Fake Mate of the Drogomor Alpha

Chapter 1 : The Matchmaker

*Zara*

“Have I really fallen from the stars, Mommy?"

I stared at my mother, my eyes wide with wonder. I was just six years old, definitely growing up fast. I asked that question a lot. I just had to know; it sounded so magical, so wonderful.

My eyes widened even further when Mother chuckled and nodded. “Yes, dear," she said in a soft, warm tone, her deep brown eyes twinkling with happiness. “Would you like to hear the story again, Zara?" When I nodded enthusiastically, she continued.

“Once upon a time, a small family in the Crowstar Pack had a bit of a problem. They could not be blessed with a child, and so one day, they were resting on a field full of beautiful white flowers. The stars shined above, so beautiful that night.

“A shooting star rushed across the sky, and the family made a wish. A streak of light across the sky started falling downward. They saw a flash of light in a nearby forest and went to investigate. They shifted, letting their wolves sniff, sniff, sniff around until finally, they found her… or, well, we found you, a gift from the stars. You have a beautiful destiny ahead of you, Zara."

I giggled, clapping my hands, completely taken by the image of me coming from the stars to give my parents a child. My favorite story always helped me sleep, and that night, I slept very well.

***

Fifteen Years Later

“What do you think about Callum?" I asked casually as I walked with Claudia to the pack library.

I already knew the answer, but I wanted to get her thinking about him before we entered the building where he should be.

Her strawberry blonde hair flowed behind her, and she had a dreamy faraway look in her blue eyes.

"Oh Zara, he's the best shifter in the whole pack! He's so thoughtful and funny. And have you seen those eyes? They're like pools of amber I could gaze into forever. And his smile, it makes my heart skip a beat!"

I returned her smile and watched her blush.

“Do you really think he could be my mate?" she asked.

I took her hand in mine. She kept her eyes locked on me as I felt a rush of warm, pleasant energy pulse through my body. I'd used this several times before and had gotten it right every time.

Claudia gasped, then exhaled softly. “This feels different–warm, comforting, but also, well, foreign, like someone is giving me a hug on the inside," she murmured.

I smiled, glad my powers led to a pleasant feeling.

The thrum of magic continued to emit from me, and I felt my normally-green eyes flash to a pure gold for just an instant. I looked into her surrounding aura to find golden threads, so many of them reaching outward, but who would they connect to?

I gave her hand a comforting squeeze. “Time to find out if he is your mate."

Claudia and I walked into the library together, the smell of old books and wood polish greeting us. As we made our way inside, I noticed a pair of amber eyes flick up to watch our entrance. They belonged to Callum, who was sitting at one of the back tables.

His gaze immediately settled on Claudia, not even glancing my way. I smiled to myself, grabbing Claudia's arm and leading her down one of the aisles.

"Let's look at the books over here," I said, stopping us in front of a shelf that held large, heavy tomes. I turned to Claudia. "See that big book on the top shelf? Go ahead and reach for it."

Claudia nodded and stretched up on her tiptoes, straining to reach the book. As she did so, I quietly slipped around the corner of the shelf, peeking out to watch the scene unfold.

Just as I'd expected, within moments, Callum was out of his seat. He came up behind Claudia, placing one hand gently on her back.

"Here, let me help you with that," he said.

Claudia jumped a little in surprise, but then she smiled shyly back at him.

"Oh, thank you Callum," she replied, blushing prettily.

He easily plucked one of the large books from the shelf and handed it to her. Their fingers brushed and they both inhaled sharply, the contact electric.

I noticed that Claudia's smile gained a certain radiance that made my heart flutter.

Now, I could clearly see the golden connection between them. The threads were almost visceral, and I was tempted to reach out and touch them.

I watched a moment longer and then left the library. She would find me later, and I would confirm that he was her true mate.

“Very impressive," a voice called out to me.

I whirled around to see my mentor, Niva. She wore a proud smile and held her head high. Blonde locs fell over her dark skin, and her brown eyes were fixed on me.

She gave me a thumbs up, her painted black nails going well with her overall midnight-colored attire.

“Did I pass?"

“You did. No wonder you impressed the most seasoned matchmakers! On that note, speaking of which, I recommended you for a very important client. I wanted to see how you did in the field before telling you," she said.

I furrowed my brow, tilting my head and wondering what she could mean.

“VIP?" I asked, eager for her to elaborate.

Niva nodded, brushing one of her curls behind her ear. She continued, “There is a high-profile matchmaking assignment from the Drogomor pack that I want you to be the star of." She winked, unable to help but emphasize the word 'star.'

I felt my heart skip several beats. This would be a huge career-making opportunity.

“Really? Thank you so much, Niva!" I gasped. I rushed over to her and gave her a hug.

