Chapter 5

♦Raphael’s POV♦

The door slammed shut, and the smile on my lips grew broader.

‘And I thought saving her was a bad idea. She just keeps getting interesting and interesting.’ I flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

I liked her feisty yet cool spirit. She knew I was an Alpha, and I smelled her fear and panic, yet she stood her ground and didn’t cower away. She wasn’t afraid of expressing herself when most would tremble in fear. I liked that. She was going to make the perfect wife, worthy of standing beside me as my Luna, even though it would only be for five years. I was going to make sure she was. I slid my phone out of my pocket and dialled my lawyer’s office.

“Good morning, Alpha.” Mr. Cain’s voice came through at the third ring.

“Good morning. I would like you to draft a contract for me.” I said. “It’s for my five-year contract marriage.”

“Your contract marriage?” He replied; his usual monotone voice had a surprised edge, and I grinned.

Was I impulsive and acting overconfident? No. There were situations where my alpha instinct could easily detect how things were going to end. It was one of them. I was going to get the girl.

Though she turned me down, she was desperately in need of money. I saw how difficult it was for her to say no. She wanted to, but something was stopping her. Probably the same reason she was looking at me oddly with different emotions I somehow couldn’t pinpoint. But it didn’t matter; with the right cards, there was no way I wouldn’t win her over.

“Yes, create a draft and send it to me so I can make the necessary adjustments.”

“Yes, Alpha. And may I ask who the girl is? I need it to create the contract.”

‘Damn it! I forgot she didn’t give me her name.’ I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. She was making this more difficult than it was supposed to be. How was I supposed to find a girl if I didn’t know her name?

“Leave the name blank and create the draft without it.” I ran my palm over my face and sat up. Her name was only needed in the final revision of the contract, and I was sure I was going to get it before then.

“Yes, Alpha.” He said. I ended the call and dialled another number. It rang for a few seconds and ended without the other person.

‘I hope he isn’t slacking off.’ I frowned and called again.

“Good morn—”

“George, I need your help in finding someone.” I cut into his pleasantries. There was no time for greetings when I had a wife to find.

“Wasn’t that the reason you went to Shadowmere in the first place?” George yawned, and my eyes narrowed.

“No, it’s not about the witch, and I hope you aren’t still in bed; you’re supposed to be taking care of things since I’m gone.” I warned.

It wasn’t that my second-in-command wasn’t good at his job; I would say he was the best, but he could also be the most unmotivated and lazy being on the planet.

“Give me a break. You’ve been working me to the bone for weeks. Your territory wouldn’t collapse if I cuddled with my mate and slept till noon for one day. I really missed doing that with her.” He yawned again, and I could tell it was fake with how long and dramatic it was.

Lucky idiot. It has been two years since he found his mate, and he still acts like it was yesterday. I couldn’t relate. Only a few Alphas’, like him, were blessed by the moon goddess to have a mate. Only they could understand the full beauty of the mate bond. Those like me could only settle for less and watch them enjoy themselves. Which was why I was going to make him suffer by making sure he didn’t sleep in.

“Your morning off is going to wait because I need you to help me find someone as soon as possible.” I said, and a small smirk crossed my face at his loud groan.

“Can’t it wait till noon?” He grumbled.

“No, it’s very important. I need to find her.”

“Fine.” He huffed; the rustling of sheets filled the background and footsteps. “Who is this girl anyway? What’s her name?”

“I don’t know.”

“Wait, you want to find someone, and you know nothing about her? He scoffed, making me sound stupid.

“I said I don’t know her name, not that I don’t know anything about her. She refused to tell me.” I defended myself. It wasn’t my fault; she was the one who stormed off when I asked for it.

“She’s around five feet seven, has caramel skin, amber eyes, and is a little bit curvy. She lives in Shadowmere with her mom, who’s sick. She works for a man named Jake.”

‘Or rather, she worked for a man named Jake.’ With what he did, I was sure she’d rather die than go back to work with him.

“That’s all?”

“Unfortunately, that is.” I sighed. “That’s why I need you to find out more about her.”

“Why?” George asked, and I could imagine the curiosity on his face. “Why the sudden interest in this particular lady? Did something happen?”

“Something crazy did.”

I explained all that happened, from me watching her in the bar the previous night to her refusing my offer and slamming the door in my face.

“You, a stranger, asked her to marry you? No wonder she ran away.” George burst into laughter. “All because of a feeling. I’ve never known to be so impulsive.”

“It’s not funny.” I growled, channelling my alpha wolf into it, and he shut up. “It’s not just a feeling. There’s something about her that draws me in. I can’t explain it, but it’s there, small, and yet I can’t ignore it. I’ll go nuts if I don’t find out what it is.”

“Do you think she’s your mate?” He asked, finally taking me seriously.

“My mate?” I breathed, and for a moment, I relished the beautiful thought that I was one of the few blessed Alphas.

“No, she can’t.” I shook my head, clearing the thought from my head. “She’s a beta, not an omega. Alphas can’t be mated to betas, and I don’t think what I feel for her is the mate bond. It’s supposed to be far stronger than that.”

If it was the mate bond between us, I would have struggled to stop myself from pouncing on her and claiming her. I felt none of those things when I was close to her or even when I carried her. Though I felt sexually attracted to her more than any other lady I had been interested in, it wasn’t strong enough to be called a mate bond.

“And you think the best way to understand the connection is by marrying her.” He said.

“Just for a few years. We both stand to gain from the arrangements. She gets a lot of money, and people will get their noses out of my business when they realise I’m no longer a bachelor.”

Honestly, I felt I was benefiting more from the deal. Apart from finding out what the bond between us was, I still had a lot to gain. Being a bachelor alpha was tough. It was either other Alphas’ flaunting their daughters in my face, hoping they could be my father-in-law, or some backbiting that I don’t know how to rule a territory because I don’t know my home because I don’t have one.

Having a wife would change everything. And what made it easier was that there were already rumours that I had a secret girl. It wouldn’t be suspicious if I suddenly brought a fiancée. I had never been so grateful for the gossip blogs.

The ten million I was going to give her couldn’t be compared to the sweet relief she was going to give me.

“Fine, I’ll pull some strings and help you find your mystery lady. I’ll help the moon goddess bring two lovers together.” He chuckled.

“Whatever you say, just find her.” I rolled my eyes, but my lips twitched a bit. Lovers indeed.

“Sure thing, boss. How far have you gone with the investigation? Have you confirmed the witch leaves in Shadowmere?”

My mood changed from light and jovial to serious and businessy. For some minutes, the lady had made me forget about the issues in my territory, but it was time to get back. Lives were at stake.

“Yes, I was able to confirm she does live here, but I haven’t been able to get information about who she is or where she stays. Finding her is a lot harder than I expected. Whoever she is, she doesn’t want to be found.” I huffed, running my fingers through my hair and loosing my bun.

I had been in Shadowmere for almost a week, and every time it looked like I was getting so close to finding her, it led to a dead end. It was frustrating.

“Not surprising for a witch.” He sighed. “Good luck finding her. And I’ll help you get info in your mystery, lady.”

“Thanks.” I ended the call and laid back on my bed.

My mind automatically went back to my mystery lady, as George called her, and I smiled. I couldn’t wait for her reaction when I found her.

One thing was for sure: she would be pissed, and maybe there would be a lamp nearby for her to throw at my face.