Chosen To Be The Alpha's Surrogate

** Malachi I**

"Take me to bed, *big bad wolf*," Penelope purrs, her smile wicked and full of promise.

I growl low in my throat, tightening my grip on her as I carry her towards our massive en-suite bathroom. The scent of her arousal fills my nostrils, mingling with the lingering sweetness of chocolate frosting. It's a heady combination that has my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin, eager to claim what's ours.

"Oh, I intend to," I rumble, nudging the bathroom door open with my shoulder.

Her breath hitches as I set her down on the cool marble counter. Her eyes, dark with desire, follow my movements as I turn to start filling the oversized tub.

I glance back at her over my shoulder, letting my gaze rake over her curves. Even disheveled and covered in cake, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. *And she's all mine. All. Fucking. Mine.*

"You know," I tease her as I stalk back towards her, bracing my hands on either side of her hips and leaning in close. "I should punish you for that little stunt with the cake. Disrespecting your Alpha like that..."

She shivers, but there's no fear in her scent. Only anticipation and a hint of that stubborn defiance I've come to love. "Oh?" she purrs, her fingers tracing ghosting patterns on my chest. "And how exactly do you plan to punish me, *Alpha*?" There's a teasing lilt to her voice that makes my cock twitch in anticipation, and the way she continues to say my title, a pur and a challenge all rolled into one... it sets my blood on file.

My lips brush against her earlobe, my breath kissing her skin as I whisper, "Maybe I'll just bend you over that tub and spank that perfect ass of yours until it's as red as your face when you realize what you've done."

With my hands at her hips, I pull her to the edge of the counter, into me. She inhales sharply, her body flushing against me. Our faces are now only inches apart, our noses lightly brushing against each other. She parts her lips, no donut to fire back a sassy retort, but I silence her with a kiss.

It's hot and demanding. I pour every feeling into that kiss my frustration, my desire, and the overwhelming love that threatens to bring me to my knees.

As I lose myself in the taste of her, in the soft sounds she makes as I explore her mouth, a sudden realization hits me like a punch to the gut.

*I love her. Not just because she's carrying my child, but because she's Penelope. *

*My Penelope.*

The thought rocks me to my core. I've been so focused on the baby, on securing my legacy and protecting what's mine, that I never stopped to examine the depth of my feelings for the woman herself.

But it's there, undeniable and all-consuming. I love her fire, her stubbornness, the way she challenges me at every turn. I love her kindness, her strength, the fierce protectiveness she has for our unborn child. I love every infuriating, beautiful inch of her.

*And I would love her even if she wasn't pregnant with my cub.*

The intensity of the emotion nearly overwhelms me, and I break the kiss, panting heavily as I rest my forehead against hers.

"Penny," I breathe, my voice rough. "I-"

But before I can voice the revelation burning in my chest, a sharp knock at the bedroom door shatters the moment.

"Boss?" Axel's voice, tense and urgent, filters through the wood. "We've got a situation. I need to speak to you immediately."

I growl, low and frustrated, as Penelope lets out a disappointed whine. "Fuck," I mutter, pulling back reluctantly. "I'm sorry, rabbit. I have to—"

"I know," she says with a soft smile, though I can see the disappointment in her eyes. "Go. Be the *big, bad* Alpha. We'll pick this up later."

I lean in for one more quick kiss, savoring the taste of her. "To be continued," I promise, my voice rough with barely restrained desire. "I'll be back soon."

With a final, longing look at my mate-flushed and disheveled, perched on the counter with her legs spread invitingly-I force myself to turn away and stride out of the bathroom.

I yank open the bedroom door, not bothering to hide my annoyance as I glare at my Beta. "This better be fucking important, Axel."

The grim set of his jaw tells me everything I need to know before he even opens his mouth. "Rogue attack in the old town," he reports, his voice clipped and professional. "Multiple casualties. All of them ours." *No... No, no, no. FUCK, NO.*

The words hit me like a bucket of ice water, dousing the heat of arousal and replacing it with cold, hard fury. "How many?" I demand, already moving out of the room and down the hall.

"At least a dozen confirmed dead," Axel says, following closely behind me. "Maybe more. It's chaos down there, Alpha. The human cops are all over it, and the media's having a field day."

