Reborn as the Alpha CEO's Contracted Wife

"You have two minutes to explain why you bypassed my security" Alpha Alex Graham said.

He sat behind a black desk. His eyes turned gold with irritation.

"I have a business proposition" I replied. I stepped forward. I put a fiftypage document on his desk.

"I need protection and money. You need an Alpha to keep your board seat on Friday at 5:00 PM. We sign a marriage contract today."

I felt a sharp pain in my stomach as I woke up in the morning because of the poison. Dave Winslow, my mate and Jane Lincoln my stepsister killed me on December 15th. Today is the 15th of November which means I woke up in my bed thirty days ago. My body felt perfectly healthy. I have thirty days before they kill me. I spent the morning writing this contract. I spent the afternoon walking into the headquarters of Graham Enterprises.

Alex looked at the document. He did not pick it up.

"Graham Enterprises needs an Alpha to keep majority shareholder voting rights" I said.

"Your uncle owns forty percent of the company stock. He plans to vote on Friday to remove you from the CEO position. If you present a wife the company rules protect your seat."

Alex leaned back in his leather chair.

"You did your research, Mary Lincoln" he said.

"I studied your company rules" I replied.

"Why come to me?" he asked.

"Because Dave Winslow wants my family inheritance" I said.

"He is your rival. If he gets the Lincoln pack assets his company will overtake Graham Enterprises. I want to bankrupt him. You want to dominate the market. Our goals fit perfectly."

Alex stood up and walked around the desk. He was six feet and four inches tall and i had to tilt my head back just to look at him.

He showed his Alpha power.

The physical pressure hit me hard. The air in the room got heavy. My knees locked. My wolf wanted to submit and expose my throat.. I did not yield.

I stood firm.

"Your power will not work on me Alex" I said.

He then raised his eyebrows which increased the pressure.

My lungs burned. My heart beat fast. He searched for fear. I felt anger. Anger at Dave. Anger at Jane. Anger at myself for dying

"Stop doing that" I said. My voice was flat and hard.

"We are business partners, not enemies."

Alex blinked. The pressure vanished. He smiled a smile.

"You have control" Alex said.

"Most unmated wolves drop to their knees within three seconds."

"I am not wolves" I replied.

"Let us review the terms" Alex said. He picked up the contract.

"You want two million dollars transferred to an account."

"I need assets to stop Dave from buying the downtown commercial lots tomorrow" I said.

"He plans to bid 1.5 million. I will outbid him by five hundred thousand."

"And in return?" Alex asked.

"I give you thirty percent equity in those properties. I also give you the coordinates of the silver mine Dave discovered on the northern border" I replied.

Alex stopped reading. He looked up.

"The northern territory is regulated. How do you know about a mine?"

"I know many things" I said.

"Dave plans to start mining operations on November 20th. If you report him to the Werewolf Council on November 21st they will confiscate his equipment. Fine him ten million dollars."

Alex closed the folder.

"You hate him" he said.

"I want him ruined" I replied.

"You are taking a risk" Alex said.

"If my uncle discovers this marriage is fake I lose my company. If Dave discovers you are feeding me his secrets he will kill you."

"He will try" I corrected.

"That is why I need your protection. I move into your penthouse tonight. You assign two of your guards to me. We make our public appearance at the charity gala tomorrow evening."

Alex tapped his fingers on the desk. He calculated the risks.

"Your stepsister, Jane Lincoln handles relations for Daves company" Alex said.

"I received a press release this morning. It stated you and Dave plan to announce your mating ceremony at the gala tomorrow."

"Jane wrote that press release to corner me" I said.

"Dave wants access to the Lincoln pack trust fund. I turn twentyone at midnight tomorrow. The trust fund unlocks then. If I mate with Dave he becomes the proxy of my accounts. The trust contains fifty million dollars."

Alexs expression turned serious.

"Fifty million" he said.

"Yes" I replied.

"If you marry me instead what happens to the trust?" Alex asked.

"The Lincoln pack bylaws dictate that my husband becomes the signatory" I said.

