A/N Hi guys! So you voted for it. I was going to keep the voting open longer but nothing was catching up with this baby. For those who were interested in The Alpha's Mate you can read the first two chapters on Fiction Press. It's called Alpha's Heart on there. So check it out.

So in the meantime let me know what you think!

Chapter One

"Kate, get your ass out of the bathroom. You're going to be late for school!" Edward Masen banged his clenched fist against the bathroom door once more for good measure.

God help him from teenage daughters, he thought with a scowl. How long could a fifteen year old girl take to get ready in the morning? From what he remembered of his teen years it was brush teeth, shower and out the door. Not Kate, though, she took longer than God did to create the Earth.

Scowling down at his watch he noted that he was already running late for his work. Great, the Chief would have his ass. As a usually punctual Detective in of the Nashville Police Department, Edward didn't think it would look too good if he came rushing in late... again.

The door to the only bathroom in the house swung open along with a shit load of hot steam. Was the girl trying to turn his normally neat and tidy bathroom into a messy Sauna?

"Perfection takes time, Edward," the young girl wrapped in two thick white towels quipped as she strode past him.

Instead of snarling at her about the steam, the cosmetics left along the counter and the duration she'd spent in the bathroom he growled, "Hurry up."

Slamming the door behind him Edward leaned back against the bathroom door and tried to breathe, which was hard to do in the stuffy room.

For the thousandth time in the last year he wondered what the hell had happened to his life. A year ago he was the ultimate bachelor. He went to work, came home, dated women who wanted nothing from him but a good time and no strings and hung out with his friends.

How had it changed to yelling at the bathroom door, putting... tampons on the shopping list and generally having his life turned upside down?

He could still remember that day when everything had changed for him. When he had gone from being the most important person in his life and then having to put someone else first.

Edward had been enjoying his first day off in three weeks, laying back on his couch in sweats and enjoying a game and a beer while waiting for his partner, Emmett McCarthy, to come over for what he called 'Guy's Night'. Emmett was married and was going through fertility treatment with his wife, Rosalie, and had said need some time to be a man.

Thirty minutes later than Emmett had said he'd be there the phone rang. Reaching out Edward had grabbed the cordless grey phone and pressed the answer button. "What's taking so long, asshat, I'm hungry," he had growled thinking it could only be his friend on the end of the line.

"Mr. Masen?" the voice on the other end asked uncertainly.

Wanting to curse he answered, "This is he. Who is this?"

"Hello, my name is Carmen Rosa. I was a good friend of Tanya Volkov."

Edward blinked. He hadn't spoken to Tanya since the day she'd broken up with him just a little over fourteen years ago. He had to think hard to picture her face. Pretty with ice blue eyes and strawberry blond hair. She was sweet, he remembered, right up until the moment she threw a glass of beer in his face and stormed out.

In her defense he had been making out with her best friend at a keg party. God, he was an ass back then.

He cringed at the memory of the hurt look in her eyes before fury had taken its place. It was then that her words clicked. "Was?" he demanded.

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. "I'm sorry," she all but whispered. "Tanya died in a car accident a week ago."

Edward sat up, his hunger vanishing and nausea taking its place. "Oh my god," he mumbled.

How many times, he thought, had he delivered those words to someone? As a Homicide detective for almost five years he'd stopped counting a while back.

Her face became clearer in his mind now. He remembered meeting her in the library and asking her out while she had looked at him like he was crazy. How she'd had a husky laugh that she claimed came from her Russian grandmother. How she'd put up with a boyfriend that didn't deserve her in the slightest until he'd betrayed her... again.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and even he could say whether he was offering his condolences to the stranger on the phone or to the young woman he'd hurt so deeply.

"I wish I knew how to do this, but I don't so I'm just going to come out and say it. Tanya had a daughter, Mr. Masen. She's fourteen years old... and you're her father."

Edward forced himself to stop his walk down memory lane and climb into the shower. A cold shower thanks to Kate who had used up all the cold water. Great.

Yeah, that day had changed his life, he thought as he quickly scrubbed shampoo into his thick hair. He glanced at the brightly colored bottles that were everywhere.

He still remembered the day when she had arrived. Her hair was blond, like Tanya's, but her eyes were green like his. She was beautiful, he thought, but was grieving deeply over the loss of her mother and afraid of the changes in her life. One being meeting and moving in with the father she'd never met.

At first she'd been quiet, almost like a scared animal, but over time they'd found a groove and she'd came out of her shell. He found her to be funny, witty and challenging at times. Kate didn't mind being alone while he was at work, but he liked her to go and stay with Rosalie until he returned.

Rosalie and Emmett had still been unable to conceive a child and after a lot of stress and heart ache had decided to step back a little. They still wanted children one day but wanted to focus on their relationship for the moment. Emmett had confided that he'd worried it would tear the two of them apart.

