2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Forbidden Attraction

Axel

"I'm telling you, there was a shifter's scent in that food truck," I insisted, my brow furrowed. "But the owner, Lila - she's human. I would have known right away if she was a wolf."

My packmates and I were huddled up, speaking quietly on the patio at the local diner. It had been only a couple of hours since I inspected Lila Taylor's food truck, and I couldn't shake the memory of what I'd encountered there.

Elena's gaze flickered past me, and she nudged my arm. "Axel, that girl is totally checking you out right now," she murmured with a smirk. "The one from the food truck, right?"

I glanced over my shoulder, and sure enough, there was Lila. She was talking with a friend, but her eyes kept darting in my direction. As our gazes met, a jolt of electricity seemed to arc between us. I quickly looked away, unsettled.

I could sense the disapproval radiating from my packmates. Ethan's eyes narrowed, and Finn muttered something about 'compromised leadership.' They were right to be concerned. An Alpha couldn't afford to be distracted, especially not by a human.

"Let's talk about this later," I muttered to my packmates. "I'll be monitoring her food truck for some health code issues, and that will give me time to get to the bottom of that scent."

The next day, I head into the office, my mind still spinning. I can't seem to shake thoughts of Lila - her fiery hazel eyes, the way her auburn hair escaped its messy bun to frame her face, the fullness of her lips as they pursed in irritation at me.

Goddamnit. I swear under my breath as I slam my car door shut.

I can't believe I'm letting myself get distracted by a woman who can't even follow basic health code regulations. As Alpha, I need to set an example of order and discipline, not moon over some rule-breaking human.

Fuck.

Her stubbornness, her disregard for rules, the way she challenged my authority - it all grates on my nerves. And yet, I can't stop thinking about her.

When I witness Gio, that untrustworthy character, approaching her truck, being overly friendly and flirtatious, I sense my inner wolf awakening, becoming restless and hostile. It was like every instinct in my body was screaming at me to protect Lila from him, to keep her safe from whatever game he's playing. I had to clench my fists and take deep breaths to keep from shifting right then and there.

The overwhelming urge to shield her, to put myself between her and any potential threat, caught me off guard. I'm not used to feeling so possessive, especially over a human I barely know. But there's something about her scent that calls to me on a primal level, that makes my wolf want to claim her as ours.

Damn it, I need to get a grip. I can't let myself get distracted by some infuriating, rule-breaking, gorgeous woman who's clearly trouble. I have a job to do, a pack to lead, and a secret to protect. I can't afford to let my guard down, no matter how much my body and my wolf might want to. However, as I strive to concentrate on my responsibilities, I am aware that I won't be able to resist being around Lila Taylor for much longer.

But it's not just her fiery personality that's got me on edge, it's that scent that didn't belong there. It was faint but unmistakable to my heightened wolf senses.

She's everything I don't want or need in a mate.

Lila's everything I've tried to avoid - chaos, unpredictability, the messy human world that threatens to expose our secret. My life is about control and protection. How could someone like her ever fit into that?

I'm not looking for complications, and a human with some mysterious connection to the werewolf world is a major complication I definitely don't need. I'm the Alpha and my pack has to come first. I can't afford distractions or weaknesses.

But despite all my resistance, I can still feel that insistent tug - the primal urge to track her down, to unravel her secrets and stake my claim. My wolf prowls restlessly beneath my skin, drawn to her in a way I've never experienced before. What the hell is it about this woman? And what exactly is she hiding? I know I won't be able to rest until I find out.

As I stride into my office, the scent of fear hangs in the air, seeping through the open window. My wolf senses sharpen, a low hum of tension vibrating just beneath my skin. Something's wrong in Millfield. And it's not just the memory of vanilla and cinnamon that's been haunting me since I inspected Lila's food truck.

No, this is something more sinister.

My wolf stirs restlessly inside me, hackles rising at the unseen threat to our mate. He's been agitated ever since we caught her scent—the one I can't get out of my head. It's unnerving, how connected I already feel to her.

I need to stop thinking about her.

I have bigger concerns right now—pack concerns, rogue concerns—but my thoughts keep drifting back to Lila.

She's the one, my wolf rumbles, his thoughts circling back to her. Our mate. You felt it too.