"However my contract clearly states you waive all rights to my personal trust fund. I retain control. I will use that money to fund my ventures and bankrupt Daves subsidiaries."

"You are asking me to start a pack war" Alex said.

"I am giving you the information to win a pack war before Dave even realizes we are fighting" I replied.

Alex walked back to his chair. He sat down. He looked at me for a minute. The office was silent. I listened to the city traffic outside. I did not move.

"Dave Winslow is ruthless" Alex said.

"He bankrupted the Miller pack year. He will not let fifty million dollars walk away."

"He will not have a choice" I said.

"He will challenge me to an Alpha duel" Alex said.

"You are stronger than him" I replied.

"You won the combat tournament three years in a row. Dave pays off his opponents. He lacks combat experience."

Alex opened a drawer. He pulled out a pen.

He looked at the contract again.

"Clause four" Alex said.

"It states we must share a residence but maintain bedrooms."

"We are business partners" I said.

"The Werewolf Council conducts inspections for newly mated Alphas" Alex said.

"If an inspector arrives at my penthouse and finds you sleeping in a room we both go to prison for fraud."

I tightened my jaw.

"We share a bedroom" Alex continued.

"You can sleep on the couch. We can buy a larger bed.. There will be no separate rooms."

"Fine" I said.

"We share a room."

"Clause seven" Alex said.

"You want me to fire my Head of Public Relations and hire you."

"I need a reason to be inside your corporate headquarters every day" I said.

"It provides the cover for us to plan our attacks on Daves business. Furthermore your current PR head is incompetent. He mishandled the scandal involving your factory workers month."

Alexs jaw tightened.

"He is a pack member" he said.

"Loyalty does not fix a supply chain or a damaged public image" I replied.

"I will increase your approval ratings by twenty percent within six months."

"You have no experience, Mary" Alex said.

"I spent three years watching Dave and Jane manipulate the media" I replied.

"I know how they operate. I will use their methods against them."

Alex stared at me. He read the fiftypage document. It took him twelve minutes. I stood in front of his desk. I did not check my phone. I did not shift my weight.

Alex finished reading. He picked up the pen. He signed his name on the page. He flipped back to the trust fund waiver. Signed that page as well.

"The contract is valid" Alex said.

He stood up. He walked around the desk again. He did not show his power. His presence commanded the room. He walked up to me. He stopped than six inches away.

I raised my head and looked up to him.

Alex leaned down. His face hovered inches, from my neck. I felt his heat. I made sure to hold my breath. His expression shifted from a CEO to a predatory Alpha.

"You smell like the woman Dave claimed as his fated mate yesterday" Alex said softly. His voice sounded darker and deeper.

"Tell me, Mary. Why do you carry the scent of my rival on your skin?"

Alex was right in my face, his gold eyes staring at me as if he wanted me to say something.

The smell of pine and rain was over my clothes it was Dave's scent. I remembered how he had hugged me that morning in the kitchen of the Lincoln estate. He had played the part of a boyfriend really well.. What he did not know was that I knew his plan. He had used that hug to distract me while Jane put poison in my coffee, which was going to happen thirty days from now.

I did not back away from Alex. I stood my ground.

"Dave Winslow is my mate" I told him.

Alex got really stiff and the room got really cold. A fated mate bond is a deal; it is like a biological tie. Wolves look for their fated partners in their lives. If you reject a mate it goes against your instinct.

"You found your fated mate " Alex said, his voice low.". You came here to marry me instead."

"Yes" I replied.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because Dave is weak" I said. "He uses people to get what he wants. He wants my fifty million dollar trust fund because he cannot make his money. I do not want to be with someone who cannot take care of himself."

Alex looked at me and he was trying to see if I was lying.

I kept my breathing slow. I told him the truth. I did not tell him about my murder nor did I tell him about time travel because he would think I was crazy if I told him that. So, I just told him about the money and that was enough to convince him.

"A mate bond is a connection" Alex said. "If you marry me Dave will feel it. He will know that another Alpha is claiming his territory."

"The bond is not complete" I said. "We have not done the mating ceremony. We have not shared blood. The connection is weak. I can handle it."

"You need to break the bond" Alex told me. "The Werewolf Council needs a blood ritual to break a fated tie. Until you do that Dave will use the mate bond to know how you are feeling."

"I know" I said. "I have an appointment with the Council Elders for Monday. I will break the bond then it will be legal and permanent."

Alex stepped back and put some distance between us. The heavy Alpha pressure was gone from the room. He walked to his desk. Opened his laptop.

"We have a deal" Alex said. ". I have some rules for when we are in public."

"I am listening" I said.

"In this office we are equals" Alex said. "We share information and plan our strategies together. You can talk to my analysts and my legal team."

He typed his password into the laptop and he opened a banking application.

"But outside this building you are mine" Alex continued. "You wear my ring, you stand by my side. If another Alpha approaches you you do not talk until I say it is okay. You need to show the public that you're in love with me."

"I understand" I said.

"You cannot talk to Dave Winslow" Alex added. "You cannot talk to Jane Lincoln. You need to cut all ties with your pack now."

"They will try to contact me" I said.

"You need to ignore them" Alex replied. "If they get aggressive my security team will handle them."

"I agree to your terms" I said.

Alex hit a key on his keyboard. "I just sent you two million dollars."

My phone buzzed as I pulled it out of my pocket. I opened my banking app. The balance was two million dollars. I had the money I needed to stop Dave from buying the downtown lots tomorrow morning. I felt a sense of relief that the tight knot in my chest was gone.

"Thank you" I said.

"Do not thank me" Alex replied. "You owe me thirty percent of the properties. If you cannot get the land tomorrow I will take the two million dollars from your trust fund month."

"I will not fail" I said.

"We are going to the charity gala tomorrow night" Alex said. He closed his laptop. "The event starts at eight o'clock. Dave and Jane will be there, the whole corporate sector will be there. We will announce our engagement on stage."

"I need to go to the Lincoln estate" I said. "I need to pack my clothes and my laptop. I have files on my hard drive."

Alex shook his head. "You cannot go back to that house, it is not safe. Dave might sense the change in your scent if he knows you talked to me he will lock you in the estate."

"I need my files" I said.

"My team will get your things" Alex said. "Give me your room coordinates and the security codes for the estate. My men will go to the house at 3:00 AM and they will pack your room. Bring your things to my penthouse before sunrise."

I was not sure giving Alex my security codes felt weird.. He was right facing Dave tonight was too risky. I needed to establish my position at Graham Enterprises

I took a pen from his desk and wrote down the security gate code and the alarm sequence for the door on a piece of paper. I gave it to him.

"My bedroom is on the last floor, door on the right " I said. "Tell your men to take the hard drive from my desk and leave my clothes. Jane monitors what I wear and if she notices something is missing she will panic."

"What will you wear to the gala?" Alex asked.

"I will buy a dress tomorrow morning" I said.

"No" Alex said. "I will have a designer bring some options to the penthouse tomorrow afternoon. You represent Graham Enterprises now I control the image. You will wear a dress I like."

I did not like losing control. I agreed to play along.

"Fine" I said.

"My head of security will drive you to my penthouse now" Alex said. "I have some meetings today so I will be home at seven o'clock. Do not leave the penthouse."

"I have work to do" I said. I pulled out a silver flash drive from my pocket I put it on his desk. "These are the GPS coordinates for Daves silver mine. Give this to your team tell them to make a report for the Werewolf Council now."

Alex looked at the flash drive and he seemed to respect me.

"You work fast, Mary" he said.

"We do not have a lot of time" I said. "We have thirty days to stop Dave."

There was loud shouting outside the office.

The door to Alex's office was shaking. Someone was yelling at the security guards in the hallway. I knew the voice was Dave's.

"Let me go" Dave shouted. "She is my mate."

The office door burst open and it hit the wall hard.

Dave was standing in the doorway two of Alex's security guards were holding his arms. Dave was breathing heavily, his eyes moving around the room. He looked at me and he was angry.

