Fake Mate of the Drogomor Alpha

Chapter 4 : Now You Tell Me

*Zara*

Angelica and I were the only ones sitting in the dining room for lunch, sharing a meal of well-seasoned roast and potatoes. It was comfort food, something that put me at ease because it reminded me somewhat of my pack at home.

A man entered the room. He had an imposing aura and a confident glint to his eye. His eyes were blazing, just like Noah's. He fastened them on me and gave a formal dip of his head.

Angelica jumped up from her chair and hugged the man fiercely.

“Daddy! We missed you."

He hugged her back, kissing the top of her head. “I missed you too, sweetheart." He released her and looked her over as if to make sure she was in one piece. Then he turned his attention to me.

“Hello, young lady. You must be the matchmaker. I am Alpha Issac."

His imposing stature and piercing blue eyes marked him as an Alpha, but his gaze lacked the intense magnetism of Noah's stare.

“Yes, I'm Zara Star. It's nice to meet you," I responded, standing to greet him. He shook my hand and he waved me back into my seat.

He took his seat next to Angelica, studying me closely.

“Matchmaker," he repeated as if he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask. “I am certain he's not making it easy for you. My son is very stubborn," he said, letting out a sigh. The Alpha's eyes grew distant in thought as he took a bite of his food.

“Yes, I have noticed his reluctance," I said. “Do you know why he may be opposed to finding his true mate?"

“Maybe it's because of me," Issac sighed. “That boy thinks I moved on from his mother too quickly, but that is not true. I still miss her. My life continued and I found another mate, but even she understands that loving another doesn't diminish the love I had for my first wife."

“May I ask if you felt the mate bond with your first wife?"

“I did not. The mate bond had all but vanished by the time I became Alpha."

I nodded, trying to figure out where Issac really stood in all of this. I asked, “Do you think it's important for him to find a fated mate?"

He slowly shook his head. “A respectable woman who will be a good mother to his heirs and a good Luna to the pack, like both Vivian and Estella."

I nodded, thinking this through. Hesitantly, I asked, “How did your first wife die, Alpha Issac?"

My eyes shifted to Angelica as she bowed her head slightly.

I knew I was tap dancing around a sensitive subject. But any information here could help. Any death would be traumatic, but the degree might go up depending on what had happened.

Alpha Issac sighed, his eyes growing distant. “She was killed during a time of war between us and another pack. Women and children are normally seen as off limits. But she went onto the battlefield to help retrieve the injured. We do not know which of their shifters is responsible, and that pack hasn't been willing to investigate. It has led to unending complications with our rival pack."

“That's terrible," I breathed, feeling a pang in my heart and a tear crawl down my cheek. I refocused, however, and let out a sigh.

“Yes, he was only thirteen, still just a boy."

“Their bond must have been very strong for him to not have moved on, and for this to get in the way of him finding a mate."

“His mother gave him a lot of time and attention when I was especially busy. Pack business has always kept me away for long periods of time, and she was always there for him."

“Did anything else happen to cause him to be this way?" I asked.

Alpha Issac dipped his head, pinching the bridge of his nose, as if some part of this was inconvenient. When he looked back at me, though, I could tell it was somewhat of a wall of his own. The Alpha was trying not to show how much this stressed him out.

I suspected he may even be trying to push down how worried he was about his son, but I made no comment on that. “Yes. He has been through more than his fair share of tragedy.

I braced myself to hear more.

“Noah did find someone, a girlfriend, once," Angelica chimed in.

“He did?" I gasped, my heart fluttering. Though, at her sorrowful expression, I gulped. There was to be another layer to this complicated situation, no doubt.

She gave me a soft smile, this one holding a significant amount of warmth. I could tell she cared dearly about her brother and was worried about him too.

Letting out a breath, she answered, “Yes." Her brow furrowed, and she stared at her hands. “But she was lost at sea due to an accident. All passengers and members of the crew were pronounced dead, though bodies have yet to be found."

Alpha Issac winced, his eyes distant as he likely recalled the memory of his son's former girlfriend. I felt a tear trickle down my cheek, an emotion of sheer sadness that only intensified at what Angelica said next.

“Noah relied on Mirabel a lot. He was very closed-off to her due to the loss of his mother, but she chipped away at him. She earned the title of being far more stubborn than him, if you can believe it. Trust me, that is hard to do," Angelica said. She managed a chuckle.

A small smile formed on my lips at the fondness in Angelica's voice. I could clearly tell she cared about her brother.

Angelica sobered, then continued, “The two would spend long nights walking under the moon and stars, talking about life. Mirabel listened to his stories regarding his mother, never once telling him to shut up or stop. She never tried to force him to move on. She wanted him to heal. She told me so."

Pausing, the woman grabbed a napkin, letting out a choked sob for a moment before clearing her throat.

“Sorry. It is just heavy, is all. Anyway… she passed away, and it's like Noah buried his heart away," Angelica said, closing her eyes.

No wonder Noah was so resistant to actually finding a mate.

“Are you sure now is the right time for him to find someone?" I asked.

“If this was going to be easy, we wouldn't have hired you."

