The Alpha's secret obsession

The first thing Mara Vale noticed was the blood. It ran in a thin red line beneath the bathroom door, bright against the white marble floor. She froze with one hand still wrapped around the handle of her suitcase. For three seconds, the music from the ballroom downstairs seemed to disappear. Then someone screamed. Mara dropped the suitcase. She pushed the door open. A young man lay beside the sink, one hand pressed against his throat. Blood covered his white shirt. His eyes found hers, wide and terrified. “Help me,” he rasped. Mara rushed forward. She had barely reached him when a deep voice exploded from the hallway. “Get away from him.” The command hit her like a physical blow. Mara turned. Alpha Adrian Blackwood stood at the end of the corridor. Everyone in the Blackwood pack knew his face. He was twenty-nine, feared by neighboring packs, and famous for never raising his voice because he never needed to. He wore a black suit that made his broad shoulders look even wider, his dark hair pushed back from a face carved into hard, controlled lines. His eyes were fixed on Mara. Not the injured man. Her. Mara swallowed. “I found him like this.” Adrian didn't answer. He walked toward her. One step. Two. With every step, something strange happened inside Mara's chest. Her wolf, usually quiet and cautious, lifted her head. Mate. The word flashed through Mara's mind. No. Impossible. She backed away. Adrian stopped. His nostrils flared. For the first time, his expression cracked. Shock. Mara smelled it too. Pine smoke. Rain. Something dark and warm that made her knees weak. Mate. Her wolf whispered again. Adrian's jaw tightened. “Who are you?” “Mara Vale.” His gaze sharpened. “Vale?” She nodded. The injured man groaned. Adrian looked past her, and the cold mask returned. “Call the healers.” “They're already coming,” Mara said. “Leave.” Mara stared at him. “What?” “I said leave.” The corridor suddenly filled with guards. Mara stepped aside as two healers rushed toward the injured man. She expected Adrian to follow them. He didn't. He kept watching her. It wasn't the look of a man meeting his mate. It was the look of a man who had discovered a threat. Mara turned and walked away. She didn't stop until she reached the balcony at the end of the hall. Cold night air struck her face. She gripped the railing. “Mate,” her wolf whispered. “Be quiet.” “You felt it.” “I don't care.” “You're lying.” Mara closed her eyes. She had spent twenty-two years avoiding powerful wolves. Her mother had taught her one rule above all others: never let an Alpha notice you. And tonight, the most dangerous Alpha in the region had noticed her. The ballroom doors opened behind her. She expected one of the guards. Instead, Adrian stepped onto the balcony. Mara's heart slammed against her ribs. “Why did you run?” “I needed air.” “You were afraid.” “Of you?” His eyes narrowed. “Yes.” Mara almost laughed. “You should be used to that.” He moved closer. She could smell him again. Her wolf pushed against her ribs. Adrian stopped only inches away. “Your mother,” he said. Mara's blood went cold. “What about her?” “She worked for my father.” “I know.” “No. You don't.” His voice had changed. There was something beneath it now. Anger. Maybe grief. Mara folded her arms. “My mother cleaned houses for the Blackwood family. She died six years ago. That's all I know.” Adrian studied her face. “Did she ever tell you why she left the pack?” “No.” “Did she ever tell you what she stole?” Mara stared at him. “She stole nothing.” Adrian's eyes hardened. “My father's bloodline nearly ended because of what your mother took.” “That sounds like a problem between dead people.” His expression darkened. “You're not afraid of me.” “I am.” “Then why are you standing here?” Mara opened her mouth. No answer came. Because some reckless part of her wanted to understand why the man who should have been her mate looked at her like an enemy. Adrian leaned closer. “You smell different.” Mara's pulse jumped. “So do you.” His gaze dropped to her throat. His fingers flexed at his side. For one dangerous second, the distance between them disappeared. Then Adrian stepped back. “Go home.” Mara frowned. “Why?” “Because if my pack discovers what you are, you won't survive the night.” “What am I?” He looked directly into her eyes. “My mate.” The word shattered every defense she had built. Mara couldn't breathe. Adrian turned