Alpha Kowen
Click! Clack! Click! Clack!
Heels hitting the tiled floor echoed in the empty hallway outside his office. It was faint, but his ears still picked up the subtle noise, alerting him to incoming company.
A few seconds later, the door cracked open and softly clicked shut, but he never bothered to turn around as he sat quietly in his chair, staring at the buzzing world just outside his window.
His eyes focused on the cluster of clouds, floating just above the tall skyscrapers like a colorless cotton candy. But honestly, his mind didn't even notice them as it was busy thinking about something else.
Reluctantly, after a while, he blinked, shook his head, and finally, he swirled his chair around. The interruption was definitely unwelcome, but unfortunately necessary.
"What did you find out?" Kowen asked, his tone cold, austere, impassive, sounding all business as always. He had no time for chitchat. His time was too valuable for nonsense.
Kowen Caldwell was the Alpha of the Storm Cloud Legion, the largest pack in the western region. He was also the heir to the Alpha King's position after his father's reign.
The future leader of the werewolf kingdom.
"Your toxicology result confirmed that you have strong aphrodisiacs in your system, Alpha Kowen." Leo, a Commander in his army, reported to him, handing him a black folder containing all the information the officer had gathered so far.
Quickly, his fingers flicked through the pages, skimming through the details of the investigation, but it contained nothing that he didn't already know.
The drug didn't impede his memory, but it certainly created havoc in his ability to control his mental faculties and his mobility.
Although his body had eventually metabolized the drug without any other side effects, such an incident was not something he could ignore or take for granted.
It was still a threat that he had to take seriously.
Whoever was responsible had to pay.
"Did you have any leads on who spiked my drink?" So far, the report missed that most important nitty-gritty detail.
Last night, he remembered meeting Nash, his childhood friend and also his Beta, in a club for a drink. Nash introduced him to some people who were interested in investing in his latest project.
It turned out that the club was also hosting a party for some heiress. But he couldn't care less about that. He just met with the investor. Afterwards, he excused himself, leaving Nash to finish the arrangement.
As he was walking towards the exit, someone rammed into his back. Instinct and quick reflexes forced him to turn in time to save her, catching her before she hit the floor.
Her identity was obscured by the mask she wore and the hood that cloaked most of her face. But he could swear that her smell was familiar. Not her perfume or the alcohol, but her natural scent.
It felt like she was someone he knew.
For an unexplainable reason, he was uncharacteristically drawn to her.
An invisible string seemed to pull him toward her, finding her quite enchanting and irresistible.
Intoxicating. Addicting.
But he guessed it was just the drug, messing with his senses.
That made sense. It was the only possible explanation.
There was no way he knew her, nor was he attracted to her.
After all, she was not his mate.
That woman was just another rich, spoiled human who had no business wasting his time and taking up his thoughts.
"All the cameras in the club had been wiped clean. But we managed to identify the man who served you the drink." Leo informed him, his face stoic, shoulders straight, body stiff, and feet firmly planted on the ground.
That sounded suspicious. Definitely not an accident or a silly prank.
However, if someone could get to the bottom of this, it was Leo. He was the best option to conduct this investigation due to his skills and experience.
Besides Nash, Leo was the next werewolf Kowen would trust with his life.
"The bartender admitted that a woman paid him to do it. Unfortunately, he didn't see her face since she was wearing a mask." Leo stated, continuing with his report. "But we still have some other leads. Just give me time to find the culprit."
A woman? In disguise?
Could it be her?
Was she responsible for drugging him?
"But almost all the guests at that party were wearing masks. It could be anybody, not her." Subconsciously, a deep voice spoke in his thoughts. "Right?" Questioning his deductive reasoning.
"This doesn't concern you, Kael. Stop butting in." He mentally reproached, silencing his wolf.
Kael was his gift from the Moon Goddess when he turned eighteen. His guardian and mentor. The source of his power. A partner in crime.
Most of the time, they were in sync about everything, but there were rare moments when their view didn't align.
"How can you say that? Of course, this also concerns me. What if she is our mate?" Kael vigorously claimed, insistent and stubborn as always.
"She's not." He harshly lashed back. "I didn't feel the strong mate bond between us. Besides, she's human." He added, ending their private conversation and shutting down his wolf from spewing more nonsense.
Although he couldn't deny that the strong physical attraction was there, it could have been due to the drugs in his system. Nothing more.
"I don't care how you do it." He turned his attention to Leo. "But find whoever the perpetrator is." He commanded, clearly disgruntled with the result.
If he were the original target, this might not be just as simple as drugging him. There must be something more to it— a more sinister plan.
What?
That was what he wanted to find out.
"And that woman who spent the night at my bed." He added, becoming more suspicious as she continued to creep into his thoughts. "Get all the information you can find about her."
Judging her without any proof would be unfair. He might be ruthless to his enemies and those who betrayed him and the pack, but he always valued justice.
Innocent until proven guilty.
"It was a masquerade party, Alpha Kowen. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack." Another voice reverberated in the room before Leo could respond to his demand.
In the corner of his eye, Nash suddenly appeared, standing by the door, wearing a smug smile and looking more amused than alarmed by their situation.
Kowen assumed his Beta must have heard their conversation. Upon observation, he could tell that his friend was already quite familiar with the previous night's event.
"Go!" He waved his fingers, dismissing Leo to attend to his task. Then, he picked up a few files from his desk, using his work to ignore his friend.
"So, what really happened last night? Did you finally find our Luna?" The amusement in his friend's voice was quite evident as he walked further into his office.
Clearly, Nash was enjoying himself at his expense.
"No. She's not my mate." His denial came out too fast and too loud to his liking.
She couldn't be. Again, he reiterated, but more to himself.
"She's human." He added, as if that should be a good enough explanation. Hoping that would stop his friend from prying.
Wait! Why was he even thinking about her?
The image of those eyes popped back inside his head. Those parted lips that begged to be kissed and her alluring body, which craved his touch.
"Stop fighting it, Kowen. I know you want her as much as I do." Again, Kael nagged at his ears, whispering nonsense that he didn't want to hear.
"No, Kael. You're wrong." More determined to put an end to his wolf's gibberish notions.
"It's not too totally unheard of if your mate is human." Nash's voice cut into his trance. "Just look at Alpha Dean." Nash cited their ally, the Alpha of the Silver Fang Order, one of the oldest packs, as an example.
Alpha Dean had always been a loyal friend of his father, the Alpha King. He had grown up looking up to Alpha Dean as his mentor and second father. Until now, he and his father still frequently sought his guidance as the head of the Council of Elders.
Of course, everybody knew that Alpha Dean's first mate was a human, Eleanor. But as a human with a frail body, she died when she gave birth to their first child, Eliza.
It was precisely why the Council discouraged relationships between cross-species. Humans couldn't handle the pressure of carrying a werewolf's child. They were just too feeble, puny, helpless compared to their kind.
Human?
Weak. Wolfless. Unworthy to be his Luna.
"Precisely, where did his relationship with a human lead him?" His eyes blazed with contempt. "With a dead Luna and a missing daughter who probably perished in the big fire during the attack on their pack."
Nothing good happened by getting involved with a human.
"The last thing I want is to end up like Alpha Dean." He would never suffer the same fate as his mentor.
Heartbroken.
Not again.
"Speaking of Alpha Dean." His friend pulled out an envelope from his inside pocket and handed it to him. "He wanted you to have this."
His hand unfolded the paper, finding a freshly drafted contract inside.
"He wants to remind you about your engagement to his daughter."