Alpha's Undercover Mate

Aubrey.

I only had a suitcase with me. I love traveling light. And I was supposed to be an oddball here, so I only brought a few clothes that would make me look really odd. I rechecked my phone to see if the guy I texted had read my text already. The sun was scorching, and the cream the director gave me was not making my stay under the sun a pleasant one, either.

"Are you Aub?" A young-looking man with a baby face and golden asked. I could tell the sun was affecting him, too, from the way his eyes were half closed.

I nodded, still observing him. And yeah, I picked Aub because, apart from the fact that it suited my name, the real owner of the name shared the same height and build with me. So, using his identity wasn't hard.

He reached for my suitcase. "That seems too big for you to handle," he said before pointing towards the big storey building before us. "The alpha is waiting."

At the mention of alpha, shivers ran down my spine. I had never met an alpha before. Ever since the peace treaty between the werewolves and humans, I've always wanted to meet at least a few werewolves, but I never got the chance to. Now, I'm walking with my two legs into their den in a disguise, to investigate the alpha, whom I'd be working for. I'd be dead if my cover were blown.

I was brought out of my thoughts by fingers snapping before my face. "Are you even with me?"

"Yeah," I said quickly. "What's your name?" Well, now he knew I wasn't with him at all.

He smiled. Omg! He's so cute. "My name is Jeremy. I'm the alpha's third in command and also his favorite cousin."

I'd have rolled my eyes on a normal day at his last four words, but his cuteness wouldn't allow me.

I was surprised to see an elevator in the building. Although the building looked big from the outside, it also looked rather simple. But it wasn't just an elevator, I could see like four. Not to mention the exquisite interior decor. Just how rich were these shapeshifters?

"I'm sure you get it a lot that you look frail," he pointed out as we stepped into the elevator. I raised my chin and eyebrows, unsure of how to respond to him, since I didn't get that a lot. "Don't take any offense," he continued, raising his free hand in the air. "It's just that if I had not done the background check on you myself, I'd have mistaken you for a girl."

The next thing I knew was Jeremy's hand on my back, patting me gently as I was coughing. I couldn't believe I let his words catch me off guard.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes searching the elevator. I could tell he was searching for water. He was extremely concerned about someone he had met less than ten minutes ago.

"We are here," Jeremy said as we stepped out of the elevator. My cough had seized now, and I could only hope no one would mention that I looked like a girl again throughout the rest of my screening process with the alpha.

We walked straight before he stopped in front of a massive black wooden door on his right. It must be the alpha's office.

Without knocking, he pushed the door open, revealing how nice the interior of the office was. I knew the interior of the room would be nothing short of exquisite, given how magnificent the door alone was. I had to admit that the office was ten times better than any of my superiors back at the NIS.

I felt another presence in the room with us even before Jeremy turned to his left and bowed swiftly. It's the alpha.

"If you don't want to lose your life, pay your utmost respect to the alpha."

Kate's words rang in my head. I bowed below ninety degrees immediately. I didn't want to lose my head even before my mission started.

"Really, Jeremy?" I didn't know what exactly he meant, but the sound of his voice sent shivers down my spine. I've heard and read all sorts about the alpha of this pack, but no one had even mentioned how cold and sharp his voice sounded, that it could pierce even the very soul.

Jeremy seemed to be as confused as I was because he raised his eyebrows at the alpha's question.

"Is he supposed to be my secretary?" He stood up slowly from his seat. Oh my god! I don't know what Greek gods look like, but you could say he looked like one. And the way he moved, you'd know he was moving with a massive aura oozing from his body. "I can barely see him?"

"Excuse me!?" I blurted out before realizing I wasn't supposed to talk back at the alpha. I bowed my head immediately. So much for getting the job done.

My head was still lowered, but I could hear his heavy strides coming towards me. "Raise your head."

I obeyed.

