The Alpha's World

Olivia's breath came in short, uneven gasps, her heart hammering from the attack. The bloodied scene around her froze her in place as she stared at Callum in shock, adrenaline making her head struggle to catch up. The metallic scent of blood mingled with an earthy, wild smell she couldn't place.

She couldn't get the images out of her head—Callum tearing through those things like they were nothing. The precision, the raw force; utterly inhuman. His movements had been fluid, predatory, terrifying in their efficiency. Standing before her now, the man she thought she knew was something far beyond comprehension.

His eyes glowed unnaturally in the dim light, a molten gold that seemed to pierce right through her. One word reverberated within her mind, impossible yet undeniable: *werewolf*. The very thing that couldn't exist, shouldn't exist, yet clearly did.

"I need you to listen," he said, his voice strained like he knew the extent of her shattered world. A world where monsters were real, and the man she'd been falling for was one of them.

The remains of the attack—smashed glass, overturned furniture, deep claw marks gouged into hardwood floors—seemed insignificant compared to the earth-shattering revelation. Callum Wolfe, with his tailored suits and commanding presence, wasn't just a powerful billionaire. He was a werewolf. An Alpha werewolf.

Her mind struggled to marry the Callum she knew—charismatic, determined, intensely magnetic—to the monster she'd just witnessed. His transformation replayed in her mind: bones breaking with sickening cracks, muscles flexing and expanding, features molding from human to something primeval. Yet even in that monstrous form, his wolf retained those eyes, those glittering golden eyes that were so unmistakably *his*.

"Olivia." Callum's deep voice sliced through her thoughts, resonating with an authority that made her skin prickle. "I know this is a lot. But there's more at play here than you realize."

She wanted to laugh, or maybe scream. What could be more important than her whole conception of reality being blown apart?

Callum moved closer, his movements carefully measured, and she stepped backward, bumping into an overturned chair. Hurt flickered across his features, quickly replaced by his familiar boardroom mask. But she'd seen it—a flash of vulnerability that made her heart twist even as fear coursed through her veins.

"Werewolves live by different rules. We're bound by ancient laws, by our packs. And as Alpha, it's my duty to lead. To protect." His voice carried a weight of responsibility she was only beginning to understand.

The word 'Alpha' held a significance she couldn't fully grasp. It was more than a title—it was power, control, *dominance*. Everything she should run from. Everything that, deep down, she craved.

"And then there's... mates." Callum's jaw clamped down, the word clearly an ache in itself. "Fated mates. Two souls bound by destiny. You can't fight it, Olivia. Believe me, I've tried."

The air vibrated with all that was left unsaid. Her chest grew tight, suddenly filled with memories of James, all those promises reduced to cold, gray ash by his betrayal.

"I can't," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I cannot do this again."

Callum eliminated the space between them, overwhelming in his menace and magnetism. Heat radiated from his body, and that wild, earthy scent enveloped her. "I won't hurt you. But I also won't lie. There's something between us. I feel it. And I know you do too."

Her pulse raced, heart warring with her head. After James had made a wasteland of her heart, she'd vowed never to be this vulnerable again.

Yet here Callum stood, every word pulling her further into his orbit. His power, his intensity, his *need* for her—intoxicating, overwhelming, impossible to resist.

"You don't know what you're asking," she muttered. "You don't know what it feels like to be used, lied to. *Cheated on*."

Callum's face darkened, a growl underlying his words. "You think I don't know betrayal? I lost more than you could imagine. I know what it feels like to be rejected by the one person who is supposed to be my world."

For the first time, she realized she wasn't the only one with scars.

"I won't be second to anyone," she whispered.

"You never will be. Not with me." His words rang with conviction.

His words took her breath away, and she desperately wanted to believe him. But the walls she'd built were high, fortified by James' betrayal.

"How can I trust you? How do I know it's not just werewolf instinct? That I'm not some cosmic accident you're stuck with?"

Callum's eyes softened as he touched her cheek. She leaned into it despite herself.

"Because I've known you were mine from the moment I saw you. Your strength, your brilliance, the fire in your eyes when you stand up to me. You challenge me in ways no one else has. Werewolf or human."

"And when the novelty wears off? When you tire of a human partner?"

His grip tightened, not painfully, but with unmistakable intensity. "The mate bond isn't fleeting attraction. It's for life. You are my life now."

"I need time," she said finally. "This is too much. Werewolves, mates, packs. I need to process."

Callum nodded, though the struggle in his eyes was plain. "Take all the time you need. But know this—I'll wait. For as long as it takes."

As she turned to go, his voice halted her. "Be careful. Now that you know about our world, there are those who might see you as a threat. Or a way to get to me. If you need anything—call me. Day or night."

Stepping into the cool night air, the enormity of what lay ahead crashed over her. Werewolves were real. Magic existed. And she, Olivia Blackwood, was apparently fated to be mated with the most powerful Alpha in London.

God help her.