Page 2 of Rejected by My Shadow Alpha (Mate to the Fallen #1)

Drew

The world thought I was dead.

Maybe they were right. In many ways, I no longer existed, at least not the man I used to be. Drew Cavanaugh died the moment my name became a target. The moment everything changed.

But even in the silence that followed, one memory refused to fade.

Ruby.

I hadn't seen her since that night at Westbrow Hospital, but the image clung to me like breath to glass. The way she looked at me—angry, defiant, and beautiful. I hadn't expected her. I hadn't expected us.

And in the middle of everything burning down, she was the only thing that ever felt real.

Two Months Ago…

The moment I walked out of that ward, I was already regretting everything.

That red-haired woman.

Her scent still lingered in my senses, a mix of wild roses and something deeper, wilder.

It wasn't just her beauty, though that alone would have brought any man to his knees.

It was the storm she stirred inside me. My wolf had clawed at my insides, howling, pacing, aching for her.

Mate. The word echoed through me, relentless and maddening.

And yet, I'd walked away like a damn robot, afraid of what I felt. The mission at hand was bigger than this.

I gritted my teeth and shoved my office door open, tossing the patient file onto my desk harder than necessary.

I hadn't meant to mess up the chart. That wasn't like me, but working in this hospital under the guise of keeping track of Alfred Alfonso's network and pretending not to be who I was came with risks.

When she pointed out the insulin dosage, my blood ran cold.

It could have been fatal. Thankfully, the patient hadn't been harmed.

What the hell was wrong with me? One look into those emerald eyes and my self-control had nearly shattered. She'd smelled like forest rain, and her presence lit something inside me I hadn't felt in years; desire, yes, but something more primal. Connection.

I was still standing behind my desk when the door burst open.

"You're welcome," came her voice, sharp and furious.

I turned, startled, as she stormed in, fire blazing in her eyes, the same fire that lived in her hair.

Damn. Even angry, she was a vision. The top of her blue scrubs was slightly unbuttoned, revealing the pale curve of her collarbone.

My gaze flicked there and back before I could stop it.

My wolf was practically panting, ready to throw pride to the wind.

"I beg your pardon?" I said, straightening.

"You couldn't even manage a thank you?" she snapped, stepping closer. "I pointed out your mistake. That insulin dose could've killed the patient!"

I clenched my jaw. "I corrected it."

She gave a bitter laugh, arms folding across her chest. "Wow. No remorse, no apology, just ice."

My eyes locked on hers, my wolf pressing against the surface of my control. Her anger didn't push me away. It pulled me closer. She was vibrant, electric, and real. I could feel her wolf beneath her skin, restless and reacting to mine.

I swallowed, trying to douse the heat rising in my chest. "You're right. I should've thanked you," I said, my voice quieter and rougher than I intended. "Thank you."

For a second, she seemed taken aback. Her mouth parted slightly, and I saw the confusion in her eyes. Her anger still simmered, but beneath it, there was something else. Recognition. I could see the same pull I felt mirrored in her.

I stepped away, grabbing a file from my desk like I needed to focus on anything else. She stared at me, waiting for something, and when I gave her nothing more, her expression darkened.

"Unbelievable," she muttered, turning on her heel and storming out, the door slamming behind her.

The silence that followed was deafening. I leaned heavily against the edge of the desk, running both hands through my hair.

Mate.

This wasn't just attraction. This was something older than time, and I had just slammed a door in its face.

"Shit," I whispered, staring at the space she had just vacated. My wolf clawed at me, furious and demanding that I run after her and close the yawning gap between us.

The rest of my shift passed in a blur of distracted thoughts. I went through the motions, but her face haunted me. Her voice. The defiance. The scent.

By the time I clocked out and made my way to the hospital parking lot, I was grateful for the evening chill that cut through the heat simmering under my skin.

My phone buzzed.

An Intel drop from Jay: Need eyes on Alpha Alfred. Possible activity near the South Brooklyn docks. Info attached.

I opened the file, walking slowly toward my car, barely aware of anything around me until something soft and solid collided with my chest.

"Oof!" she gasped.

