Mated to the Alpha Don

When staring down the barrel of a gun, my faith in god reminds me that love conquers all fear.Bullsh.i.t.I was 15, dressed in a beautiful ballgown for my quinceañera and staring down the barrel of a gun when I realized how utterly fucked up my life truly was. Because as I stood there, I looked into the eyes of my killer, a hundred percent sure I was going to die. But then…Gabriel Rossi…a man with more kills under his belt than he had years on him, called me his ‘mate’. The one word I had yearned to hear from someone. The one thing I had always wanted. Spoken from the lips of a man who definitely would sooner throw my body in the ocean for the sharks than ever treasure me like mates should. Like Kyle,my stepfather, treasured my mother.Some said I should find solace in the fact that he did not kill me. That he left just as quickly as he’d arrived, letting me finally run to my uncle Xavier who Gabrielle shot through the leg with a silver bullet without even batting an eye.For years,

Evelina's POV“Hey!” I exclaimed, turning to yell at the man who’d just groped my a.s.s in the subway.Fucking New York. You’d think I’d be used to it by now.“You pervert!” I yelled, watching the strange man disappear into the crowd.“Temper Evie,” Robert intoned, grabbing my arm and pulling me along. “It’s late, we need to get home.”Muttering expletives in Spanish that Robert couldn’t understand, I trudged along begrudgingly, emerging from the New York underground and allowing the cool winter night’s air to help cool my flushed face.“This is why I always tell you to stick close to me,” Robert murmured impatiently once we got closer to home.“You aren’t honestly trying to say it’s my fault?” I challenged, casting him a withering look.“Of course not Evie,” Robert replied quickly. “It’s just that according to statistics, this usually happens to women who men think are alone on the subway. Sticking close to me is a deterrent.”I raised an eyebrow challengingly. “I think ripping his h

The moment I removed my bangle, Gabriel’s eyes turned a primal yellow and he lunged at me. Before I could even activate my magic, his body was on mine, pinning me against the wall with inhuman strength. Panic flooded through me as I struggled to break free, but his feral gaze held me in place like a predator cornering its prey.“Mate,” he growled low into my ear, tingles erupting across my entire body from his touch.Stunned, it took a moment for the realization to sink in that he moved faster than any other werewolf I’d ever seen. And I’d seen many. He bent his head, lips mere inches from mine and in that singular beat, I hated myself. I hated myself because for one small milli-second, I felt attracted to him. Stupid mate bond. This twisted sense of attraction was going to be the death of me.“I know that cheap bit of jewelry your witchy tia gave you is what blocks our bond Muneca.” His breath was hot against my lips as he spoke, those eyes, dark as death, boring into mine. “It’s what

Evelina's POV The rhythmic hum of the road beneath me nudged me out of slumber, and my eyes fluttered open to darkness. Confusion fogged my mind momentarily as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. The realization hit me like a freight train—I was in the backseat of a car. Gabriel was at the wheel, his silhouette illuminated by the soft glow of the dashboard lights. A woman with dark hair, Gabriel kept referring to her as Amaya, sat shotgun, her presence a palpable force in this confined space. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that she was the witch he kept referring to.I steadied my breathing, trying not to alert the two of my wakefulness. Instead, I focused on the subtle details around me—the faint scent of leather, the gentle sway of the car as it cruised along the road. We were somewhere in Texas, judging by the signs whizzing by that I could just barely make out from my reclined position in the back seat. The landscape rolled by in shadowy patches beyond the windows.As

Evelina's POV“I found it inside the cave,” I muttered, shifting in the backseat as I answered Amaya’s question.I didn’t know how to explain it. But something had called to me. This box…was mine. And something told me to keep it safe until I could get it to my tia Melanie. My hand ran over the circular symbol on it, feeling the sudden twinge of an electric current jolt from the box and straight to the palm of my hand. I jumped a little in surprise. There was something dark and sinister about this seemingly harmless wooden case. Is that why I wanted it?“Can I see it?” Amaya queried. “Do you think it’s something to make a witch more powerful?”I could hear the excitement in her voice. Wordlessly, I handed it over.“I already tried to open it,” I explained with a shrug. “It’s locked.”“There’s no key,” Amaya muttered, holding it up to examine it. “Hmmm.” She tried to pry it open and yelped. “It burned me!” she exclaimed, nursing her hand against her chest and letting the box fall into h