I shifted my eye from Alpha Issac to my hands resting in my lap.

“There will never be a right time if we just leave it up to Noah," he said, a little bit gentler. “Either he feels he'll never find someone as understanding and supportive as Vivian, or if he does, he will lose them just like Mirabel."

“Also… I think… he saw her as his true mate," Angelica chimed in again. “I think a part of him believes Mirabel is still out there somewhere."

With those words, I realized my job had gone from difficult to nearly impossible.

“Thank you. I have a lot to think about," I muttered.

​​After the heavy conversation with Alpha Isaac and Angelica, I retreated to my room, feeling the weight of Noah's tragic history pressing down on me.

This case seemed nearly impossible now. How could I find Noah's true mate when he was still grieving the loss of the woman he believed to be "the one," not to mention his deep wounds from his mother's death?

I needed guidance. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I pulled out my phone and called my mentor, Niva. As soon as she answered, the words started pouring out.

"Niva, I don't know if I can do this. Noah's been through so much heartbreak. He lost his mother, and then the woman he thought was his true mate died too. He's completely closed himself off."

Niva listened patiently until I finished. "Zara, you know better than anyone–true love can heal even the deepest wounds. Don't focus on the details of his past. Keep your eye on the goal."

I bit my lip. "But how? He loved Mirabel so much and thought she was his fated mate. How do I compete with a ghost?"

"You can't," Niva said bluntly, "so don't try. Your job isn't to replace Mirabel. It's to help Noah move forward and open himself to new love. The rest will follow."

I sighed, feeling even more lost than before. Niva meant well, but her advice wasn't giving me any real direction.

"I understand, but how do I get Noah to be open to finding love again? Where do I even start?"

"That's for you to figure out," Niva replied. "Use your intuition and your skills to guide you. Don't overthink it."

I clenched my jaw in frustration as we said our goodbyes. Niva had trained me well, but in this case, I needed more concrete help. Her spiritual platitudes weren't going to cut it.

If I was going to succeed with Noah, I'd need to find my own way forward, starting with getting to know him on a personal level. Somewhere beneath his cool exterior and scarred heart, the man he used to be was still there. And I was determined to reach him.

“Does Noah have any hobbies, things he really enjoys doing?" I asked Angelica when she came to see if I was still willing to help Noah.

Angelica's eyes lit up. "Working out is practically Noah's whole life when he's not focused on the pack," she explained. "He turned a room in the palace into a full-on home gym."

I nodded along as Angelica described Noah's intense daily workout regimen–starting with a five-mile dawn run, followed by a weightlifting session where he focused on different muscle groups each day. I was impressed when she mentioned he had also turned their pool into a place to swim laps for cardio.

"He must be very dedicated to his fitness," I commented.

"Oh absolutely," Angelica said. "On weekends he's out rock climbing, kayaking, hiking… he even does those wilderness adventure races with obstacle courses. Noah loves pushing his body to the limit."

I raised my eyebrows, surprised at just how into fitness Noah was based on Angelica's account. She continued, explaining how he carefully planned his own workouts, tracked his progress, and constantly read up on the latest health fitness information.

"When did he first get into it?" I asked.

Angelica's expression grew somber. "I really don't know. He's much older than me, so he has always been that way. I guess that is why he's built like a freight train."

I nodded slowly, my thoughts swirling around Noah's very imposing build.

I felt a renewed sense of purpose. I supposed that connecting with Noah through his love of fitness could be the key to reaching the man beneath the scars.

I headed downstairs early, hoping to catch Noah before he left for his usual dawn run. As I entered the kitchen to make some coffee, I glanced out the window and noticed a group of shirtless, sweaty men making their way up the driveway.

Leading the pack was Noah, his muscles rippling as his long strides ate up the ground. His chiseled torso glistened with perspiration, his chest rapidly rising and falling from the effort. Trailing just behind were Beta Caleb and other pack warriors, all breathing heavily.

They must have gotten started before dawn.

I found myself staring, transfixed by the way Noah's athletic body moved with such power and grace. He raked a hand through his damp blonde hair, droplets of sweat rolling down his neck and over his broad shoulders.

As the group approached the front door, Noah suddenly glanced up. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine through the window. I felt my cheeks flush at being caught ogling him, but the corner of Noah's mouth quirked up in a hint of a smile.

Moments later he entered the kitchen for a bottle of cold water.

“Enjoy the show?" he asked.

My cheeks burned as I stammered, "I didn't mean to stare."

Noah's eyes glinted with amusement. "It's alright. I don't mind." He gulped down the water, rivulets running down his sculpted chest.

“The only time I ever run is as my wolf," I admitted.

“I like that too," he agreed quickly. “There's a trail just beyond the back gate...."

Something shifted in the air between us, and I swallowed away the jittery excitement of looking into his eyes.

“I'll have to try it," I said, lifting the matchmaking questionnaire I'd brought down with me. “Do you have a moment to go over a few questions?"

He glanced over the first few lines and slammed down his water. I took a step back as his features darkened. “I'm busy," he growled before brushing past me to leave.

Really?

Thank the Goddess I already knew that the next stop in his workout routine would be the gym.