerous scent.
It jolted me, instantly alert.
Another Alpha was here.
I turned slowly, my senses sharpening.
The noise of the paddock seemed to fade away, replaced by the sound of an unfamiliar heartbeat—strong and steady.
Standing at the entrance of the garage was a man I didn’t recognize.
He wore the racing uniform of a rival satellite team—the kind that usually filled the back rows. But his posture didn’t belong to a loser. Of course not. His Alpha aura was unmistakable.
I didn’t care about his looks—whether he was handsome or whatever. But the friendly smile on his face made my blood boil.
That smile hid a dangerous presence.
His Alpha energy radiated outward, making some of my human mechanics visibly uncomfortable, even though they didn’t know why.
Even Finn dropped into a chair, cold sweat breaking out as he clutched his chest, as if he were short of breath.
This bastard Alpha.
It was as if he were deliberately challenging me.
“Sorry, wrong garage?” I asked coldly, my voice echoing across the room.
The man didn’t answer right away. His eyes swept over the garage before finally stopping—
Not on me.
On Lune.
She stood a short distance away, reading data on her tablet. Before I could call out, she hadn’t sensed the danger at all. Then she looked up.
The blond Alpha locked eyes with my Lune. His gaze was like a hyena’s—curious and hungry.
“So this is your secret to speed,” the man said.
His voice was deep, carrying a faint Eastern European accent. He stepped past the boundary of my garage.
What the hell?
This was my territory. He’d crossed it without permission.
“I heard rumors about a female mechanic here. I just didn’t expect her to be this… interesting.”
He took another step toward Lune.
In an instant, I moved.
My reaction speed wasn’t human. Before he could close the distance by more than three meters, I was already standing between him and Lune.
I blocked his line of sight completely.
We stood face to face, only inches apart. The air between us tightened.
Two Alphas. Two apex predators. Meeting in a hot, noisy garage.
I felt his aura pressing down on me, trying to dominate.
Machar stirred inside me.
I felt that ancient power coil and surge, instinctively pushing back against his presence.
I clenched my teeth.
No. Machar couldn’t awaken. Not now.
“Cassiel?” Lune’s voice came, edged with worry.
The Alpha in front of me widened his eyes slightly, clearly surprised by the force of my counterpressure. He stepped back and put on a diplomatic smile.
“Drake.” He extended a gloved hand. “Reserve rider for Ironride.”
I ignored his hand. “What do you want?”
Drake withdrew it casually, as if my rejection meant nothing. “Just saying hello to a neighbor. Our paddocks are next to each other. And…”
He tilted his head, trying to peek past my shoulder. “I was curious about the sweet scent drifting into my garage.”
My hand curled into a fist.
He could smell Lune differently.
“Watch your eyes, Drake,” I growled low, quiet enough that the humans wouldn’t hear.
But loud and clear to a werewolf’s ears.
“Or I’ll make sure they stay shut permanently.”
Drake chuckled. “Relax, Champ. No need to be so possessive. I was just admiring another team’s asset. That’s allowed, right?”
“Lune is not an asset,” I snapped. “And she’s none of your business.”
Lune, finally grasping the tension, stepped out from behind me and lightly touched my arm.
“Cassiel?”
Her touch was a double-edged sword. It calmed me—and at the same time, it only sharpened Drake’s interest.
His eyes locked onto her hand against my skin.
This bastard knew there was something special about her. Maybe he didn’t know about my curse, but he could sense the power in her blood—the kind that could soothe an Alpha.
To any pack, a woman like Lune was a treasure. Or a weapon.
“Hello, Miss,” Drake greeted, his voice dropping into a smooth, seductive tone—the kind bad boys used on human women.
“Sorry if I interrupted. Your friend here seems very… sensitive today.”
Lune frowned, unaffected by his charm. Her gaze turned sharp and wary.
“We’re busy, sir.”
Cold. Perfect.
Drake looked amused. “Feisty. I like that.”
“Get out,” I ordered.
My aura exploded outward. The overhead lights flickered once. The telemetry monitors rattled on their tables.
Drake raised both hands in mock surrender, though his eyes still challenged me.
“Alright, alright. I’m going.”
He turned and walked toward the exit with infuriating calm. But just before leaving, he stopped and looked back.
His eyes met mine—then flicked briefly to Lune.
A mysterious smile curved his lips.
“See you on the track,” he said. “And maybe… elsewhere.”
After Drake left, the atmosphere in the garage slowly returned to normal, though the tension still lingered in the air.
“Who was that?” Lune asked, her voice uneasy.
I turned to face her and placed my hands on her shoulders.
“He’s nobody,” I said.
A lie. And I knew it.
Ironride. That wasn’t a coincidence. Drake was an Alpha, and no Alpha ever traveled alone. If he were here, his pack was close.
And the way he’d looked at Lune…
That wasn’t the gaze of a man wanting a woman. It was the gaze of a thief who had just found a diamond.
My heart pounded—not with fear, but anticipation.
“Cassiel?” Lune called again, pulling me out of my dark thoughts.
“You’re crushing my shoulders.”
I startled and released her immediately. “I’m sorry.”
She rubbed her shoulder and looked up at me with those clear eyes. Eyes that saw past the monster inside me.
“You’re worried.”
“Of course not. It’s nothing,” I said shortly. “Let’s go back to the mansion. Training’s over. I don’t want you staying here too long.”
Especially with a foreign wolf prowling around.
I took Lune’s hand and laced my fingers with hers, gripping tightly.
This time, I didn’t care who saw.
She was mine.
And I would kill anyone who tried to prove otherwise.
- Writer