Kate didn't mind as much as she let on, he knew. Rosalie was the ultimate girly girl and Emmett had shared more than one video of the two of them dancing around their living room wearing mint green face masks and freshly painted toe nails.

For the joy she brought Kate, Edward loved Rosalie and respected her. Even if she did call him a dickwad every five minutes.

Rushing out of the freezing shower, Edward quickly got dressed in a black suit that he hated and rushed the teen out the door. It still shocked him, how much she had come to mean about him. Edward had only loved one woman in his life and had managed to screw that up royally, so it had come as a surprise that he'd loved the young girl so quickly.

"So am I going to Rosalie's tonight?" she asked as she rested her feet on the dashboard. Something he constantly reprimanded her for.

He sighed; he wanted some quality time with her. Something he hadn't been able to have lately. "I'm going to try, hon," he answered honestly.

When he'd agreed to have the young girl live with him, his mother had told him that this was a lot of responsibility. That she would need more than feeding and a place to sleep, she would need love and boundaries and support and if he couldn't do it she would for him.

Tanya hadn't had any family and so it was Edward or quite possibly she'd end up in care. Elizabeth Masen would never have accepted that.

So Edward had given his mother his word that Kate would come first. He had tried very hard to honor that promise and liked to think he had. Kate was the most important person in his life. It didn't matter whether he'd only known about her barely a year, she was his daughter and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her.

"Get your goddamn feet down," he growled.

Instead of being intimidated by a tone that made most felons piss themselves in fear, she laughed. Throwing back her mane of blond curls she giggled, "Wow, someone's grumpy this morning."

"Maybe it was the half an hour waiting outside the bathroom," he suggested. "Or perhaps it was the ice cold shower I had to suffer through thanks to yours truly," he added.

"Oh, Edward, cheer up," she laughed as she reached forward and cranked up the tunes. "Oh, I love this song!" she cheered before singing her heart out off key, her feet still on the damn dashboard.

"So have you thought about the concert?" she asked.

Edward wanted to cringe. With working so many hours lately and trying to spend as much time as he could with his daughter, he had forgotten all about it. Besides, it was always a sore subject with him, not that Kate knew why. "Sorry, Katie, I haven't had time to think about it. Let me think about it and then I'll let you know."

Kate sighed in the seat beside me. "Edward, the concert will be sold out within a matter of hours. I have to know so I can give the money to Angie. Is this because boys are going to be there?"

"Kate," Edward began.

"I'm responsible, Edward, I should be able to go to a concert with my friends. And you know how much I want to go."

"Kate," he snapped. "I said I'll think about it and that's the end of it. That's the end of it."

Kate turned to glare at her father. "Oh, like you said you'd think about it before and then forgot? That gives me a lot of confidence that you'll remember this time. Just forget it," she huffed and turned to stare out the window.

Edward wanted to tell her that she could go just because he felt like shit for forgetting about something important to her, but that would be backing down. He couldn't afford to let her walk all over him.

The rest of the short journey was filled with heavy silence that both refused to break.

After dropping off Kate outside school and promising to be home for dinner, to which she had replied 'Whatever', Edward, rushed off to work. He muttered to himself about horny teenage boys who were after his daughter.

Yes, Kate had a boyfriend. His name was Eric Yorkie; he had jet black hair, bad skin and cleared a back ground check. Unfortunately.

That didn't mean Edward had to trust or like the little bastard that was most likely trying to get into his daughters pants. Edward flinched; even the thought of it was enough to make his blood boil with rage.

He may not have raised her but she was still his girl.

It didn't take long to drive to the precinct after dropping off Kate at school. One of the perks was of enrolling in Kate in high school was that it was close the police station where Edward was based. That way if there was ever an emergency he was close by.

Edward quickly made his way through the station, ignoring the blaring of ringing phones and his colleagues chatter. He was happy to get to his desk and get to work.

Edward had been a Homicide Detective with the Nashville Police Department for six years now. He had worked his ass off as a rookie, making a name for himself due to his tenacity and his quick thinking. He could still remember he was finally promoted to Detective and how he had celebrated...

Shaking off shitty thought's Edward was relieved to finally get to his desk. He'd just closed his latest case but in a city like Nashville there were always more. The thought depressed him but also filled him with determination. While there were people out there breaking the law and killing innocent people then he would be there to catch them.

While Edward logged into to his computer he didn't notice the giant of a man that made his way over to him.

"Hey Ed!" a deep voice boomed from behind him.

Edward didn't jump; he was used to his partner's deep and booming voice by now. "Emmett, I'm busy."

Emmett laughed as he sat on the edge of Edward's desk. Edward heard the slight groan of the sturdy underneath the weight of his giant of a partner and best friends and seriously feared for the table's safety.

