The Alpha's Doe

Prologue

I was six years old the day I met Ace.

I was on a cruise with my family in the Bahamas. Back then, it was just me, my mom, and my dad. Joe, my stepdad, and all the kids that came with him didn't come until much later.

I remember being happy. So, so happy. It was the first vacation we had ever been on as a family, and my parents had saved up for a long time.

My parents and I were splashing around in the pool, laughing as we enjoyed ourselves. It was the summer they taught me how to swim.

Back home, they were always so busy, especially my dad. After school every day, I went straight to daycare and wouldn't see them until late.

We spent weekends together, but I never had their full attention on me. Something always came up. Dad was definitely a workaholic, returning home late every night.

So, this vacation, with their undivided attention on me, was a dream come true.

My dad had just pulled me into his arms and was getting ready to toss me back into the water when Ace appeared next to us.

Dad paused, looking at the little boy who just stood there, staring at me, breathing deeply like he was having some sort of asthma attack or something.

Ace was always breathtaking, even as a child. There was something about him that drew you in, forcing you to stop and look.

He had short brown hair, tan skin, and piercing, dark-blue eyes-so dark that they almost seemed purple.

I remember being totally captivated by him. I felt as if he had hypnotized me and was unable to look away.

Without saying a word, Ace grabbed my arm and tugged me away from my father.

I was too transfixed to resist. It didn't seem odd that this stranger was dragging me away from my parents without explanation. It almost felt natural-like he was meant to do it.

After his startling blue eyes, the next unusual thing I noticed about Ace was the sparks. Everywhere he touched me, I felt little pleasurable pops of electricity.

I looked down at our interlocked hands in confusion. How is he doing that? Does he have magical powers or something?

"Um, excuse me, young man." My father waded forward. He put a hand on my shoulder, pulling me a step back.

Still, Ace didn't let go of me. In fact, his grip only tightened.

"Just what do you think you're doing with my daughter?"

Ace's eyes narrowed at my father, seeming to darken in color. "No," he stated, his tone final.

Ace tugged me forward, forcing my father to release me. I went crashing into Ace's chest, and he wrapped his arms around me and turned me away from my parents as if to shield me from them.

"Mine."

That was the first of many, many times I would hear Ace call me his.

My father's brow furrowed, and I could