The Alpha Reluctant Mate

I didn't sleep, I didn't even try as I was scared they would come when I was deeply asleep. I just sat on that bed staring at the walls like they were supposed to explain why my life was suddenly the prize in some wolf war. The silence of the house felt unnatural. Too clean and calm. 

I kept thinking of Dominic's eyes, the seriousness in them. He wasn't bluffing, something real was happening and I was stuck in the center of it without even knowing how to defend myself.

It was barely morning when I heard footsteps in the hallway. Not fast or loud, but firm and confident.The kind of steps that made your heartbeat react before your brain did.

A soft knock came next. "Lila. Open." It was Dominic.

I pushed myself up and walked to the door. My hand hesitated on the knob and I didn't know why, maybe I just needed one second to steady myself. I opened it and found him standing there in black jeans and a dark shirt, his hair was slightly messy like he had been running his hands through it all night.

His eyes scanned my face. "You didn't sleep."

"No," I said. "Not exactly in a sleeping mood."

He nodded once. "Come with me."

"Where."

" To have breakfast first then we talk."

I wanted to tell him I wasn't hungry but my stomach gave a low growl at the exact wrong time. He heard it, of course, he did. His eyes flickered with something that looked like concern.

"Come downstairs," he said gently. "You need strength." That softness threw me off more than the threats from last night.

I followed him down the hallway, passing his room without looking inside. Rafe was sitting on the stairs like he was waiting for us. As soon as he saw me, he stood up and stretched dramatically.

"Morning. You look like you didn't blink once."

"Thanks," I muttered.

He grinned. "I meant it in a supportive way."

Selene was already in the kitchen, humming to herself as she stirred something in a pot. The smell of warm eggs and toasted bread filled the space, almost comforting. She looked at me and smiled.

"Sit, sweetheart. Eat something."

I sat but Dominic didn't, He stood near the counter like he didn't trust the room to stay peaceful.

Rafe placed a plate in front of me and whispered, "If you pass out after two bites, I'll carry you upstairs like a hero."

I nudged him with my elbow. "Relax, I'm not fragile."

Dominic cut him a sharp look. "Let her eat."

Rafe raised his hands. "I am literally letting her eat."

Selene sighed the kind of sigh people release when they babysit grown adults. "Both of you be quiet."

Halfway through the meal, Dominic said, "There's something else we need to discuss."

Everyone froze.

Then he continued. "I checked the northern border this morning and there were footprints."

Selene swallowed. "Human."

"No," Dominic said. "Wolf. But the scent on them did not belong to our pack."

Rafe's face changed instantly, he wasn't smiling anymore.  "Jax."

"Maybe," Dominic replied. "Or someone working with him, they were close."

My heart started beating faster. "So they came here last night."

"Yes," Dominic said. "They were watching the house." The fork nearly slipped from my hand. Selene put her hand over mine, steady but warm.

Rafe growled under his breath. "Say the word and I'll track them."

"No," Dominic said. "Not yet."

"Why not," Rafe snapped. "They breached our land."

Dominic's eyes flicked to me before returning to Rafe. "Because whoever came wasn't trying to fight. They were scouting, they just wanted to see her location."

The room went quiet all over again. The fear settled under my skin, poking at every nerve like pins. I tried to breathe but it felt like my chest was too tight.

Dominic moved closer. "This is why you stay close, no wandering and no going outside alone. Not until we understand what they want with you."

My throat was dry. "I didn't ask for any of this."

"I know," he said softly.

Selene squeezed my hand. "You're not alone, Lila."

Rafe nodded. "We've got you."

Dominic didn't say it, but the look in his eyes said he meant it too.

I swallowed hard. "What do I do now?"

Dominic hesitated, then pulled a wooden chair close to mine and sat. "I need to ask you something and I need you to answer honestly."

"Okay?"

"In the last month, before you came here, did you ever feel watched?"

I blinked. "What?"

"Think," he said. "Anything unusual. Someone following you, staring too long, or even a strange scent around your house. Anything."

I frowned as memories pushed forward. One in particular. "There was this guy I kept seeing near our street."

Dominic leaned forward. "Describe him."

"He is very tall, dark, with short hair, and he always wears a hood most time. I thought he was just some neighbor. I  never saw him speak to anyone, he just stood there and kept looking."

Selene whispered, "That doesn't sound normal."

Rafe muttered, "This is bad."

Dominic locked eyes with me. "Did he ever get close to you, within arm's reach?"

I nodded slowly. "Once. He brushed past me at the market but I thought it was an accident."

Dominic shut his eyes for a moment like he was putting pieces together he didn't want to accept.

"What," I asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means," he said quietly, "that whoever is trying to bind to you didn't start last night. They started before you ever entered our territory."

My stomach dropped from hearing those words from his mouth. "You think he marked me somehow," I asked.

"Not marked," Dominic said. "But he may have left a trace, something subtle or something Jax recognized immediately."

I felt cold all over. "So I've been a target for weeks."

"Yes."

Selene reached for my shoulder. "We will protect you."

Rafe nodded firmly. "You're under our roof now, they won't touch you."

Dominic stood up. "Eat and rest, then come to the training field."

"Training," I echoed.

"You need to learn how to defend yourself. I won't have you walking around blind." He walked to the door like the matter was settled.

But right before he left, he paused and looked back at me. His eyes held something sharp and heavy, something that almost felt personal.

"If they come again," he said, "you must stay close to me. If you run, I cannot reach you in time." The warning tightened the room.

When he walked out, Rafe let out a long breath and rubbed his face. "Well, that's  our morning ruined."

Selene swatted his arm lightly. "Stop it."

I pushed my plate away. "I'll start training soon."

"You will," Rafe said. "But first, breathe. Your face is pale."

I tried to breathe, but the truth was sitting on my chest like a weight. Someone had followed me in the human world, had brushed against me on purpose, and also left a trace on me that wolves could sense. And if that was true, then this fight wasn't new but it started long before I stepped into this pack.

I stood up and my legs were shaking but I forced them steady.

"Rafe," I said quietly. "Can you show me the training field before Dominic comes back?"

He smiled, but it wasn't playful this time. It was protective and solid. "Of course."

As I followed him outside, the cold air hit my face, but it didn't clear the fear building inside me. The pack grounds looked peaceful but I could almost feel eyes watching from the trees.

Rafe glanced at me. "You're tough, Lila. You'll handle this."

"I hope so."

"You will."

We reached the field. It was wide and open with training dummies and targets scattered around. My stomach twisted when I realized this wasn't for show, it was preparation for real danger.

I took a breath and stepped onto the grass.

That was when the wind shifted. A faint scent that was sharp and strange that didn't belong to Dominic or Rafe. Rafe froze beside me, narrowing his eyes. 

"Get behind me," he whispered.

"Why?"

"Because that scent isn't ours."

And right then, I knew the quiet wasn't calm. It was the warning before something broke, something was coming.