Chapter 002

ALISA'S POV

I blinked through my blurry vision and turned my head toward the sound.

The man sitting three stools down didn't just occupy space. Instead, he dominated it. Even sitting relaxed with a crystal glass in his hand, his broad shoulders and powerful posture screamed absolute authority.

He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal suit that molded to a massive, muscular frame. When the dim overhead light shifted, it caught the sharp angles of his jawline and a pair of dark, piercing eyes locked onto mine.

But it wasn't just his looks that made my breath hitch. It was his scent. A heavy, intoxicating wave of dark cedar and fresh rain filtered into my lungs.

The moment I inhaled it, my inner Omega went completely still. The frantic, weeping wolf inside my chest suddenly stopped crying. A strange, electric warmth sparked deep in my veins, instantly soothing the raw panic that had been choking me since I left the club.

I frowned, trying to fight the sudden comfort his presence brought. “I didn't ask for advice,” I murmured, turning back to my drink.

“You didn't have to,” he replied. I heard the soft slide of leather as he moved. Before I could look up, the stool right next to mine was occupied. The sheer size of him suddenly blocked out the rest of the room, wrapping me in his heat.

“But watching a drenched, heartbroken Omega gulp top-shelf whiskey like its water tends to draw attention.” I rolled my eyes and drank some more but he grabbed the bottle away from my grip.

“You’ve had enough,” he added. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the unmistakable, heavy weight of an Alpha command.

Under normal circumstances, a low-ranking Omega like me would have bowed her head and pushed the glass away. But tonight, I was entirely out of pieces to lose.

The rejection from Jeff had broken something inside me, leaving behind a dangerous, reckless spark.

I let out a tired, defiant laugh and looked him dead in the eye. “And who exactly are you to tell me what my limits are? You don't know me. You don't know anything about my night.”

The corners of the man’s lips twitched into a small, intrigued smirk. “I know that whatever drove you out into this rain without a coat must have cut deep. And I know that look in your eyes, little wolf. It’s the look of someone wanting to burn their own world down.”

“Maybe I do,” I whispered, the alcohol making me dangerously honest. I leaned my elbow on the bar, tilting my head toward him. “I was just a foolish, submissive wife. I thought if I cooked the perfect dinners, kept the penthouse clean and stayed quiet, my husband would eventually look at me like I mattered. Turns out, I was just a cover. A pretty shield to hide his real life.”

The stranger didn't interrupt me. His expression simply hardened, his dark eyes tracking the movement of my lips with a heavy, protective focus.

“He’s gay,” I blurted out, the words tearing out of my chest like jagged glass. “I just caught him in his VIP suite, sleeping with his best friend. He married my family's name just to keep his ranking in the pack’s High Council clean. Five years, and I was just an inconvenience he forgot about on our anniversary.”

Saying it aloud to a complete stranger should have felt humiliating, but instead, it felt like freedom. The invisible collar Jeff had kept around my neck for half a decade fell off.

The stranger’s relaxed posture vanished. His shoulders locked, and a dangerous, primal heat flared in his eyes, turning the dark irises into a predatory amber for a split second.

A low, rolling vibration started deep in his chest—the sound of a dominant Alpha’s wolf reacting to an insult against something it deemed precious.

“He is a fool,” the man murmured, his voice dropping into a low, gravelly register that sent a violent shiver straight down my spine. “A blind, pathetic fool.”

I studied him properly now, my heart suddenly racing for a completely different reason. The sheer aura of power bleeding off this man made Jeff look like an amateur.

This stranger wasn't just an Alpha. He was a True Alpha.

He was dangerous, commanding, and breathtakingly magnetic. My inner wolf was practically begging me to lean closer, to bury my face in his neck and let his scent erase the smell of the Moretti pack forever.

A wild wave of defiance and desire took over my mind. “A fool,” I repeated, my voice dropping to a whisper. I slid off my barstool, my legs slightly unsteady from the whiskey.

But I didn't back away. Instead, I stepped directly into his personal space, closing the distance until my damp dress brushed against his expensive suit trousers. I was completely surrounded by him.

I reached up, my hand trembling slightly as I wrapped my fingers loosely around the back of his neck. His skin was burning hot against my cold palms. “Will you give me a good time, Alpha? Will you make me forget?”

