Daphne

PRESENT…

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.”

Alpha Calle

When I was four years old, a goddamn pack took over my territory in a bloody way. Not only had their Alpha killed my mother, but they had also taken away my sister and made her his mistress. Even though it broke my father's heart, he started putting together a pack with people who had been kicked out of other packs. We tried to live like humans because we were living with them. So, when I was ten, I tried to fit in with the people in the city. I adopted their way of life and worked a lot of odd jobs.

We made it through. However, dealing with a traumatic experience as a child has never been easy. But that exact event was also my motivation and the foundation for my ultimate life goal. And I'd make sure it was a lot... bloodier.

Still, I feel lucky because I got my first wolf shift when I was only eight years old. Who said that only royal wolves could shapeshift when they were young? Not only that, but I also developed a unique ability that set me apart from the Alphas who came before me in our clan. But I didn't use it very often. It was risky for the whole pack.

A series of knocks on the door jolted me out of my reverie. "Come!" I said, leaning my back into the chair.

Beta Degen walked in with a frown on his face. He sat on the chair across from my oak table. "Alpha, my men have brought us some news. Alpha Gary escapes with a few of his men."

Hearing what he said made me laugh, and when I set my mug down on the table, the thud was so loud that the steaming liquid almost spilled out. The report may have been funny, but the truth was that Gary had already died because I had killed him in my mind so many times. “The weakling is no Alpha. He’s never been one,” I muttered.

“I agreed,” Beta Degen smirked. “He got into command only because of the late Alpha. But wait, I heard he's got some talents—he can distinguish links between people only by smelling them."

“Nah. That's wrong. If he has anything special about him, it's that he thinks too much of himself. But no one in his family was proud of him, that's for sure." I sighed. “This reminds me of Alpha Darius’s son.”

Beta Degen chuckled, pressing his back against the chair. “What about the idiot? His name is Lennon, isn’t it?”

"He believes he was successful in persuading me to join them. Little does he know, a much better plot is being hatched behind their plan." I shook my head, remembering how animated that bastard Lennon's face was when I confirmed my support for their pack. I also remembered how the jerk humiliated Daphne in front of their entire pack house, forcing the poor she-wolf to shift. That was probably her first shift, and I believe she didn't enjoy the experience.

Turning my eyes to Beta Degen, I asked, “By the way, have you tracked down Gary’s whereabouts?”

Beta Degen nodded at me with a grin plastered on his face. “The men are already locating the possible sites where he could run.”

“You mean hide?” I added up, pouring myself another cup of scorching coffee. “He will not be able to hole up that long, though.”

I stood from my chair and walked over to the huge wall—the painting of the map of North America sprawled across it. This was my first artwork when I moved into this mansion. I reached for the painted wall, my finger tracing the elongated line crawling through the great mountains. The dots of dark green stood for the forests and woods. The countries on this continent where we were located were abundant in green things. And almost half of the packs in its eastern region already belonged to me.

I heard Beta Degen sighed in satisfaction after sipping on his coffee. Then he said, “We’re almost finished conquering the eastern zone. Any plans with the southern and western states?”

I turned my gaze to the south and west sides of the map. We called them the Meridionalis and Occidentalis. On the map, Meridionalis was mostly the color of sand and mud, as it consisted of the vast lands of deserts. There were no permanent packs there, and it only served as the wolves’ route toward the other pack. On the other hand, the Occidentalis were also abundant in wild and dark forests. But unlike our region, they have more rocky mountain ranges, which served as a frontier and protection against their enemies.

“Those two territories are already in the hands of Alpha Khalil. He’s a good friend of our pack, and I have no interest in acquiring what’s not mine.”

“I see,” he muttered, a lopsided smile curving across his face. “So it means that the castaway she-wolf that you brought into this pack is believed to be yours?”

I spun and narrowed my eyes at Beta Degen. I knew what the grin on his face meant.

“We are going to start a war sooner; don’t even think about me hoarding women from the packs that we absorbed,” I justified, throwing myself back to the chair.

“But this specific female wasn't a member of the pack that we had already subdued. You've followed her and given her a place to stay,” he said in jest. The expression on his face gave me a hint that his thinking was dirtier than I had anticipated.

"I don't require a second bed warmer,” I grunted. "Suzette is enough to give me those things—to us, I mean.”

“Yeah.” He grinned even dirtier in response. “Us.”

In any case, I couldn't hold it against him for having nasty thoughts about Daphne. He was still unaware of what she was to me, after all. But for now, I needed to do what I needed to do with Daphne. That means I'd be needing his help.

With that, I reached forward and patted Beta Degen's shoulder. “I’m assigning you a new task. You will personally train Daphne starting tomorrow.”

“Are you serious?” His smirk vanished gradually.

I almost laughed just by seeing the stupid reaction. But I suppressed it and stared at him, almost threatening him. “Dead serious, man.”

“Fine.” He looked at me in disbelief as he raised his hands. “But I’m just wondering—why don’t we blend her with the other trainees instead? I’m sure she’s going to like being knocked down first by rookies. I can’t promise I’ll be gentle on her even on the first day.”