I couldn't believe my career as a matchmaker was already taking off less than a month after graduating from the prestigious Moonridge Matchmaker Academy.

That night, the full moon called to me and I found myself wound up with more energy than I knew what to do with. My wolf was practically clawing at me for a moonlit run. I agreed that we needed to feel the wind and take in the wonderful energy of the night.

I shifted, letting my wolf take the lead. I ran through the woods, dodging around trees. My tongue hung out, and I gave a few wolfish chuckles, beyond thrilled at, well… everything. My life was moving in such a wonderful direction, and I was ready to seize the moment with Niva's help.

Leaping into a clearing, I let out a breath, shaking out my fur. But then I blinked, the scent of another wolf hitting my nose. The musk was of the forest, fallen leaves, pine, and fresh moss.

Curious.

I felt something strange as I met two brilliant orbs staring at me from the shadows of the treeline. My heart began to sing, and my wolf bristled with sheer excitement. Something was special about the gigantic wolf with pitch-black fur that emerged from the woods.

For some reason… I felt drawn to him.

His glowing, piercing blue eyes, the color of the summer sky during the midday, were fixed on me. He walked over and drew in a long breath. I did the same, noting that I was significantly smaller than him.

I knew he was seeing my light-colored fur, which practically glowed a beautiful gold in the moonlight. He drew his tongue over his lips, letting out a huff, then a low growl.

My wolf took that as a challenge, though wanted to do far, far more than fight. In fact, I realized there was no fight to be had at all. An explosion of feeling hit me like a wave, the intense passion nearly knocking me off of my paws.

I wanted him, whoever this was.

A heady intoxication took over as a need for more grew in me. I shifted back into my human form. A moment later he shifted as well, and I was taken into his arms before I realized it. He held me there close. I swallowed, unable to explain the sudden passion that washed over me.

I wasn't like this. I wasn't the type to be with just anyone. This man's scent, his aura, his spirit–all of it was begging me to give in.

I felt a warm pulling in my core as my heart raced in my chest.

What was going on? Why did I feel something so strong, so very primal for this mysterious shifter? Was this some sort of dream?

His warmth radiated around me as he softly brushed my hair back from my face.

I shivered as he let out a soft groan, pressing his lips to mine. I leaned into his kiss, closing my eyes and wrapping my arms around him.

I could feel his hot breath on my neck, which sent shivers down my spine. Oh yes, I wanted him. I needed him.

And I needed him now.

“Who are you?" I asked, but his answer was soft kisses all over my skin that turned into sharp nips, causing me to moan out and squirm.

A low moan erupted from him as he added to this by exploring with his hands. His fingers brushed lightly over the tips of my n*****s, causing that feeling of lust to intensify.

Fluid began to pour from between my legs, especially as he grabbed my breast and squeezed it hard.

His tongue stabbed into my mouth, exploring hungrily and with no pause, leaving me breathless.

Ecstasy thrummed through my veins. My hands dragged along his skin, feeling up his hard pectorals, down to his abs, which were so wonderfully defined.

He let out soft groans and moans into the kiss as I explored him, too.

That's when I felt him grind against me, his size teasing at my entrance. I wiggled my hips, wanting him to enter immediately, but he played around a bit, slowly grinding and not even giving me the benefit of his tip.

When my whining turned sharper, more edged with need, he answered it and gave me exactly what I wanted.

He slowly sank his c**k into me, filling me up and causing me to gasp. The rush of pain and pleasure was visceral, and my body shuddered with wanting. Then, slowly, he began to move in and out, intensifying his motions with each stroke.

I was completely lost in the passion, wanting him to continue going rougher, moving my hips to accommodate this. As if reading my mind he granted me exactly what I wanted, and I felt myself give into the utter sea of ecstasy that was my climax.

My body thrashed as I gave into the pleasure of it all, a cry of bliss cascading from my lips as I heard him let out a growl-like groan during his orgasm.

We didn't exchange words in the aftermath. We just lay there under the stars. Our lovemaking had been so intense that I was breathless, and I could tell he was, too. We fell asleep just like that.

But when I opened my eyes the next morning, I was back in my room and alone.

I couldn't remember coming back to my room. In fact, my memories of the night before were a fuzzy blur. The details of his face were obscured, and the specifics of his scent were mixed with other smells of the forest.

I might have thought it was just a dream but as I pushed my covers back, the evidence of what had happened was all over my body… as well as something unexpected.

Golden threads shimmered all around me, reaching outward into emptiness as my wolf whined curiously. A moment later they became dull and began to fade.

Had I been with my mate last night? I tried to jog my memory for the details of our encounter, but just like the golden threads they were fading fast.

What could this mean?