The Masked Mistake

(Ava’s POV)

I pressed my back against the cold marble wall of the Vance estate, clutching a heavy silver tray to my chest. My hands were trembling so violently that the crystal glasses rattled against the metal. I was hiding in the shadows of the grand foyer because my stepsister, Isabella, was on a rampage, and I knew perfectly well that I was her favorite target.

"You useless, pathetic mutt!" Isabella’s shrill voice echoed down the hallway.

She burst into the foyer, her designer heels clicking against the floor like rapid gunfire. I stepped out from the shadows immediately, keeping my eyes fixed firmly on the floor. I placed a trembling hand over my stomach, praying she would not notice the slight, subtle curve that had appeared there over the last three months. The secret I carried was a ticking time bomb, and if she found out I was pregnant, she would have me thrown into the streets.

"I am sorry, Isabella," I whispered.

"Sorry does not fix your incompetence," Isabella sneered, closing the distance between us. She grabbed my chin with her sharp, manicured nails, forcing me to look up at her cold, cruel eyes. "You are lucky my father even lets you live in this house after what your whore of a mother did. Now, get out of my sight before I decide to have you thrown in the basement."

I nodded quickly, fighting back the hot tears that burned my eyes, and hurried toward the small, cramped servant's quarters that I called my bedroom. I locked the heavy oak door behind me and leaned against it, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor. I let the silent tears fall as the familiar wave of despair washed over me.

I was completely trapped. Three months ago, I had made the biggest mistake of my life. I had been ordered by Isabella to deliver a contract to a private VIP room at an exclusive nightclub. The man inside had been wearing a black silk mask, but the sheer, intimidating power radiating from him had made my inner wolf whimper in submission.

He had kissed me before I could even explain why I was there. The moment his lips touched mine, the world stopped spinning, and my wolf howled in my mind with pure joy. Mate, she had screamed. He is our fated mate. I had been overwhelmed by the intense, burning pull of the mate bond, and I had given myself to him completely in the dark.

When I woke up the next morning, the reality of my betrayal crashed down on me. If Isabella ever found out that I had slept with a stranger—a powerful Alpha no less—she would have me killed. I slipped out of the bed, gathered my torn clothes, and ran away before the sun fully rose. I never even saw his face without the mask.

Now, I was carrying his child, and I had no way to find him. I knew that if my father, Alpha Vance, found out I was pregnant out of wedlock, he would disown me and throw me out onto the freezing winter streets.

Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted from the main foyer. The heavy front doors slammed open, and I heard the deep, authoritative voice of my father, followed by Isabella’s high-pitched, excited squeals.

"He is here!" Isabella shrieked. "My fiancé is finally here!"

I froze. Isabella had been bragging for months about her arranged marriage to a powerful, incredibly wealthy billionaire CEO Alpha. It was the merger of the century, a business deal that would make our pack the richest in the country. I had managed to avoid him during his previous brief visits to the estate, but it seemed tonight I had no choice.

"Get down here, you worthless girl!" my father roared up the stairs. "Come serve the drinks to our guest!"

My heart hammered in my chest as I wiped my tears, smoothed down my cheap, plain maid's uniform, and walked down the grand staircase. The scent hit me before I even reached the bottom step. It was an intoxicating mix of cedar and rainclouds.

No, my wolf whimpered in my mind. It cannot be.

I stopped dead in my tracks at the bottom of the stairs. Standing in the center of the foyer, shaking hands with my father, was the most gorgeous and terrifying man I had ever seen. He was not wearing a mask this time. He had piercing gray eyes, thick dark hair, and an aura of absolute dominance that made the entire room feel small.

"Julian Sterling," my father said, his voice dripping with false pleasantry. "Welcome to our home."

Julian Sterling. The youngest billionaire CEO in the country. The Alpha of the Blackwood Pack. The man whose bed I had shared three months ago.

My breathing stopped. The tray of drinks in my hands began to rattle violently.

Julian turned to acknowledge my father, but his eyes suddenly snapped directly to me. The moment his gaze locked onto mine, the air in the room vanished. His nostrils flared, his jaw tightened, and his gray eyes flashed a brilliant, terrifying gold. He recognized my scent instantly. His wolf was roaring to the surface, and the sheer, furious recognition on his face made me want to vomit.

"Ava!" Isabella snapped, rushing over to snatch a glass of champagne from my tray. "Stop standing there like a brainless idiot and offer Mr. Sterling a drink! I am so sorry, darling," she cooed, turning to Julian. "The help here is completely useless."

Julian did not even look at Isabella. His eyes were burning a hole straight through my skull.

"Who is she?" Julian asked, his voice a low, dangerous growl that sent shivers down my spine.

Isabella rolled her eyes. "Oh, that is just Ava. My pathetic, illegitimate stepsister. She is basically our live-in maid. Ignore her, Julian. Let us go into the dining room for dinner."

Julian ignored her completely. He took a slow, predatory step toward me, and then another. My father looked confused, and Isabella’s face twisted in annoyance.

"Julian, what are you doing?" Isabella asked, her voice tight with jealousy.

Julian stopped right in front of me. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating off his massive body. He leaned down, his nose brushing against the curve of my neck, inhaling my scent deeply. The tray of drinks slipped from my trembling hands and shattered against the marble floor.

"Leave us," Julian commanded, his voice echoing through the foyer like thunder.

"What?" my father sputtered. "Julian, she is just a servant. We have a dinner prepared."

"I said leave us!" Julian roared, and the sheer Alpha command in his voice forced everyone in the room to freeze. Even Isabella flinched.

My father grabbed Isabella’s arm, dragging her away toward the dining room while she protested loudly. The moment the doors closed, leaving us completely alone in the foyer, Julian grabbed my shoulders and slammed me back against the wall.

"You," he hissed, his glowing golden eyes filled with absolute fury. "You are the girl from the club."

"I do not know what you are talking about," I lied, my voice breaking as tears streamed down my face.

"Do not lie to me," Julian snarled, his grip on my shoulders painfully tight. "I recognize your scent. I recognized it the second you walked down those stairs. I have been searching the entire city for you for three months."

"Please, you have to let me go," I begged, struggling against his iron grip. "Isabella is your fiancée. If she finds out about us, she will kill me."

Julian’s eyes dropped from my face, slowly trailing down my body. His gaze landed on my stomach, on the slight, undeniable swell I had been trying so desperately to hide beneath my loose uniform. His eyes widened, the golden glow flaring with shock, and then, quickly, with a dark, terrifying realization.

He released one of my shoulders and slowly moved his hand to my belly. I flinched, but he pressed his palm firmly against the slight curve.

"You are pregnant," Julian whispered, his voice dropping to a deadly, chilling calm.

I sobbed, unable to speak, and I nodded weakly.

Julian’s face twisted into a mask of pure, unadulterated rage. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look directly into his furious golden eyes.

"I, Julian Sterling, am your mate, and you are carrying my heir," he said, his voice shaking with a mix of rage and possessive dominance. "But you are a liar, and you are a maid. You will not ruin my merger with your pack. You will keep this pregnancy a secret, you will obey my every command, and you will act like nothing more than a servant."

I opened my mouth to scream at him, to tell him I wanted nothing to do with his money or his merger, but before I could speak, he leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear.

"And if you ever try to run from me again," Julian whispered, his breath hot against my skin, "I will destroy your entire family."