"I thought you said it doesn't matter if he's a late bloomer or not," Jeremy finally spoke, but his words were not enough to break the tension between the alpha and me at the moment. I couldn't place my finger on it, but there was something dark in his eyes that was locked onto mine.

Did he catch on already? Oh no! I knew the alpha tends to be sharp and smart, but I could swear I put in a lot of work into my disguise. Even my friend fell for it.

"Not when he looks this weak."

The director must have omitted adding that alphas are rude and condescending in the file he gave to me.

I cleared my throat. "Alpha Logan," I said, taking a step back directly at his face since he was towering over me already. "I may look weak, but you can check my records and my experiences as a secretary. I am good at what I do." Of course, he could check my forged records and see. And calling me weak was quite hilarious, given I'm one of the best agents in my field. But, he didn't need to know that.

"Yes, he's right. There are testimonials about how good he is, too," Jeremy added, earning a smile of relief from me.

Logan scoffed. "Your experience and weakness are not even the issue now."

"Then, what is?" I asked, wondering what fault he was about to pick again. As I had already read and heard, he was extremely hard to please.

"Why do I smell my mate on you?"

"What!?" Jeremy and I chorused.

Aubrey, be calm. I kept saying that to myself after the alpha's weird question. I had read about mates, and I knew damn well how important werewolves value their mate. But the issue at that moment was how he could smell his mate on me. I could swear I had no contact with any female wolf on my way to the pack.

"How's that even possible?" Jeremy asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I drew in a deep breath. "I think you are mistaken, alpha."

"Mistaken?" He asked in a cold tone, his eyes never leaving mine. "It's a scent I've never smelled before, so how can I be mistaken?"

Could it be the cream? What exactly did the director give to me? "If you can smell your mate on me, what does that mean?"

"Two things!" Jeremy chirped, folding his hands over his chest. "One, you must be very close to his mate for you to have her smell on you."

I cocked my head with my eyebrows raised, implying that he continued speaking. "Secondly," he continued. "The moon goddess just blessed the alpha with a gay mate, which is you."

I shook my head in disbelief at what he had just said. A gay mate? "But, I'm straight though." I exchanged glances between Jeremy and Logan, wondering if Logan was not straight.

"I'm straight too," Logan quickly said, as if reading my thoughts.

Jeremy giggled. He was enjoying the sight before him. "So, what now?"

Logan retracted and went straight to his table, topic: a pen and a note. Jeremy and I watched in confusion as he placed the pen and paper in my hands. "I want their names and their address."

"Excuse me?"

"Everyone you came in contact with before getting here. I want their contact and their addresses," Logan said, and I could tell he was serious from his tone.

How was I supposed to do that? I guess I could do that as an NIS agent. But I was just a normal wolfie secretary at that point. How was I supposed to investigate strangers I met a few hours ago?

"Add your relatives to the list, too," Logan added.

Jeremy cleared his throat and moved closer to Logan. "He's an orphan."

Right! Aub was an orphan before he went missing.

"Anyway, start writing," Logan commanded. There was something about his commanding tone that was different from how he had been conversing with me since I stepped into his office.

I gently ruffled my hair since I had a wig on, and I didn't want it to fall off. "I'm sorry, but it would be hard for me to get what you are asking for done."

"Are you trying to defile me?!" I flinched at how deadly his voice sounded. How long had he been desperate for his mate to make me write names of strangers I met on my way to the pack?

"I...."

The sound of the door opening interrupted what I was about to say. They really didn't take knocking seriously. I recognized the man who stepped through the door as the alpha beta. He's Nathan, the alpha's right man. He was the one the director told me to be most wary of after the alpha because he was highly suspicious in nature.

"Alpha," Nathan bowed slightly before Logan. "I heard you found your mate."

What!?

I shifted my gaze to the alpha, whose gaze was on Jeremy. I guessed Jeremy was the snitch. How could he!?

