THE HIGH ALPHA'S MYSTERIOUS MATE ⚡

I have always hated werewolves. Maybe it sounds strange because I am one of them. But I didn't know that when I was little. All I knew was that werewolves were monsters. I learned that from the night my parents died. I was only a little girl when it happened. I still remember the sound of my mother's voice telling me to run. I remember hiding. I remember being scared and not understanding why my father was fighting with a man who didn't look human. And I remember his eyes. Those terrifying eyes. He was a werewolf. I watched him take my parents away from me. I was too young to understand what was happening, but I understood one thing. My parents were never coming back. After that night, I was adopted. The people who took me in never told me much about what happened to my real parents. Whenever I asked questions, they changed the subject. So I stopped asking. As I grew older, I started noticing strange things about myself. I could hear things other people couldn't. I could smell things from far away. Sometimes I became stronger when I was angry or afraid. And there was something else. A strange mark on my neck. I had it for as long as I could remember. The people who raised me always told me to keep it hidden. So I did. I never understood why. Until I discovered the truth. Werewolves were real. And somehow, I was one of them. I hated that truth. I didn't want to be one of them. I didn't want to become anything like the creature that killed my parents. So I stayed away from anything connected to werewolves. At least, I tried. That was how I ended up working at one of the most expensive hotels in the city. The hotel belonged to someone I had never expected to meet. The High Alpha. Everyone knew his name. He was the most powerful werewolf in the world, or at least that was what people said. He owned hotels, businesses and properties in different places. Other werewolves respected him, feared him, or hated him. I didn't care about any of that. I only cared about doing my job and going home. That morning, everything was normal. Until one of the workers rushed into the lobby. “He's coming.” Everyone stopped what they were doing. I looked up from the papers in front of me. “Who?” She looked at me with wide eyes. “The High Alpha.” My stomach suddenly felt strange. I quickly pulled my hair over my neck. The mark. I couldn't let anyone see it. Especially not him. People started moving around the lobby, making sure everything was perfect. I didn't understand why everyone was so nervous. Then the hotel doors opened. He walked inside. The first thing I noticed was his height. Then his broad shoulders. He wore a black suit that looked perfectly fitted to him. His face was serious. Cold. Powerful. But his eyes were what caught my attention. Indigo. I had never seen eyes like that before. He walked through the lobby without saying much. Everyone moved out of his way. Then his eyes found mine. I immediately looked down. Please don't notice me. Please just walk past me. But he didn't. I heard his footsteps coming closer. My heart began beating faster. He stopped in front of the desk. “Good morning,” I said quietly. He didn't answer. I slowly looked up. His eyes were fixed on me. Then his gaze moved to my neck. My heart dropped. I reached up and touched my hair. His eyes narrowed. “What are you hiding?” “Nothing.” “Move your hair.” I shook my head. “No.” The whole lobby became silent. I could feel everyone staring at us. He took one step closer. “Why are you afraid?” I didn't know what to say. Because I had seen a werewolf kill my parents. Because I was afraid of becoming a monster. Because I didn't trust werewolves. Because I didn't trust him. But I couldn't tell him any of that. So I said nothing. Then something strange happened. A warmth spread through my body. My heart started beating so fast that I could barely breathe. And for the first time in my life, I heard my wolf clearly. Mine. My eyes widened. No. That couldn't be happening. Not him. Not the High Alpha. I had spent my entire life running away from werewolves. And somehow, the one werewolf I never wanted to meet had just found me. But what scared me the most wasn't the way he looked at me. It was the feeling inside me that told me my life was about to change. And this time, I couldn't run away, before I knew itI couldn't understand what was happening to me. I stood behind the hotel desk, trying to act like everything was normal, but my heart was still beating too fast. The High Alpha was still standing in front of me. Tariq. I didn't know why I suddenly knew his name. Maybe I had heard it before. Everyone knew who he was. Tariq was the High Alpha, the most powerful werewolf in the packs. He was also the owner of the hotel where I worked. But right now, he didn't look like the powerful man everyone was afraid of. He looked confused. His eyes were still fixed on my neck. I quickly moved my hair over it. “Are you okay?” he asked. I nodded. “Yes.” It was a lie. I wasn't okay. Nothing about this situation was okay. I could still hear my wolf's voice in my head. Mine. I had never heard her say that before. Why him? Why now? And why did my body feel strange whenever he was close? I looked away from him. “Is there anything else you need, sir?” He didn't answer immediately. He just stared at me. Then something strange happened. His expression softened. Only for a moment. I noticed it because his face had been so serious since he walked into the hotel. He looked almost peaceful. I didn't understand it. Tariq finally looked away. “No.” He turned and walked away. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I watched him disappear into the hallway. The moment he was gone, I touched my neck. The mark felt warm. I quickly pulled my hair over it again. I needed to go home. I needed to forget what had happened. But deep down, I already knew I couldn't. Later that evening, I met Maggie outside the hotel. Maggie was more than my friend. She was the closest person I had. We had been together for years, and even though we weren't related by blood, I considered her my sister. She looked at me the moment I walked toward her. “Eleanor, what happened?” “Nothing.” She frowned. “You're doing that thing again.” “What thing?” “The thing where you say nothing when something is obviously wrong.” I sighed. “It's not important.” Maggie crossed her arms. “Then why do you look like you've seen a ghost?” I didn't answer. How was I supposed to tell her? I had met the High Alpha. My wolf had called him mine. And he had somehow noticed my mark. “I just had a strange day,” I finally said. She looked at me for a few seconds. Then she sighed. “Fine. But you're telling me everything later.” I smiled a little. “Okay.” As we walked home, I couldn't stop thinking about Tariq. There was something about him. Something I couldn't explain. But I didn't want to think about it. I had promised myself that I would stay away from werewolves. And I intended to keep that promise. At least, I thought I did. Because I didn't know that someone had already noticed me. And they were watching.