I close my eyes for a moment, letting the memory wash over me. The instant I caught her scent, the pull was so strong it nearly brought me to my knees. Every instinct, every fiber of my being screamed at me that I'd found her—my mate. The one I've been waiting for, the one who completes me in ways I never imagined possible. It's terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

But with that realization came a wave of dread so heavy it still clings to me now. Lila is human. Human. And in all of shifter history, there's never been a mated pair between a human and a shifter.

It's not just frowned upon—it's impossible.

A violation of the laws that govern our world.

She's still ours, my wolf insists, stubborn as always. Not impossible. Laws be damned.

There's a primal certainty in his tone, something that shakes me. He's never been this determined before, not about anyone. This is different.

"It doesn't work that way," I mutter under my breath, my hands tightening into fists.

The weight of my position as Alpha presses down hard, a constant reminder of the responsibilities I carry.

"We have rules for a reason. The safety of the pack, the secrecy of our existence—it all depends on keeping our world separate from theirs."

And keeping me separate from her.

My wolf growls low, agitated, and angry. He doesn't care about the rules. He never has. All he knows is that we've found our mate, and nothing else matters. But I can't afford to think like that. My decisions affect everyone in the pack, not just me.

But she's ours. My wolf whines, frustration and desperation twisting in his thoughts. Ours to protect.

I sigh heavily, feeling the familiar pull of duty against the desire burning in my chest.

He's right.

No matter what complications come with Lila, no matter how impossible this situation seems, I can't deny the overwhelming urge to keep her safe. Even if I can never claim her, I'll protect her. That much, I owe to myself—and to her.

My eyes fall on the inspection report still sitting on my desk.

Taylor Made Pizza. Cute name. Minor but fixable violations.

But something about that inspection won't leave me alone. It had been an anonymous tip that led me there in the first place, something I assumed was just a competitor trying to cause trouble.

Now I'm not so sure. Why her truck? Why now?

And there was that scent—the unfamiliar shifter presence lingering around her truck. My wolf had growled low in my chest when we caught it, a warning I hadn't fully heeded at the time.

There's something more going on here.

Maybe someone's targeting her, my wolf growls, an edge of protectiveness in his tone. Our mate.

I push the thought aside, forcing myself to focus on the facts. I can't let personal feelings cloud my judgment. Even if the wolf inside me is convinced that Lila isn't connected to any of this, I need evidence, not instincts.

Evidence. Always evidence. There's no room for anything else in my life.

Double lives. That's the reality for any werewolf living among humans. And as Alpha, my life is split in more ways than one.

I lean back in my chair, surveying my office at the Millfield Health Department. To the outside world, I'm just another civil servant, dedicated to maintaining public safety. But for me and my pack, this job serves a much greater purpose.

Multiple purposes, my wolf chimes in, his thoughts echoing my own. Territory, secrecy, control.

He's right. As a health inspector, I have access to every corner of this city. I can monitor our territory, detect any signs of supernatural activity, and ensure that our presence remains hidden from human eyes. It's a delicate balance, one that requires constant vigilance.

Last month, during a routine inspection at a new bistro downtown, I caught the scent of something...off. It was faint, nearly imperceptible beneath the aroma of freshly baked bread and rich sauces. But to my enhanced senses, it was unmistakable.

Magic.

Not the benign kind practiced by the local witches' coven, but something darker, more sinister. The kind that could expose our world if left unchecked.

A threat, my wolf growls, his hackles rising at the memory. To the pack, to our secrecy.

I had to act quickly, using my authority as an inspector to gain access to the restaurant's back room. What I found there confirmed my suspicions—a black magic ritual site, hidden beneath the guise of a storage area.

One anonymous tip to the human authorities later, and the threat was eliminated.

It's not always that dramatic, of course. More often, my inspections serve to subtly influence the human world around us. A well-placed violation here, a failed inspection there, and suddenly that new construction project encroaching on our forest running trails is no longer an issue.

I glance at the large map of Millfield on my office wall, the boundaries of our territory marked in red. To human eyes, it's just a visual aid, a way to track my inspection sites. But for me, it's a battle map, a constant reminder of the line we walk between two worlds.