"I didn't say he found his mate. I said he's about to," Jeremy said in his defense, smiling sheepishly, like calling in a third party wasn't such a big deal.

"We don't know for sure if I actually met his mate on my way here, so it's rather too early to say he's about to find his mate," I decided to correct Jeremy.

Logan's eyes darkened, and he took a step closer to me, towering above my little frame. "Should I take that as your will not to be cooperative?"

What did he mean?

"Of course, I'm here to help out and cooperate on whatever assignment you have for me as your secretary," I said, giving him a big smile to see if that would lighten his dark eyes a bit. I was wrong.

He smirked. "Did you even ask around about me before setting foot in my office?"

Of course, I read about him. He's not exactly someone to be messed with, and I knew how capable he was that he could take my life with just a snap of his fingers. I wouldn't underestimate someone who's been investigated for a serial murder case.

"Just do as you are told," Nathan said. I eventually got the chance to take a proper look at him, and he was good-looking as well. But it was as good-looking as Logan. I guessed the werewolves were blessed with beautiful genes. Maybe if my ex were as handsome as they were, I'd have given him a second chance.

"Bullshit!"

"Bullshit!?" Jeremy exclaimed.

Shit! I quickly placed my hands over my mouth. I didn't realize I had said my thoughts out loud. I couldn't bring my habit of thinking out loud there with me.

"I mean, I'll do it," I had to say something that would cover up my mistake. I should have known nothing good would come out of thinking about my stupid ex.

"Listen to me," Logan started. "If you want to work here for a long time as my secretary, you need to do a good job at finding whoever left that scent on you before coming here."

I bowed my head slightly. "Yes, alpha."

I raised my head, only to see Nathan eyeing me suspiciously. What was his deal?

"Are you sure he's cut out for this secretary position?" Was he kidding me?

"Why?" Jeremy beat me to it.

"I mean, look at his body and all. He looks too frail to handle heavy tasks. He's going to always be by the alpha's side; he needs to at least be a good fighter," he defended his statement without batting an eye.

Of course, I was a good fighter, but he didn't need to know that.

"Just let him be for now since he has to figure out who my mate is," Logan interjected. "You know how much I want to find my mate." Nathan kept his cool after Logan's words. I was right about him being desperate to find his mate.

Jeremy walked over to me and placed his hands across my shoulders. "You've got some ladies to investigate, buddy!"

I gave him a half smile that barely reached my face. The only person I'd be investigating is Logan, the alpha of Silvermoon pack, for a serial murder case.

Logan

Jeremy had just left my office to get the new secretary who might be working for me. I wouldn't say that I'm thrilled about having a new secretary-he's not going to last for long anyway. Just like the rest, they always quit before six months.

Yes, I was a difficult person to work with.

So, I'm not looking forward to the new guy coming in today. His portfolio said he was a late bloomer, so he was definitely ot going to survive my harsh work environment. But I wasn't ready to be biased by sending him away because he was a late bloomer, without giving him a chance at all.

I stare at the email I got from a close ally, James, from the International Council of werewolves. The email stated that there seemed to be a serial killing going on in the world of humans, and it seemed to be the handiwork of a werewolf. An alpha, to be precise. I wondered who had the nerve to wreak such havoc.

"The FBI is in collaboration with the NIS, but the worst part is that they are keeping it on a low. I think they might want to use this case to find faults with our community, so be on guard."

Those humans and their cunning acts to find faults with us.

I sent a "thank you" message back to James, and I also promised him to investigate the matter from my own end. That would make me have something to defend myself with in case the federal government tries to act funny with me again.

Jeremy stepped in just as I was about to open another email. I raised my head towards the door. In fact, I already smelled him before he entered, but I couldn't smell the guy behind him. And that did nothing, but piqued my curiosity.

From the way he was observing the room, he hadn't noticed I was sitting across the room. I didn't know when Jeremy had ever done his job properly before. It was odd enough that he was bringing in a late bloomer to be my secretary, but I never imagined he would be so frail and pale-looking.