I shook my head. "Dude, I don't know if it's me or if you're incapable of speaking a bit more politely."

His brows furrowed. “Don’t blame me on that one. You’re the one who puts malice in all the words I say.”

“Okay, enough.” I exhaled, rubbing my temples. I couldn’t help but imagine knotting him with a rope. “You can go now.”

He gave me a knowing nod before leaving my office. He continued to talk about Daphne, and I could only shake my head as his guffaws diminished and eventually vanished from the air.

Degen was my best buddy. He was virtually my blood brother since we grew up together. And now, as I became Alpha and became one of the finest warriors in this pack, he accelerated to Beta. He'd be by my side as I fulfilled my main goal as Alpha—that was to grab back the pack, which belonged to us in the first place. They called it the Dark Vale Pack. It was the pack that Alpha Darius stole from my father.

There was only one region that Beta Degen didn’t bring up for conquering—it was the Septentrionalis, the North of the North. Since the frigid region belonged to the vampires, no one would be able to survive there for an extended period of time.

My spine tingled uncomfortably as I thought about them. I was afraid, not for myself but for Daphne and the others who depended on me to keep them safe.

‘Any plans to visit her tonight, by the way?’ It was Dark, my wolf.

I leaned back against the chair. "Do you already miss the little she-wolf that much?" I asked him back.

‘Like how you missed her.’

I smirked at Dark. Arguing with my wolf was an impossible thing to do. Our thoughts and decisions were always in sync.

"Fine. Let's visit her."

Within a couple of minutes, I found myself standing in Daphne's room and staring at her while she slept in peace. I never anticipated in my dirtiest and darkest dreams that I would do this. But who knew Suzette's nightgown suited her petite form? Her build was attractively dainty, though. It matched her hair, which was like the black sky that transformed into silk. She made perfect sense to my eyes.

Usually, I was only aroused by blonde women with blue eyes and long legs like my girlfriend, far from Daphne, who was small, dark-haired, and green-eyed.

During Luna Carmela's birthday bash, I almost lost my focus as I spoke with Alpha Darius, whom I planned to knock off sooner. It was because the moment Daphne arrived, the scent of flowers and vanilla hit my nostrils. But her sweet fragrance was accompanied by the bitter scent of jealousy, anger, and ignorance.

Regardless, I enjoyed the little show Daphne had created that night. I only disapproved of the way they treated her. No one deserved to be embarrassed and humiliated.

'What plans do we have for her?' Dark asked as we both gazed at every inch of the girl's form. 'She's destined to be ours.'

"But she's not aware of it," I said.

He groaned in dismay. 'How old is she again?'

"I heard she's only eighteen! Can you believe that? We have a freaking age gap of seven years," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. " She's too frail and naive to be the future Luna.”

My misgivings about her didn't end with our age disparity. I had some reservations about her abilities as well. Could she manage such tasks in this pack and the previous ones I had absorbed? Was she prepared to forgo her desires and priorities to improve my pack for my people? Most importantly, could she remain faithful for the rest of her life?

I gave her a once-over before walking out of the door quietly. “So should we reject her?" I asked Dark as I headed down the hall.

‘Come on. It's too early to decide on that,” he groaned.

I slowly nodded. “Let’s wait a little longer, then.”

Daphne

“Get up, sleepy head!”

My eyes fluttered until they opened wide when a deep voice exploded in my ears. As my sight adjusted to the light, my breathing halted upon figuring out who those fierce sets of amber eyes were.

“A-Alpha Calle?”

I allowed myself to look at his entire appearance for a little while. His loose, shoulder-length hair perfectly framed his chiseled features. His gray shirt, which was neither too loose nor too tight, emphasized the shape of his arms and body. And look how well those pairs of denim pants fit around his long, muscular legs. He was like a living sculpture. Even if he literally agitated the living daylights out of me when he woke me up, I wouldn't judge myself for admiring such a work of art.

He perched on the edge of my bed, and I quickly got up. I could smell the fresh perfume of his aftershave from this close distance. "H-how did you get in here?" I questioned, scratching my forehead.

He sighed. “Surprised? Guess what, I own the whole place so it means I’ll be able to go anywhere in here.”

Such a stupid question would definitely earn a sarcastic answer.

The cool air blew against my skin and I realized that the blanket had been tugged away from my body. I tried to pull it back to conceal myself, but he just unabashedly peeled it off from me eventually.

“My blanket!”

“What’s the point of hiding yourself where I’ve seen all of you before?” He stood from my bed, his strong arms curled over his chest. “Get up at once. You’re starting to work today.”

“O-okay, A-Alpha,” I responded, stuttering. Oh, Goddess, why did he have to bring it up? Was seeing me naked back in the woods a big deal to him? I’d seen him naked as well before he changed into a huge wolf, so we were just even. I stared down at my lap, my fist balling some of the cloth. “Um, what sort of duty will I be assigned? The kitchen? The hall? Or I’ll be washing the—”

“You’ll be training under Beta Degen.”

I raised my head and met his firm gaze. “I, what?”

He tilted his head, giving me a frown. “Don’t say you didn’t hear me. I despise repeating what I just said.”

