My Alpha Made Me Rescue His Mistress Instead

The shrill ring of my phone pierced the darkness at 3:00 AM, jolting me from a fitful sleep. I fumbled for the device on my nightstand, my heart already racing. Only one call comes at this hour.

"Olivia Spencer," I answered, my voice steady despite the adrenaline flooding my system.

"Beta Olivia, we've got a reported drowning victim in Puget Sound," came the urgent voice of one of our pack's sentries. "Witnesses say someone went under near the north pier about twenty minutes ago."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, already mentally calculating the critical window. "I'll be there in ten minutes. Alert Ty to meet me at the equipment room."

"Already done, Beta."

I moved with practiced efficiency in the darkness, pulling on thermals and layering them with my diving gear. The clock on my wall ticked mercilessly as I grabbed my bag and headed for the door.

The equipment room was my sanctuary—a place where I held authority and purpose. Underwater body recovery was more than just a job; it was a sacred duty. I'd just finished checking my oxygen tanks when the door burst open with enough force to rattle the metal shelves.

"Where do you think you're going?" Daniel's voice filled the space, his Alpha tone vibrating with authority.

I straightened, meeting his gaze steadily despite the way my stomach twisted. "There's a drowning victim in the sound. I need to—"

"I don't care," he cut me off, stepping aside to reveal Adrianna hovering in the doorway. "We have a more pressing matter."

Adrianna stepped forward, her perfectly manicured hand resting on Daniel's arm. Even in the dim light, I could see the smug satisfaction in her eyes.

"I lost my locket," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "It's extremely valuable—sentimental, really. It was my grandmother's."

I glanced at the clock on the wall. Fifteen minutes had passed since the call. "I'm sorry to hear that, but we have a potential drowning victim—"

"The locket is in the shallow area near the marina," Daniel interrupted. "You'll retrieve it first."

I felt my professional demeanor cracking. "Daniel, someone could be dying out there. The longer we delay—"

"Are you questioning me?" His eyes flashed dangerously, and I felt the weight of his Alpha status pressing down on me.

"The chain of command is clear," he continued, his voice dropping to that commanding tone that made my wolf whimper inside me. "As Alpha, I order you to recover Adrianna's locket immediately."

I swallowed hard, feeling the familiar burn of humiliation. Eight years of this—eight years of being forced to submit to a man who resented every breath I took.

"And if I refuse?" I whispered, already knowing the answer.

Daniel stepped closer, his voice low and menacing. "Then you'll no longer be Beta of this pack. Ty will be exiled—his training record marked as unsuitable for any pack in the region."

The threat hung in the air between us. Ty was just