Lila’s POV

“Everybody needs to get off their phones!” Professor Enzo’s voice was deep and boomed across the arena.

I couldn’t even move; my entire body felt frozen as I stared at the picture on Becca’s phone. I glanced around the arena only to be met with a bunch of curious and shocked expressions. Everybody was staring at me.

Sarah and her friend were chuckling as they were glaring at me.

“That’s one way to get ahead…” I heard her muttering.

Professor Enzo grabbed Becca’s phone to look at the photo; I hadn’t even realized he was approaching us. His jaw twitched as he took in the photo.

“This is terrible photoshop skills,” he said, shaking his head as he gave Becca her phone back. “You can clearly see the outlining around my body. Someone is really trying hard to spread nasty rumors.”

Everybody pulled their eyes from me to look back at the picture, assessing it.

“He’s right… this is terrible photoshop,” someone murmured.

“How pathetic. Why go to that many lengths to spread this kind of rumor?” another said, shaking their head.

Sarah’s mouth was nothing more than a thin line as her obvious plan was unraveling. I couldn’t help the smile that twitched at the corner of my mouth.

“I almost thought for a minute that you actually kissed Professor Enzo,” Becca laughed from beside me, averting my attention from Sarah to her. “Although, I wouldn’t have been surprised. He’s so handsome. Anyone would be lucky to be able to kiss him. A lot of women around here want to.”

“Really?” I asked, raising my brows. “Because of how handsome he is?”

“That and because he’s very young; he’s only 23,” Becca explains. My eyes widened; I knew he looked young, but I didn’t think he was that young. “He’s also the strongest and toughest professor at this school. Which is to be expected considering he is an Alpha.”

“He’s an Alpha?” I asked in surprise; I had no idea. He must know my father then. I couldn’t help but look back at Professor Enzo who was busy showing some students new moves.

“Yes,” Becca answered. “I believe he’s the Alpha of the Calypso Pack.”

The Calypso Pack.

That was the pack my mother was born in; her parents were from the Calypso Pack. I remembered, from when I was young, that their former Alpha was Blaise, the most powerful shifter in the universe.

I wondered how Enzo became their Alpha.

The thought was quickly brushed from my mind as class concluded.

“I’m starving…” Becca said as she gathered her belongings. “We should get some lunch.”

“I’ll be there in a minute,” I tell her, glancing over my shoulder at Enzo who was typing something on his phone. He had a stern expression; his eyebrow twitching only slightly. “I need to talk to the professor about something.”

“Okay,” Becca said giving me a half-wave. “Then I’ll see you in a bit.”

She turned and left the arena with the others, leaving me alone with Professor Enzo.

“Professor?” I say, stepping closer to him. He glanced up at his phone to look at me, narrowing his eyes. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for this mess…”

“It’s been dealt with,” he muttered, showing me his phone. “I got the picture taken down.”

I rose my brows in shock; that was so quick. When he saw my shocked expression, a smirk appeared on his lips.

“I know the guy who runs this platform,” he explained. “He took it down without question.”

“Thank you,” I said to him, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief.

I went to turn away, but his voice stopped me.

“I was trying to figure out why you looked so familiar to me and then when I saw you fighting, I realized who you were,” he said. I could feel his eyes on the back of my head and knew how intently he was staring at me even before I turned around to face him. “You are Alpha Bastien’s daughter.”

It wasn’t a question.

I nodded my head once.

“You know my father?”

“He’s one of the strongest and fiercest Alphas,” Enzo said; his expression was hard to read. “I can tell that you’ve trained under him.”

“For my entire life,” I say, staring down at the ground almost sheepishly. I wasn’t sure why I was feeling embarrassed suddenly. “My father is my role model… as is my mother.”

He said nothing to that; he just stared at me for another short while. Soon, he turned away to clean up his belongings. I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say.

“I’m actually having a birthday party this weekend,” I tell him before I could grasp what I was saying. His body tensed for a moment, and he looked over his shoulder to glance at me. “A lot of Alphas will be there. I’m turning 18, so it’ll be a big bash in Elysium. You’re invited, of course. All Alphas are.”

“Is that so?” Another smirk appeared on his lips, causing my heart to somersault.

