Alexander stood on the beach, watching the house that was barely visible on the hilltop above. He put his towel down in the sand, and plopped down to wait. According to the previous stalkers his brother had sent to watch Della, she usually came to the beach around this time every day. He had worn a scent masking spray to hide that he was a werewolf, not wanting to startle her. He would befriend her, but today he was just going to observe from a distance.
Sure enough, she came walking down the beach with her pup, setting up a chair, an umbrella, and a few toys, like a tiny shovel, so the pup could dig in the sand. He seemed to prefer to use his hands. Della looked gorgeous in a red bikini, as she sat down in her chair and took out her phone.
As he watched her he felt something pulling him towards her, as his wolf, Max, paced anxiously in his head. The wind shifted and the breeze carried her scent to him. Coconut and caramel, she smelled like heaven. He realized what was happening, right as Max proclaimed, "MATE!" He took a few steps towards her, then forced himself to stop. No. This was not supposed to happen. Did the Moon Goddess have a twisted sense of humor? His brother, the fucking Alpha King, had sent Alexander to spy on this she-wolf he was obsessed with, and wouldn't you know it, she turned out to be his fated mate!
It took every ounce of self control he had to keep from running to her, his wolf going berserk, wondering why the stupid human was ignoring what was right in front of him. "MATE!" Max repeated.
His brother would kill him. Literally. Self preservation had to trump the mate bond, at least for the time being. Goddess, what was he going to do? He was glad he had masked his scent. If she had come to him, it would have been over. He would not have been able to resist.
And his brother would kill him. Literally. He sat back down on his blanket, trying to slow his racing heart by taking deep breaths. All that did was fill his nose with more of her intoxicating, delicious, tantalizing scent, and he had to fight harder than he liked to just to keep his wolf from taking over.
He lay back on his blanket, closing his eyes, at least then her perfect body wasn't tormenting him with every shift of her arm, every time she would flick a bit of sand off of her leg, every time she moved it was like watching liquid silk. Her blonde hair flowed halfway down her back, and he imagined his hands tangled in it as he passionately kissed her full red lips. He sat up, realizing his swim trunks did very little to contain his erection. Damn it! He ran his hands through his hair, adjusted his sunglasses, and tried to focus on anything but Della. The other half of his soul was right there, and he couldn't do anything about it. Or could he?
Jaden would definitely try to kill him. He was the Alpha King, and had the power and resources to do so. But, if he could plead his case to the Werewolf Council, they would protect him. To them, the mate bond was sacred above almost all else. They would forbid Jaden from interfering.
Which would do nothing to prevent his untimely demise by his brother's hand.
Alexander's mind raced as he weighed his options. He had been sent to spy on Della, to gather information about her, and report back to Jaden. Easy, right? Instead, here he was, grappling with the primal call of destiny.
Della laughed as her pup tried to stand up and walk in the sand, then decided against it, sitting back down in the hole he had dug around himself. The sound was like music to his ears. It was a melody that reverberated through every fiber of his being, a song his soul recognized.
His wolf was growing restless, desperately wanting to approach her. He should leave. He should tell his brother to find someone else to do his creepy stalker work. But with each passing moment, the idea of walking away became harder to bear.
Just talk to her, Alex, Max urged.
It's not that simple, he shot back mentally. Jaden will never allow it. Do you want to stay alive? He won't let me have her.
But Max was relentless, and the more Alexander fought against the bond, the more it consumed him. He could feel the undeniable connection pulling him towards her. If only he could speak to her without fear. If only he could just be a werewolf meeting his mate, instead of a pawn in his brother's game.
Suddenly, Della glanced in his direction, and their eyes locked. The world around him faded away. His heart raced as he felt the bond solidify between them in that single moment. She felt it too, he could see the surprise in her eyes. She blinked, looking confused, and he realized she couldn't smell him. She could feel the bond, but she couldn't recognize it because of the scent masking spray.
Before he could think of a reason to retreat, she smiled and waved. "Hey there! You must be new to the neighborhood. Come on over and say hello to Jax!" She pointed to the pup, who was now carefully shaping the sand in front of him in to a ball. Jax, his name was Jax. He even felt a pull towards the pup, something familiar about him. It unnerved him, was he feeling that protectiveness usually reserved for family because Jax was his mate's pup? He was adorable, his mother's features prominent on his face. Jax saw him staring and waved, "Hello!" He squeaked out in his little pup voice.
Alexander froze, battling himself like a gladiator, the mate bond vs. self preservation. He glanced around, half-expecting Jaden to pop out from behind an umbrella, but there was no one. There were a few other people scattered along the beach, but they were too far away to see in any detail.
Just him, and the beautiful woman who was destined to be his. "What the actual fuck have I gotten myself in to?" he thought, as he stood on shaky legs. His mind was a tornado, spinning out of control. He took a step forward, then another, until he was close enough to see that her eyes had flecks of turquoise in the deep blue, close enough that her scent overwhelmed him, driving his wolf into a frenzy.
Della's smile widened, and she beckoned him over. "Come join us! I could use some help keeping him out of trouble." She motioned to the mischievous pup, who was trying to bury himself in the sand.
Alexander hesitated, then stepped forward, staring into her eyes. He reached his hand out and gently stroked her cheek, the sparks of the mate bond confirming what he already knew.
Then his phone rang, the shrill sound cutting obnoxiously into the pleasant hum of the bond. It was Jaden. Of course. "I have to take this," he said, apologetically. She stared at him, perplexed by their attraction. She kept sniffing the air. It would have been funny under different circumstances.
He walked away, Jaden's droning voice a reminder that he was here to do a job, and that he wanted to stay alive. He walked all the way to his car, got in, and drove home, wondering just what in the hell he was going to do.