The perks of being top dog in human society too, my wolf muses, a hint of satisfaction in his tone. Alpha in both worlds.

I can't help but feel a swell of pride at that. It's not just about protecting our own kind. In my role as inspector, I've prevented countless cases of foodborne illness, identified dangerous structural issues, and generally made this city a safer place for everyone—human and werewolf alike.

Of course, my enhanced senses give me a bit of an unfair advantage. Just last week, during an inspection at a popular sushi restaurant, I detected the subtle scent of bacteria growing in their refrigeration unit. It was a problem that could've made dozens of people sick, and yet it would've been invisible to human eyes.

Their noses, you mean, my wolf corrects, amused. Humans are so blind to the world around them.

He's not wrong. But that's why we're here—to protect them from the dangers they can't see, both mundane and supernatural. It's a responsibility I take seriously, even if it means spending my days filling out paperwork and dealing with disgruntled restaurant owners.

Necessary evils, my wolf sighs, the tedium of human bureaucracy grating on his wild instincts. But still evils.

My phone buzzes, breaking the silence. I glance down at the screen—Ethan, my beta.

"Rogue wolf sighting near the east border. Need you ASAP."

I curse under my breath, shoving the inspection report aside. Of course. It's one thing after another lately. As if dealing with my mate situation isn't enough, now I've got rogue wolves on my territory.

Fantastic.

I stand, grabbing my jacket. But before I leave, my eyes flicker back to Lila's report.

There has to be a connection.

The timing, the tip, the strange scent around her truck.

She's in danger, my wolf snaps, his growl vibrating through me.

And I'm failing her if I don't act.

"She's fine," I mutter, more to myself than him. "We've got a bigger problem right now."

I hope.

But even as I leave the office, my thoughts keep drifting back to her, an uneasy feeling gnawing at me.

I need to protect her.

The drive to the east border is a blur of trees and asphalt, the scent of the forest thick and familiar.

Home.

But under it all, there's something wrong. Something foul, festering like rot in the air. My senses flare up, and my wolf is already on edge.

It's not right.

Ethan is waiting for me when I arrive, his massive form tense, his eyes glowing with barely-contained energy.

"Caught the scent about a mile in," he reports, his voice low and steady. "Smells... wrong. Like death."

I nod, already stripping off my shirt. "Let's hunt." I don't have time for explanations or excuses. I feel the tension in my body, the primal need to run, to hunt, and to tear apart whatever's threatening my territory.

We need to end this thing now.

The shift comes over me like a storm—my bones cracking and snapping as they realign, muscles rippling with power. In seconds, I'm on four legs, my wolf towering above Ethan, who shifts beside me. Every sense sharpens—sight, sound, smell—the world around us becoming clearer, more vivid.

We tear through the trees, the air rushing past in a blur of green and brown. The scent of the rogue is overwhelming, sickly sweet, like death wrapped in decay. My wolf growls low, urging me to release him more so we can go faster.

It's close.

A howl pierces the night—a shrill, unnatural sound that vibrates through the trees.

There it is.

We burst into a clearing, and the rogue is waiting. It's worse than I imagined—its body is a mangled mess of fur and bones, twisted unnaturally. Glowing red eyes burn with a hatred that doesn't belong to any normal wolf.

It doesn't hesitate—launching at us with a speed that defies its ragged appearance. I barely have time to sidestep before its teeth snap where my throat was a second earlier.

Fast. Too fast.

Ethan circles, his growl low and menacing as he looks for an opening. The rogue is all over the place—its movements jerky, erratic, but somehow precise. It spins toward Ethan, and I seize my moment. I lunge, claws extended, aiming for its hind leg.

But it's ready. It whirls, faster than I expect, and slashes at me with claws sharp enough to cut through steel. Pain explodes in my side, but I don't stop.

Can't stop.

I go low, biting into its leg and dragging it off balance. It howls, a terrible, unnatural sound, twisting its body to claw at my face. I release just in time, narrowly avoiding having my eyes gouged out. Blood drips from the wound in my side, but the adrenaline pushes it to the back of my mind.

This thing isn't going down easily.

