Derek

MATED TO MY ALPHA MATE

The city's skyline glowed under the pale moonlight as Derek Crest leaned back in his chair, his cold, calculating eyes fixed on the monitors in front of him. The screens flickered with grainy footage from various parts of the city—dark alleys, busy intersections, and quiet neighborhoods. One of them showed a figure in a hooded cloak handing a leather-bound journal to a young woman.

Derek tapped the edge of the desk impatiently, his fingers drumming against the polished wood. "Pause it," he ordered.

The technician, a wiry man with glasses perched on the edge of his nose, froze the footage. The screen captured the exact moment the journal exchanged hands. Derek's sharp jaw tightened as he leaned closer.

"Zoom in," he commanded.

The technician hesitated. "Sir, the resolution—"

"Do it."

With a nervous nod, the man magnified the image. It was blurry, but the emblem on the journal's cover was unmistakable—a crescent moon encircled by flames. Derek's eyes darkened.

"So, it's begun," he muttered to himself, leaning back again.

A soft knock sounded at the door, followed by the entrance of Evelyn Dane, her sharp heels clicking against the marble floor. She was dressed in a tailored black suit, her hair slicked back into a severe bun.

"You summoned me," she said, her voice cool and professional.

Derek gestured toward the screen. "She has it."

Evelyn's gaze shifted to the monitor, her expression unreadable. "Then the prophecy is unfolding."

"Don't start with your riddles," Derek snapped. "I want answers, not cryptic nonsense. Who gave it to her? And why now?"

Evelyn crossed her arms. "The soothsayer predicted this, Derek. The journal was bound to find her eventually. It was only a matter of time."

"That doesn't explain who's pulling the strings."

Evelyn's lips curved into a faint smile. "Maybe the strings were always meant to pull themselves."

Derek's fist slammed against the desk, making the technician flinch. "Enough with the games, Evelyn! If this gets out of hand, you know what's at stake."

Her smile faded, and her tone turned serious. "I do. Which is why we need to act now. If Diva figures out what's in that journal..."

"She won't," Derek interrupted. "She doesn't have the resources to decipher it."

"But she might not be working alone," Evelyn pointed out. "And if she finds someone who can—"

"She won't," Derek repeated firmly. He stood, towering over her as he moved to the window. The city stretched out before him, a glittering maze of light and shadow. "We need to find her. Bring her in before she does something stupid."

Evelyn arched an eyebrow. "Bring her in? Or eliminate her?"

Derek's jaw clenched. "I'll decide when the time comes."

There was a brief silence, thick with unspoken tension. Then Evelyn spoke again, her voice soft but firm. "You're too close to this, Derek. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment."

He turned to face her, his eyes flashing with something dark and dangerous. "My emotions are the only reason I haven't burned this entire city to the ground."

Evelyn didn't respond. She knew better than to argue with him when he was like this. Instead, she inclined her head slightly. "I'll have the team ready. Just say the word."

As she turned to leave, Derek's voice stopped her.

"Evelyn."

She paused, glancing over her shoulder.

"Keep Mikael out of this," he said, his tone colder than ever. "If he's caught meddling again, he won't get another warning."

Evelyn nodded once before disappearing through the door.

Alone again, Derek returned to the monitor, his gaze fixed on the frozen image of Diva and the journal. He didn't need a soothsayer to tell him what was coming. The pieces were already in motion, and the game was about to change.

But what the soothsayer couldn't predict—what no one could predict—was just how far Derek was willing to go to protect the secrets buried in that journal.

And the truth it held about him.

To be continued...