The Billionaire Alpha's Rejected Mate

Chapter One: The Stranger in the Storm Lena Vale had always believed that running away was easy. You packed a bag. You found somewhere nobody knew your name. Then you started over. What nobody told her was that the past had a talent for following. Rain hammered the windshield as Lena drove deeper into the mountains of Blackridge. Her old blue Jeep groaned every time she climbed another steep bend, but she refused to slow down. The town was only a few miles ahead. A new town. A new job. A new life. That was the plan. Lightning tore across the sky. Lena glanced at the passenger seat, where an old photograph lay beneath her backpack. Her mother was smiling in it, one hand resting on six-year-old Lena's shoulder. Around her mother's neck hung a silver pendant. The same pendant Lena wore now. It was the only thing she had kept after the fire. She quickly looked away. She didn't want to think about the fire. She didn't want to think about her father's ruined company, the accusations that had destroyed her family's reputation, or the people who had suddenly vanished from their lives. Most of all, she didn't want to think about the night her mother died. Blackridge was supposed to be her escape. A wilderness-tour company had hired her as a mountain guide. It wasn't glamorous, but Lena didn't care. She wanted quiet. She wanted distance. She wanted to disappear. The Jeep suddenly jerked. Lena frowned. “Don't you dare.” The engine coughed. She stared at the dashboard. “No. No, no, no.” The engine died. The Jeep rolled to a stop. For several seconds, Lena sat in silence while rain battered the roof. Then she dropped her forehead against the steering wheel. “Of course.” She grabbed her flashlight, backpack, and rain jacket. According to the paper map she'd bought earlier, an abandoned ranger cabin was less than two miles away. She could wait in the Jeep, but if the storm worsened, she might be trapped there all night. Lena stepped into the rain. Within minutes, her boots were soaked. The forest was almost completely black. Pine trees surrounded the narrow trail, their branches bending violently in the wind. She checked the map. “Two miles.” A howl echoed somewhere in the distance. Lena stopped. Her flashlight swept across the trees. Nothing. She swallowed. Locals had warned her that wolves lived in the mountains. Apparently, Blackridge had neglected to mention that they liked dramatic entrances. She continued walking. Then she heard a voice. “Help.” Lena froze. She turned toward the sound. “Hello?” Silence. Then again. “Please…” Someone was out there. Every sensible thought told Lena to keep walking. Instead, she followed the voice. The trees opened into a clearing. An old wooden cabin stood beneath the pines. And beside its porch lay a man. Lena rushed toward him. “Hey!” He didn't respond. She dropped beside him and checked his breathing. Alive. Barely conscious. He was dressed in expensive black clothing, completely out of place in the wilderness. Blood stained one sleeve. Lena pulled off her backpack. “I'm going to help you.” The stranger's eyes opened. Gray. Unnaturally clear. He stared at her. For one strange moment, he looked terrified. Then his expression changed to disbelief. “You…” Lena frowned. “Me?” His lips moved. “Seraphine.” Lena's heartbeat stumbled. “What did you call me?” The man's eyes widened. “You're alive.” “I don't know who you're talking about.” He reached toward her. His fingers barely touched her wrist. “You have to leave.” “You're injured.” “They're coming.” “Who?” His face tightened. “People who should have killed you twenty-four years ago.” Lena stared at him. “What?” Before she could ask another question, he collapsed. “Hey!” She grabbed his shoulder. “Wake up!” Nothing. Lena looked toward the cabin. Then toward the forest. Whatever was happening, she couldn't leave an injured man outside in a storm. She dragged him inside. --- The cabin smelled of dust, damp wood, and smoke. Lena found an old first-aid box beneath a broken table and cleaned the wound on the stranger's arm. It was deep, but thankfully not life-threatening. While searching his pockets for identification, she found a black metal card. A silver wolf was engraved on one side. On the other were three words: BLACKRIDGE ALPHA HOUSE. Lena frowned. “What exactly is an Alpha House?” “Something you shouldn't know about.” She nearly jumped. The stranger was awake. “You could have warned me.” “You were searching my pockets.” “You were unconscious.” “I noticed.” Lena folded her arms. “What's your name?” “Elias.” “Elias what?” “Just Elias.” “That sounds suspicious.” “It is.” Despite herself, Lena almost smiled. Then she remembered the name he'd called her. “Who is Seraphine?” The amusement disappeared from his face. “You don't remember?” “Should I?” Elias studied her. “No.” “What does that mean?” “It means whoever raised you did an excellent job hiding the truth.” Lena stepped closer. “My parents raised me.” Elias looked away. “Your mother didn't tell you?” “My mother died when I was six.” “I know.” Lena's eyes narrowed. “How?” Before he could answer, headlights appeared between the trees. Elias stood instantly. “Stay away from the windows.” “Who is that?” “People looking