The Alpha’s Spy

The Bait

RIA’S POV

The shimmering material of my dress from the night before stuck to me like a second skin. My reflection suddenly now an illusion refusing to melt away no matter how long I stared.

I traced my palms up and down its smoothness, my mind trying to stop the events from what had happened the night before at the ballroom. Images of Diana in her expensive dress of lavender and white crawled into my mind. The glittery material I’d wished was mine, swept across the stairs as she walked into Carlos’s arms when he’d pronounced her his mate.

Instantly at the thought of that, I felt a sharp pain in the chest like I’d been cut through by a knife. One I’d wished had indeed happened.

I made my way into the mansion with my arms wrapped tightly around myself in the cold, remembering the day apparently, was meant to be my 18th birthday. A stinging ache at the center of my forehead precedes the movement of my eyelids as I felt my senses heighten at the thought of turning 18.

“Ria!” A familiar voice called out to me from a distance. The hair on the back of my neck stood out at the sound of that voice.

That deep, callous voice, one that made the steadiness of my wolf altered. That even without being told, I could already tell who it was

Carlos…

I slowly turned on my heel to see him headed in my direction, surprisingly with a smile creased on his face.

“Take in deep breaths!”

“You can do this!”

“Look away!” My Wolf urged repeatedly in my head as I nodded in response to the reassuring words of my Wolf. But still, for some reason, I couldn't resist.

As I stared at him, blinking as his gaze remained on my face, waiting for me to say something, my Wolf howled over and over in my head as a whole different scent wafted over me from just staring at him.

“Mate!”

“Mate!” My wolf barked. My eyes snapped up to his instantly and then I realized what my wolf was trying to say. Carlos was apparently my mate. f**k no!!!…

“Got a minute?” He said as he stood right in front of me, staring directly at me.

“First off, happy birthday,” Carlos added smiling at me. The nerve of him to think I’d smile back at him after the huge stunt he’d pulled the night before.

“Do not think for one minute, that because you have me right where you want me that you will be anything to me other than an enemy now,” I snapped at him.

“Well, the look on your face says otherwise,” He grinned.

“Don't!” I scowled angrily at him.

He said nothing to me afterward, merely watching me like a tiger would his prey and I could feel his overpowering presence envelope me.

“Stop staring at me,” I scowled at him wishing I hadn't felt the mating bond between us at such bad times.

Carlos etched closer to me, as I cleared my throat angry at myself. But then his gaze was searing, drying up my throat.

He reached for my chin, with a a smirk twisted to the side of his lips as he stared at me.

“Look at me,” Carlos ordered softly into my face and just when he did, I couldn't help but stare into his eyes.

“I just had to…” He began.

“With this in particular that I've done, I'm at a higher advantage of gaining the favor of the political board members,” Carlos continued, with his eyes glued to mine as he cupped me by the cheeks.

“All of what I'm doing, or that I did is for the both of us,” He said. I looked away instantly, I didn't want to believe any of what he’d just said.

“For us,” He added.

“I refuse to believe that,” I countered with my eyes lowered to the floor unable to meet his eyes, my heart slamming frantically against my chest.

Silence fell heavy in the room afterward as he grabbed me by the wrist and said softly, “I'm sorry if I phrased her like I’d indeed wanted it to be her,” Carlos said.

“But then again, I’d suggest you play your part in making all of this work,” He cuts in. Instantly my eyebrows shot up, as I stared back at him, wondering what he meant.

“What I need you to do is for you to have all of the necessary information gotten from my…” Carlos continued and then had his voice lowered as he leaned closer to me.

“Alpha Zade’s pack, and…” He said.

“You uncle?” I snapped instantly, my eyes widened in shock as I wondered why he’d thought that I could do that.

“Ria, we need all of that information in taking back my father's pack,” He responded.

“I’ll have you taken in with ease, you shouldn't bother yourself about that,” Carlos added.

“I do have someone over at Zade’s Pack but, unfortunately, he's incapable of doing that, you're perfect for the job,” He said.

“I mean Alpha Zade doesn't see women as a threat,” Carlos added.

Hatred blossomed in my heart at this man I had once loved and given my all. How was I so blind to all of his schemes? He never loved me. Used me at every opportunity. How wish I could turn back the hands of time and avoid all of it.

“But I’m going to have to reject you first because the mate bond between us would be strained while you're out of the pack, I’d have you accept back and make my luna the minute you have the information brought back to me,” Carlos said, with his fingers wrapped tightly around my wrist.

I laughed humorlessly. He didn’t really think he could use me twice, did he?

“Why don’t you tell Diana that? Your beloved Luna?” I scoffed.

All the smirk washed off Carlos' face. At long last, his facade was finally coming off. Bastard.

“Do this and all the information about your parents’ death will be handed to you,” he smirked when he caught the surprise on my face.

No, this man wasn’t going to use this against me. He knew. He f*****g knew how much I always wanted to get to the bottom of my parents’ death.

As much as I wanted to tell him to f**k off, I knew I couldn’t. My curiosity was killing me. And he knew that too.

“Fine. I’ll get it. But as an Alpha, you ought not to go back on your words,” I glared at him, hating him and myself for allowing me to be used. Again.

The door swung open immediately, accompanied by the sound of a familiar footstep clicking against the floorboard of the house.

“Is there a problem?” A feminine voice cuts through the silence in the room as we snap our heads her way, with Carlos letting go of my hand instantly.

“I was just uhmm…” Carlos said, moving towards her with a smile creased on his face as he pulled her in for a kiss, right in front of me, making my Wolf even more pissed at the fact that he’d done.

“f**k you, Diana!” My Wolf scowled.

I couldn't stop my eyes from creeping down her throat where a heart-shaped pendant was settled between her collarbones, and I could tell from the glitter-patterned stones that he’d given it to her. All of that stirred up the anger inside me.

Carlos never gifted me. He never loved me. He only used me as his plaything. And after I get justice for my parents, Carlos would be the next person I destroy.

***********************

I pushed my way through the crowd, a hood thrown over my head to hide my identity as a wolf from the Blackden pack when I shouldn't be here. But had been lucky getting in with the help of Carlos's inside man. Fortunately, Carlos stuck to his words of helping me get help.

“Hey, you stop there!” A deep baritone called out to me from behind causing everyone around to pause as they stared at me.

I froze on the spot when the realization that I’d been caught sunk in as I gulped nervously turning to face whomever it was, not wanting to escalate things for myself.

“Who are you?” The man who’d called out to me yelled. I could tell from the marked vest he had on, he was the beta to Zade.

“I'm going to have to report you if you don't confess why you're here because I can tell that you're not one of us!” He scowled.