CHAPTER 5.

My mother taught me to stand up for what’s right, and no matter how beautiful a creature Levi was, I wasn’t about to let him stand here and make me feel like I had done something wrong.

Open your mouth and say something.

My brain kept telling me to speak up, but my body was finding it hard to catch up. Levi and I stood there for what felt like hours. We said nothing, only stared into each other’s eyes, mesmerized.

I have a boyfriend.

I reminded myself, finally tearing my gaze away from his. He cleared his throat and stepped closer, moving toward me slowly.

“You’re new,” he said, his eyes still focused on me.

I nodded, afraid he could hear my heart pounding in my chest.

He walked behind me, his body inches from mine, heat radiating through the little gap between us. Suddenly, I felt his face on my neck, his nostrils sniffing.

“You have a unique scent,” he said.

I held my breath, stopping myself from swallowing the lump lodged in my throat. What was happening right now? I felt Lola struggling inside of me, but I couldn’t understand. I didn’t understand why I was suddenly feeling this way.

I couldn’t explain it.

I felt trapped, but safe. Lightheaded, but full of energy. There was a spark, a tingling sensation pulsating through my entire body. But as soon as it came, it was gone.

I felt it for a second. Like a shock, or wave of current.

“You’re human!” Levi suddenly exclaimed, pulling away from me.

His sudden shift in demeanor snapped me back to reality. I turned around to look at him, and thought I saw a look of disgust form around his face for a brief moment.

Who the hell did this guy think he was?

“My mum is human, yes.” I spoke confidently, owning up to my heritage. “My father is a wolf, so I guess that makes me half and half. What’s it to you?”

“Who’s your father?” He asked, ignoring my question.

My heart stung, but I shook the feeling away. Why was he asking? Was Julian going to get in trouble for having a daughter with a human?

“What do you care?” I asked, challenging.

His brows furrowed. “I’ve never heard of a Finnegan in Moondew.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s obviously my mum’s last name, genius.”

“So, who’s your father?” He asked again, refusing to back down.

“What does it matter?”

“It doesn’t,” he said quickly, finally stepping away from me. “I would just like to know.”

His face went soft for a few minutes. When he noticed I was looking at him, he replaced his expression with a much harder exterior.

“Are you here to stay?” He asked sternly.

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

There was silence, and then he said. “You should stay.”

I gave him a confused look.

“You don’t seem to know anything about our world, you should stay and get insight.” He explained, giving me a condescending look. “You smell like you need it.”

The nerve of this guy.

“Okay, that’s enough.” I said firmly, pointing my index finger at him. “We don’t know each other, we only just met. So far, you’ve made me feel like I did something wrong by helping…..what’s her name again?”

“Dorothy,” he helped out.

But that made me even madder.

I raised my voice, my frustration boiling over. “Yes, Dorothy. What would you have had me do? Stand by and watch them beat her up? Which apparently, is what you were so busy doing. So, excuse me, Mr. Levi, if I’m nothing like you.”

“I never said you were,” he chimed in.

I gave him a dirty look. “After that, you basically told me I’m not good enough to be part of this pack. A pack that I had no idea existed until two days ago. Hell, I didn’t even know werewolves really existed. You think I want to be here? I just want to learn how to balance all this with my normal life, so I can go back home and be with my mother, boyfriend, and—"

Levi suddenly growled at me. I froze, flinching involuntarily.

He cleared his throat and shut his eyes. All I could do was stand there quietly. The more I looked at him, the more it looked like he was doing a breathing exercise. I took a step forward so I could hear what he was murmuring softly.

“……I control the wolf, the wolf does not control me…...”

As I watched, I couldn’t help but feel connected to him in some way. I wanted to reach out and hold him, just so he’d know that he wasn’t alone. Even though I didn’t understand what was happening, something in me wanted to comfort him.

This boy who I had just met. This boy who had been nothing but rude and demeaning. Why was I trying to help him?

I was about to reach out to him when the same deep voice I’d heard in the car echoed in my head once more.

“Where are you, Astra? I’ve been looking all over for you, the Alpha has arrived.”

I withdrew my hand, curling my fingers into my palm. I looked towards the exit for a second and when I turned back to where Levi had been standing, he was gone.

I contemplated searching for him, but there was no time. Jerry was waiting for me and I needed to meet the Alpha.

Without giving it a second thought, I ran out of the garden and located my brother.

“Where have you been?” he asked, both relieved and tensed.

“I’m sorry, I was in the maze with Le—"

“It doesn’t matter,” he cut me off, taking my hand and pulling me into the front door of the mansion. “You’re here now.”

Immediately Jerry dragged me into the house, my mouth went wide. I was in awe. The entire place was decorated like a palace, fit for royalty. The type I’d only seen in movies.

The ceilings were high, the walls draped in rich, dark tapestries, and the floors gleamed with polished wood, reflecting the light from the crystal chandeliers hanging overhead. It was like stepping into another world—one of power, elegance, and authority. I couldn’t help but feel a little out of place.