Ethan charges in, his massive wolf form barreling into the rogue from the side. They tumble across the clearing in a blur of teeth and claws, rolling over and over until they slam into a tree. The rogue snarls, slashing at Ethan's chest, but Ethan bites down on its shoulder, pinning it in place.

I don't wait. I launch myself at the rogue's exposed throat, jaws snapping shut with brutal force. It thrashes beneath us, wild and desperate, but I hold on, tightening my grip.

I'm not letting this thing escape.

Suddenly, the rogue bucks with unnatural strength, throwing both Ethan and me off. I hit the ground hard, my vision blurring for a second. The rogue snarls viciously, "You pathetic mutts think you can take me down? I'll rip you to shreds!"

I shake my head to clear it and push myself back to my feet, baring my fangs. This bastard is tougher than I thought.

Ethan circles around, hackles raised and eyes blazing. "You're outnumbered, rogue. Surrender now and we'll go easy on you."

A grating laugh rips from the rogue's throat. "Surrender? To the likes of you? Never!" It lunges at Ethan again, claws slashing.

I leap forward with a roar, slamming into the rogue's flank before it can reach Ethan. We tumble across the forest floor, a whirlwind of snapping jaws and tearing claws. I won't let this thing hurt my packmate.

He bucks me off a second time.

What the hell? How is it this strong?

I'm on my feet in a second, shaking off the impact. The rogue is already up, its red eyes glowing brighter, more furious. It snarls, baring teeth that are far too long, far too sharp for any wolf I've ever seen.

This is one tough rogue.

It comes at me again, faster this time, aiming straight for my throat. I duck under its attack, slashing at its side with my claws, but it barely flinches.

Damn it!

The rogue spins and rakes its claws down my back. Pain flares, white-hot and burning, but I grit my teeth and keep moving. I can't afford to go down now.

Not yet.

Ethan growls, blood dripping from his own wounds, but he charges again, this time from the side. He slams into the rogue, teeth sinking deep into its side. The rogue howls, flailing wildly as it tries to shake him off.

I see my chance. I leap forward, my jaws snapping around its throat, just as Ethan holds it.

This time, I won't let go.

The rogue fights harder, its claws slashing at my sides, my face, but I hang on, squeezing tighter and tighter. I feel its windpipe collapse under my bite, feel the strength leaving its body. It's slowing down, its struggles weakening.

Finally.

With one last surge of power, Ethan and I twist, ripping the rogue's throat out in a spray of blood. It collapses to the ground, lifeless, the red glow fading from its eyes.

It's over.

I stand over the rogue's corpse, panting hard, blood dripping from my wounds. Every inch of me aches, my muscles burning from the effort, but I can feel the adrenaline still coursing through me. My wolf is still on high alert, scanning the area for any other threats.

We're not safe yet.

Ethan limps toward me, blood matting his fur. His chest rises and falls rapidly, but his eyes are sharp, his stance steady. "That wasn't a normal rogue," he mutters, shifting back into his human form. "Did you see its eyes? The way it moved?"

I nod, spitting blood onto the forest floor as I shift back to human form.

Something's coming. I can feel it.

My chest burns, but I force myself to stand tall.

Something worse.

"Something's coming, Ethan. And whatever it is, we need to be ready."

The next day, I'm back at my office, but my mind is still on the rogue. And on Lila.

The pieces aren't fitting together, but the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced the two are connected somehow.

My duty is clear - investigate the werewolf scent, ensure pack safety, maintain our cover. Pursuing any kind of relationship with Lila would jeopardize all of that. So why can't I shake this feeling that she's somehow important?

There's no such thing as coincidence.

I jolt upright in my chair, every muscle tensing as the howl echoes through the air. It's close, far too close to the city limits for comfort. And there's something in the sound, a raw edge of desperation that sets my teeth on edge.

Not again.

I'm out of my seat in a second, paperwork forgotten as I rush to the window. My eyes scan the treeline, searching for any sign of movement, any hint of what could have made that sound. But there's nothing, just the rustling of leaves in the wind and the distant hum of city traffic.

It doesn't make sense.

Rogues don't come this close to human territory, not unless they're looking for trouble. And after last night's encounter, I can't afford to take any chances.

My phone is in my hand before I realize it, Ethan's number already dialed. He picks up on the first ring, his voice tense. "You heard it too?"