The Alpha's Contract Mate

THIS STORY HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED ON THIS PLATFORM BY THE AUTHOR.

Natalie crunched her nose and mused at the scent that had just hit her. She tried to comprehend it, but she was a hundred and one per cent sure that she had never perceived a smell so enticing. It wasn't a familiar scent and her eyelids were too heavy to lift so she could figure out whose it was. It sure didn't belong in her bed though. Her sleep-fogged brain was able to tell her three things. One, the scent was a person's scent – a most delicious scent; fresh spring, cinnamon and cedar wood. Two, the alluring scent belonged to a male. And three, that male was a wolf shifter, just like her.

Natalie West did not smuggle strange guys into the pack house, even if they did smell delicious. Forcing a flaccid eye open, she peeped at the space beside her and was able to confirm her suspicion that the mystery male was long gone. Swerving her head – which felt unnaturally hefty – she peered at her alarm clock. Or, at least, she would have done it if it hadn't done a disappearing act. Along with her bedside table. One look at the silky sheets beneath her and she immediately realized that they were not her sheets.

With a start, Natalie sat up and cursed. Nope, she wasn't in her room. She wasn't even in her home. Scanning her surroundings warily, her eyes widened in response to not only the luxury around her but also the realisation that she was inside what looked to be a cave.

Wait. A cave?

One thing was for sure, this was no Stone Age cave. Hell, no it wasn't. The light bisque marble walls were all perfectly smooth apart from the occasional niche that was being used as a mini shelf. The floors were covered with a plush cream carpet that looked invitingly soft. There was a very masculine-style tripartite wardrobe and a large set of drawers; both were of dark oak that matched the headboard of the platform bed. The bed itself was under a smooth arch that had been etched into the cave, making it cosy despite that the bed was huge. But not cosy enough that she was enjoying this freaky little scenario.

Although her inner wolf was on the alert, she wasn't nervous or anxious. Her damn wolf didn't even have the sense to worry that she was in a strange place – a cave, no less – that she had no memory of arriving in. It was probably a good thing that she was Kage.

So...had she gone out with Shirley and somehow ended up going home with a guy? No, that didn't ring right. For one thing, she couldn't recall arranging a night out, let alone venturing out. Moreover, her position as pack healer meant she was constantly on call and so getting ridiculously drunk was something she never did. Also, she was fully clothed – casual clothing that she would never wear on a night out – and there was no smell of sex on her or on the bed.

What was the last thing she remembered doing? Despite the fogginess in her brain she could recall heading to the internet café at around noon. She sure didn't remember getting there. And she was someone who always remembered every single detail.

Natalie heaved the air around her into her system, filtering through the various scents. There were only two individuals that she could smell beside herself and the yummy-smelling wolf. Another male and a female, both of whom were also unfamiliar wolf shifters. At least she could be sure that she wasn't in the grasp of that dick, alpha Ray, who didn't give a crap that she didn't want to be claimed by him. To make matters worse, her father didn't give a crap either; he was too busy trying to build an alliance with the other pack and if that meant using his Kage daughter to get it, of course, why not?

Sometimes, Natalie wished she could say that it was just because he was so desperate for an alliance. But no, her dad already had plenty of alliances with other packs. His real reason was simple. Get rid of the Kage who turned out to be his only daughter and save his ego from all the shame and embarrassment of fathering such a being. She was a blow to his pride, an aberration in his bloodline, and he hated her because, as he had seen to her conception, she was his weakness. She put his 'greatness' into question for the rest of the pack. Or so he thought. He certainly wouldn't bother putting her photo on a milk carton if she never got home from wherever the hell she was.

Natalie spotted a set of cream curtains and flicked the bedcover aside, and after a moment, rose from the bed. Dizziness momentarily rushed over her and she swayed. Jesus, what was with her? Staggering to the curtains with sluggish, ungraceful movements, she parted them to reveal a bay window – a window that was unfortunately locked.

Natalie frowned when she discovered that rather than morning, it was more like late afternoon. Did that mean she hadn't spent the night here and had only been here a few hours? Or did it mean she had just had one hell of a sleep? Her eyebrows almost hit her hairline as she took in the view before her. Most packs had a massive luxury lodge surrounded by several cabins. Some even had lodges situated on cliffs. But this place wasn't on a cliff, it was the cliff. With the arched, lighted balconies and the smooth stairways leading to different levels, it was like those ancient cave dwellings versus the town of Bedrock.

Wow!

Below was grass... Grass. More grass. A huge forest. So, from what she could tell, she was in some kind of huge cave system in the middle of no man's land. She had heard of caves having been hollowed out and turned into homes or even hotels so she wasn't so surprised as to how this has been made to have such a warm, contemporary look. Something told her she was still in Michigan somewhere, but she had a feeling the cab ride home was going to be expensive. Good thing her kidnapper was wealthy. Especially since there didn't seem to be any sign of her purse anywhere. If this was all a joke she so didn't get it. And if she discovered this was one of Shirley's pranks, she was very well going to eat her raw.