Seeing how he bowed hurriedly even before our eyes met, he must have felt my presence.

"Really, Jeremy?" I asked in disbelief with a slight annoyance in my voice.

And he talked back too, after I expressed my displeasure with his physical appearance. I guessed he was a feisty one compared to his timid look. I took a step closer to him to assess him better, and that was when I smelled it on him.

It was faint and slightly distinct, but I still knew what I smelled. I could never be wrong. Even my wolf felt it and wouldn't stop stirring in my head.

Did the moon goddess give you a gay mate?

"That's not possible. If it was the smell coming from him should be stronger than what I am perceiving right now," I replied to my wolf in my head. The moon goddess wasn't the sort of comedian who would play such a childish trick on me.

Jeremy and Aub kept explaining how good Aub was at his work, but that was the least of my concerns at that point. And Aub was such a weird name to begin with.

I scoffed. "Your experience and weakness are not even the issue now."

"Then, what is?" He asked, his eyes searching mine for answers. I wondered how he'd react to my next question.

"Why do I smell my mate on you?"

"What!?" Jeremy and Aub chorused.

The rest of our conversation from that point was chaotic. And Jeremy seemed to be getting so much from it. They think I'm mistaken. How could I be? I had been waiting my whole life since I shifted to meet my mate. I attended conferences and parties organized by other packs even when it wasn't convenient for me, just because I was eager to meet my mate. But now that I get a whiff of her scent, I might be mistaken.

I refused to accept that.

Even as I handed the pen and paper to Aub, it didn't feel like I was doing the wrong thing. I needed to find my mate.

It might not just be from someone he met on the bus or on his way to the pack; it might be a close relative of his. So, I asked him to add the names of his relatives to the list of the strangers he met on his way to the pack, too. That would be his first job as my secretary.

But my new secretary seemed to be the type that wouldn't follow my instructions blindly. He didn't even flinch much when I used the alpha's tone on him, but I was too distracted by the smell of my mate to focus on that.

He was about to give another excuse before Nathan stepped in. Just right in time, except I didn't know Jeremy had already mind-linked him and given him the whole backstory of what was going on in my office.

"Just do as you are told," Nathan said, preventing him from going on and on about how good he was at his job. Maybe I was seeing things, but I could swear I saw him ogling Nathan. Could he be gay and was just lying earlier?

"Bullshit!" He blurted out without thinking. I could see he was brazen, too.

I guess he realized that his word could cost him his life because he agreed to do what I asked immediately without compromising.

"Listen to me," I began to speak. "If you want to work here for a long time as my secretary, you need to do a good job at finding whoever left that scent on you before coming here."

He bowed his head slightly, and it made me feel like I was abusing my authority. But, I couldn't care less. I needed my mate.

I noticed how Nathan was eyeing him suspiciously, so I wasn't surprised when he expressed his displeasure with him being my secretary.

"Just let him be for now since he has to figure out who my mate is," I interjected. "You know how much I want to find my mate." Nathan kept his cool after my words. He was my best friend, and he knew how desperate I was.

"Are you sure about this?" Nathan asked the moment Aub and Jeremy stepped out of my office.

I went back to my seat, releasing a deep breath the moment my back touched my seat. "I don't know, man. Let's just see how far he can go."

"But..."

"You are being suspicious for no reason again," I said, preventing him from arguing further. "I'll get rid of him myself when I see he might become a problem for us one day.

He nodded.

Nathan had always been like that. He investigated any new member of the pack, especially ones that had contact with me. He had been doing that ever since I was attacked by the third secretary I was working with.

Besides, I didn't think Aub had the potential to hurt me, given his appearance and how weak he looked.

"We have a more pressing issue at hand."

"What's that?"

I turned my computer so Nath could see the email James sent to me. "We need to look for a serial killer."