Mated to the Alpha Don

7 years ago

“Nice of you to show up,” I muttered, looking at my biological father and wanting him to regret ever not wanting to be part of my life.

Today was my fifteenth birthday. I was dressed in a beautiful gown of silver silk and gossamer net. And yet, I was standing here confronting my father instead of going out to let my stepfather and mama walk me into the venue hall. A quinceanera was supposed to be special. For me, it was a moment where I was trying to shed my past demons. Part of me wanted to ask papa why I wasn’t good enough. Why didn’t he want to be a part of my life? And the other, more sensible part, told me to forget about him and enjoy my day.

The truth was that there were times where I still thought back to the first five years of my life and remembered the man who took me to the park. The man who taught me how to ride a bike. Those were core memories for me. Had it all meant nothing to him? I hated myself for missing him. I shouldn’t. A part of me was also worried for him. I knew he had an alcohol addiction. Too many times he’d raged drunkenly at my mama when they’d been together. Too many times I’d heard him fight with mama because he had to take care of my little sister and I while she went out to work and earn to provide for us. But then he’d always apologize and promise never to do it again. I always believed him. So did mama. And then Kyle,my now stepfather, entered our lives and showed us there was a better way to live. My mama, a human woman in an abusive marriage, was the mate of a powerful alpha werewolf, Kyle. And from the moment Kyle had entered our lives, he’d done everything in his power to keep us safe and happy. I should be grateful. Count myself lucky. Yet here I was begging for acknowledgement from a father who I hadn’t seen in eight years.

“Do you really think I would have stayed away?” Papa asked, looking me straight in the eye. “I love you, mija.It was that man your mother married,” Papa spat out, utter contempt for Kyle shining in his eyes. “He had more money, more lawyers.”

I momentarily was no longer fifteen but a girl of seven who’d testified in court so that my mama wouldn’t lose custody of my sister and I. I briefly recalled how Papa had blamed me for our family being torn apart. Because even he knew that mama would have never left him if it meant she couldn’t keep her girls. One question still plagued me. Did Papa want custody because he loved his daughters, or because he was trying to get revenge on Mama? But before I could ask him that question, his next words took me down a different memory altogether.

“They got a restraining order against me. You know…after what happened. It was an accident and one I regret. I was angry back then, and felt as if my own daughter didn’t love me anymore because she had a new father with more money,” Papa added mournfully, looking at me with sad eyes.

Papa had dislocated my arm one time, when I was seven, in a fit of anger. Because I hadn’t wanted to go home with him during one of the weekends the court had appointed him visitation. That was a very bitter memory. But he’d been appalled by what he’d done. I remembered that much. I remember him telling me how sad he was and that he was alone now while we all had each other. I had felt bad for him. And as I looked at him now, his eyes shone with tears of remorse.

“It was all him! He made me sign off on a bunch of papers. I wouldn’t have stayed away otherwise,” Papa stated. He hung his head. “That man has more money than your papa. No wonder your mother married him.”

I was left speechless, pondering over his words as I finally made my way out to walk into the venue hall with my parents. Papa hung back in the waiting room, promising to join us shortly. 

My mind was whirling with questions. Did Kyle really force my biological father to stay away? If what Papa said was true, then it meant he really wasn’t the absent-father I’d thought him to be. He still loved me. He was still the man I remembered as a toddler. But what did that say about Kyle? I looked briefly at my stepfather who had provided the funds for this lavish extravaganza. Did Kyle feel threatened? Was that it? My eyes fell on my six-year-old brother Rafael. My mama and Kyle had him a year after they got together. Then my gaze traveled to my eleven-year-old sister, Mia. She barely remembered Papa. For her, Kyle was everything. But it was different for me. My papa loved me. And I wanted my papa to be part of my life. Did that make me a bad person? However, I couldn’t let anything ruin today.

“Where’s Tia Mel?” I asked when I realized she wasn’t amongst the attendees.

My favorite aunt who was a very powerful witch wasn’t here today. She was Kyle’s brother’s mate and a wolf-witch hybrid.

“Good thing she’s busy or she’d keep asking Evie to join her crazy coven,” Kyle muttered.