“Yes,” I answer, pleased that my voice didn’t sound strained. “Of course, you don’t have to. But I figured I’d offer the invite.”

When he didn’t say anything in response, I took that as my cue to leave. I turned away, feeling awkward, and started to walk toward the exit.

“Should I bring anything?” He asked before I could leave.

I paused; my breathing got caught in my throat.

“Just yourself,” I say, instantly regretting how lame I sounded.

I left without another word.

…

“I can’t believe my daughter is turning 18,” my mother breathed as she wrapped me in her arms. I smiled into her embrace. It felt good to be home after a few weeks of living at the academy.

Higala Shifter Academy was about an hour’s drive from Elysium, so I had to live in a dorm room. I tried to come home most weekends though.

“How do you feel? Any changes?” My father asked, eyeing my features carefully.

I thought about it for a moment before answering; typically, when a wolf was about to make an appearance, it could be felt.

I shook my head, sighing in defeat.

“I feel the same,” I answer. “Maybe I won’t get a wolf.”

“Don’t say that,” my mother said with a frown. “You’ll get your wolf and you’ll be stronger than ever.”

“Your mother is right, Lila bean,” my father chimed in. “It’s in your DNA.”

I knew they were right; I was just being impatient. I wanted my wolf so badly that it was driving me insane. I was hoping that once I got my wolf, I would be able to sense my mate and get Scott’s betrayal out of my mind.

I looked between my parents who loved one another so much; it pulled at my heart. Even after everything they’ve been through in their entire lives, they always stood by each other. My father said that a mate bond is the strongest form of companionship.

He’s proved that repeatedly; even when my mother pulled away, he always went after her. He never gave up. He’s loved her unconditionally and I admired that so much.

I aspired to have that more than anything.

But without a wolf, I felt like that was impossible.

“Guests will be arriving soon, Lila bean,” my mother said, giving me a fond smile.

I stared myself over in the mirror one last time; I was wearing a silky pink and black dress that flowed evenly around my knees. My father had already gone to greet some of the Alphas that already arrived. My mother stood behind me, staring at me fondly with tears welling up in her eyes.

“I’m so proud of you, you know,” she breathed, wrapping her arms around me, and giving me a tight hug.

The two of us looked a lot alike; I had her dark hair and fair features. Most importantly, I had her Volana eyes. One violet and the other blue.

She released me and draped an arm through mine, pulling me along with her toward my bedroom door. I could already hear the guests piling into the foyer of the packhouse.

“Oh, I forgot to mention. I invited my professor as well,” I tell her. She paused for a moment and glanced at me. “Actually, he’s the Alpha of the Calypso Pack. Enzo.”

She rose her brows.

“Alpha Enzo is your professor?” She asked; she didn’t sound displeased, just surprised. “I never took him as the kind to be a professor.”

“Do you know him well?” I asked, peering up at her.

She thought about it for a moment before answering.

“As well as I can I suppose. He’s the son of the former Alpha of the Calypso Pack, Blaise.

Lila’s POV

My mother took one look at my face and started laughing.

“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” She asked.

“Enzo is Blaise’s son?” I asked; I was completely and utterly shocked. “I had no idea he had kids.”

My mother nodded.

“I don’t think Enzo was ever close to his father,” she explained. “I believe he lived with his mother in a different pack. When his father died, he went back to Calypso. Being Blaise’s only living relative and all.”

“If I had known he was Blaise’s son, I wouldn’t have invited him. I’m so sorry…”

“Sorry? Why are you sorry? I’m glad you invited him. Your father will be pleased. He rather likes Enzo. Said he has a good head on his shoulder. He’s nothing like his father, that’s for sure.”

“So, we trust him?” I asked, raising my brows.

“Lila bean, we can’t fault Enzo for something his father did. You should know that better than anyone.”

She gave me a small smile, staring around my concerned face. She placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to meet her eyes.

“I promise, if there’s something you need to be concerned with, I will tell you,” she said gently. “But for right now, there isn’t. Enzo is not a villain. Those days are behind us.”

I felt better knowing she wasn’t worried. I trusted my mother more than anyone.

