The Alpha King's Obsession

Alexander’s POV “The Council grows impatient, Alpha.” I leaned back in the leather chair, keeping my face a mask of bored indifference, though I could feel my Wolf pacing aggressively inside my chest. He hated these meetings. He hated the stench of fear and and cheap cologne that permeated the back room of the warehouse we were in. But most of all, he f*cking hated being told what to do. “The Council can rot for all I care,” I said, my voice low and calm but laced with enough Alpha command and the hint of a growl to make the three men across from me flinch. “I run the East Coast Pack. I control the territories from Maine to Florida. My business profits have tripled the pack’s wealth in a year. I signed a f*****g peace treaty with the vampires. There is no more unrest, no more rogue wolves. So tell me…what more do these wrinkled old dogs want? “A Luna,” Silas, the bravest of the Elders’ messengers, dared to speak up. “You turn 32 in six months. The Ancient Laws are clear. An Alpha King without a mate is unstable. If you do not claim a female by the Blood Moon, a challenger has the right to tear your throat out and take the throne.” My lip curled and my knuckles tightened at the subtle threat. It was no secret there were several weaker Alphas waiting to make a move and claim my empire. “Let them f*cking try,” was all I said, the promise of death to anyone who tried to come for me and mine, evident. My Wolf snarled in agreement. Let them come. We will crush their bones. We will feast on their blood. “It is not just about strength, Alexander,” Silas pressed, sweating now. “It is about lineage. Stability. You need an heir. You need a mate.” I stood up abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the concrete floor. The sudden movement sent a wave of my Alpha aura crashing into them and they all bowed their heads and bared their neck in submission. “Enough,” I stated, buttoning my suit jacket. “I’m done with his conversation. Tell the Council I will handle my affairs. Oh, and if they send another spy to watch me, I’ll send them back in a casket.” I didn’t bother to wait for a response. I turned on my heel and exited the shadowy room, stepping out into the cool, damp air. My security chief, River, fell into step beside me instantly. “Boss? How did it go?” “Same old bulls**t.” I loosened my tie as I watched the city lights of New York glittering in the distance like a sparkling jungle of steel and glass that I ruled just as ruthlessly as the forest. “They want me shackled to a female. They think a mate will tame me.” River snorted. “Nothing tames you, Alex. But…” “But?” I prompted even though I already knew what he was about to say. “A mate would eliminate the possibility of your Wolf going rogue and insane.” “I need a drink,” my teeth clenched as I gruted, knowing he was right. We were walking down a grimy street in a sector that technically belonged to humans but ws frequented by shifters, when River noted there was a bar up ahead on neutral ground. As we headed for the bar my Wolf remained agitated, scratching at the surface of my mind. He was restless tonight, sensing something I couldn’t quite place yet. I pushed him down, trying to force the beast into submission. Control. Control was everything, but it was getting harder and harder to leash my baser instincts. We rounded a corner and a neon sign that read the ‘Royal’ buzzed overhead. It looked like a decent enough place from the outside, a blend of rustic wood and modern design that would appeal to most people. I reached for the handle, intending to go in, demand a bottle of their most expensive whiskey, and brood in silence. Then the wind shifted. Oh, f*ck. It hit me like a physical blow, like a punch to the gut. A scent so potent and intoxicating that my knees actually f****ng buckled. I stood frozen on the sidewalk, my hand hovering over the brass knuckle. My nostrils flared, inhaling sharply again. It smelled like rain on hot asphalt. Like night-blooming jasmine and ozone before a lightning strike. It smelled like home, like mine. The word pounded into my head, a deafening roar that obliterated every other thought. My Wolf slammed against my rib cage, howling and whining, demanding I release him. MATE. NEAR. FIND HER. “Alexander?” River asked and his hand dropped to his weapon. “What is it? Rogue?” I couldn’t speak. The air in my lungs had been replaced by her scent that was coming from inside the bar. But it was…wrong, somehow. It was layered with something else, something human. Not sparing River another glance, I shoved the door open, the hinges groaning under my strength. Once inside laughter, clinking glasses and the pulse of music assaulted me. The place was packed, a sea of bodies drinking and dancing. Under normal circumstances, the sensory overload annoyed me. Tonight, though, I didn’t even hear it. Where is she? My eyes scanned the room from corner to corner, wall to wall. I stalked forward, my presence parting the crowd with ease. Humans moved out of my way on instinct, their subconscious brain recognizing a predator in their midst. My nostrils flared again, tracking the scent. It wasn’t coming from the patrons. It was coming from the bar in the center of the crowded space. And then I saw hair. She was wiping down the mahogany surface, her back to me. Her simple uniform did nothing to hide the curve of her waist and when her scent hit me again, stronger this time, my eyes nearly rolled to the back of my head. It was her. My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs. The Wolf inside me was clawing to get out, to jump over the bar, bite her neck, and drag her back to my den. Mine. Mine. Mine. Then she looked up and her deep blue eyes locked on me, but there was no flash of recognition. She paused for a second, likely noticing I was staring like a f***ing lunatic, and then she looked past me to another customer. She didn’t react to my Alpha aura. She didn’t flinch. She didn’t swoon. My brows furrowed as I inhaled deeply again, dissecting the scent. Underneath the aroma of Mate, there was the distinct, dull flatness of humanity. She was human. Impossible, my mind rejected. The Alpha King cannot be fated to a fragile human. And yet, my Wolf was currently trying to wag a tail I didn’t have in human form. He didn’t give a f*ck she was human. He was ready to lay the world at her feet. “Can I get you something?” Her smoky, rich voice reached me as she brought her attention back to me. I gripped the edge of the bar, the wood creaking under my fingers. I needed to know her name. I needed to know everything about her. “Whiskey,” I rasped, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears. She raised an eyebrow, a gesture of defiance that sent a jolt of lust straight to my c*ck. She didn’t seem to feel the instinctual fear most humans did around me. “Coming right up,” she murmured as she turned away from me again. I watched her move, my entire body rigid with tension. The Council wanted me to take a mate? Fine. I had just found the only creature on earth whose scent didn’t make me want to vomit or commit murder. She might be human, might be weak, but the moment she poured that drink and slid it toward me, her fingers brushing mine and sending a shock of static electricity up my arm, I knew one thing for certain. I was going to keep her.