Hiding the Alpha Son

The scent of dried lavender hung heavy in my workshop. My head rested against my workbench. Sleep pulled me under, dragging me into a memory I spent six years trying to forget. In my dream, the door clicked shut. The lock snapped. I was pressed against the wall, breathless as Julian stepped into the dim light. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine. The air cracked with heat. He moved closer. His hands pinned my wrists, his touch branding my skin. "You belong to me, Clara," he whispered, his voice a rough growl vibrating against my collarbone. My body betrayed my mind. I leaned into him, craving the fire he ignited in my blood. His lips brushed my neck, trailing hot kisses to my jaw. Every logical thought melted. He claimed my mouth with a fierce kiss. My fingers tangled in his dark hair, pulling him closer. "Mommy?" My eyes snapped open. I gasped, my chest heaving as reality crashed down on me. The lingering heat of Julian's phantom touch faded into the cool draft of my botanical perfumery. I wiped a bead of sweat from my temple and turned around. Lucas stood in the doorway of the back room. My five year old son rubbed his sleepy eyes, his dark hair sticking up. He wore his favorite dinosaur pajamas. "I am hungry," Lucas mumbled, walking over to my workbench. "I am sorry, sweetheart," I said, my voice still a little shaky. "Mommy fell asleep while mixing the new rosemary batch. Let us go make some dinner." Lucas pointed at my tablet on the desk. The screen was still glowing. I had been reading the supernatural news before exhaustion took over. Right on the front page was a photograph of Julian. He wore a black suit, looking like the ruthless Alpha of the Shadow Creek Pack. His blue eyes stared right through the camera. "Who is this man?" Lucas asked, tilting his head. He leaned closer to the screen. "He has eyes just like mine." My heart slammed against my ribs. I snatched the tablet so fast I almost knocked over a vial of rose oil, turning the screen pitch black. "Nobody," I said quickly, forcing a bright smile onto my face. "Just a businessman on the news. Come on, let us go see if we have any macaroni and cheese left in the pantry." Lucas looked at me with a confused expression, but the promise of food easily won his attention. He grabbed my hand and led me toward the small kitchen connected to the shop. Cooking dinner grounded me. It was a far cry from the wild world of werewolves I had left behind. Six years ago, I fled Shadow Creek in the night. I was human. Julian was my stepbrother and the future Alpha. What happened between us was forbidden. When I got pregnant, I knew his family would never accept me as their Luna. They would take my child and raise him as a weapon. I could not let that happen. I ran, moving three states away to build a quiet life. My botanical perfumery paid the bills. I spent my days mixing oils and raising my boy. Lucas was my universe. He was a sweet child, but the wolf in him grew stronger every day. He was too fast, his hearing too sharp. Soon, hiding him would be impossible. After Lucas fell fast asleep in his bed, I walked back out to the front of the shop. Heavy rain poured from the dark sky, drumming against the large windows. I needed to finish labeling a batch of lavender bottles before morning. The quiet repetition usually calmed my nerves, but the dream of Julian still haunted my tired mind. The brass bell above the shop door chimed loudly, shattering the peaceful silence of the room. I jumped, dropping a glass bottle onto the wooden floor. It did not break, but it rolled away under a display shelf. I looked up at the antique clock on the wall. It was past ten at night. The closed sign was clearly visible on the front door. A tall man stepped into the shop, wearing a black raincoat dripping with water. He did not look like a regular customer. He stood too still, his posture rigid. My instincts screamed to run. I could smell the scent of pine and wet earth radiating from him. He was a werewolf. "Can I help you?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. I slowly reached under the counter, my fingers brushing the heavy flashlight I kept for emergencies. "The shop is closed." The tall man reached into his wet coat pocket and pulled out a thick, sealed envelope. He stepped forward and placed it directly onto the fragile glass counter. "Clara," he said. My real name felt like a painful blow. Nobody in this small town knew me as Clara. "I am a messenger from the Shadow Creek Pack. You have been served a formal legal notice." My blood ran completely cold. "I have no ties to that pack anymore. Take the letter back." "I cannot do that," the messenger replied. "Your mother owned a large plot of land near the eastern border of the pack territory. The deed recently transferred to your name. Alpha Julian is disputing your claim. He intends to annex the land. By werewolf law, you must return to Shadow Creek and defend your claim in front of the council, or forfeit the land completely." Forfeit the land? That plot contained the only wild moonflower greenhouse left in the state. My perfumery relied on those rare flowers to create my bestselling fragrances. If I lost that land, my business would fail. I could not afford to buy food for Lucas. I stared at the thick envelope, my hands trembling. If I went back, I would have to face Julian. He was no longer just my stepbrother. He was the ruling Alpha. He was dangerous and powerful. "When is the council meeting?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Three days," the messenger said. He turned around and walked out the door, disappearing into the heavy rain. I stood frozen behind the counter. My safe world was collapsing. I walked slowly to the back room and stood in the doorway of my son's bedroom. The nightlight cast a warm glow over his sleeping face. If I went back to Shadow Creek, I would have to take Lucas with me. There was no one here I could trust to watch him for a week. But taking him meant walking right into the center of the pack. It meant bringing him face to face with the Alpha. Julian would see the boy. He would see the piercing blue eyes looking back at him. He would realize the truth. I walked over and gently brushed a dark curl away from my son's forehead. A fierce, deep protective instinct flared inside my chest. I had to fight for my land to keep my business alive, but I also had to protect my child from a ruthless Alpha. My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket, making me flinch. I pulled it out and looked at the glowing screen. It was an unknown number, but the code belonged to Shadow Creek. I hesitated, my thumb hovering over it. With a deep breath, I answered the call and pressed the phone to my ear. "Hello?" I whispered. Silence greeted me for a long moment. Then, a deep voice sent a shiver down my spine. "I know you are hiding something, Clara," Julian murmured through the speaker. "And I will tear your life apart until I find out what it is. See you in three days." Before I could speak, the line went completely dead.