The Alpha’s Forced Mate
Chapter 9

Blake

My whistle bounced off the marble hallway as I strolled to the staircase. Servants passed wearing confused smiles, though they greeted me with the same jovial spirit I displayed. Everything felt brighter today. The first day of trials had been a success even though I hadn’t exactly cared about them. Not until now.

Not until I had met Veronica.

Within a few minutes, I was in the dining hall with my mother, her suspicious grin hardly deterring me from the fruit, yogurt, and granola bar. I continued to whistle as I served myself, ignoring the curious yet playful smile my grandmother shot me from across the table.

“Well, you seem happier,” Mom said cheerfully. “You must be taking the trials more seriously now.”

Grandma laughed. “Nope. He just got laid.”

I halted in my tracks as my mother blanched. Grandma busted a gut while slapping her knee. The mischievous garden gnome was at it again. And Mom wasn’t about to have it.

Outrage bloomed on her face. “Mother, that is a disgusting thing to say at the table. What if the guests were here?”

“I’d say one would be wearing a sh!t-eating grin and the others would be jealous,” Grandma retorted. “Either way, you should be happy your son is happy, Shelly.”

A victorious grin grew on my l!ps. I wandered away from the table, choosing to sit in the window that overlooked the yard. That lengthy dining table was useless to me. Too impartial, too cold, too big for my tastes. The sudden disinterest in it also caught my mother’s attention.

Unfortunately.

Someone sniffed near my head. If it had been anyone other than my grandmother, I would have decked her in the face. “You smell different.”

“I showered.”

“You know that’s not what I mean, kiddo.”

Veronica called me champ last night, I thought as I spooned yogurt into my mouth. Weird.

Grandma knocked on my head. “Jermaine called. He said he couldn’t get a hold of you.”

I patted my pocket where my phone usually sat. “Oh, I guess I didn’t grab my phone today.”

She snorted. “She must have scrambled your brains, huh?”

“I don’t know what you mean, Mamaw.”

“And you haven’t called me that since you were six.”

My beaming smile eased some of the strain on her face. If my charm didn’t work, then I would have to beg for her to stay out of my business. “Is the trial set?”

“The test packets are ready.”

“They’re going to hate a written exam.”

She laughed. “Especially since you already found your mate.”

I nearly spat out my yogurt. “Mamaw, you don’t know that.”

She smoothed my hair from my forehead and planted a loving k!ss on the crown of my head. “I know everything that happens in this mansion.”

Anxiety gripped my throat. “You’re just saying that.”

But I knew there was a bit of truth to it.

She shrugged. “Regina arrived an hour ago. She’s setting up in the main den.”

As she shuffled away, she chuckled under her breath, causing a flush of heat to wash through my body. Had my grandmother heard me nailing one of the participants in the den? And if she had, why was she being cryptic about it?

I shook my head. It’s nothing to worry about. Nobody heard anything. They know they’re not allowed in the den.

Still, my anxiety got the best of me. Because if Mamaw had heard me in the den, then certainly the other participants had too.

And that wouldn’t bode well for the rest of the trial.

I practically jumped out of my skin when a hand landed on my shoulder.

“Sulking, I see,” Jermaine teased.

My shoulders slumped as the adrenaline wore off. “Don’t sneak up on me.”

“You know you’re safe here since I made those updates.”

“What updates?”

He grinned viciously. “Precisely.”

“Jermaine, don’t be so cryptic.” That was two people too many. “What do you have for me this morning?”

“Tanner’s in town.”

I perked up. “Really? Why?”

“He’s moving back.”

“Well, that’s news.”

He nodded. “But that’s for another day. I want to go over these security procedures with you.”

All the latest updates were relatively standard. Round-the-clock perimeter checks, floodlights in the garden which I absolutely despised, a new tracking device for my phone, and motion sensors outside the windows—specifically my bedroom window. Once we had everything wrapped up, I finished breakfast and wandered into the den at the front of the mansion.

Mom and Grandma stood near a round table where the participants were gathered. Most of them were finishing breakfast. Veronica sipped a mug of coffee, staring at the beige table instead of me.

Anger swelled in my chest. Why wasn’t she looking at me?

Before I could say anything, a voluptuous woman with onyx skin, clear gray eyes, and violet hair floated into the room. Her regal purple maxi dress fluttered around her feet and the shawl she wore hung from one shoulder, revealing a swirling collection of golden ink that traveled the entirety of her body. To say she was gorgeous was an understatement.

Yet she couldn’t hold my attention like Veronica.

“Good morning, ladies,” the woman greeted. “My name is Regina and I’ll be overseeing your exam today.”

Norma huffed. “An exam? Are you serious?”

Grandma shot me a knowing look.

Regina retained her professional grin while nodding. “Yes, ma’am. You’ll each be given a unique situation. You must write what you would do in that situation and place it in an envelope. It’s important that you lick the fold and hand it to me to be stored in this vase.”

She placed her hand on a gold vase near the fireplace.

“Once it’s placed inside,” she explained, “I’ll give you a necklace to wear and a potion to drink. You must wear the necklace to bed.”

Veronica played with her mug, appearing uninterested in the trial. Next to her, Carrie looked nervous. She played with a lock of hair. “What’s it for?”

Regina stepped toward the table. “Your answers will be played out in your dreams.”

“What?” Veronica blurted. “That seems like an invasion of privacy.”