Emmett McCarty wasn't an overweight man, but a huge man. With wide shoulders, muscular chest and heavy arms, Emmett was enough to make any perp think twice. Many made the mistake that his size slowed him down, but Edward knew that Emmett was faster on his feet that most of the guys in this precinct. He just used his size to his advantage.

Emmett and Edward had met at the academy and then got partnered as rookies and had been partners ever since. Their years of friendship had built camaraderie and a trust that few could beat. When Edward discovered he had a daughter Emmett was the first person he called.

When Emmett's wife Rosalie discovered she may never have children it was Edward who took him out and finally broke through that solid wall to the part of Emmett that had been devastated by the news. He'd been strong for his wife, who he adored, but the thoughts of never having a baby with Rosalie's smile and her eyes broke his heart. His main worry was for Rosalie herself. Ever since the news she had been heartbroken, like she was a failure as a wife and a woman, and Emmett felt like a failure as a husband because he couldn't help her.

Edward had taken him out, got him drunk, got him talking and then had taken him home to his wife. It turned out Rosalie had been worried that Emmett blamed her and feared the worst because of it. Emmett had talked to her that night and they had been stronger than ever since that night.

Emmett had almost crushed Edward's smaller frame in a bear hug saying that by getting him wasted Edward probably saved his marriage.

Emmett's dark eyes laughed as he looked down at his surly friend. Edward needed to get laid or take up knitting. His best friend was being stretched thinner and thinner with every passing day and he feared when he would eventually snap. Not that he ever let it on just how much he worried.

"Oh, not even for your best friend? You wound me."

Edward didn't look up from his computer as he typed away. Emmett was envious of the blurring speed in which Edward moved his fingertips over the keyboard. Emmett's fingers were too big, too stumpy to ever do that. Half the time he pressed three buttons at once instead of one.

"Go away," was Edward's distracted response. His mind was still on Kate's anger this morning and his own guilt. The best way to put it out of his mind was work.

Emmett chuckled. "No can do, partner. The Chief want's us in his office. Now."

That got Edward's jewel like green eyes off the computer screen and finally meeting Emmett's dark brown ones. "Shit."

Shit indeed. When the Chief of Police called you in, it was never a good thing.

Charles Swan was an intimidating man.

In his mid-fifties, with graying short dark hair and even darker eyes that held a good dose of cunning and intelligence no one would question why he was made Chief of Police.

Charles sat behind his desk scowling down at what seemed a mountain of paper work, knowing he wouldn't be home in time for his wife's pot roast. That was sure to be another argument.

When Edward knocked politely on the door he barked, "Come on."

"Sir," both men greeted when they came to a stand opposite his desk. Both one of Charles's infamous bad moods when they saw it. His bushy eyebrows drew together, the wrinkles in the corner of his dark eyes deepened and his mouth was pinched. Sure signs that his morning had be a fucker already.

"Sit down," he snapped impatiently. "My head ache's bad enough without having to stare up at the two of you."

Emmett flashed Edward a grin as he folded himself in the uncomfortable chairs opposite the paper strewn covered desk.

Emmett looked ridiculous in the small chair, but Edward knew better than to speak his thoughts in front of the Chief. It was obvious he hadn't called them in for a quick chat and a cup of coffee, so he might as well get down to it.

After a couple minutes of silence while the men waited for the Chief to finish whatever he was doing Charles's looked up at them. "Okay, so I'm not going to beat around the bush. I need you both on a stalker case."

Edward scowled. "Why? We're Homicide," he argued.

Emmett was a lot blunter about his response. "Unless the victim is dead then it's not really our deal, Sir."

Charles gave them both a cold look. "Unless you want me to have you both demoted until it is 'your deal' then you do as I say," he snapped. "I got a call this morning from the Mayor," he added pointedly. "Apparently the woman who is being stalked is a pretty fucking big deal in the music industry right now and has friends with a lot of connections. One of those connections being the fucking Mayor of Nashville. He called me personally to say that he wanted his best on the case and, unfortunately for me, that means you," he snarled.

Edward wanted to argue, but he knew it would do him no good. If the Chief had the Mayor breathing down his neck about this then there was no changing him mind.

"Okay, so give us what we need to know," he replied instead.

Charles didn't look impressed but spoke. "The victim is a young woman in the music business, though I've never heard of her," he said as he tossed over a file that had obviously been faxed over after he got the call. Emmett held the folder and began to read through while Edward continued to look at Charles.

"At first it was just letters, very personal letters, and then gifts and photos, but then it got worse. He started following her. He knew things he shouldn't; he broke into her dressing room and began to leave things behind."

"Like what?" asked Edward.