“This is the packhouse?” I asked, looking around to catch my breath, but Jerry was still holding my hand, tugging me forward into the heart of the house.

“Yes,” he answered, not slowing his pace. “The Alpha’s waiting for you.”

The weight of his words settled over me like thick snow. The Alpha. I hadn’t even had time to process what that meant, or how I was supposed to behave in front of him. My heart started to race again, a nervous beat thudding in my chest.

Jerry led me through a hallway lined with portraits of wolves—some in human form, some not—and I could feel the eyes of the paintings following me, watching my every move. At the end of the hall, we came to a set of massive double doors, and Jerry paused.

“This is it,” he said, voice low. “Just be yourself.”

I nodded, though it didn’t ease the tension coiling inside me. I wasn’t even sure who "myself" was anymore. I was a half-wolf in a world full of full-blooded wolves, and every part of me felt like I didn’t belong here. But I wasn’t about to show that to Jerry, or anyone else. I’d learned to hide my insecurities long ago.

Before I could collect my thoughts, he opened the doors. I came face to face with a large crowd of people, all eagerly awaiting my arrival. If I was nervous before, nothing could compare to what I was feeling right at this instant.

I stood in place, feeling like my legs were magically glued to the ground. Then Jerry shoved me softly, giving me the push I needed to take the first step. Once again, all eyes were on me as I walked past, making sure to keep my chin straight up.

Show no weakness.

My breathing increased, my heart felt heavy. But still, I kept going. I could still feel Lola in me, growing uneasy, struggling to be let out. I stood my ground though, desperate to keep her locked in.

The room was huge. The walls were lined with shelves full of ancient books and scrolls, and the furniture was all dark wood, polished to perfection. It looked like a large hall or underdeveloped library.

Jerry took me to the middle, then abandoned me. There, I stood before a tall man with short cropped ebony hair and piercing silver eyes that seemed to see right through me. His aura radiated authority, and when he spoke, I couldn’t help but wince a little at how deep his voice sounded.

“Astra,” he called, his tone sharp and commanding. He studied me for a moment, his eyes narrowing as if weighing me. "You’ve finally graced us with your presence."

I stood up straighter, suddenly feeling small under his gaze. "I...I’m sorry, I got lost." I said, forcing my voice to stay steady.

The Alpha’s lips curled into a slight smile. "Yes...I assume it is quite easy to lose your way around here.”

His words were followed by laughter, coming from all corners of the room. Luckily, it dissolved as quickly as it had begun.

 “A half-blood among us. Interesting." He continued.

I inhaled to keep myself from rolling my eyes. What was it with everyone and trying to make me think less of myself today?

"I trust Jerry has been showing you around."

"Yes," I said, nodding. "He’s been…quite helpful."

The Alpha's eyes flickered to Jerry, who was standing not too far from me, before returning back to me. "Good. But there’s much more to learn. Every wolf has a role to play here, Astra. Everyone is significant. Your father’s position in the pack is one of power, but you—" He paused, as if choosing his next words carefully. He cleared his throat "I wish to hand you over to someone else. Jerry will not always be around to keep an eye on you."

I swallowed, feeling my stomach churn. "Who is it?" I asked, voice barely above a whisper.

The Alpha’s eyes scanned the sea of people behind me, his expression shifting to anger. "Has anyone seen my son?"

There was a wave of chatter, everyone having an opinion about his question.

Then a loud growl came from a dark corner of the room, a figure started to walk out into the open. A boy. The crowd cleared a path, silence fell across the room.

I felt my breath catch in my throat. I saw glowing red eyes in the darkness, similar to the ones I’d dreamt about. He finally stepped into the light, and my heart ached. My insides began to turn, threatening to burst out.

“Yes, father?” His voice was unmistakable.

Levi was now standing next to me, shooting me a deadly glare.

The Alpha nodded towards me. "Son, you’ll make sure Astra here is well settled in. She’ll have some adjusting to do, but it is important that you make sure she doesn’t miss a day of training."

Son?

I nodded faintly, although he was technically not talking to me. I wasn’t even sure I had heard him clearly, I had no idea what I was agreeing to.

Levi’s eyes pierced into mine, like a silent warning. Like he was daring me to mention our earlier misunderstanding.

Sweat formed on my forehead and under my arms, the room was getting hotter. I could feel Lola now more than ever, like we were somehow fighting to merge into one. To form a bond as great as any.

“Astra?” Jerry’s voice echoed around me.

My head was all over the place, my eyes fighting to stay open. The room was spinning.

Levi moved closer to me, his face filled with worry. I took a whiff of his scent, and everything I’d been fighting to keep buried came exploding right out. My ribs burned. I heard a loud shriek that sounded like it had escaped from my mouth.

Seconds later, I was on the floor, clutching my stomach and crying in pain.

“Give her space to breathe,” Jerry yelled as everyone surrounded me.

“I’m here, Astra.” Levi’s soothing voice broke through the chaos around me. He sat on the ground, pulling me into him as he whispered, “I’m here.”