“O-of course, I heard you,” I said, shifting my eyes to the window. The sunlight rays penetrating through the blinds were like long slender fingers, touching the plain wall in my room. The birds that were chirping outside reminded me of my dream with Reina. Oh, that dream again! These past few days, I’d been dreaming the same dream about Reina.

He sauntered towards the wardrobe and started rummaging in there. Then he glanced back at me with a stern expression. “Get your ass up there, little wolf. You’re going to have a long day today.”

“May I just—hey!”

I nearly leaped off the mattress when something smacked my head. I felt like I’d been slapped in the side of my face from the impact. When it landed on my lap, I realized it was a pair of tops and leggings.

I gave him a sneer. "Why did you need to throw them at my face?”

“Put those damn clothes on and report to the training hall within ten minutes. If you arrive even a minute late, you’ll get your first punishment before the sun sets.”

Before I knew it, he was gone before my very eyes. The sound of the closing door still echoed in my head as I gawked at where he walked out.

Great. How on earth will I hurry up when I have no idea when that freaking training hall is?

What a good start.

***

The Moon Goddess was at least kind to me because I arrived at the training hall ten seconds before the time required for me to check in. I must thank the staff who I bumped into a while ago. She informed me that the room I was looking for was actually above our floor, occupying the whole roof space.

And now here I was, standing frozen at the entrance. All attention from the people sitting on their rubber mats shot in my direction. I noticed that the trainees were not old people. Most of them were more or less my age. I guess?

I wonder where those warriors are. I remembered Alpha Calle had mentioned them once when he talked with Beta Degen.

“Um, h-hi?” I squeaked. Although I wasn’t certain, I responded with a small smile to their ‘who-the-hell-are-you’ stares.

Feeling not welcomed, I was about to get back from the large double doors behind me when a firm voice carved through the still air.

“Meet our newest pack member.”

Slowly, I turned to the well-built form of a man filling my sight. It only took me a nanosecond to recognize him. He was Beta Degen, one of those who I met during my first day here. There was a hint of smugness in him just like Alpha Calle. Regardless, the latter still possessed a brimming amount of arrogance in his aura mixed with superiority.

A sneer curved across his nice-looking face as he approached me, probing eye contact. “What’s your name again?” he asked, tilting his head down at me.

“ Daphne Forster.” I almost choked when I mentioned my surname. ‘Why am I still using it when I no longer belong to that family?’I thought.

The image of my brother, together with Yvette and Alaine, popped into my mind without my consent. I imagined Jaime looking gloomy, while the two witches grinned at me.

I shook my head inwardly to block the rising sadness creeping into my head.

“ Daphne Forster,” Beta Degen repeated in a friendly but civil tone. He stuck out his large hand. “Nice to meet you. From now on, this will be your family. But do not expect we will be soft on you. You need to double time to update your training lessons.”

I accepted the handshake. “I understand. But please, just call me Daphne .”

He nodded, a wide grin curled up on his face.

“Come follow me.” He turned and proceeded to walk across the hall. I had no choice but to walk after him, though I was more on jogging since his strides were like a kilometer compared to my tiny steps. The people around us gave way, but with the way they stare, I felt like they were accessing me.

I entered another door with Beta Degen. It was a self-sealing door that led us to the vast windy space. I let myself inhale the fresh air. From where I stood, the roof metal roof railings seemed so small.

“Where are the other trainees?” I asked, my feet advancing to the solid fences to have myself a view of the ground. Good thing I wasn’t afraid of heights.

“You’ll be training with me…alone.”

“H-huh?” I turned over my shoulder and looked up at Beta Degen who was now leaning against the railing. His hands were tucked in his pockets. “But why?”

“That’s Alpha Calle’s instruction, Daphne . So, if I were you, I'd stop asking. Haven't yet heard of the saying 'obey first before complain'?"

"Fine," I muttered, letting the strong wind blow against my face as it combed every strand of my hair. My eyes were still locked on the vast wild forest from afar.

"I'm glad you are easy to get things off. Okay, so this is the training's coverage; for the first six months, you'll be training in human form. The other half of the year, you'll train in wolf form, and Alpha Calle will decide if he will pass you or not."

My eyes grew wide, hearing the information from his mouth. Oh, Goddess, am I destined to fail in everything that I will do? How will I pass the training if I can't shift in the first place?

Should I forget about the training? Without it, I had no use in this pack. Unfortunately, Alpha Calle wouldn't let me leave.

"Any violent comment, little wolf?" Beta Degen asked, he frowned as he searched for my eyes. "Is the idea of the training already dreading you?"

"That's not it," I whispered, gritting my teeth. The grip of my hand on the metal railing tightened.

"Then what's bothering that pretty mind of yours, huh?" he chuckled. "Scared of the pain? Then you must also consider the saying 'no pain, no gain."

I shook my head. "I can't shift to my wolf form.”

“Are you serious?”

“I really can’t. I swear,” I muttered.

“No way.” He chuckled but his brows were drawn together. He was only convinced when my eyes became misty with tears. “Then let’s have Alpha Calle decide what to do with you after you tell him your reason."