"Let go of me" Dave shouted again. "She is my mate."

Dave was struggling to free himself from the two security guards. He was wearing a gray suit but he looked messed up. He was breathing hard.

"Get your hands off me" Dave told them.

The guards did not move. They just looked at Alex waiting for him to tell them what to do.

"Let him go" Alex said.

The guards let go of Dave. He fixed his suit jacket. He glared at Alex for a couple of seconds then he turned to me.

"Mary we are leaving. Now" Dave said. His voice was sharp and bossy.

I just stood there. I looked at the man who had killed me in my life. Now that I was not under his spell I could see him clearly. He looked really desperate. He looked angry. He did not look like a man who was in love.

"I am not going anywhere with you Dave" I said. My voice was steady.

Dave took a step forward. "You are my mate. You belong with me. You belong at the Lincoln estate."

"I belong to myself" I said.

"You are confused" Dave said. He tried to grab my arm.

Before he could touch me Alex moved. He was really fast like an animal. He stepped between us. Pushed Dave backward. Dave. Hit the doorframe.

"Do not touch my fiancée" Alex said. His voice was quiet and cold.

Dave froze. He looked at Alex at me. "Fiancée? You are lying. She is my fated mate. The Moon Goddess gave her to me."

"The Moon Goddess made a mistake" I said. "I reject you Dave."

Dave flinched. My words hurt him. I felt a pain in my chest as our biological bond strained. Dave felt it too. He clutched his shirt over his heart.

"You cannot reject me" Dave growled. His eyes turned red. He tried to use his Alpha powers to force me to my knees.

Alex stopped him. He used his powers to counter Daves. The room shook. The glass on Alex's desk rattled. The air pressure. My ears popped. Alex's power was too much for Dave.

Dave fell to the floor. He could not even lift his head.

"In my office you follow my rules" Alex said. He stood over Dave. "Mary is mine. We signed the engagement papers today. If you approach her again I will wage war against you."

Dave was struggling to breathe. "You cannot do this."

"I just did" Alex replied. He looked at the guards. "Take Mr. Winslow out of the building. If he resists, break his legs."

The guards grabbed Dave. Pulled him out of the office. Dave looked at me with hatred.

"You will regret this Mary" Dave said.

The guards shut the door behind him. The room was quiet again. Alex pulled back his powers. I took a breath. My hands were shaking. I hid them behind my back. I did not want Alex to see.

Alex turned to me. "He tracked your scent."

"He must have followed my car from the estate" I said. "I drove here."

"He knows you are with me now" Alex said. "He will try to get your trust fund before the gala tomorrow."

"He cannot access the money without my signature and thumbprint" I said.

"He can forge your signature" Alex said. "He can bribe the bank officials. Dave operates outside the law."

I nodded. Alex was right. I had underestimated Dave's desperation.

"We need to secure the funds today" Alex said. "We need to move the money to an account under Graham Enterprises."

"No" I said. "The money goes into my account. I told you I control my assets."

Alex looked at me. "If the money is in your account Dave can contest it in werewolf court. He can claim the mate bond gives him rights. If you transfer the money to a Graham Enterprises account my team protects it. You still control the money."

I thought about it. I needed his protection.

"Fine" I said. "I want a signed document stating I am the sole authorized user."

"My team will draft it in the car" Alex said. He walked to his desk. Picked up his phone. "Cancel my meetings" he told his assistant.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"We are going to the bank, then off to my penthouse " Alex said as he put on his suit jacket. "You are staying by my side until the gala tomorrow."

We walked out of the office. The security guards followed us. We got into the elevator. The doors. The elevator started moving.

My phone buzzed. I pulled it out and looked at the screen. I had a voicemail.

I pressed play and held the phone to my ear.

"Miss Lincoln, this is the manager of the downtown lots, " a man said. "I am sorry to inform you the property sale is closed. Dave Winslow wired the payment ten minutes ago. He bought the land in your name."

I stopped breathing. The elevator kept moving.

Dave had already stolen my identity.