My arms instinctively wrapped around her to steady us both, and the second my hands made contact with her waist, a bolt of electricity surged through me so violently, I almost staggered.

Her scent hit me like wildfire; roses in full bloom, honeyed warmth, and something wild that didn't belong to this world.

My wolf howled, rising to the surface with such force it left me breathless.

Ruby.

I was leaning in, her breath mingling with mine, my heart pounding.

Her red hair brushed against my chin, and I felt the soft tremble in her body as she looked up at me, startled.

Our eyes locked, and just like that, the world stood still.

Her emerald eyes glowed under the parking lot lights, wide with surprise, but I could see it, the recognition, the pull.

She felt it too. It was the same ache that had been tearing me apart since the moment we met.

Her lips parted, her breath hitched, and her pulse fluttered beneath the soft skin of her neck.

The connection wasn't just spiritual. It was magnetic. Physical. My body responded to hers in a way I couldn't suppress even if I wanted to. I didn't want to.

Goddess, I wanted to kiss her right there, in the dim lights between parked cars.

I wanted to taste her lips, claim her mouth, and lose myself in her warmth.

Her hand had somehow found my chest. Her fingers splayed across my shirt like she needed something to anchor her, and I could feel her tremble.

My face dipped closer, and my breath mingled with hers. We were one heartbeat away from something irreversible.

Then I saw it.

The necklace. The silver chain. It was the Lunaris pendant—an oval blue crystal, nestled in a golden sunburst.

My blood ran cold. It was Luna Betty's necklace. My uncle's mate. It was stolen the night my world burned. It was the same one she wore when the Alpha Hall fell. The same one rumored to hold the seal of the Luna. I staggered back, letting her go.

"What the hell?" I whispered, pulling back sharply.

Ruby stumbled as I let her go too quickly, falling to the pavement with a thud.

"Shit, I…" I reached out, but she slapped my hand away and scrambled to her feet, eyes blazing.

"You jerk!" she hissed, picking herself up. "What is wrong with you?" she retorted.

"Where did you get that necklace?" I asked, my voice shaking.

Her expression tightened, clutching it instinctively, eyes narrowing. "Why the hell do you care?"

And then she was gone before I could say another word. I stood there like a fool with my heart thundering, chest heaving, and fists clenched. My heart was a warzone. The pull hadn't gone. It was still there, burning me alive, but now, it was laced with something else.

Fear.

Who was she?

Once I was back in my apartment, I paced like a caged animal until Jay's second message came through.

Confirmed: Ruby Alfonso. Daughter of Alfred Alfonso.

I stared at the screen for a long time, the weight of it pressing down on me.

Alfred's daughter.

The name made my stomach clench. Alfred Alfonso was the devil wrapped in designer suits and fine wine. He was the man responsible for everything I'd lost: my family, my people, my childhood, the entire pack, the Lunaris mansion, and the mining fields.

I was only five when Lunaris fell. I remember the smoke rising from the trees, the screaming, the sickening sound of bones cracking under brute force, and the scent of blood on snow.

I can still picture my mother's terrified face as she hurried my Aunt Peggy and me down the hidden tunnel beneath the Alpha Hall, her last words ringing in my ears.

"Run, Drew. Never stop."

I didn't. I ran until I blended into oblivion. Aunt Peggy was a ghost long before death came. That night broke her. She made sure I survived. She gave me food, clothes, and a roof, but never herself. I grew up in silence and shadows.

Now, I was back. I had gathered what remained of the Lunaris pack, sworn myself to vengeance, and built a life under the shadows. I was a secret doctor underground, an Alpha by birthright, and a hunter in the shadows.

Alpha Alfred had to pay.

And now, the Goddess had to complicate things by binding me to his daughter. Ruby Alfonso.

I'd heard the rumors that he had a daughter and that she'd vanished from the public eye, refusing the glamour and attention of her father's wealth, but I never imagined she would look like that. Be like that. Infuriating. Bold. Beautiful.

And mine. My mate. I growled under my breath, dragging my hand through my hair. This wasn't a time to get distracted. The mission came first. Always.

Fate had a cruel sense of humor, and I was caught in the crossfire.