His Hidden White Wolf: The Alpha's Contract Mate

Avery POV:

My blood boiled like liquid fire under my skin as I stumbled down the dim corridor of the Pack castle, biting my lower lip hard enough to draw blood just to keep from screaming. As the outcast eldest daughter of the Holder family, my inner wolf had been dormant for years, leaving my body bloated and clumsy from the mutated Wolfsbane spiking my system, which had now triggered a brutal onset of The Heat.

Heavy combat boots echoed around the corner from patrolling Warriors, and in my panic to find a hiding spot, my thick hip scraped against a wrought-iron sconce on the wall with a sharp screech.

"Where did that fat pig run off to? Catch her and drag her back to that blind old man from the black market!"

My stepsister Dolly's shrill voice sliced through the hallway, making me clamp a trembling hand over my mouth as hot tears stung my eyes. Refusing to be sold off like cattle, I dragged my heavy legs deeper into the forbidden wing of the castle.

Another wave of The Heat crashed into my stomach, turning my vision black, and my icy fingers instinctivelylatched onto the brass handle of a heavy carved oak door.

I shoved the cracked door open, and a thick, suffocating scent of cedarwood and winter snow washed over me, carrying a pure Alpha pressure so intense it made my weak knees buckle.

Every werewolf possessed a unique scent and genetic rank, and this private suite clearly belonged to an apex Alpha. I tried to back out immediately, but a sudden draft slammed the oak door shut behind me, clicking the heavy lock into place.

Before I could find the latch, a massive, calloused hand shot out from the pitch-black shadows, clamping around my wrist and yanking me backward until my spine slammed against the wooden door with a dull thud.

"Who sent you?"

His voice was a low, gravelly growl right against my ear, vibrating with an undeniable Alpha command that crushed the air out of my lungs.

I twisted my wrist to break free, but inhaling his exclusive cedar scent sent a violent shudder straight through my soul, instantly filling an empty ache I hadn't known existed.

Where his hot palm pressed against my bare skin, a jolt of raw electricity shot up my arm, and deep inside my chest, my long-dormant wolf let out a desperate, possessive whimper: Mine!

In werewolf law, the Moon Goddess bound Fated Mates through five undeniable reactions-scent, physical surge, soul peace, the inner wolf's roar, and electric touch. The towering man froze against me, his chest heaving as his breathing turned as ragged and feral as a cornered beast's.

His scorching lips brushed the side of my neck, his teeth grazing my pulse point as if searching for the spot to sink his fangs and leave a permanent Marking, forcing me to bite my lip to trap a shameful moan.

With the last shred of my sanity, I shoved my palms against his rock-hard chest, yet the fever of The Heat shattered my defenses, making my arms give out until I was clinging to his broad shoulders instead.

A low rumble tore from his throat before he scooped me up by the waist and carried me straight to the massive velvet bed in the center of the dark room.

The pitch darkness mercifully hid my bloated, ugly figure, leaving only our tangled, ragged breaths and the blistering sparks shooting across our skin in the quiet suite.

Hours later, a thin sliver of moonlight cut through the heavy curtains, jolting me awake from a Bone-deep exhaustion and a sharp, tearing ache between my thighs.

Turning my head, I looked at the sleeping man beside me, my pulse skipping at the sight of his sculpted chest rising and falling, radiating terrifying Alpha power.

My fingers crept down to touch the thick rolls of fat around my waist caused by years of medication, and a suffocating wave of shame washed over me like ice water.

If this supreme Alpha woke up and saw that a despised, seemingly wolfless fat freak had taken his first night, he would tear me limb from limb without hesitation.

Swallowing a whimper against the soreness in my lower body, I slid off the mattress inch by inch, my knees nearly giving out as my bare feet hit the freezing floor.

My shredded dress was ruined in the dark, so I frantically grabbed a crisp, oversized white dress shirt draped over a chair and pulled it over my head.

The fabric was saturated with his rich cedar scent, making my blood heat up all over again until I slapped my own cheeks to force my head clear.

Fumbling for the doorknob, my fingertips brushed the inside pocket of my torn skirt, hitting the ancient year-2000 silver oath coin engraved with the Moon Goddess totem that my late mother had left me.

Gritting my teeth, I set the warm silver coin gently onto the walnut side table by the foyer, leaving my most precious possession as the only compensation for this reckless mistake.

I twisted the inner lock with shaking hands, letting out a silent breath when it clicked open to reveal an empty corridor.

Slipping out like a desperate thief, I shivered violently as the cold draft hit my feverish skin.

Too terrified to use the main stairs, I limped down the winding servants' fire escape, every step pulling at my bruised muscles.

I shoved open the rusted iron door at the bottom and stumbled into the overgrown weeds behind the castle, sharp thorns slicing into my bare calves.

Ignoring the stinging blood, I sprinted barefoot through the freezing mud, hot tears finally spilling down my cheeks to mix with my sweat.

I didn't stop until I reached my drafty, rotting attic room at the back of the Holder estate, slamming the shaky wooden door and throwing the deadbolt.

Sliding down the wood to the floor, I wrapped my arms around my knees and buried my face in his collar, inhaling his cedar scent as my heart felt like an invisible fist was crushing it.

I had no idea who that Alpha was, but I knew I had to take this secret to my grave.

Reaching back, my fingertips traced the faint, crescent-moon birthmark on the right side of my tailbone-a mark that only burned when my blood was aroused-and my panic slowly hardened into cold resolve.

Just as I reached for the buttons of the oversized shirt to clean myself up, heavy footsteps and chilling whispers echoed right outside my attic door.