He wasn’t far off. I might not be her biological daughter. But I was Tia Melanie’s heir. By some fluke of magic, I was a very powerful witch, born with special powers. Tia Mel said I was destined to take over her coven. However, nobody knew the truth about me. Not even my biological father. He was a human and only knew werewolves existed because of Kyle. We had decided to keep my true identity a secret. Everyone thought I was born to two humans which meant I was a human girl. And the protective bangle I wore on my arm blocked my powers, for now.

“She just wants me to accept my heritage,” I spoke up defensively.

Truthfully, I was eager to turn sixteen and train with my aunt. It didn’t mean I had to join her coven. There was no harm in learning about the powers I had been born with.

“What about what you want?” Kyle asked.

My arm went to my bangle that made me untraceable and also blocked my powers. My eyes went to my mama leaning against Kyle. They were so happy together.

“I want what you and mom have,” I whispered, wishing for it with every fiber of my being. They were so happy. The perfect couple.

I wanted a mate who would treasure me like Kyle treasured my mama. I wanted it more than I’d ever wanted anything else.

My eyes went to Robert who would be leading me in the opening dance for tonight. He was my best friend. He was the steady flame that burned with predictability, but he could never compare to the wild inferno of love that I yearned for, a flame that could only be ignited by someone who held the key to my heart.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I was rather violently pulled from them when people began dropping like flies around me. Robert was in a dead faint on the ground, along with most of the guests attending my Quince. 

“Wolfsbane!” Someone gasped out.

The pit of my stomach dropped. Wolfsbane was dangerous for wolves. The drinks had been poisoned but I was not affected for whatever reason. I had special regenerative powers which might have prevented me from succumbing to whatever was inside the drinks.

But everyone else was in danger! Even the humans at my party were no longer conscious! What the hell was going on?

And then I saw him. He entered the hall like an angel of death, his dark brown eyes two dark pools of malevolence that shone with sinister intent.

A whopping 6’5" living embodiment of unfathomable darkness, the young man ran a hand carelessly through his hair before shooting a silver bullet straight into my Uncle Xavier’s leg. Uncle Xavier was Kyle’s older brother and he’d shifted in an attempt to attack this mystery man. I was sure this harbinger of death had something to do with the poison in everyone’s drinks.

“Keep moving pendejo,” his voice dripped with sinister intent. The heavy accent told me he was not from around here. What was a dangerous hitman from Spain doing in the city of Seattle? Why was he here? “—and you’ll get another one,” he threatened, gun still aimed at Uncle Xavier’s wolf that was crouching on the ground, poised to attack despite his bleeding leg.

The Spaniard stopped short, his ominous gaze going to me. “Ahh…” he looked at the glass in my hand which I had only taken a few sips of. “Seems like you have a tolerance for my witch’s potions.”

I stared him down, realizing this man looked to be not much older than I was. However, despite his seemingly 20 years of age, he definitely had more kills under his belt than years on his person. Even I could tell that much.

“Who are you?” I demanded, wondering if he was here to kidnap me for my abilities.

Tia Mel had warned me that many bad people might target me if it were ever found out what I really was. Kyle was yelling at me to run. But I wouldn’t run. I had no idea how to use my powers, not yet anyway. Tia Mel cautioned me that if I tried to use my powers before I turned sixteen, it was dangerous because a human body couldn’t handle the vast amounts of power I possessed. But I wouldn’t let my loved ones be slaughtered around me. I had to try to help everyone!

My eyes went to my mother who was laying in a fetal position on the floor as she tried to fight off the poison. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she lost consciousness.

“Mama!” I yelled, trying to run to her.

However, I was viciously yanked into the hard body of the specter of death responsible for everything going on. My back pressed into his solid chest. One muscular arm went over my chest, pinning me to him. I tried to struggle against him but it was futile. And then I froze as fear lodged itself in my throat upon the sensation of cool dangerous metal at my temple. I bit back a whimper. He was going to kill me.

“The name is Gabriel Rossi,” he murmured against the shell of my ear, his deep voice sending ripples of fear down my spine. “And your papa is going to watch me kill his precious princesa. He took my birthright from me. I’m gonna take something from him too.”

