Chapter 2

CALLISTA

I turned around to leave only to bumped into something hard and steady, I almost stumble but got a hold of my balance.

A big shadow loomed over me, covering the sun ray that shines towards me. I looked up and met in contact with no other than Alpha Cepheus. My eyes widened in shock.

How did he get there!?

Holy cinnamon.

He looked straight to me, observing me as if I'm some specimen under his radar, I almost squirm under his gaze.

"A‐alpha.." I finally muttered softly, acknowledging his presence. It's the first time I ever got so close to him, it's true that his presence is so powerful you can feel it, just standing near him gave me goosebumps, It made me bow my head immediately.

"You. What's your name?" He asked, his voice deep, commanding and sexy.

Sexy? Where did that came from!?

A disapproving growl vibrated through him, as if he can read my thoughts, which I'm pretty sure he can't. We don't communicate like that, like what humans think we do. My thoughts are safe with me.

"Callista...Alpha Cepheus." I said in a whisper, letting out a silent breath.

"Callista, look at me." He commanded. Immediately I looked up to him, his height towered me, he is so scary and sexy, and his eyes, God his eyes.

Mesmerizing blue eyes, icy and no emotion yet I'm willing to drown in them. I searched through his eyes, hoping to find some kind of sign of recognition. Some clue as to what he had seen. Anything. But the look he wore wasn't one of surprise or confusion. It was...disappointment. And it sent a jolt of dread through my body.

I swallowed, wondering why he would be disappointed in me. I hadn't done anything wrong. So far, so good. In fact, my actions had been perfectly normal, according to the standards of the pack. So why did I feel like I was failing? And why do I have this inexplicable urge to avoid him? I had nothing in common with him.

There was no way I was his type-not that I wanted to be anyway. No matter how much I might wish otherwise.

He was too...too... I struggled to find a word for what he was. Too...cold, too ruthless...I heard stories about Alpha Cepheus, stories that made other Alphas fear him. I knew there was something about him that set off alarms inside my head. That made me nervous. Nervous and confused.

Why? I thought, puzzled. Why does he make me feel like this?

What could possibly draw such a reaction from me? My entire life I'd worked hard to avoid being alone, but then my wolf did not came. Yet here I was, alone, mateless, wolfless, hopeless and uncertain whether it was safe to be around him.

How am I feeling this way in front of the Alpha? Not just an Alpha, my own Alpha Cepheus.

I felt the need to run. To hide. To get out of there. I'm not ready to know what the confusing feeling am I having, I thought. I don't want to know what it is. Even if I do, it's possible to be connected to the Alpha, my kind without having any wolf binding us.

Yet I couldn't seem to get my thoughts together enough to leave. It was as if a force held me in place, keeping me rooted to the spot, unable to turn and run away. Even though I desperately wanted to. I was scared, I realized. Scared of the unknown. The possibility of rejection. The thought of getting hurt.

I wanted to be anywhere but where I was. Anywhere except with him. And yet I still waited. Stared back at him, waiting for him to say something. Do anything. Give some indication that he was aware of me. That he cared. Wanted me to stay.

"You have no wolf." He stated coldly. I froze at the sound of his voice, snapping me back to the reality, that he is in front of me.

Realizing my situation, cold shiver course down through me, a shiver that was not due to the cold night air but how cold the alpha spoke to me. After all, I'm not an important pack member.

I looked up to meet his eyes once more. He was already looking, He was seeing me. Seeing my face. My eyes. My lips. My hair. Looking right through me. His gaze traveled lower until he was staring right at my chest. Then he continued on past it, following the line of my neck. Following my pulse. Sending an electric shock up my spine. My heart thundered wildly against my chest, beating faster and harder than usual. Suddenly all my senses were hyper alert.

I could feel every single breath I took. Every tiny movement of muscles, nerves, and bones. Everything in the world heightened to an intense degree. Except the man standing mere feet away from me. He gave no reaction. He simply stared.

Staring, and staring, and staring... it felt like forever as he lock me in his gaze. I want the ground to swallow me whole.

My mouth went dry and my heart was racing faster than ever, and sweat dampened my brow. My body felt hot despite the cold wind that blew through my clothes, causing a chill to radiate throughout my limbs. All my senses were heightened, and I felt exposed, vulnerable, like a prey to a predator.

I swallowed nervously, and tried to focus on his eyes, they were beautiful blue. Deep, deep blue.

And just like that, his face was contorted into a mask of anger and frustration. His jaw clenched tightly, and His fists were balled tightly at his sides. Suddenly he blinked rapidly. Then he turned on his heel and strode away without a backward glance.

It happened so quickly. One moment he was staring right at me, the next he was gone. He disappeared into the trees. I couldn't tell if he actually left or if I was hallucinating.

Alpha Cepheus is angry, probably because I am a weak pack member, a werewolf without a wolf. I should have stayed in our bakery, this confrontation will not happen if I did not show myself in public.

I felt the tears forming in my eyes, for some unknown reason, I felt rejected. Why? I don't know, but it hurts. There's a tugging pain in my heart, I don't understand why-

I have to go!

Unable to comprehend what just happened, I ran, headed towards the bakery. The safe place I know, in the loving arms of my Gran who I know will love me for me even though she knows I don't have a wolf.

Maybe a fresh batch of bread would help clear my mind. I wiped the forming tears in my eyes that is yet to fall, this encounter with our Alpha is unexpected, and I need to get away from what just happened.

Back at the bakery, I found my grandma busy with preparations for the evening feast. The scent of warm bread and pastries filled the air, a comforting contrast to my chaotic feeling.

"Callista, dear, could you help with these loaves?" Grandma's voice pulled me back to reality.

"Of course, Grandma," I replied, putting on my apron. The familiar routine of kneading dough and shaping loaves helped soothe my racing thoughts. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that something significant had just happened. Something that involved Alpha Cepheus and me.

As the sun set and the festivities of the Mating Ceremony reached their peak, I couldn't help but wonder if my life was about to change. I had always resigned myself to being an ordinary pack member, mateless and without a wolf. But that fleeting moment with Alpha Cepheus made me question everything.

Author's Note:

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-Intimate_Ivy