for you.” “How would anyone know I'm here?” “They've been looking for you for years.” The front door shook. Three slow knocks followed. A man's voice came from outside. “Elias.” Elias's expression hardened. “We have to go.” “Why?” “Because they're not here for me.” Another knock. “We know she's inside.” Lena's stomach dropped. Elias moved an old cabinet aside, revealing a narrow opening in the wall. Lena stared. “You knew that was there?” “I used to work here.” “You're going to have to explain that.” “No time.” The door shook again. Wood splintered. Elias grabbed her hand. “Run.” This time, Lena didn't argue. --- The passage was narrow and completely dark. Lena crawled after Elias, listening to the sounds of the cabin being torn apart behind them. They eventually emerged beneath a fallen tree. Rain poured over them. “Where are we going?” Lena whispered. “Anywhere they aren't.” They ran. Branches scratched Lena's arms as they pushed through the forest. Then Elias suddenly stopped. A low growl rolled through the darkness. Lena froze. Two golden eyes appeared between the trees. A massive black wolf stepped into the clearing. Lena backed away. “Elias…” “Don't move.” The wolf stared directly at her. It didn't attack. Instead, Lena felt heat beneath her shirt. She pulled out the silver pendant. It was glowing. Elias stared at it in horror. “The Moon Crown.” “What is that?” “You really don't know?” “No!” Before he could explain, headlights swept through the trees. A black luxury SUV stopped at the edge of the clearing. The driver's door opened. A man stepped out. Tall. Dark-haired. Dressed in a black coat. His presence seemed to silence everything around him. Lena recognized him immediately. Adrian Black. Blackridge's billionaire. Owner of Blackridge Holdings. And, according to every rumor she'd heard since arriving, the most powerful man in town. His gaze landed on Lena. He stopped. For several seconds, he simply stared. Then his eyes dropped to the glowing pendant. His expression changed. Shock. Recognition. Fear. “Impossible,” he whispered. Lena stepped backward. “Do I know you?” Adrian didn't answer. His gaze remained fixed on her. Then he looked at Elias. “What have you told her?” “Not enough.” Adrian's jaw tightened. “Take her away from here.” Lena's temper flared. “I can speak for myself.” Adrian looked at her. “You need to leave Blackridge.” “I've heard that already.” “You don't understand.” “Then explain it.” He took a step closer. “You're in danger.” “From who?” He didn't answer. Lena pointed at the wolf. “And apparently, I have a lot of questions.” Adrian's gaze flickered toward the animal. The wolf lowered its head. Lena stared. “Why did it do that?” Adrian's expression became grim. “Because it knows who you are.” “Who am I?” Silence. Lena looked from Adrian to Elias. “Who is Seraphine?” Neither man answered. Her frustration turned into fear. “Why do you both know that name?” Adrian finally spoke. “Twenty-four years ago, a girl named Seraphine Vale disappeared.” Lena's heart pounded. “Vale?” “She was believed to be dead.” Lena shook her head. “My name is Lena.” “That's the name you were given.” “By whom?” “Your parents.” “My parents are dead.” “I know.” “Then how do you know all this?” Adrian looked at the pendant. “Because your mother was part of my family.” Lena stared at him. “What?” “Not by blood.” He paused. “By allegiance.” A howl shattered the silence. Then another. Adrian's head snapped toward the forest. His expression changed. “Get in the car.” Lena didn't move. “What is happening?” Adrian stepped in front of her. For the first time, his cold mask disappeared. He looked afraid. “They found you.” “Who?” “The ones who have been waiting for you to return.” Lena's fingers tightened around the pendant. “I've never been here before.” Adrian's eyes met hers. “Yes, you have.” She felt a strange pressure in her chest. “You were born in Blackridge.” “No.” “You were taken from here when you were six.” Lena's breath caught. Memories flashed through her mind. A burning house. Her mother's voice. A silver pendant. A shadow standing outside a window. Then nothing. She stumbled backward. Adrian caught her before she fell. The moment his hand touched hers, a strange warmth rushed through Lena's body. Adrian went completely still. His eyes widened. “No…” Lena pulled away. “What?” He stared at her as if she'd just become someone else. Then he whispered: “She's really alive.” “Who?” Adrian looked at the wolves gathering between the trees. Then back at Lena. “Seraphine.” The wolves slowly lowered themselves to the ground. One after another. Lena stared in disbelief. “Why are they bowing?” Adrian's voice was barely audible. “Because you're their heir.” Another howl echoed from the mountain. This one was different. Closer. Human. A voice drifted through the trees. “Find the Moon Crown.” Lena's blood ran cold. Adrian stepped toward her. “We have to leave. Now.” Lena looked at him. She had come to Blackridge to escape her past. Instead, she'd discovered that her past had been waiting for her. And somewhere in the darkness, someone knew exactly who she was. The question was no longer whether Lena could start a new life. It was whether she would survive long enough to discover the old one.