The Billionaire Alpha’s Rejected Mate

Take Her!

* William's POV *

Even after all these years, I still despised Mondays. There was just something so unsatisfying about the entire day which left me feeling stiff and irritable. Something about the entire process of getting out of bed and deciding to go out was so taxing that usually I preferred to stay in bed and not move until sometime around midday, when the weekend blues had worn off finally and I was ready to get my head into the game.

But something was different about today. Something dragged me out of bed very early, and I completed my morning ritual. By the time I left the apartment, Gina was still asleep, half-naked but with the sheets pulled up over her nether parts. If I wasn't already thinking about work, then I might have spent some time with her. But I was soon out of the car, and by the time we reached Skyline Tower, all thoughts of wasting any more of my time with Gina was pushed to the back of my mind. I was geared up and ready for work, even as my wolf whined in disapproval.

But when I stepped into the lobby, and I caught that familiar scent which somehow always lingered in my mind. At first I thought I was imagining it, because all I'd done was think about her over the weekend. The memory of her lying asleep in front of me was still fresh, and I suspected that was probably the main reason why I caught her scent just now.

But then I saw that familiar dark shade of hair, those perfect features, and I fell for her all over again.

There she was, standing in front of me like a vision of ecstasy. She was breathtaking, and for that single moment when I looked at her, everything else faded away and I was caught in the perfect illusion. All I could do was stare at her, and take in the beauty which was standing before me. I was absolutely mesmerised, enamoured by the woman standing in front of me. She had been in my thoughts for what felt like an eternity, and now it felt like I had known her for centuries. There was something about the way she moved, and the way everything seemed more radiant in her presence. When I woke up this morning, I was fully expecting to have a shitty day. But the sight of her instantly lifted my mood.

How could any person be this perfect? How could I feel so strongly towards her even though I hardly knew her? All I knew was that my wolf wanted her, and he was used to getting his way. In the past, if it were anyone else, then I wouldn’t have even bothered. But with her, I felt a strong attachment instantly, as if I wasn’t going to be whole if I didn’t have her.

I have no recollection of how long I stood there looking at her, enchanted by her eyes and her long, wavy hair. I was in awe of her, and my wolf felt the same way because he desperately wanted to close the distance between us. For nearly a decade now, I had kept away from any signs of a mate and, so far, I had rejected six different women that the moon goddess threw at me. You would think She would have realised by now that I was not interested in having a mate. But She kept sending them my way, and I had to keep rejecting them every single time.

But with Claire Monroe, I could tell that something was different. She was not like most women who came into my life. There was a presence about her which commanded my attention, and she held me captive with her curious gaze.

For heaven's sake, just go and talk to her already.

I wasn't aware of it when my feet began to move of their own accord, and I found myself making my way towards her. She tensed up immediately, and I noticed how she nervously tucked her hair behind her ears and bit her lip. Was this a nervous habit? Or was she uncomfortable with me walking up to her? There was so much I still needed to know; so much that my research on her hadn't yet revealed. So far I knew only the basics, but there was a lot more behind this beautiful woman that I was yet to uncover.

As soon as I came within inches of her, I caught a whiff of her scent and it nearly made me cry out in ecstasy. She was close enough for me to reach out and touch her, close enough that I could see how full her lips were and how mesmerising she was. The scent was maddening, like a heady intoxicant which wrapped itself around me. I wanted to bury my nose in her hair and inhale that scent, and remind myself of just how perfect she actually was.

She parted her lips slightly as though she was about to speak, but no words came out. She was as stunned to see me as I was to see her. Maybe this was a sign that I should give this another chance. Maybe she wasn't like the others, and I should give her a clean slate.

But a familiar voice at the back of my head was screaming loudly at how that was a bad idea.

"Good morning, Miss Monroe," I greeted her with a smile. "Are you stalking me?"

She blushed, and I wanted to kiss both cheeks and feel her soft skin on mine. I wanted to hold her tight and never let go, and I wanted to bury myself in her hair. She was perfection personified, the bane of my sanity and the only woman who could drive me insane with just a fleeting glance.

Take her.

I tamped down my feelings and focused instead on the keycard in her hands. When I saw Orion Industries flashing at the top, I nearly cried out for joy.

"I'm not," she said, and for a moment I completely forgot what we were talking about.

"You're not what?" I asked.

"Stalking you," she replied in a quiet tone. "I work here actually."

"Really?" I asked, feeling my lips tug up into a smirk even though I tried so hard not to. "Orion Industries? Sounds interesting."

"I know you own the company," she said. "But believe me, I just found out this morning."

