Hiding Her Bosss Baby

Three Years Ago

My father's voice jolted me awake. "Smile, darling. You look like a corpse," he whispered with a touch of irritation. I managed a forced grin, hoping to appear joyful at the Full Moon celebration. As the Alpha's daughter, attendance was obligatory, but after enduring nineteen years of the same festivities, it had grown painfully boring.

I observed the dance, music, and merriment unfold with a sense of detachment. Ryan, my father's Beta sat beside us.

Other girls in the village always giggled when they saw him but I didn't see what they saw. I didn't have a particular spec. I was content to let fate decide my mate. I have seen members of our pack live in peace with their mates even without falling for them. I wanted a strong connection with my mate, I want him to want me as much as I would want him.

Looking up at the full moon, I silently prayed, "When will I meet him, moon goddess? Please, let him be handsome, kind and very strong." But the moon only stared back blankly.

My father's glare snapped me out of my thoughts. "Stop slouching, Ashley!"

I mumbled and stood up abruptly, "I'm not slouching dad. I need some fresh air."

Without waiting for my father's approval, I stood up and hastily left the celebration. Shaking my hair free from the ponytail I had packed, I ventured into the woods behind our pack house. To many, it might have appeared creepy, but to me, it was a safe haven, especially under the full moon.

I knew I shouldn't worry so much about finding my mate, especially since I had only had my wolf for a year. But the worry nagged at me. What if I ended up like those she-wolves in their thirties who never found their mates? What if I never had one? Would I grow old and lonely without a mate?

Suddenly, my wolf, Zee, became restless, scraping at the surface of my consciousness. "Run," she urged. I glanced around in awareness. "Where am I running to?" I asked in confusion.

"Run," Zee repeated, the urgency in her voice driving me to take off. A surge of adrenaline coursed through me as I sprinted through the forest, my feet pounding on the ground, and the crunch of twigs and leaves beneath echoed in my ears.

Zee's agitation nearly brought laughter, fueling my exhilaration as I climbed the trees and leapt from one to the next. When my wolf finally calmed, I slowed my pace, leaning against a tree with my chest heaving, smiling.

A short distance away, I found a river. I immediately ran towards the water hoping to wash my face. As I got closer, a figure emerged from the water, a male, and he was completely naked.

Gaping, I froze in place, stunned at the naked body before me, silently cursing my wolf for bringing me here. The first thing I noticed was his hair, it was all grey and coupled with his grey eyes, he looked like a man who would make you sin and you would thank him. He had a strong, muscular body, glowing with sweat in the moonlight. My gaze drifted downward, captivated by his form.

I had lived a sheltered life, thanks to my father's watchful eye, and had never been so close to a man's naked body. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience.