Todos los capítulos de The Alpha's Stray Secret : Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

If there was one thing I had never planned for in my twenty-eight years of existence, it was being lugged into a pastel-yellow bathroom by a woman half my size."Okay, big guy," Maya said, rolling up the sleeves of her oversized sweater. "First step: getting rid of the swamp smell."I sat on the bathmat, keeping my tail flat against the floor so it wouldn't betray my absolute panic. *Swamp smell?* I was an Alpha. My scent was cedarwood, cold rain, and dominance.*You rolled in mud, idiot,* Fenris reminded me, lounging lazily in the back of my mind. *Accept your fate. She’s going to touch us again.*"Let's see if we can get you into the tub," Maya murmured, kneeling beside me.She reached under my chest, attempting to scoop my front legs up. The moment her skin made contact with my hide, that electric shock of the mate bond zapped through us again. Maya gasped, her hands flinching back for a split second. She looked down at her palms, a slight flush rising to her cheeks."Static electr

By eleven in the morning, the smell of burnt sugar and cheap cologne ruined the cozy warmth of *The Sugar Whisk*.I was curled up under the front corner table, resting my snout on my paws, watching two men in sharp gray suits corner Maya at the register. They weren't low-level rogues like the scouts in the sedan; these were Vance Pack enforcers playing corporate cutthroats."Look, Miss Lin," the larger of the two—a slimy wolf named Marcus—said, tapping a manicured finger against the glass display case. "The Vance Real Estate Group is offering you fifty thousand above market value. That’s more than generous for a bakery that’s barely breaking even.""I told you yesterday, Mr. Vance," Maya said, her voice steady despite the slight tremor in her hands. "This bakery was my mother's. The building isn't for sale. My lease has three years left, and I intend to honor it."Marcus leaned forward, lowering his voice into a subtle, threatening register designed to make human heart rates spike. "L

The smell of cheap rubber, lavender shampoo, and cheap dog kibble hit my sensitive snout like a physical wall."Stay close, Bear," Maya murmured, tugging lightly on the old fabric belt loop wrapped around my neck. "I know it’s crowded, but we need to get you proper gear."I trotted beside her through the sliding doors of *Paws & Claws MegaPet*, suppressing the urge to sneer at the commercial madness surrounding us. I was an Alpha who commanded five territories, owned half the commercial real estate in the city, and answered to no living soul.Now, I was forced to navigate aisle four while a manicured poodle in a jewel-encrusted sweater yapped hysterically at my ankles.*I am going to snap that squeaky toy in half,* Fenris threatened, his ears pinned back in absolute disgust as he stared down the offending poodle.*Control yourself,* I snapped mentally, glaring at the tiny dog until its eyes went wide and it scuttled backward into its owner’s tote bag. *We are playing the part.*"Let's

By 11:30 PM, the lights in the small apartment above *The Sugar Whisk* were out.Maya lay fast asleep in her bed, her breathing slow, even, and deep. I lay on the plush carpet at the foot of her mattress, my chin resting on my front paws, listening to the soft rhythm of her heart.*She's asleep,* Fenris whispered, rising to his feet in our shared consciousness. *Time to move.*I didn't move immediately. I waited another five minutes, making sure she wouldn't stir. Then, sliding my heavy claws across the carpet with extreme care, I stood up.Leaving an empty dog bed was a risk. If Maya woke up to use the bathroom and saw her 150-pound protection detail missing, she’d search the apartment—or worse, panic and run out into the night looking for me.I nudged her spare bedroom throw blanket off the armchair with my snout, pulling it down onto my rug. With deliberate precision, I bunched and molded the fabric into a long, dark heap that mimicked the shape of a sleeping wolf in the dim moonli

By 3:00 PM, the steady hum of the afternoon rush had subsided into a quiet lull.Maya was behind the counter, carefully calculating inventory for the upcoming week, when the brass bell above the front door chimed. She looked up, expecting another neighborhood regular, only for her breath to hitch.I stepped into *The Sugar Whisk* dressed in a sharp navy three-piece suit, custom leather shoes, and a silver tie pin bearing the crest of the Blackthorn Pack—a detail lost on human eyes, but a symbol of absolute authority in my world.*She's wearing that blue ribbon in her hair today,* Fenris noted, his wolf senses instantly zeroing in on her. *I like it.*"Mr. Blackwood," Maya said, smoothing her apron as a soft blush dusted her cheeks. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Is everything alright with the contract?""Everything is moving smoothly, Miss Lin," I replied smoothly, stopping at the counter. The scent of sweet vanilla, fresh yeast, and *her* hit my lungs, instantly making my