Reborn as the Alpha CEO's Contracted Wife

"You have two minutes to explain why you bypassed my security" Alpha Alex Graham said. He sat behind a black desk. His eyes turned gold with irritation. "I have a business proposition" I replied. I stepped forward. I put a fifty-page document on his desk. "I need protection and money. You need an Alpha to keep your board seat on Friday at 5:00 PM. We sign a marriage contract today." I felt a sharp pain in my stomach as I woke up in the morning because of the poison. Dave Winslow, my mate and Jane Lincoln my stepsister killed me on December 15th. Today is the 15th of November which means I woke up in my bed thirty days ago. My body felt perfectly healthy. I have thirty days before they kill me. I spent the morning writing this contract. I spent the afternoon walking into the headquarters of Graham Enterprises. Alex looked at the document. He did not pick it up. "Graham Enterprises needs an Alpha to keep majority shareholder voting rights" I said. "Your uncle owns forty percent of the company stock. He plans to vote on Friday to remove you from the CEO position. If you present a wife the company rules protect your seat." Alex leaned back in his leather chair. "You did your research, Mary Lincoln" he said. "I studied your company rules" I replied. "Why come to me?" he asked. "Because Dave Winslow wants my family inheritance" I said. "He is your rival. If he gets the Lincoln pack assets his company will overtake Graham Enterprises. I want to bankrupt him. You want to dominate the market. Our goals fit perfectly." Alex stood up and walked around the desk. He was six feet and four inches tall and i had to tilt my head back just to look at him. He showed his Alpha power. The physical pressure hit me hard. The air in the room got heavy. My knees locked. My wolf wanted to submit and expose my throat.. I did not yield. I stood firm. "Your power will not work on me Alex" I said. He then raised his eyebrows which increased the pressure. My lungs burned. My heart beat fast. He searched for fear. I felt anger. Anger at Dave. Anger at Jane. Anger at myself for dying "Stop doing that" I said. My voice was flat and hard. "We are business partners, not enemies." Alex blinked. The pressure vanished. He smiled a smile. "You have control" Alex said. "Most un-mated wolves drop to their knees within three seconds." "I am not wolves" I replied. "Let us review the terms" Alex said. He picked up the contract. "You want two million dollars transferred to an account." "I need assets to stop Dave from buying the downtown commercial lots tomorrow" I said. "He plans to bid 1.5 million. I will outbid him by five hundred thousand." "And in return?" Alex asked. "I give you thirty percent equity in those properties. I also give you the coordinates of the silver mine Dave discovered on the northern border" I replied. Alex stopped reading. He looked up. "The northern territory is regulated. How do you know about a mine?" "I know many things" I said. "Dave plans to start mining operations on November 20th. If you report him to the Werewolf Council on November 21st they will confiscate his equipment. Fine him ten million dollars." Alex closed the folder. "You hate him" he said. "I want him ruined" I replied. "You are taking a risk" Alex said. "If my uncle discovers this marriage is fake I lose my company. If Dave discovers you are feeding me his secrets he will kill you." "He will try" I corrected. "That is why I need your protection. I move into your penthouse tonight. You assign two of your guards to me. We make our public appearance at the charity gala tomorrow evening." Alex tapped his fingers on the desk. He calculated the risks. "Your stepsister, Jane Lincoln handles relations for Daves company" Alex said. "I received a press release this morning. It stated you and Dave plan to announce your mating ceremony at the gala tomorrow." "Jane wrote that press release to corner me" I said. "Dave wants access to the Lincoln pack trust fund. I turn twenty-one at midnight tomorrow. The trust fund unlocks then. If I mate with Dave he becomes the proxy of my accounts. The trust contains fifty million dollars." Alexs expression turned serious. "Fifty million" he said. "Yes" I replied. "If you marry me instead what happens to the trust?" Alex asked. "The Lincoln pack bylaws dictate that my husband becomes the signatory" I said. "However my contract clearly states you waive all rights to my personal trust fund. I retain control. I will use that money to fund my ventures and bankrupt Daves subsidiaries." "You are asking me to start a pack war" Alex said. "I am giving you the information to win a pack war before Dave even realizes we are fighting" I replied. Alex walked back to his chair. He sat down. He looked at me for a minute. The office was silent. I listened to the city traffic outside. I did not move. "Dave Winslow is ruthless" Alex said. "He bankrupted the Miller pack year. He will not let fifty million dollars walk away." "He will not have a choice" I said. "He will challenge me to an Alpha duel" Alex said. "You are stronger than him" I replied. "You won the combat tournament three years in a row. Dave pays off his opponents. He lacks combat experience." Alex opened a drawer. He pulled out a pen. He looked at the contract again. "Clause four" Alex said. "It states we must share a residence but maintain bedrooms." "We are business partners" I said. "The Werewolf Council conducts inspections for newly mated Alphas" Alex said. "If an inspector arrives at my penthouse and finds you sleeping in a room we both go to prison for fraud." I tightened my jaw. "We share a bedroom" Alex continued. "You can sleep on the couch. We can buy a larger bed.. There will be no separate rooms." "Fine" I said. "We share a room." "Clause seven" Alex said. "You want me to fire my Head of Public Relations and hire you." "I need a reason to be inside your corporate headquarters every day" I said. "It provides the cover for us to plan our attacks on Daves business. Furthermore your current PR head is incompetent. He mishandled the scandal involving your factory workers month." Alexs jaw tightened. "He is a pack member" he said. "Loyalty does not fix a supply chain or a damaged public image" I replied. "I will increase your approval ratings by twenty percent within six months." "You have no experience, Mary" Alex said. "I spent three years watching Dave and Jane manipulate the media" I replied. "I know how they operate. I will use their methods against them." Alex stared at me. He read the fifty-page document. It took him twelve minutes. I stood in front of his desk. I did not check my phone. I did not shift my weight. Alex finished reading. He picked up the pen. He signed his name on the page. He flipped back to the trust fund waiver. Signed that page as well. "The contract is valid" Alex said. He stood up. He walked around the desk again. He did not show his power. His presence commanded the room. He walked up to me. He stopped than six inches away. I raised my head and looked up to him. Alex leaned down. His face hovered inches, from my neck. I felt his heat. I made sure to hold my breath. His expression shifted from a CEO to a predatory Alpha. "You smell like the woman Dave claimed as his fated mate yesterday" Alex said softly. His voice sounded darker and deeper. "Tell me, Mary. Why do you carry the scent of my rival on your skin?"