"At first it was just flowers, candy, and the usual. Then it got worse, he began to leave behind drawing's he made of her. In her home," he added heavily. "She has good security so there was no way he could have known what her house looked like. Not from the inside anyway. It got so be so much that she moved last month and came to Nashville. She bought a big fucker of a place not too far from Music Row. Then her friend back in California started getting letters, phone calls, all of them demanding to know where she is. Threatened her children if she didn't tell," he spat out. One thing he couldn't stand was someone who threatened innocent children.

"The family?" Emmett demanded. "Are they safe?"

Edward looked over at Emmett's cold tone. Something was off. Emmett hated anything involving children but there was something dark about Emmett at the moment. When Edward held his hand out for the file, his hand tightened. Edward frowned, but decided not to ask in front of the Chief.

Charles nodded. "She contacted the local police department straight away and they're being taken care of like their royalty. Like I said the guy, her management, has a lot of connections. They're safe. She thought it was safe until she began getting letters to her website saying that he or she knew where she was and she couldn't hide. Not even in Nashville."

Emmett cursed. "How do they know where she is?"

Charles shrugged. "I have no idea; she's been in hiding since she saw the letters. When she read the messages this morning she cancelled all of her upcoming concerts. So, boys, it's up to you to figure out who the fuck is doing this, why and stop it before anything gets out."

"Or she ends up becoming a Homicide case," Edward drawled and earned himself a small growl from Emmett. Seriously what the fuck was wrong with him?

Charles offered them a grim smile. "Exactly. Now get to work."

"What aren't you telling me?" Edward demanded as they drove in Emmett's SUV through the busy streets of Nashville and made their way to Music Row.

The woman, as Emmett called her, was at the studio with her manager, working on her new album. Emmett had personally called ahead to let them know they were in their way.

Edward had no idea why Emmett was acting so strangely, but he knew it was something big. Their relationship worked on communication and honesty and so if Emmett was hiding something it was big.

"Nothing. I just want to get this case over with so we can go back to doing what we're best at."

Edward frowned but decided to drop it for now. He was a bit pissed off himself that he had been taken off Homicide to deal with a stalker. He also didn't like that this manager used his connections to throw his weight around. The sooner it was over the sooner he would be back to doing what he was trained to do, what he was good at.

Soon Emmett pulled up outside Destiny Nashville recording studios where they were to meet the victim and her management. Edward couldn't wait to meet him.

It was easy to get into the building and lead towards the studio she was using, it took nothing but the flash of a badge and they were in. People tended to get nervous when the police showed up at their door. Bad for business.

Edward wanted to roll his eyes. If the police knocked on the door it meant that a crime had been committed. It meant that someone was hurt, or ad died and these people were more concerned about the press getting wind out it.

As they walked down the hallway Edward heard no sound except for the cheerful music being played on the speakers. Despite never being to a recording studio in his life, he guessed that every room was sound proofed.

It wasn't until they were ushered into the room did he hear a melody playing and then a voice begin to sing.

The reason why Emmett had been so possessive of the case file was no obvious. His secrecy and reluctance to share information with Edward now obvious. He knew Edward would have never come if he knew who the victim was.

Logically he should never have been put on this case; it was a conflict of interest.

The voice was beauty itself. Strong and sure with such a feminine vulnerability to it that his heart ached already. The song was one of love and loss and wishing that it was only a dream.

Edward walked into the studio, ignoring the people who sat at the mixing console it what the he knew to be called the control room. It was past them he looked, to the small woman singing her heart out in the live room.

She wore a simple hoody, her hair up in a simple pony tail and she wore worn out jeans. Edward had never seen anything more beautiful. He had never seen anyone more magical.

"I knew that if the Chief knew he would take us off the case. I couldn't let that happen, Edward. She need's us," Emmett mumbled beside him.

Of course he hadn't told him. Edward would have either never came or would have gone ballistic. He had sworn that he was done, that he never wanted to see her again and that he didn't care. He was also lying about the part where he wouldn't have come today. If he had known she was in danger he would have fixed this a long time ago.

Just like he was going to fix it now.

Instead of turning to his best friend, he kept his eyes glued to the singing woman who had yet to notice he had arrived. He didn't acknowledge the tall blond man in an expensive suit who walked over to the. A man he hated and resented for a lot of reasons that had nothing to do with making a call to the Mayor.

Instead he watched her as she sang a heartbreaking ballad. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Edward hadn't seen her, hadn't spoken to her in five years. He hadn't seen the only woman who had ever walked away from him in five years.

He hadn't seen the only woman he had ever loved in five years.

"Bella."

A/N Sooo what did you think? It's only short but it's just getting off the ground. Now I apologize for any mistakes I made with Nashville... it's hard to find information I need. If anyone lives in Nashville or by it and could give me some info that would be stupendous! The song Bella was singing was Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood if you want to check it out.