He was here to kill me in cold blood over some bid for revenge against Kyle. So I had the element of surprise. He had no idea what I really was. I waited with baited breath, wondering if I’d be successful in activating my powers. The last time I’d activated them, I’d nearly died. But I was dead either way. Better to go down fighting, right? So I gathered my courage and with a surprising amount of strength fueled by the adrenaline pumping in my veins, I pulled myself out of Gabriel’s grasp. He tried to grab my arm, only for his hand to go over the protective bangle that suppressed my magic. I gave another fierce jerk of my body and the bangle broke away, left behind in his hand as I pulled free of his hold. I heard the cocking of his pistol and wondered if I could take him down before his bullet lodged itself firmly inside my heart.

I turned to face him, ready to face death head on. I looked into the feral glowing yellow eyes of my killer, one hundred percent sure I was going to die.

“Mate,” Gabriel Rossi said, staring straight at me, as I was left utterly flabbergasted.

The one word I had yearned to hear from someone…

The one thing I had always wanted…

Spoken from the lips of a man who definitely would sooner throw my body in the ocean for the sharks.

And it was then that I realized how utterly f*ck*d *p my life really was. I wasn’t fit to lead any coven. I wasn’t fit to be some all-powerful witch. My past was filled with traumatic memories of my childhood. I was pathetically pining for scraps of attention from an absent father, and now I had a mate who wanted to kill me!

Before I could even begin to attempt to summon any bit of magic after such a huge shock, Gabriel was retreating, leaving the venue hall with quick purposeful strides. Without a second thought, I ran to my Uncle Xavier who was bleeding profusely. It was important to try to use my powers to heal him first.

“I will be back for you one day,” I heard his ominous words float towards me. But when I looked up, he was gone.

My eyes searched the hall for any signs of him. I then saw my papa run in with vials in his hands.

“I found these,” Papa panted, quickly handing them to me. "I think they are the antidote.” He puffed his chest out proudly. “I risked my life to get these. Saw a woman sneaking out the kitchens and was able to grab these when she was distracted. Pretty sure she’s also the one who poisoned everyone,” he added.

I looked at Papa relieved and realized that he was just misunderstood. Maybe he’d been an angry bitter person before. But now he was trying to turn over a new leaf. And I hoped it stayed that way. Here he was, risking his life to help save everyone.

Without thinking twice, I took the vials from my papa and told him to help me administer the antidote. My fifteenth birthday party ended with everyone poisoned while I tried frantically to save their lives.

—-

Present day

For years, I’ve been fleeing from two inescapable truths: my legacy as a formidable witch, destined to lead my coven, and the chilling memory of my mate, who held a gun to my head. And yet I couldn’t help but feel a dangerous allure to his malevolence—to his promise that one day, he’d come for me. It was like a magnetic force that gripped me relentlessly. It terrified me to my core. I knew deep down that if he ever caught me, I would be consumed by his intensity, like a moth drawn inexorably to a flame, only to be reduced to mere ashes scattered by the wind.

Which is why, at 22, I found myself engaged to my childhood best friend, Robert. We were to be married within the year. But deep down, I knew that Robert could never be the one to set my soul on fire or make my heart race with excitement.

However, it was a fervent hope that through marrying Robert, Gabriel Rossi would become nothing but a bitter memory. My destined mate was everything that I knew I had to stay away from.

Unfortunately, on the day he showed up at the apartment that I shared with my fiance, I realized that you can run from Gabriel Rossi....but you can’t hide.

**Gabriel's POV**

I wiped my bloodied knuckles, my expression stoic, as I stared at the man tied up in the chair before me. Nonchalantly, I tossed the once pristine white towel, now spotted with deep crimson stains, to the floor. This was becoming tiresome. If only I could kill him and be done with it. However, on the off-chance he had some vital information, I had to keep this chingado alive. Hell. I really wanted to just kill him.

“I’m going to ask you one last time,” I clipped the words out ominously, reaching for the silver pistol always tucked away on my person.

The silver metal lightly singed the skin of my palms, but it could have been worse had I not built up a tolerance to the metal lethal for wolves. As a babe, my mother, who’d been an alpha-female, had gone so far as to lace my milk with silver, refusing to stop even after her actions caused me to be hospitalized multiple times.

The body is strong. A powerful alpha will adapt