The Alpha King's Billion Dollar Mate

h plumping into thick white clouds that dissolved into the freezing air. Silverpine territory was always brut

against her skin, pulling at the half-healed blisters on her p

the dawn had been replaced by shouted orders, the thud of heavy boots, and

icy gravel. A group of younger wolves sprinted past her, their natural supernatural heat keeping

ra stumbled on the ice. The heavy logs slipped from her grasp a

air. The younger wolves did

ers reaching for the scattered wood. In a world where a wolf dictated a person's worth, a twenty-two-year-old woman wit

ant remaini

of the main pathway

cked through the co

recognized the heavy, oppressive scent of expensive col

her eyes fixed on the silver

ked out of place in the rugged mountain territory. His jaw was clenched, his posture rigid with nervous energy. The

ked one of the fallen logs. It spun ac

k to keep her expression blank

l breach the territory lines in less than thirty minutes. The Alpha King is coming to Silverpine to inspect our ranks

She knew better than to argue

y there. You are not to show your face in the main hall. You are not to walk the grounds. If the royal guard

g in the kitchens meant staying near the warmth of the industrial ovens. It meant avoiding the brutal outdoor shifts dur

on his heel. "Clean up t

arking new orders at the frantic pa

cked the wood into her arms, ignoring the sharp sting of splinters piercing her raw skin. She balanced th

en massive steel counters, shouting over the roar of the gas stoves. The air was

ve stone hearth in the corner, carefully arranging them in the storage bin. She dusted

corner you by

er ear. Amara turned to find Elias Vale s

posture that hid his formidable strength. He held t

c thaw her freezing fingers. "It was nothi

face. He noted the fresh scrape on her chin a

The liquid burned a pleasant trail down her throat. "The r

e in Silverpine who treated her like a living, breathing person. They had grown up together, sharing sc

This is not just a standard territory check. The Alpha King is ruthless. Word from the eastern borders says h

world spoke of the Alpha King in hushed, terrified whispers. They called him a monster dr

e that do not care about the packs they inspect. They care abou

edgers, Amara. The royal guard is traveling with him. The King's

inct from the winter chill. She tightened h

y kitchen floor to ensure no one was listening. "The royal court sent a mandate two days ago. They de

lines, mating pairs, and territorial claims. An Alpha demanding them was a massive

out of sight today, Amara. Do not just stay in the kitchens. Hide in the lower cellars until the helicopter

g unnoticed. Fading into the background was her greatest skill. "I will stay

platonic, a grounding tether of friendship in a pack that offered her nothing but scorn.

ng roar shattered

rom the ceiling racks rattled violently against each other. The cooks stopped

ic thumping of military-

als had

raft shook the sturdy timber frame of the lodge. Amara set h

arely audible over the mechani

of the kitchen. The cellar was safe. It was quiet. It was

handle of the cellar door, a st

like a ph

smoke vanished. The scent of the panicked cooks vanished. Even the

aced by som

from her lungs. It smelled like ancient forests after a thunderstorm. Lik

trembling. Her hand slip

ped around her senses, pulling at a dormant, forgotten piece of

n doors sl

heaving, his eyes wide with frantic urgency. He poin

King demands the entire pack line up for t

g for the exit. Panic fueled their movements. Defying a

ng the Beta would not notice her in the shadows. Sh

d to her. "You too, the wo

blood

Elias argued, stepping between Amara and

nd shoving him toward the door. "The royal guard is doing a head count. If an

had no

r, stepping back into the freezing winter morning. The wi

yard in front of the lodge. Hundreds of wolves stood in rigid, sil

he courtyard. Their blades were slowing down, casting long, menacing shadows over

ying her raw hands deep into her jacket pockets. She kept h

of the lead heli

r, their faces hidden behind dark visors. They moved with terrifying, synchro

essure in the co

eaker Omegas in the front row gasped, dropping to their knees un

dark amber flared again, burning through her veins. Her chest tigh

ed out of t

shed boots. He was tall, with broad, powerful shoulders and sharp, aristocratic features carved from cold marble.

yre. The

completely replaced by groveling submission. He

eted, his voice trembling.

d not loo

en gravel. His jaw tightened. His nostrils flare

rrifying gaz

e rigid rows of strong warriors and high-ranking pac

ht ont

. The air left her lungs. Every instinct she possessed screamed at her

he di

d, staring right back into the lethal, dark

rate step forward, the terrifying scent of his pow

ing straig