"Fuck," I snarl, coming to an abrupt halt and turning to face him. "How the hell did this happen? Where were our patrols?"

Axel shakes his head, a grave look on his face. "That's the thing-they came out of nowhere. No warning, no scent. It's like they appeared out of thin air and started tearing people apart." A cold dread settles in the pit of my stomach.

*No warning, no scent... that's not possible. Not unless...*

"Magic," I growl, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. "They had help from a witch."

Axel nods, his jaw clenching. "That's what I'm thinking. But who? The witches know better than to intervene in wolf business. We don't deal with sorcery. We don't meddle in their demonic agendas."

"I don't know," I admit, hating the taste of those words. "But I intend to find out. And when I do..." I let the sentence hang, the promise of violence clear in my tone.

With that, I turn on my heels and continue my way out of the mansion, barking orders to the guards we pass. "Double the security on Penelope. No one gets in or out without my permission, understood?" They nod, snapping to attention as we pass.

*Good. At least I know my mate and child will be safe while I deal with this clusterfuck.*

The drive to the old town is tense, the air in the vehicle thick with unspoken worry. I grip the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turn white, my mind racing with possibilities and recriminations.

*How did I let this happen? I've been so focused on Penelope, on my own happiness, that I've neglected my duties as Alpha. And now my people are paying the price.*

The guilt and self-loathing threaten to choke me, but I force them down. There will be time for that later. Right now, I need to be the Alpha my pack deserves. Strong, decisive, ready to rip apart anyone who dares threaten what's mine. As we pull up to the scene, my stomach turns at the carnage before us. Bodies litter the street, their forms twisted and mangled in ways that speak of brutal, animalistic violence. The scent of blood and death hangs heavy in the air, nearly overwhelming my heightened senses.

Human cops mill about, their faces pale and shocked as they try to make sense of the slaughter. Crime scene tape flutters in the breeze, a pitiful barrier against the horror that's unfolded here.

And everywhere, there are cameras. News vans line the street, reporters jockeying for position as they try to get the best shot of the bloodbath. It makes my skin crawl, knowing that my people's suffering is being broadcast for the world to see. As I step out of the car, a familiar scent hits me. My head snaps up, a growl rumbling in my chest as I spot the source.

*Elijah.*

My brother leans against a nearby building, his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. He looks utterly unaffected by the carnage around him, as if he's observing nothing more interesting than a mildly entertaining street performance.

"Well, well," he drawls as I approach, pushing off the wall with lazy grace. "Look who finally decided to show up. Tell me, brother, were you too busy playing house with your little human to notice your pack being slaughtered?" The taunt hits its mark, shame and rage warring in my chest. But I refuse to give him the satisfaction of seeing me lose control. Instead, I meet his gaze coolly, letting just a hint of my Alpha power bleed into my voice. "What are you doing here, Elijah?" I demand, my tone low and dangerous. "This isn't your territory."

He shrugs, his mark widening. "Can't a concerned citizen check on the welfare of his neighbors? Besides..." His eyes gleam with malicious amusement. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. It's not every day you get to see the great Alpha Malachi brought low by his own incompetence."

I snarl, taking a step towards him, my hands curling into fists at my sides. But before I can do something I might regret-like ripping my brother's smug face off-Axel's hand on my arm stops me.

"Alpha," he murmurs urgently. "We've got bigger problems. The humans are starting to ask questions we can't answer."

With a monumental effort, I tear my gaze away from Elijah, forcing myself to focus on the more pressing issue at hand. "Right," I growl, my mind already racing with damage control strategies. "Get our people on crowd control. I want all werewolf bodies removed before the corner can get a good look at them. And find me whoever's in charge of this circus. I need to start spinning this before it gets out of hand."

As Axel hurries off to carry out my orders, I turn back to Elijah. But my brother is already gone, melted away into the crowd like he was never there.

*Coward. Always showing up to gloat, never to help.*

But I can't dwell on him now. I have a pack to protect, a massacre to cover up, and a mate waiting for me at home. With a deep breath, I square my shoulders and stride towards the nearest cluster of police officers. *Time to clean up this mess and find out who's responsible. And when I do...*

A growl rumbles in my chest, my eyes flashing silver-blue with barely contained rage.

*When I find out who did this, I'll make them wish they'd never been born.*