The Alpha's Mate? But I'm a Single Mom!

Prologue

Marriage comes with a lot of commitment. Till death, a couple is expected to mend their differences and flaws. Until they are parted, a lover must become a friend and a significant catalyst in someone's life. The beauty of marriage is left to the environment, the past, the hope for a stable future, and many other factors. So, really, I shouldn't be moping about my non-existent relationship.

Tonight was supposed to be Ana's day.

Ana was a good friend of mine in high school and thankfully, she remembered to add me to her wedding as a bridesmaid. She said she needed to keep the promise we made as kids. And if I'm going to be perfectly honest, I'm glad that she remembered.

She helped me a lot.

I took a sip out of my glass and heaved a sigh, overlooking the city fog and all its glory. I never really liked the bustling lifestyle outside of the boonies, but Ana's friends wanted her bridal shower to be somewhere high class. Posh, refined chandeliers, a nice view. Ana's friends knew her the best and like they expected, Ana was ecstatic about her bridal shower. It almost made me jealous how close they were. Ana promised I would fit right in with her college friends. Yet here I was, hoping to escape through the winery window. Alone.

Next thing I knew, I wasn't.

"Do you come here often?"

Like a sudden crack of thunder, a chill invaded my senses. I glanced to my right and discovered a man around my age leaning against the wall. Tall, handsome. Suit and tie. Looking at me up and down. His eyes traced along the outline of my silhouette, the rain against the window trickling waves along his skin. Dark shadows loomed over his face, but his eyes glistened through. For some reason, my gaze seemed to gravitate toward him and my chest tightened like his voice was choking me. I honestly never felt this way before.

Not even with my ex.

"Not really," I answered, lowering my eyes. A cold puff of air kissed my face and I self-consciously covered my cleavage with my shawl. I smiled nervously. "Honestly, I'm only here for a friend."

He brought the drink to his lips. "That's a shame."

After a small sip, he placed his drink down and warmth ghosted against my shoulder. I snapped my eyes up and I found him settling next to me. I got a good look at him before I snapped my eyes back down.

Tanned skin. A hard jaw. His eyes were trained on me like a hawk ready to dive.

Yeah. Definitely a fuckboy.

Just like Pence.

Voice lowered, he leaned towards me. "My name's Ash. Want me to show you around?"

I bit back a smirk. "Is this what you do to pick up chicks?"

He chuckled next to me, teasingly replying, "Nah. Just for you."

Silence settled between us and his charisma ignited a warmth in my chest. The floor magically drifted along the bottom of my feet like sand. Again, I didn't understand why I felt so comfortable around this man. I had no reason to be.

"Got a name, dollface?"

Ugh, dollface? Couldn't he think of something less cliche? I asked myself.

The corners of my lips quirked up. "I wouldn't ask for my details, small fry."

Though it was an insult, the man blinked in shock before he cracked a smile, amused. The expression complimented the golden glint in his eyes.

"Why not? Got a boyfriend?"

"No." A took a swig of my drink. "I'm a mom. And you're not really.... daddy material."

Just like every guy who's tried to smooth-talk me into their bedroom, his demeanor crumbled. It was like watching a bulldog shrink to the size of a chihuahua, all in a matter of seconds. I didn't expect him to say anything more after this. He's like all the boys I've met up till now.

He turned back to the window, spaced out before he uttered a small, "O... Oh."

Silence overtook us again and we drank in silence. Any other woman would have withheld that fact from a one-night stand. She would have gulped down her tequila, offered to take him to her hotel room, and rock the bed until morning. But I outgrew that stage a long time ago.

After becoming a single mom, you learn a thing or two about what you want versus what you need. And what I needed was a lasting, loving relationship. For me and my daughter. So I took the crushing rejection with another gulp of my drink.

I slammed by wineglass down and patted him on the back.

"Thanks for the talk, big guy," I said. My hand rubbed his back reassuringly, the alcohol starting to kick in. "You made my night."

I turned on my heels and made my way back to Ana's table, suppressing the incoming regret and yearning for intimacy. He seemed like a nice guy, after all. And for some reason, he seemed... different.

Little did I know that 'different' would be an understatement within the next three days.