His eyes darkened instantly, his pupils dilating until they were almost entirely black. The cedar scent in the air turned thick and possessive.

“You’re drunk, sweetheart,” he growled softly, his hands coming up to hover just an inch away from my waist, practicing a brutal amount of restraint. “And you are playing with a fire you don't understand. If I take you from this bar, I am not bringing you back.”

“Good,” I countered, my fingers curling into the short, thick hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him down a fraction of an inch. “I’ve gone five years without being touched like I am wanted. My body is starving. I need to forget tonight, or I am going to completely lose my mind.”

I didn't wait for him to answer. I leaned in and pressed my lips firmly against his..I half-expected him to push me away, to reject me just like everyone else had.

Instead, the moment our lips met, his restraint completely shattered. A low growl ripped from his throat as his large hand clamped around my waist like a steel vice, pulling me flush against his hard, solid chest.

His other hand tangled into my wet hair, tilting my head back as he completely possessed my mouth. The kiss was deep, demanding, and filled with a fierce, intoxicating certainty that made my knees completely buckle.

If he hadn't been holding me so tightly, I would have dropped to the floor.

He pulled back just a hair, his breath ragged and hot against my swollen lips. His amber eyes searched mine with a terrifying intensity.

“Will you regret this in the morning, sweetheart?”

Hearing the gravelly edge in his voice made my core ache with a sudden, desperate hunger. I couldn't speak. I could only shake my head, my eyes locked onto his.

His restraint evaporated completely. “My penthouse is close,” he growled against my ear, his teeth skimming the sensitive skin of my jawline.

Before I could even gasp, he hooked his arms under my thighs and lifted me effortlessly. I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist, hiding my face in the crook of his neck as he carried me past the stunned bartender and out into the street.

Every inhale of his scent felt like a lifeline, and for the first time in five years, I didn't care about tomorrow.

When we got to the hotel, he lifted me effortlessly and headed straight for the elevators. The elevator ride was fast. The moment the doors opened into his penthouse, he carried me straight into his large bedroom.

The room smelled entirely like him. Like cedar and rain. He set me down on my feet, but before I could move, he pushed me back against the bedroom door.

He was huge, and his dark eyes were glowing a bright amber color. My hands were shaking, but I didn't care. I grabbed his suit jacket and tried to pull it off. I needed to feel his warm skin.

I needed to forget Jeff and the horrible thing I had just seen at the club. “Slow down,” he whispered, catching my hands and holding them gently above my head against the door.

I made a small sound, wanting him closer. He leaned down until his lips were almost touching mine..“Look at me,” he commanded. His voice made my inner wolf instantly listen. “You smell like another man, little wolf. It’s driving my wolf crazy.”

“Do it,” I gasped. “Please.” He let go of my hands and grabbed my thighs. He lifted me up easily, and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

He walked over to the bed and pushed me down into the soft sheets, pinning me under his heavy body. The moment we connected, a shockwave went straight through my soul.

I let out a loud cry. “Oh… god!” It was not cold or distant like it always was with Jeff. This stranger moved with raw, desperate heat. He filled the empty ache I had carried for five years, sending pure pleasure straight through my body.

My inner wolf went wild. She recognized him instantly. Mate. The word filled my mind but I pushed it aside, believing that I had imagined it.

He set a fast, heavy rhythm that made my head spin. His large hands held my hips tight, moving me with him. I dug my fingernails into his broad shoulders, my body tightening as the pleasure built up inside me.

“Look at me,” he growled, his voice deep and rough. I opened my eyes. He was staring right at me, watching my face, making sure I was looking at him.

“Please,” I cried against his neck. Tears ran down my face because it was all too much. I had never felt anything like this before. I had never known that being touched could feel this good.

“I’ve got you,” he rumbled. His pace got harder and faster as we both reached the limit. The pleasure exploded like fire. I screamed out loud as my whole body shook in a violent release.

Above me, the Alpha let out a loud, deep roar. His muscles went completely stiff, and he held me tight as he came inside me, filling me with his warmth.

He collapsed onto my chest, burying his face in my neck, breathing me in. His heavy heartbeat thumped against mine. I was completely exhausted.

Between the alcohol, the crying from earlier, and the intense heat of his body, my eyes grew heavy.

The soothing smell of cedar and rain wrapped around me, and I closed my eyes, falling into a deep sleep.