"So you mean to tell me that you work for me?" he raised an eyebrow. "How come I've never seen you before then?"

"It's my first day," she said, biting her lip once again. I wanted to kiss those luscious lips of hers. I imagined lifting her onto the counter and throwing everything off it, burying my fingers in her hair and taking her right then and there. But I had to stop myself, before I did something that I might end up regretting. Corporate images must be maintained, after all. And I could already see the lawsuits coming my way if something like that happened.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your time with us," I said. I should have said something else, something which would show her how charming I was. Claire did not strike me as an empty-headed act. There was an intelligence about her which made me realise that I would have to step up my game if I was to have even a fleeting chance of success with her.

She smiled politely before walking off, and her scent drifted away slowly, which caused me to crane my neck in her direction. I had to get a grip on myself, before someone would notice that I was losing my head. Straightening up, I gave the entire lobby one last fleeting glance before I made my way to the elevators.

"She's beautiful," Hunter said. "I can see why you're interested in her."

"Do I pay you to make commentaries about my life?" I asked him.

"Actually, you don't pay me at all," he said. "Being your beta is a full-time internship."

"Then I would advise you to keep your mouth shut about her," I said. "You have other matters to attend to, as I recall."

He shook his head before walking off, and I made a mental note to remind him of his place at a later time. Right now, I could not get up to my office sooner. Everyone had already sprinted up so they could look busy when I arrived, a tactic which I knew they usually employed. That was the main reason why I preferred to show up unannounced, so I could always catch them off-guard.

Andrea -my personal secretary- was standing by the elevator door as soon as I walked up, and she straightened her shirt immediately before smiling awkwardly at me.

"Good morning, Mr Compton," she said in a flustered manner. "W-we weren't expecting you this morning."

"Just checking up on things, Andrea," I said. "Nothing to worry about."

"Of course," she blinked. "Well, since you're here, I should inform you that Councilman Rogers has been calling to speak with you since Friday. Something about a regulatory bill that you discussed with him."

"Have him call me in the next hour," I said as the elevator doors slid open. "I'll be here until noon."

"Actually, he requested a meeting with you," she said. "He said he's available this week. I could call and let him know if your available."

"Remind me to call him in an hour," I said as we walked into the elevator. "Anything else?"

"Well, there's the gala tonight for the children's hospital," she said. "I've sent the itinerary to you already, and Micheal asked me to remind you that a board meeting is long overdue."

"Then let's have it today."

"T-today?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Well, it's just so soon," she said. "I'm not sure everyone will be able to make it."

"I expect to see all six of them by 11am," I said. "You can inform them about that, and if anyone is unable to attend then they will answer to me."

"Of course," she said, pushing her glasses further up her nose. She was standing beside me, scrolling through her iPad and looking at a spreadsheet intently. I could feel her trembling, and I wasn't surprised. Even though she had been working for me since I took over the company, she was still always so afraid in my presence, as if she feared that I would wake up one day and decide to fire her.

Maybe just a quick peek into her mind wouldn't hurt. I did not like doing it, because there was always the risk that I would find out something that I wasn't supposed to. It took me a very long time to master my ability, and yet in the fourteen years since I successfully managed to control my powers, I have only delved into people's minds a handful of times. The last one had been catastrophic enough, which was why I banished any thought of using it again. But today, there was something different in the air and I convinced myself that maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to just take a quick look.

'Maybe I should try. My horoscope did say that I would be presented with a golden opportunity today, and that I shouldn't waste it. For the first time in forever, he's alone here with me. I know all about his escapades, so it's not like he has anything to hide. The man will chase anything that wears a skirt.'

I was taken aback by what I had just heard. When I looked at her, it was impossible to imagine that she would be having such thoughts in her head. Andrea had always struck me as the type of woman who would rather bury herself in her work than anything else. She had never shown any interest in anything apart from her work when she was around me, so I was surprised to find that she was actually thinking about me in that way.

Not that I was offended, but it just felt wrong.

She did not make any move, however, which led me to believe that there must have been a very stern warning from somewhere in the depths of her mind that trying anything risqué with me could result in her losing her job.

Maybe if it was a few days ago, I might have considered her. But not anymore. Not when Claire was in the same building right now, and her scent was still lingering around me.

As soon as the doors slid open, I walked out before Andrea could say anything. I turned around and said, "Head down to HR and get me a file on the latest employees from last month."

She nodded quickly, and as I noticed her about to say something else, I turned around and walked away.

For now, the only woman who had my undivided attention was Claire Monroe. And I would see to it that one way or another, she would be mine.

*