Mated To My Cheating Ex's Alpha Uncle

Refuge In The Shadows

Elena’s POV:

In the blink of an eye, I had graduated from high school. And to me that was the start of my new life.

After I had gotten my diploma,I packed my bags and left the academy for good. My family said nothing as they watched me walked away.

I needed money to survive, so I applied for a live-in job at a quiet estate far outside our pack borders.

I arrived there in about three hours, by bus. The heavy gates shut behind me, locking out my past. The big house sat in the center, surrounded by stone walls and tall trees.

The head housekeeper met me at the door. She had a stern look on her face.

"Listen to me," she whispered pulling me inside, my bags dragging behind me. "The master here is Caleb. He is an alpha with a rough past, and he is a very strict scary man. If he tells you to do something, you do it. Keep your head down and stay out of his way."

"I understand” I nodded quietly.

Winter bled into spring and I still hadn’t interacted with Master Caleb. My family never called me either. I worked hard from dawn until late at night, scrubbing floors and cleaning religiously just to keep my mind off things.

Late at night I would hear his heavy footsteps upstairs, or catch his tall shadow by the library window staring out into the quiet night view as the other workers only spoke of him in terrified whispers.

Unlike the wolves at school, Caleb just watched me with calm amber eyes. He didn't seem to care about the wolf inside me, just about the chores I do and the work he paid me for.

One stormy night changed everything.

While cleaning the library, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me.

I stumbled, catching myself before I hit the ground. My stomach grumbled and I realised I hadn't eaten all day. I continued to sweep the library, only this time, hastily so I could finish, eat and rest.

I hurried towards the encyclopedia section. Rows of heavy foreign books Caleb collected, my vision spun and I grabbed the shelf next to me to balance myself, but it gave away sending the books and me crashing down together.

Before I hit the ground, strong, firm, hands caught me.

I gasped and looked up.

It was Caleb, looking entirely startled and irritated.

When I crashed toward him, he had grabbed me by the shoulders to steady us, and we both nearly lost our balance and fell to the floor.

For the first time, I saw Caleb up close. He had faint scars on his face, which surprisingly complimented his amber eyes.

Instead of yelling, Caleb's jaw just tightened as he awkwardly pulled me up.

"Stop passing out on my floors" he grumbled, his grip firm and slightly annoyed as he practically carried me into the staff room and dumped me onto the sofa. "I pay you to clean the estate not give me heart attacks in the hallway."

After a while, he took me by my arm and dragged me to the kitchen. He poured a mug of hot choco from a silver kettle and shoved it into my hands.

"Drink” Caleb ordered, his voice deep and low. "Don’t you think you’re working too hard? If you collapse in my house who will do the chores?"

His tone sounded harsh, but his eyes held a strange warmth.

"Thank you Master Caleb" I whispered, holding the warm mug tight.

Caleb stared at me for a long moment before he turned and walked back into the shadows.

Over the next few months that one moment changed things.

Bit by bit, the feared master began leaving extra food for me in the kitchen and placing rare books on my desk.

Beneath his scary look, Caleb was nice and protective.

As I sat by the fireplace at night reading his books, I realized I was falling head over heels for the most feared man in the territory.