away. “Wait.” He stopped. “You said you hated my mother. You said she stole something. If I'm your mate, why are you warning me away?” He didn't answer immediately. Then he said quietly, “Because I don't want my wolf to choose you.” He walked inside. Mara remained on the balcony, stunned. She should have left. Instead, she followed him. She reached the ballroom just in time to see Adrian approach his second-in-command, Rowan. Rowan leaned toward him. “Is she the one?” Adrian's face became unreadable. “Yes.” Rowan glanced toward Mara. “What are you going to do?” Adrian looked at her again. And Mara saw something that frightened her more than hatred. Possession. “I'll make sure nobody touches her.” Rowan frowned. “And after that?” Adrian's voice dropped. “I'll find out what her mother hid.” Mara's stomach tightened. She stepped backward. A floorboard creaked. Both men turned. Adrian's eyes met hers. He knew she'd heard. Mara ran. She reached the front doors, but they slammed shut before her fingers touched the handle. A dozen guards appeared around the entrance. Adrian walked toward her slowly. “Mara.” “Move.” “I can't.” “Why?” His eyes burned with a strange golden light. “Because someone just tried to kill you.” Mara went still. “What?” Adrian looked toward the balcony. A shadow moved behind the curtains. Then a silver arrow flew across the ballroom and struck the wall beside Mara's head. The crowd screamed. Adrian lunged. He pulled Mara against his chest as another arrow sliced through the air. And when Mara looked over his shoulder, she saw the assassin standing on the balcony. The stranger lifted his hood. Mara recognized the face. It was her mother. Mara stared at him. “My mother?” Adrian nodded once. “She was on the list of people my father accused of betrayal.” “That doesn't make sense.” “It will.” He glanced toward the ballroom. “Six years ago, my father ordered an investigation into a missing artifact. A black stone called the Moon Heart. He believed someone inside the pack had taken it.” “And he blamed my mother?” “He blamed several people.” “Why her?” “Because she disappeared the same week the stone vanished.” Mara's throat tightened. “My mother left because she was afraid.” “Of my father?” “I don't know.” Adrian studied her. “You're protecting her.” “She was my mother.” “And if she was involved?” Mara's eyes flashed. “Then I'll ask her myself.” “You can't.” “Why?” “Because she may be the reason someone tried to kill you tonight.” Mara stepped closer. “You said you wanted to know what she hid.” “I do.” “Then help me find her.” Adrian's gaze dropped to her lips for a brief second before returning to her eyes. “You have no idea what you're asking.” “Neither do you.” Something passed between them. Not tenderness. Not trust. Something more dangerous. Adrian reached up and touched the side of her neck. Mara's breath caught. His thumb rested over her pulse. “Your heartbeat changes when I touch you.” “So does yours.” He looked startled. Mara could feel it. The Alpha who frightened entire packs was not as unaffected as he pretended. Then a voice called from inside. “Alpha!” Adrian stepped away. The spell broke. They returned to the ballroom. Rowan was waiting beside the wounded man Mara had found earlier. “He's awake,” Rowan said. The young man looked at Mara. Fear crossed his face. “You.” Mara frowned. “What?” “You're the reason they came.” Adrian moved closer. “Who?” The man's lips trembled. “The people from the eastern territory.” Adrian's expression hardened. “What do they want?” The man looked at Mara. “They want the girl.” Mara felt cold. “Why?” The man whispered, “Because her mother promised them she would return.” Adrian turned sharply toward Mara. Before either could speak, every candle in the ballroom went out. Darkness swallowed the room. A woman screamed. Then something heavy struck the floor. Mara smelled blood. A voice whispered beside her ear. “Run.” She spun around. Nobody was there. Then the candles returned. On the ballroom wall, written in blood, were four words. THE ALPHA'S MATE MUST DIE. Mara stared. Adrian stepped in front of her. His wolf roared beneath his skin. But Mara noticed something else. At the bottom of the message was a symbol. A silver crescent split down the middle. Her mother wore the same symbol on her pendant. And for the first time, Mara wondered if the woman she had spent six years mourning had ever truly been on her side.