The Alpha's Pretend Mate

Uneasy Ground

The warmth of the Alpha’s home wrapped around Ivy as she stepped inside, a stark contrast to the morning chill that clung to her skin. The fire in the hearth roared, its golden light flickering across the stone walls and wooden beams. Practical, sturdy, and far too neat—Kael’s home was exactly what she’d expected from him.

“Put him here,” Kael said, his voice calm but firm, as he gestured to a low couch near the fire. His silver eyes had already settled on Liam, studying him like a puzzle he was determined to solve.

Ivy ignored the ache in her arms as she carefully eased Liam onto the couch, adjusting the tattered blanket she’d brought from the cave around him. His face was pale, his breathing shallow, but the firelight brought a faint flush of color to his cheeks. For a moment, relief flickered in her chest, but it didn’t last.

Kael stood a few feet away, his broad shoulders and imposing frame casting long shadows on the walls. He looked at Liam with a sharp, assessing gaze, and there was something unsettling about the way he watched, as though already measuring the risk.

“He’s worse than I thought,” Kael said after a long silence.

Ivy straightened, glaring at him. “Thanks for pointing that out. I hadn’t noticed.”

Kael’s gaze flicked to her, silver eyes cool and unreadable. The tension between them thickened, sharp as the crackle of the fire. Then, to her surprise, the faintest flicker of amusement crossed his face.

“I’ll send for a healer,” he said, his tone steady. “But he’d better be worth the trouble you’ve dragged into my pack.”

“He is,” Ivy shot back without hesitation. “He’s worth everything.”

Kael’s expression shifted, just slightly—an almost imperceptible softening of his sharp edges. He studied her for a moment longer before nodding.

“Stay here,” he said over his shoulder as he turned toward the door. “The healer will be here soon.”

The door shut behind him with a soft thud, leaving Ivy and Liam alone in the flickering warmth of the fire. She let out a slow breath, her muscles still coiled tight from the encounter.

“Subtle as always,” Liam murmured weakly, his lips twitching into a faint smile.

“Shut up and rest,” Ivy said, though her voice lacked its usual bite. She knelt beside him, adjusting the blanket again. “You need your strength.”

Liam’s eyes fluttered closed, but his fingers brushed hers weakly. “You really trust him?”

“No,” she admitted softly, her throat tightening. “But we don’t have another option.”

The door creaked open, pulling Ivy’s attention from the fire. A woman stepped inside, her auburn hair streaked with gray and tied back in a neat braid. She moved briskly, her satchel slung over one shoulder.

“You must be the rogue,” the woman said, her voice clipped. Her sharp brown eyes flicked to Ivy, cool and appraising.

“Ivy,” she corrected, stepping back but staying close to Liam. “Just Ivy.”

The healer crouched beside the couch, her hands moving with practiced precision. She checked Liam’s pulse, pressed her palm to his forehead, and closed her eyes for a moment, as if feeling for something deeper. Ivy hovered nearby, her stomach twisting with every silent second.

“Well?” she asked finally, her voice taut with impatience.

The healer opened her eyes, frowning. “He’s weak. Malnourished, dehydrated, and running a fever. But it’s his wolf that concerns me.”

Ivy’s chest tightened. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s muted,” the healer said, her tone grave. “Suppressed, somehow. It feels... fragmented.”

“What does that mean?” Ivy demanded, stepping closer.

“It could be illness, or something deeper. I’ll need time to figure it out.”

“Time isn’t something he has a lot of,” Ivy snapped, frustration bubbling over.

“If you want me to help him,” the healer interrupted sharply, “you’ll let me do my job.”

Before Ivy could respond, the door opened again, and Kael stepped inside. His presence filled the room immediately, his silver eyes flicking between Ivy, Liam, and the healer.

“What’s the verdict?” he asked, his tone calm but direct.

The healer straightened, brushing her hands on her tunic. “He’s stable for now, but his wolf is severely weakened. Whatever’s causing it will take time to uncover.”

Kael nodded, his expression unreadable. “Do what you need to.”

The healer gave him a curt nod and returned to her work, leaving Kael and Ivy standing in the tense silence. He gestured toward the hallway. “We need to talk. Now.”

Kael led her to a smaller room down the hall, its walls lined with shelves of leather-bound books and maps. A large wooden desk sat at its center, its surface neat and orderly. The faint scent of ink and old parchment hung in the air, mingling with the faint smoke that clung to Kael’s clothes.

“This is how it’s going to work,” he said, leaning against the desk, his silver eyes locked onto hers. “You’ll stay with your brother here in the village. You’ll act the part of my mate—attend council meetings, follow my lead, and make it believable.”

“And in return?” Ivy asked, crossing her arms and stepping closer, refusing to be intimidated.

“In return, your brother gets the care he needs, and you both have the protection of my pack.” Kael’s tone didn’t waver, his gaze steady. “But make no mistake—if you jeopardize my pack, there will be consequences.”

Ivy narrowed her eyes. “And if your pack jeopardizes us?”

Kael tilted his head, his expression almost amused. “Then you’ll deal with me.”

The weight of his words hung between them, the tension thick and unrelenting. For the briefest moment, Ivy’s gaze flicked to the curve of his jaw, the faint scar along his temple, the way the firelight softened the hard edges of his face. She shoved the thought aside, her voice cold and steady.

“Fine. But don’t think for a second that I trust you.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Kael replied, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. “But I trust you’ll keep your word.”

“Don’t mistake desperation for loyalty,” she shot back.

Kael’s smirk deepened. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Kael opened the door, gesturing for her to leave. Ivy stepped past him, her head high, her pulse thrumming in her ears. Whatever Kael was planning, whatever this arrangement demanded, she’d survive it. She had to.

Her brother’s life depended on it.