“All participants are welcome and encouraged to opt out should they feel uncomfortable with the trial,” I stated firmly, “although they will be immediately disqualified if they do.”

Veronica stood up abruptly. “This isn’t fair, Blake. You already put us in danger and now you want to get into our heads?”

“You can opt out,” I reasoned.

But she wouldn’t have it. “You’ve given us no choice since we got here.”

“I’m giving you a choice now.”

Marianne cleared her throat. “I would adore having you read my thoughts. Maybe then you can read my intentions.”

Veronica g*****d loudly.

And honestly? My sentiments exactly.

It didn’t take much to ignore Marianne. I turned to my grandmother, who appeared so tickled by the situation that she was having trouble resisting the urge to laugh. She would probably have to leave the room. My mother, on the other hand, looked horrified.

This wasn’t going as planned, was it?

I bowed my head to the participants. “You may take as long as you like to answer the prompt. Regina will give you the items needed. It’s important to understand that we’re not peeking into your thoughts—you’ll simply be reporting your dreams to Regina who will be able to tell if you’re lying.”

Veronica huffed and crossed her arms. No retort. Not yet at least.

“When you’re finished, I’ll give you another task for the afternoon,” I continued.

Norma and Marianne exchanged a curious look. Carrie nodded. Veronica didn’t react at all.

And that just made me angrier.

Regina reached into the vase and procured the items for the trial. She had four envelopes, each one with a specific scenario created by either my mother or my grandmother. Though I didn’t know who wrote what, I knew I would be able to tell by the type of situation outlined.

Mom had her own intentions for this trial. The way she shifted nervously told me she was worried about who got which prompt—which meant she’d probably written most of them. Grandma didn’t seem fazed by anything in the room other than me. Her eyes repeatedly wandered in my direction, retreating to Veronica every so often.

Irritation swirled in my gut. Okay, maybe she did hear us.

Pages shuffled. Chairs creaked. Pens scraped the surface of the table. The test had begun—and that meant I didn’t need to stick around.

But I also didn’t want to leave.

---

After a couple of hours, I returned to the den where Regina was performing the last of the dream ritual on Carrie. The vase glowed once it was sealed and the witch turned to me, her gray eyes sparking with curiosity.

She sniffed twice. “Are you sure you want this dream trial to commence?”

“Yes, why wouldn’t I?”

Her gaze darted over my shoulder and then back to me. “It seems like a waste of time.”

Grandma puffed up. “That’s what I said.”

Mom looked annoyed. “Mother, hush.”

I could feel the penetrating gaze of my guests, but I didn’t bother to turn around. This next task was merely busy work. I just didn’t want them hounding me about their prompts or their answers.

Unless it was Veronica. I would make an exception for her.

Simp, came Tanner’s voice. You just want to get laid, dude.

And maybe that was true. Maybe my hunger would be quelled by a woman who could marry me, have my kids, and be civil enough to trade s3x every so often. It wasn’t like I was gunning for love.

My gaze floated to Veronica instantly.

“Your next task,” I pushed on without allowing my thoughts to resolve, “will be a presentation.”

“Arts and crafts time,” Veronica joked.

Carrie giggled.

I flared with indignation, sending all my anger to Veronica directly. “Miss Gilbert, the door is right behind you if you wish to leave.”

Veronica crossed her arms. “Excuse me?”

“You’ve done nothing but spit out disrespect at every corner. You can either sit down and listen, or you can leave. Which will it be?”

The staring match that erupted between us silenced the entire room. Every heartbeat rattled the air, a subtle vibration that persisted under the breeze billowing outside. Tension grew by the second as lungs gasped for air and eyes widened.

But Veronica? She was boiling with lustful heat. I could see the waves emanating from her skin and sense the desire echoing from her eyes. Nothing would stop me from unclothing her again, especially when I knew what was hiding beneath.

Those round perky breasts and pink nipples had dazzled me last night. All I could think about was sucking on them. The moment she shifted her position was the moment I knew I couldn’t stand another second of standing in the den without her taste on my l!ps again.

She turned her nose in the air. “Fine.”

“Have a seat,” I ordered. “All of you.”

The participants shuffled quickly to the table. As Regina gathered the vase and took it into an adjoining tea room, my mother stepped forward with supplies.

She smiled brightly. “It’s quite simple. Just tell us about your childhood.”

Veronica visibly paled.

“Tell us about your family,” my mother continued while setting the supplies on the table. “Siblings, cousins, your packs—whatever comes to mind. Give us an idea of who you are and what you like.”

Carrie bounced in her seat while grabbing a piece of paper with a pack of colored pencils. Norma seemed uninterested and Marianne was only as excited as she wanted me to believe.

But Veronica seemed utterly horrified.

“We have to…” Veronica swallowed. “Present this to you?”

Mom nodded. “After dinner, we’ll convene in the library upstairs.”

Veronica focused on me.

Our eyes met, prompting images from last night to flood my mind. Her desperate mewls, her arching back, her supple thighs, and her sweet taste…

Grandma tapped my shoulder. “Let them work on it, kiddo.”

“Right. Of course,” I stated stiffly. “I’ll be in the gardens.”

It wasn’t my intention to announce my whereabouts. But it seemed like the right thing to do. And given the way Veronica watched me, it made sense that I had let her know where I would be.

But I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t even want to recognize it. Because recognizing it meant admitting there was so much more going on here than a mate trial.