The Alpha’s Temptation

CHAPTER 1

AMIRA

"My boyfriend doesn't mind surprise visits," I countered, reclining on the bed as my best friend Ciara rummaged through my closet for the umpteenth time this week.

Ciara emerged from the closet, a dress in hand, and gave me a skeptical look. "Men in general don't like surprise visits," she insisted, shaking her head.

"Well, Phoenix isn't like other guys," I argued, swinging my feet back and forth off the edge of the bed. "He's my mate, and he loves having me around all the time."

Just a few days ago, Phoenix had pleaded with me to stay the weekend, but I had declined because I wanted to prepare for my new position at his father's office, which was starting the next day.

Everyone knows the Alpha can be a bit grumpy, so I’d rather not annoy him on my first day as his secretary.

Phoenix's relationship with his father, Alpha Jared, is rather unique. Despite not being his biological father, Alpha Jared took Phoenix under his wing fifteen years ago and raised him as his own son. The fact that Phoenix is just twelve years younger than Jared makes their relationship even more fun and special.

However, everyone in the pack understands and accepts Phoenix as Jared's son, and we all treat him as such, including Phoenix himself.

Ciara emerged from the closet, holding a stunning blue sequin dress. "All men are the same, Amira. Don't be fooled into thinking that just because he's your mate, he'll be any different," she remarked, her voice filled with bitterness.

Her words came from a place of pain. Her own mate had rejected her in favor of someone he had only just met. "Not everyone is as heartless as Logan.”

She playfully scoffed, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Not everyone is lucky enough to have a closet as amazing as yours," she remarked with a grin. "Can I pretty please borrow this?" she implored, batting her eyelashes in a mock plea. "I'll bring it back, I promise."

I raised an eyebrow, entertained by her sudden display of manners. "Since when do you ask before raiding my closet?" I teased back, a playful smile tugging at my lips. "But sure, just promise me you won't attempt any DIY projects with the dress."

She threw her head back in laughter, the sound echoing through the room as she disappeared into the closet to fetch a bag for the dress. Taking the opportunity, I slid off the bed to change into something more suitable.

Having already informed Phoenix that I wouldn't be visiting this weekend, I couldn't wait to see the surprise on his face when I showed up unexpectedly.

Ciara emerged from the closet, dress in hand, and together, we made our way out. After dropping her off at her place, I embarked on the two-hour journey to Phoenix's house, excitement bubbling within me with each passing mile.

Pulling up to his building, I hurried out of the car and made my way to the elevator. Pressing the button, I rode up to his apartment floor, anticipation building with every passing second. Entering the passcode, I pushed open the door and was about to call out his name when something caught my eye, sending a shiver down my spine.

There, on the table, sat a bottle of champagne, two glasses, and a woman's purse. But not just any purse – it was a limited edition Birkin bag, the kind that cost a small fortune. My heart sank as I realized what this could mean.

It couldn't be his mother, as everyone knew the Alpha's mate had disappeared without a trace. No one dared to ask about her fate, and her absence left a gaping hole in the pack's heart.

Feeling a mix of dread and disbelief, I tiptoed up the stairs to his room. As I reached his door, I didn't need anyone to tell me what was happening inside. The unmistakable sounds of passion echoed through the hallway, causing my throat to tighten with anguish.

I pushed the door open and stepped into the room, my heart pounding in my chest. They didn't even realize I was there, lost in their own world of passion. "What the hell is going on here?!" I erupted, my voice trembling with anger and hurt.

My eyes stung with tears as I took in the sight before me – my mate entwined with another woman. My wolf whimpered in my head, echoing my devastation at the betrayal.

Phoenix's eyes widened in shock as he scrambled away from the woman beside him, allowing me to finally see her face clearly. I stumbled back in disbelief. "Mia?" I whispered hoarsely. "How... what... why..." My mind raced with questions, struggling to comprehend why my own sister would betray me in such a way.

Rolling her eyes, Mia snatched the duvet to cover herself, while Phoenix hastily reached for his pants. "What are you doing here, Amira?" he demanded. "Didn't you say you weren't coming over this weekend?"

"Are you serious?" I seethed, my fists clenching at my sides. "I catch you in bed with my sister, and that's the best you can come up with?" My gaze shifted to Mia, my anger boiling over. "And you?!" I spat, feeling betrayed and hurt beyond words. "How could you do this to me?"

