THE ALPHA WHO COULDN'T RECOGNIZE ME

By the third day, Adrian had begun avoiding the eastern wing of the estate. He knew how absurd that was. He was the alpha of the Blackwood Pack, yet he had started changing his routines because of a servant he had barely noticed before.

Every time he caught her scent, his wolf reacted.

At first, it had been nothing more than an uncomfortable awareness, a persistent pull that Adrian could dismiss if he concentrated hard enough. Now, however, the reaction was becoming harder to control.

During breakfast, he realized just how bad it had become.

Adrian had barely settled into his chair when a familiar scent drifted through the dining hall. His hand stopped halfway to his glass.

He knew that scent.

Elena was somewhere nearby.

His wolf immediately stirred, pressing against his control with an impatience that made Adrian's muscles tense. His eyes moved toward the entrance before he could stop them.

Marcus noticed.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

Adrian picked up his glass and took a slow drink, forcing himself to remain composed.

The doors opened.

Elena entered carrying a tray for the servants seated at the far end of the room.

Adrian's wolf reacted so violently that he nearly crushed the glass in his hand. His chair shifted against the floor as he straightened.

Several people looked in his direction.

Elena stopped for a moment, her gaze lifting in surprise.

Their eyes met.

The reaction inside him intensified.

Adrian could suddenly hear every movement around him-the scrape of cutlery, the quiet conversations, and the footsteps of servants crossing the room. Yet all of it seemed distant compared with the awareness of the woman standing several yards away.

His wolf wanted him to approach her. It wanted to know who was near her and why she was walking away.

Adrian tightened his grip on the glass. He would not give in to an instinct he did not understand.

Elena lowered her gaze and continued toward the servants' tables. Adrian watched her go, and when she disappeared through the opposite doorway, he released the breath he had been holding.

"Alpha?"

Marcus's voice was quiet.

Adrian looked at him. "I said I'm fine."

"You've said that every time I've asked."

Adrian pushed his chair back. "I have work to do."

He left the dining hall before Marcus could say anything else, but unfortunately, leaving did nothing to settle his wolf.

By the afternoon, Adrian had already changed his training schedule, skipped lunch, and remained in his study longer than necessary.

None of it helped. His wolf seemed to know exactly where Elena was, even when Adrian did not.

He was reviewing a report when Marcus entered without knocking.

"You're avoiding her."

Adrian's eyes lifted from the document. "Who?"

Marcus gave him an unimpressed look. "You know who."

Adrian closed the report. "This conversation is unnecessary."

"Then tell me why you've changed your routine three times in two days."

Adrian said nothing.

Marcus folded his arms. "You've been distracted since the night she dropped that glass."

A muscle moved in Adrian's jaw. "Leave it alone."

Marcus studied him carefully. "Is it because of Elena?"

The instant he heard her name, Adrian's wolf reacted, and a low growl formed somewhere deep inside him.

Marcus's expression changed.

Adrian turned toward the window. "You heard nothing."

"I heard enough."

"Marcus."

The warning in Adrian's voice was unmistakable.

His beta raised his hands slightly. "Fine. I won't push."

Adrian waited until Marcus left before allowing himself to breathe normally again.

He hated this. He hated that his wolf could react to a single name, and more than anything, he hated that he had no explanation for it.

That evening, Adrian remained in his study long after the household had quieted. He told himself that staying there would keep him away from Elena.

Then came a knock at the door.

"Enter."

The door opened, and Elena stepped inside.

Adrian immediately recognized her scent. She carried a neatly folded stack of clothes against her chest and looked slightly uncertain as she approached the desk.

"I was asked to bring these here, Alpha."

Adrian stared at her.

His wolf surged forward.

The reaction was stronger than before. Her presence seemed to fill the room, and Adrian suddenly became painfully aware of how close she was standing.

"Put them on the desk."

Elena obeyed. She placed the clothes down carefully and turned toward the door.

Adrian expected the feeling to lessen once she moved away.

Instead, his wolf became even more agitated; he took a breath, and then another.

Elena reached the door.

Something inside him broke through the wall of control he had built around it.

Mate.

The word struck his mind with absolute certainty.

Adrian went completely still. He had heard it before, but never with such clarity; his wolf had not been confused. It had not been reacting to something unfamiliar; it had recognized her.

His mate.

Adrian's heart began pounding.

No.

The refusal came instantly; he could not accept it.

Elena was a servant. He had barely known she existed until a few days ago, and now his wolf was claiming her as the woman destined to stand beside him.

That was impossible.

There had to be another explanation.

Elena glanced back at him. "Alpha?"

Adrian realized he had been staring.

"Nothing," he said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "You may leave."

She nodded and stepped outside, and then the door closed.

Adrian remained alone in the study for several moments; he said nothing. Then he shook his head.

"No."

His wolf answered with a quiet, unwavering certainty.

Mate.

Adrian's hands curled into fists; he refused to believe it. Whatever bond his wolf thought it had found, Adrian would not accept that Elena was his mate.

Not now.

Not ever.