The Alpha CEO’s Forbidden Mate

THE ALPHA CEO’S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter One: The Return The first thing Lena Vale noticed about Blackthorne was that nothing had changed. The mountains still stood like dark, watchful giants beyond the town. The narrow roads still curled between thick pine trees, and the cold still carried the sharp scent of rain and earth. Even the old wooden sign at the town’s entrance looked exactly as she remembered. WELCOME TO BLACKTHORNE. Someone had painted over the letters since her last visit, but the place still felt frozen in time. Lena tightened her hands around the steering wheel. Seven years. Seven years since she had left this town with a broken heart, a suitcase full of clothes, and a promise never to return. Yet here she was. Back in Blackthorne. She glanced at the passenger seat, where her appointment letter lay folded inside a brown envelope. BLACKTHORNE WOLVES PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY ORGANIZATION Position: Sports Physiotherapist It was supposed to be a fresh start. A career opportunity. A chance to prove that she had built a life far beyond the girl who had once stood in the middle of a crowded hall while Adrian Blackthorne destroyed her pride. But the moment she saw the town sign, the past came rushing back. Adrian had been eighteen then, just like her. Tall, handsome, and already carrying himself like the world belonged to him. She had loved him with the reckless certainty of a girl who believed love could survive anything. Apparently, she had been wrong. Lena shook her head and turned up the volume on the radio. She needed to stop thinking about him. She had a job to begin. That was all. Her phone vibrated against the cup holder. Maya: Tell me you’re close. I’ve been waiting for you for twenty minutes. Lena smiled despite herself. Lena: I just passed the town sign. The reply came almost immediately. Maya: Finally! I was beginning to think you turned around. Lena: I considered it. Maya: Don’t you dare. I have food, wine, and enough gossip to keep you alive for three days. Lena laughed softly. Maya Bennett had always been like that. Loud, loyal, and incapable of allowing silence to survive around her. They had been inseparable as children. Then life had pulled them in different directions. Lena left for university, Maya pursued journalism, and their friendship became a collection of phone calls, birthday messages, and promises to visit. Now, Maya was the only reason Lena had agreed to come back. Well, Maya and the job. Definitely not Adrian. Lena drove past the familiar bakery, the old church, and the small café where she and Adrian had once shared their first kiss. Her chest tightened. She looked away before the memory could fully form. That kiss had happened behind the café after Adrian had walked her home in the rain. He had been nervous. She had teased him about it. Then he had held her face and kissed her as if she were the only person in the world. For months afterward, she had believed she was. Until the night he rejected her. Lena’s jaw tightened. No. She would not give him another piece of her mind. Not today. Her phone buzzed again. Maya: I’m outside the apartment. Hurry up. Lena turned into the residential street and pulled up beside a small cream-colored building. Maya stood near the entrance wearing a long coat, ankle boots, and a bright red scarf that looked impossible to miss. The moment Lena stepped out of the car, Maya rushed toward her. “You’re finally here!” Maya threw her arms around her so tightly that Lena nearly lost her balance. “You’re crushing me,” Lena complained, laughing. “I’m making sure you’re real. You’ve been threatening to visit for years.” “And you’ve been threatening to come to my place.” “Yes, but I’m unreliable. You’re supposed to be the responsible one.” Lena pulled away and studied her friend. “You look exactly the same.” “That’s a lie, but I appreciate it.” “You look good.” “So do you.” Maya’s eyes moved over Lena’s face. “A little too good, actually. Are you sure you’re ready to work for the man who broke your heart?” Lena’s smile disappeared. “Maya.” “What? I’m asking a valid question.” “I’m here because I got a job.” “At his organization.” “Not with him personally.” “He owns the organization.” “I’m aware.” “And he’ll probably be there.” “Also aware.” Maya tilted her head. “You could still turn around.” Lena looked toward the apartment building, then back at her friend. “No. I’m not running from him anymore.” Maya’s expression softened. “Good.” Lena reached into the back seat and pulled out her suitcase. “Besides, I’m not eighteen anymore.” “No,” Maya agreed. “You’re twenty-five, professionally qualified, emotionally wiser, and much less likely to cry over a man who thinks silence is a personality.” Lena snorted. “I never cried over him.” Maya gave her a look. “Fine. Not in front of him.” “That’s my girl.” They carried her things upstairs, talking about everything except Adrian. Maya filled her in on the town, the apartment, her latest work assignment, and the rumors surrounding the Blackthorne Wolves. According to her, the hockey organization had become one of the most successful sports brands in the country. Their players were famous, their games sold out, and their owner was rarely seen in public unless he was attending a major event. Adrian Blackthorne had transformed from a wealthy heir into a man people feared disappointing. Lena tried not to listen too closely. “He’s changed,” Maya said casually while unpacking groceries. “People say he’s colder now.” “People say a lot of things.” “They also say he’s impossible to work with.” “Then I’ll do my job and avoid him.” Maya raised an eyebrow. “You think that’s possible?” “I’m going to make it possible.” Before Maya could respond, Lena’s phone rang. She checked the screen. Dr. Ellis Grant. Her new supervisor. She answered immediately. “Hello, Dr. Grant.” “Lena? I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.” “Not at all.” “Good. I wanted to confirm that you’ll be at the training facility tomorrow morning. We have a team assessment scheduled, and I’d like you to meet the medical staff before the players arrive.” “Of course. What time?” “Seven-thirty.” Lena glanced at the clock. “I’ll be there.” “There’s one more thing. Mr. Blackthorne may sit in on the assessment.” Her stomach tightened. She kept her voice steady. “That’s fine.” “He likes to understand how the team is being managed. Don’t let his presence intimidate you.” “I won’t.” Dr. Grant chuckled. “Good. You’ll fit in well here.” After the call ended, Maya watched her carefully. “Was that him?” “No. Dr. Grant.” “But Adrian might be there tomorrow?” Lena placed the phone on the counter. “Apparently.” Maya studied her face. “How are you feeling?” “Fine.” “Lena.” “I said I’m fine.” The words came out sharper than she intended. Maya didn’t take offense. She simply nodded. “Okay. Then tomorrow, you walk in there as the best physiotherapist they’ve ever hired. You don’t owe Adrian anything. Not an explanation, not forgiveness, and definitely not a second chance.” Lena looked at her friend. “Thank you.” Maya smiled. “Now eat. You look like you’re preparing for war.” “Maybe I am.” Neither of them noticed the dark SUV parked across the street. Inside, a man sat motionless behind the wheel. His eyes remained fixed on Lena’s apartment window. He had watched her arrive. He had watched her laugh with Maya. And he had watched her carry her past into a town that had never truly let her go. His phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen but did not answer. Instead, he looked toward the apartment one last time. Then he made a call. “She’s here,” he said. A low voice answered from the other end. “Are you sure?” The man’s gaze hardened. “I saw her myself.” “And Adrian?” A pause. “Not yet.” “Then make sure he doesn’t find out before we’re ready.” The call ended. Across the street, Lena stood by the window, looking out at the unfamiliar darkness. For one strange moment, she felt as though someone was watching her. She stepped closer to the glass. The street was empty. The SUV was gone. Still, the uneasy feeling remained. Behind her, Maya called, “Lena! Your food is getting cold!” Lena turned away from the window. “It’s coming!” But outside, somewhere beyond the apartment building, a low growl rolled through the darkness. And deep inside Blackthorne, Adrian Blackthorne suddenly opened his eyes. He had been asleep. Yet he knew one thing with absolute certainty. Lena Vale had returned. And this time, something had followed her.