“So, when were you going to tell me about Scott?” My mother asked as we made our way out of the apartment. I paused and turned to her.

“How did you know about that?” I asked.

One of her eyebrows went straight up as she looked me over.

“I’m your mother; you can’t hide things from me,” she replies.

I wanted to laugh; she always knew when something was going on.

“Does dad know?” I asked.

“Do you not want him to know?”

“I just don’t want to make the Alpha committee weird is all,” I tell her. “Because Scott’s dad is a member…”

“Your father is extremely professional. He would let something like that intervene with his work,” she said in return. “But I won’t say anything if you don’t want me to. I’m assuming we won’t be expecting Scott tonight then.”

It wasn’t a question.

I turned away and walked down the stairs to greet the guests that have arrived. The first person I saw wasn’t surprising. Brianna. My best friend. She ran to me, wrapping her arms around me, and nearly knocked me off my feet.

I laughed at her excitement.

“Oh my goddess, Lila!” She cooed happily, twirling me around. “You look stunning! How do you feel? Do you feel 18?”

I sighed, shaking my head.

“I feel the same as I always had,” I tell her. “I was hoping I was going to get my wolf today…”

“You still might,” she assured me, giving me a broad smile. “The day is still young. Regardless, you are going to get your wolf and it’s going to be glorious when you do!”

Brianna had gotten her wolf a couple of months ago and she hasn’t stopped talking about it. She describes it as having a real genuine best friend who knows you from the inside and out. Then, she paused when she saw my face and added, “no offense. It’s just different… you know.”

I assured her that I didn’t take offense to that, and I knew what she meant.

My mother told me about a time she thought she lost her wolf for good. It was like losing a part of herself. Her mind was so quiet, and she felt so lonely. “Your father made me feel less lonely,” she added.

That was exactly the kind of love I wanted; I wanted someone to make me feel less lonely even if I didn’t have a wolf. But I also really wanted to meet my wolf. I wondered what she would look like. What she would sound like. I wondered what her name would be.

Soon, the packhouse was filled with those I love; my mother brought out a huge cake. It was red velvet with chocolate frosting; my absolute favorite flavor. When everyone sang happy birthday, I grew teary-eyed.

For a moment, I forgot all about Scott’s betrayal. I forgot all about my wasted first kiss.

Until he walked in.

At first, it was just the strong scent of marshmallows, but then I saw him standing at the doorway of our packhouse. He wore a dark button-down blazer and dress pants. His hair was still shaggy, but he wasn’t covered in sweat this time.

He was greeted by a few Alphas, including my father. I watched as the two shook hands; my father had said something to him that I couldn’t hear. My mother stood by my side instantly.

“Enzo’s looking rather nice tonight,” she said from beside me.

“Yeah, he is,” I admitted to her. “I wasn’t really thinking he was going to show up.”

“Your Alpha Bastien’s daughter; of course, he’s going to show up when invited. Almost every Alpha is here.”

I thought about our shared kiss a couple of days ago and my face grew warm at the memory. But then I remembered that Enzo was Blaise’s son. I don’t think he knew what had gone down with his father and my parents. I don’t even know if Enzo knew that I was a Volana wolf. We aren’t that common, and most don’t know what we look like at first glance.

I wondered if that would even matter to him.

I always had this strong idea of what true love would look like. My parents have true love; that was always the vision I had for myself. I wanted someone who loved me just as much as I loved them. Who would do anything for me. Someone that would die for me. But I don’t envision Enzo being that person. And I wasn’t even sure why.

I guess I never really envisioned Scott being that person either.

Enzo’s eyes scanned the room briefly as the Alphas continued talking to him. It was like he was looking for something. As soon as his eyes landed on me, it was like he found it. His eyes darkened only slightly. I gave him a polite smile, hoping that my face didn’t reveal my thoughts. His face remained expressionless though; he eventually pulled his eyes away from me to speak to the other Alphas.

The nerve of that guy.

It was my birthday, and he couldn’t even come over to greet me?

“Happy birthday, kiddo,” my uncle Aiden, the beta of the pack, said as he approached. He gave me a quick hug.

“Thanks,” I say to him with a broad smile.

