CHAPTER 4

PRESENT…

Daphne

He rescued me back in the woods. He was a werewolf like me, yes. But he was still a stranger to me. Although he let me wear his shirt that hung down to my knees, the kindness was odd for me—even suspicious!

Why would someone help someone? Not unless he was going to ask for a favor back? Hell, I didn’t like losing trust in everyone. Blame this on the shitty pack of those shitty people who left me nothing but a shattered heart and soul before casting me away!

The next thing I knew, we were walking towards a building. Nestled in the middle of the woodland, it seemed to grow even bigger and bigger as we got near.

“Are they aching?” He glanced down at my bare feet. Maybe he figured they were swollen from a long walk. He offered to carry me in his arms when we got out of the forest and he shifted back to human, but I refused.

A few minutes later, we were standing in the middle of the grand lobby. From my spot, I could see anything the house offered, leaving me breathless in awe. Across the upstairs gallery ran a diamond-designed iron railing. On both sides of the house were wings.

He ascended a few steps made of marble just as I was ready to speak. I had no choice but to chase him on foot. Walking between the large columns, we passed room after room that was wide and light-filled. I found myself staring up at the chandelier over our heads. The teardrop bulbs shone brilliantly, like diamonds falling on us. It was so large and lengthy, and the ceiling was so high that our footsteps reverberated off of it, that all I could do was stare around like an idiot at everything I saw.

“Do you live here?” I asked with great admiration.

“I don’t just live here. I designed everything you see in here.”

My eyes grew wide as I turned to him. “What exactly is your—“

“Let’s get you to your room so you can make yourself better.” He cut me off. There was impatience in his tone.

“Wait...” I paused as we passed by another beautifully decorated door. “Am I going to stay here too?”

“Do you have any other choices?" He gazed at me with low brows. "When I found you in the woods, it seemed like you were heading for nowhere.”

“But this is too much for me... and you are too generous to help a worthless little wolf. So tell me, what makes this even possible?” I asked him, my eyes starting to well with tears. Yes, I was culture shocked. One moment I was being thrown out of my pack; the next, some stranger would want to treat me like a queen.

He crossed his muscular arms over his chest. “You’ll find out soon.”

“Welcome back, Alpha Calle.”

I looked at the large man who just spoke. He was tall and had a lot of muscles. He appeared to be the same age as the man I was speaking with and had a decent appearance with a square jaw and high cheekbones. He handed him a brown denim coat that he was clutching.

‘Wait, what did he call him?’

I gulped when I turned to face him again. “Y-you are Alpha?”

My first instinct was to run away. Anything that had something to do with alphas made my nerves shiver in fear and anger. It seemed like I was allergic to that word already.

But with an olive skin tone, a prominent jawline, and dark, wavy, long hair that brushed against his broad shoulders, this Alpha standing before me was the most attractive man I’d ever seen. It seemed that he didn’t even need to try too hard to look good.

I was hesitant to ask about his age, but I think he was older than the jerk Lennon, but much younger than my brother, Jaime.

If only Reina could take me away from here, I would disappear in no time. But she wasn’t talking to me just yet, and I couldn’t feel like I could shapeshift any longer.

Alpha Calle wrapped the coat around himself. He didn’t manage to button it down, giving me a view of his chiseled chest. I looked away, clearing my throat.

“Is there any problem with that?” he asked, referring to my question about him being an Alpha.

I wanted to blurt out the word ‘yes’, but I forced myself to shake my head. “N-nothing at all. I just didn't think that someone like you would be the one to find me in the middle of the woods.”

“That’s part of the perimeter of my pack,” he said, turning to the man who remained standing by his side. “Beta Degen, gather everyone in the hall. I’ll check them out after I talk to the warriors.”

The man he called Beta Degen made a brisk nod. “Right away, Alpha.”

“Where’s Suzette, by the way?” asked Alpha Calle as he furrowed.

“She said she’d be gone for two days to visit her father’s pack.”

Beta Degen caught Alpha Calle's continuous attention. I couldn't help but wonder who Suzette was as they appeared to be talking once more in their heads. She might be the pack's Luna, his mate.

After Beta Degen excused himself and headed back through the passing hall, Alpha Calle turned to me and said, “I will take you to your room. Everything is there, so you don't need to worry about anything. And while I'm preoccupied with other things, I'll delegate one of the staff to look after you. We'll speak once my workload is under control.”

The place he was talking about was one of the doors we just went through. I yelped when he pushed me inside, then he shut my door and left.

“W-what just happened?” I muttered, still staring at the door. Then I looked around. Everything was as impressive as the rest of the house. The bed was large and fluffy. The wall was painted with earth tones. There was even a large painting of the forest—on the lower left of the frame, there was a signature that read, Architect Calle Earheart.

He was a professional artist in the human world and an Alpha of the werewolves’ realm. How impressive.

When I gazed out the window, I mouthed ‘wow’, providing my eyes with a magnificent view of the forest. It looked unreal, toy-like even from afar.

“Couldn’t I be happy here?” I said, a smile almost curving across my face. But I was taken aback when memories of last night and this morning hit my head like a bullet. “No, I can’t accept any of this. What if this is just bait? What if Alpha Calle is no different from Alpha Darius who wants me dead because I came from rogues?”

And then I gasped, recalling what Lennon had said way back in their pack house.

Alpha Calle of the Blood Moon Pack will arrive tonight…

“They’re allies. It means that Alpha Calle's enemy is also Alpha Darius's enemy.” The cold fear that seized my heart made me nauseous, and I nearly wanted to vomit. But no, weakness wasn't appropriate at this time. “I have to leave this place immediately before it’s too late!”

Reina, where in the deepest pit of my freaking head are you hiding?

I was about to run to the door when it suddenly flew open. Alpha Calle's tall figure was suddenly revealed. I took a step backward until I was next to the window. “I knew it. You want to leave because you don’t trust me.”

Alpha Calle was already a few inches from my horrified face before I could even move. “Please, let go of me!” I begged him as I shook in protest of his hold.

"Is that what you want?” His amber eyes grew darker as he roared. "Aren't you hoping for exact revenge for what they did to you?”

“H-how did you—why do you know about…” I couldn’t form any questions as confusion spread into my head like dark clouds in the sky.

"Answer my question!” he demanded, roaring with such force that the impact jolted my entire body.

“Yes!" I screamed as I shut my eyes. “I badly want to ruin their entire pack for destroying my heart and soul!”

"Then start by being an obedient little wolf," he muttered roughly in my ears. For some reason, I felt a strange current running up and down my spine. My skin, on the other hand, hummed sweetly from his tight touch. “...and forget about escaping your sweet ass from this pack.”