Mia shrugged nonchalantly, her expression indifferent. "No hard feelings, Amira," she replied casually. "You're the one who's been forcing yourself on him just because he's your mate."

"Isn't that how it's supposed to be?" I shot back, disbelief and indignation coursing through me. "Out of all the men in this city, Mia, you had to choose mine?!" The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, stirring up years of resentment and rivalry between us.

From high school to the present, Mia had always seemed to resent me. She showed no interest in being the prom queen until she found out I was applying, and she only pursued a business major after I chose it. The jealousy and competition between us had always been there, but I never imagined she would stoop so low as to betray me in this way.

The situation escalated further when I found my mate at the age of eighteen, while Mia remained mate-less. "Why would you even want my mate?" I demanded, struggling to comprehend her betrayal.

Mia shrugged casually. "He wants me too," she stated matter-of-factly, "but he's been hesitant to tell you because he didn't want to hurt you."

I bit down hard on my lip, fighting back the tears threatening to spill over. "How long has this been going on?" I forced the words out, my voice trembling with anguish.

"It's not important right now, Amira," Phoenix interjected, attempting to deflect the conversation.

I shot him a glare, my frustration bubbling over. "You don't get to decide what's important," I snapped at him, my anger boiling over. "How long have you been sleeping with my sister?!"

"Two years," Mia answered indifferently, her tone devoid of remorse. "Will knowing change anything now?" she added dismissively, rolling her eyes as she flopped back onto the bed. "This is the perfect opportunity, Nix," she rasped, her voice dripping with malice. "Just do it already. You know it's long overdue."

I blinked at Phoenix. "What does she mean by, long overdue?" I questioned, my voice barely above a whisper, my heart pounding in my chest as I awaited his response.

Mia's laughter cut through the silence like a knife, her sly smile sending a chill down my spine. "Rejecting you as his mate, of course," she remarked with a cruel twist of her lips. "Can't you see the writing on the wall?"

My wolf, Amber, whimpered softly in my head, her fear mirroring my own. "He wouldn't do that, would he?" she pleaded, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

When Phoenix lifted his head to meet my gaze, I knew the answer before he even spoke. The pain of betrayal clawed at my chest, my fingers trembling uncontrollably as I braced myself for the inevitable.

Phoenix squared his shoulders and locked eyes with me. "I, Phoenix Snider, the only son of Alpha Jared Snider, reject you, Amira Walton, as my mate," he declared, his words echoing through the room like a death knell.

As the finality of his rejection washed over me, a searing pain surged through my body, starting from my legs and coursing upwards until it engulfed my chest.

Agony ripped through my chest like a blade, sharp and unrelenting, as I crumpled to the ground, clutching at my heart as if it could somehow ease the unbearable pain radiating from within. The anguished cries of my wolf, Amber, echoed in my mind, her distress amplifying my own torment until it felt as though I was teetering on the brink of madness.

I had always heard that breaking a mate bond could be excruciating, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer intensity of the pain coursing through my body. It was as if every fiber of my being was being torn apart, leaving me gasping for air and drowning at the same time.

"Make it stop!" I pleaded with Phoenix, my voice choked with tears, but he remained unmoved, his expression impassive as he stood by with Mia, watching my suffering with detached indifference.

"Don't be so dramatic," Mia chided me, her tone dripping with disdain. "Plenty of wolves have endured mate rejection and lived to tell the tale. Don't act like you're the first or that it's the end of the world for you."

As the agonizing screams of Amber echoed in my mind, I clung to the hope that the pain would soon subside. But then, in a sudden and chilling silence, her cries ceased, leaving me feeling empty and hollow.

A numbing coldness enveloped me, seeping into my bones and leaving me shivering uncontrollably. My teeth chattered, and my lips turned a ghostly shade of blue as the frigid air stole the warmth from my body.

Desperate to reach out for Phoenix, to beg him for mercy, I found myself unable to move, my limbs heavy and unresponsive. With each passing moment, the coldness tightened its grip around me, squeezing the life out of me until I could no longer bear it.

In a final, desperate act of surrender, I closed my eyes and let the darkness consume me, succumbing to the icy embrace of unconsciousness as it swept me away from the unbearable pain and into the void.