Chapter 1

Elie's POV

“Hell yeah! Slam harder! Give it all you got,”

“Yes, we did it,” I screamed for joy as the car engine sputtered on.

“Yes, we fucking did it!” He grabbed me by my waist and lifted me in the air.

Those few seconds in his arms felt like forever. I wanted him to never let go, I wanted more of him, but I knew I couldn't tell him.

I was too young for him and he was… almost like a father to me. A hot, muscled man with sweat dripping down his neck and his shirt plastered on his perfect rock hard abs.

He gently dropped me and turned back to shut the bonnet.

“Quick, get in the car,” he said to me.

I gulped hard as I savoured the moment between us. I was lucky that our car broke down on the way.

“Elie, what are you doing? Come on, get in the car. Your father is gonna be pissed if we're late,”

“But I don't wanna,” I groaned in frustration, trudging to the car.

“You know how cranky he gets if we make him wait.” He opened the passenger door and I hopped in with a smile.

He rushed to the driver seat and we continued our journey to the airport. As he sat down, he had his biceps full on display for me. My mouth watered at the view until he snapped me out of my thoughts.

“What are you looking at?” He snapped his fingers.

“Nothing,” I turned straight ahead, my hair forming a veil over my face as my cheeks turned red.

“Mr Hart is going to be so mad,” he chuckled. “We told him we'd be there an hour ago, but look at us,”

I clutched my hands on my thighs and pressed my lips together. “I'm sure you can work some magic and keep him from getting mad. He listens to you?,”

“I can, but we are cooked anyways,” he winked at me and my heart fluttered.

James understood me. Whenever I was with him, I felt a connection, a strong… dark connection.

I shouldn't have these feelings when I'm with him. My heart wasn't supposed to flutter each time he stared deep into my eyes. He was almost my father's age and crushing over him felt like a forbidden sin.

We got to the airport, and as expected, my father went bonkers. He was always tone-deaf and cared more about his pack and business than his own daughter.

Well, all that was going to change when I turned eighteen.

I felt I would finally be of age to admit my feelings to James, but a few weeks before my eighteenth birthday, James suddenly locked me out of his life.

He stopped driving me to school, he stopped our inside jokes, and whenever I saw him around, he'd suddenly disappear in a flash.

“Dad, did you have a fight with James?” I asked my father after I was fed up with the silent treatment. I deserved an explanation if anything happened.

He arched his left brow as he shut his book and pulled his spectacles. “No, why are you asking?”

“I… I… just haven't seen him as much as I used to,”

“He's very busy,” my father crossed his arms. “And James should be the least of your problems. Have you prepared your speech? I'm not throwing a ball for you to get up on stage and stutter.”

“I'm working on it,” I ran my hands through my hair

“Work on it and stop being a nuisance.” He huffed.

I stormed out of his study room furious, gritting my teeth as I slammed my door shut.

“Easy there, Elie. The world's not about to end,” my wolf, Leine, said to me.

“But it feels like it. My father's the worst and James doesn't even want to see me,” my shoulders slouched.

“We just heard that he's busy. Besides, we are going to see him at the party tomorrow.”

“I can't wait to see him,” my cheeks turned rosy. “I heard that's when we get to know our mate,”

“Don't get cocky, Elie. A mate must be fated and if I feel nothing for him, then…”

“Oh please,” I cut in with a wide smile. “I know we both want him. You’ve seen the way I look at him. The way I feel and you feel it too,”

“Goodness, can we focus on your speech? You know your father hates it when you mess things up,”

“Alright,” I gruffed half-heartedly.

I worked on my speech all night. Time took a sprint and soon enough, our halls were decorated guests from all walks of life. I could hardly recognize some of them but they all bowed gracefully when I walked past them.

It was one of the perks I enjoyed being the Alpha's daughter.

I had only five minutes to get to  the stage and read my speech, but I bumped into James whispering inaudibly.

“James… you came,” I said with excitement as he turned with an unreadable gaze.

“Where's your father?” The man behind him said.

I ignored his question and kept my eyes fixed on James. There was a fire in his eyes. A need to get closer to us.

I waited for a signal from my wolf. I waited for her to affirm that he was my mate, but we were both silent.

We had so much to say but our lips were sealed, vibrating with no sound at all.

“It’s important, we need to speak to the Alpha, young lady…” the man continued, stepping forward.

My jaws dropped in surprise. Important? James always knew where my father was. It was literally his job to be my father's right hand man.

James refused to speak even as I gaped on silently, almost as though he knew what was happening.

Like he had a secret to tell me.

The silence stretched for a minute, then he took a step towards me and glanced at the man behind him. “Leave us,” he commanded and turned to me.

“Elie,” he placed his hands on my shoulder. “What I am about to say to you might come as a shock, but I have to say it.”

“Your father is out on a very important… and dangerous mission. It came up urgently, and he instructed me to guard you until his return,”

I blinked with an empty expression. I swallowed lightly and glanced at his palms.

“Guard me? Is there something wrong? Am I in trouble” I muttered.

“Your…” he hesitated and sighed heavily. “Your life is about to change and if we're not careful, you'd be hurt. I'll be your personal guard from now on”

What the fuck was happening? Where was my father?