“How did you manage to get Alpha Enzo to show up?” He asked, following my gaze to Enzo who still paid me no attention. “That guy hates parties.”

“How do you hate parties?” I asked, raising my brows.

“He’s always been odd like that. Ever since he was a kid. He’s always only had one focus and that was to get to the top. I admire his ambitions honestly, but it would be nice to see him smile once in a while.”

“He doesn’t smile?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile,” Aiden answered.

The only type of smile I’ve seen him do was smirking. I thought he’s come close to a real smile when I told Sarah off in the middle of his class, but I was probably mistaken. As I looked back over at Enzo, he was looking directly at me.

…

Third Person POV

“She completely embarrassed me in the class,” Sarah cried to her new boy-toy Scott.

She doesn’t think of Scott as her boyfriend, she just wanted to see if she could steal him away from Lila.

Which she did.

Ever since Lila started going to the academy, everyone’s attention has always been on Lila. Sarah used to be the best student and now it was Lila. Sarah used to be the center of attention, but now all anyone ever talks about is Lila.

She doesn’t care that Lila is Alpha Bastien’s daughter; she doesn’t have a wolf so that makes her a nobody in Sarah’s eyes. She’s worse than an Omega.

“You should have heard what she said to me, Scott,” Sarah continued to huff. “She also said that you weren’t man enough to handle her.”

“Says someone who wouldn’t put out,” Scott said with an eye roll. “Just forget about her. Who needs her.”

“You’re right…” Sarah agreed. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stand for it.”

“What does that mean? What are you planning on doing?

“I overheard her talking to Professor Enzo after class today. She invited him to her birthday party.”

“Okay?” Scott urged.

“I think it’s time we crash a party.”

Enzo’s POV

12 year earlier

“Enzo…?” My mother woke me up during the night, tears filling her big brown eyes, and dripping delicately off her long and dark lashes.

I groggily woke, to find her standing over me.

“Mom?” I asked, peering at her through the dark of the night. It was cold; we didn’t have much heat in our small home. We didn’t have much money to afford heat, but my mother never made it seem like we were poor. “What’s wrong?” I whispered to her, not wanting to wake the others that resided in the house.

“Your father is dead…” she said softly, her voice quivering.

She was frightened. But of what?

“He’s gone, sweetheart,” she said again.

From what I had heard of my father, he wasn’t a good man. He left my mother pregnant, rejecting her, and forcing her to live in another pack. She would often refer to him as a monster.

“You are the only living relative left…” She continued. “His Beta is coming to collect you. You must go with him…”

“What?” I asked, sitting up quickly in bed; she shushed me, wrapping her arms around me. “I know this is sudden. But you must be the Alpha of Calypso. I never wanted this for you so soon, my baby.”

I had no idea what it meant to run a pack and be an Alpha. I was at a loss for words, and I had to admit, I was terrified. It was only yesterday that I was running around with my friends and being a kid. Now this time tomorrow, I would be in a whole different pack and acting as a leader.

None of this was making sense to me.

“You’ll be coming with me, won’t you?” I asked, my words trembling.

She cried harder and shook her head, holding me tighter.

“I’m afraid I can’t,” she told me hoarsely. “My place is here. And yours is there. You are going to be an incredible Alpha, Enzo. Way better than your father ever was. You are going to do amazing things with your life…”

“I can’t just leave you,” I whispered, tears filling my own eyes. I didn’t often cry, even at a young age. But the thought of leaving my mother behind in this hell hole tied my stomach into a large knot.

“I need you to listen to me,” she whispered, taking my face into her hands. “Your father had done a lot of wrong in his life. He hurt a lot of people. You’ll probably hear a lot about him once you get to Calypso. He’s the reason wolves like us live like this… because he wanted so much that he took everything from everyone. But you, my darling Enzo, can restore things and make things better for all of us…”

“But how? I’m only 9…” I said, I couldn’t keep the worry out of my tone. “What can I do to help? Why can’t you come with me?”

“Your father has made it too dangerous. There are those who still wish to do us harm. His followers are now scrambled, still lurking in the shadows. But you can make things better. You can bring them to light. You can work hard and become more powerful than your father ever was. You can protect those who live like us… You can use your powers for good.”

