Page 15 of Alpha's Hidden Gem

Frowning, I pad over to the window. The street below is empty, bathed in the sickly yellow glow of the streetlights. But as I lean in to close the window, I catch a whiff of something unfamiliar.

It's a musky, earthy scent, like wet leaves and wood smoke. But there's something else too, something sharp and metallic that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I take a deep breath, trying to place it. It's not a smell I've ever encountered before, and it definitely doesn't belong in the middle of the city.

Unease prickles at my skin as I latch the window shut. Maybe it's just the stress of the day getting to me, but I can't shake the feeling that something's not right.

I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly chilled despite the warmth of my apartment. The howl echoes in my mind, haunting and forlorn.

"It's just a dog," I mutter to myself, trying to shake off the eerie feeling. "Probably belongs to one of the neighbors."

The strange scent lingers, a reminder of the unseen presence outside.

Chapter 5

Hearts Drawn Closer

Axel

I'm experiencing that peculiar sensation where enthusiasm and dread intertwine simultaneously. I find myself perched in The Cozy Bean, anticipating Lila's arrival. The rich smell of coffee fills the air, but I can barely focus on it. My mind's racing, my wolf's restless, and I'm pretty sure my heart's doing the cha-cha in my chest.

I shift in my seat, trying to get comfortable. Fat chance of that happening. It's not every day you meet up with the woman your wolf insists is your mate. Especially when she's human and has no clue about our world. Talk about complicated.

Suddenly, my wolf perks up.Mate,he growls.She's close.

I look up, and there she is, hurrying down the sidewalk. Her dark hair's pulled back, and her cheeks are flushed from the morning chill. She pauses outside, takes a deep breath like she's psyching herself up. It's adorable, and I can't help but smile.

The door chimes as she walks in, and our eyes meet. For a second, it's like the rest of the world just... disappears. My wolf is going crazy, urging me to go to her, to breathe in her scent, to claim her right then and there. But I rein him in.

Gotta keep it cool, you know?

"Good morning, Lila," I say, standing up to greet her. My voice comes out rougher than I intended.

Smooth, Axel. Real smooth.

She smiles, sliding into the seat across from me. "Good morning, Mr. Anderson. I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"Please, call me Axel," I insist. As she brushes past me, her scent hits me like a ton of bricks. It's herbs and spices, cinnamon and vanilla. It's intoxicating, and it takes every ounce of control I have not to pull her into my arms right there.

I gesture to the steaming mugs on the table. "I took the liberty of ordering for us. Sophie mentioned you're partial to the vanilla latte here."

Her eyes widen in surprise. "You asked Sophie about me?"

I shrug, trying to play it cool even though my heart's racing. "I wanted to make sure you'd be happy meeting here. I know how important your food truck is to you."

My wolf purrs approvingly.Protect. Provide.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Axel," Lila says, wrapping her hands around the mug. "I appreciate you taking the time to help me out."

"It's my pleasure," I reply, meaning every word. "So, tell me about your plans for Taylor Made Pizza. Any new ideas you're excited about?"

Lila leans forward, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. "Actually, yes! I've been thinking about expanding my menu, maybe incorporating more of my Nonna's recipes."

"That sounds great," I say, pulling out a folder from my bag. "I've got some ideas that might help streamline your process and ensure everything's up to code. Want to take a look?"

We dive into discussing her plans for her food truck, and I show her some ideas I've sketched out. As we lean in close to look at the diagrams, her scent envelops me. It's intoxicating, making it hard to focus on anything but her.

So close,my wolf whines.Touch her.

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