“I promise,” I whispered, hugging my mother tightly. “I won’t let you down. When I get to the top, and I will get to the top, I will come back for you. I will punish those who did us wrong and I won’t stop until this kingdom is safe again. I will undo what father did.”

…

“Alpha Enzo? Did you hear me?” The voice of Bastien interrupted my train of thought. I glanced around at the conference table that the other Alphas on the committee were gathered around.

They were discussing the Shifting and Combat course at the Higala Shifting Academy and how the original professor had died during a rogue attack. Bastien, the head of the committee, was about to appoint a new professor.

I already knew he was going to appoint me; he would have been stupid not to. I was one of the strongest and best Alphas for the job. Besides Bastien, I was the toughest and fiercest Alpha to walk our lands. But I still had a long way to go before I outranked my estranged father who died when I was 9.

“You need me to take over as the professor,” I said, leaning back in my seat. It wasn’t a question, nor was it an offer.

Bastien looked at the others who had fallen silent long ago.

“Yes,” Bastien answered. “Would you be willing to do that?”

I didn’t have a choice; I was the youngest Alpha on the committee. And the newest. I was still technically on the probationary period, and I couldn’t refuse them if I wanted to climb my way to the top.

However, the thought of teaching annoyed me. It was impossible to teach students to do what I do. Surely, their amateur combat will get to me.

But just the same, I nodded my head.

“Yes, sir,” I finally said after a long pause.

“The student council will want to speak with you. I’ll let them know to expect you.”

The meeting concluded and I could already hear the others speaking about going to the local pub later that evening.

“Alpha Enzo, you going to join us for once?” One of the Alphas asked, hitting me on the back of my shoulder. “Or are you going to come up with some lame excuse?”

“Yeah, Enzo. Come on! It’s Friday. Let’s have some fun. You are still young. Live while you can!”

The last thing I wanted to do was go to the pub with a bunch of drunk Alphas. What I really wanted to do was return home and read a book and rest for the evening. I was exhausted from training and meetings all day. I don’t usually have time for myself and when I do, I don’t like spending it with those I spend all day with.

“I’ll pass,” I say to them as I finish packing my stuff in my briefcase. “Maybe next time.”

I always say, “maybe next time” knowing I don’t mean those words. They don’t argue though; they look at one another with a frown before leaving the conference room.

“Hey Enzo, wake up,” I hear Bastien behind me, following me out of the door. I slow my pace so he can catch up. “I really appreciate you taking one for the team. I know teaching isn’t your thing, but I think this might be good for you.”

“I appreciate the opportunity,” I say to him, and in a way, I meant that. I could prove myself to him and to others. I could practice my skills and better myself. “Honestly, maybe it won’t be that bad,” I smirked.

Bastien laughed, clapping me on the back.

“You might even have fun,” he told me with a grin. “I couldn’t think of a better Alpha for the job. I can already tell; you’re going to do great things. I’m glad to finally have you on the committee. Enjoy your weekend. The student council will be expecting you at the academy on Monday, bright and early!”

…

I took Bastien’s words to heart; he believed that I could do great things in my future. Just as my mother believed. I didn’t want to let either of them down. But still, there was a part of me that worried if I was going to do any better than my father.

My mother was right; as soon as I became the Alpha of the Calypso Pack, I started hearing rumors about my father. Things I never heard before; things I don’t even think my mother knew.

Like the fact that my father died because of his love for a Volana wolf. I never even heard of a Volana wolf before and there was a part of me that didn’t believe they existed. As far as I knew, it was only a myth. But I’ve heard the story from different sources.

My father had fallen in love with a Volana and because of that, he lost his life. It was love that made the most powerful shifter in the universe weak. I wasn’t sure if it was because Volanas were the most powerful type of wolves in the world, or because of love itself. But either way, I swore to never allow what happened to my father to happen to me.

Which meant I vowed to never fall in love.

It complicated things when I stepped into the house of Alpha Bastien, on the night of his daughter, Lila’s, 18(th) birthday, and my wolf was in awe of her beauty.

His husky whisper made my entire body freeze and my skin crawl.

“I can feel her… our mate…”

Shit.