Chapter 1

"Enough!" I yelled angrily.

The kids around me paused for a few seconds before running around again. In this place, I was as powerful as a flea. Actually, they ignored me much more than fleas could.

Bradley, the pack's beta, had requested my assistance because his sister was in labor. Along with his mate, he was in charge of the pack's nursery.

Yes, I am a member of a werewolf pack, though I am not one of them.

Packs worked in unusual ways. We had an alpha who served as our leader and wielded the greatest amount of power. Then the beta stood beside him and gave orders. He was the second in command, a respectable man who was capable of taking control of the pack if the situation demanded it.

There's also a moon, of course. The moon was predestined to be the Alpha's partner. But we lacked someone to fill her position. And inquiring about it was considered impolite at the time. Nobody brought up the moon's absence because they were afraid of the outcomes of doing so.

I was adopted when I was nine years old, or so I thought. It was inexplicable how I had survived and survived for so many years on my own, but now I had a family, people who protected and cared for me. Not everyone in the pack accepted me. It was challenging to be a human in the presence of werewolves, but here I was.

"Anne, get out of there right now," I said, only to be ignored entirely.

They were nine uncontrolled kids, full of energy and eager to cause mischief. Any adolescent's worst nightmare.

Even more so when none of those brats care about me. Everyone knew I was a human. Despite the fact that I had earned my place in the pack, some people only fantasized about my disappearance.

"Is everything fine here?" Adrien's handsome face peered into the game room.

Adrien is the pack's future Alpha and my best friend on the planet. His multicolored eyes always drew my attention. One of them reminded me of a sunny day in a meadow, while the other of a clear sky. His hair was brown and unkempt, but it added just the right touch to make him appear carefree and wild.

"Save me," I said silently, my lips tracing the words.

"Who wants to go outside and play? The winner will be surprised with a prize." 

All of the brats screamed with delight and ran away. What they called playing was a brutality to me. The wolf children were far too energetic for my taste. I never let them play outside because it seemed like one would kill the other at any moment.

However, I did enjoy these brief moments of peace.

"Thank you, I owe you one," I said, wiping sweat from my brow with a smile.

"Only one? I'd say you owe me a lot," he said flirtatiously.

And it was correct. My debt to Adrien would last the rest of my life. He had looked after me since the first day I arrived in the small town of Wyrfell. What appeared to be a village turned out to be a rural city. It had supermarkets, shopping malls, and various types of stores, but everything was made of wood. It was both opulent and rustic at the same time.

I smiled as I gave him a gentle hip nudge. My heart was racing, and my hands were drenched in sweat. I dried discreetly on my jeans, trying not to draw attention to myself.

"What exactly are you doing here?" After a while of silence, I raised a question.

"Aside from saving you?" He cocked his brow mockingly. "My father wished to speak with you."

"That's strange."

Despite accepting my presence in the area, the Alpha avoided me as long as he could. Nonetheless, he was a father figure to me. The Alpha was a strict individual who avoided seeing me on a regular basis. It wasn't personal, and he was the same way with his own son.

  

"I know. Anyway, you should move quickly before the pups notice."

"All right, keep an eye on them. Never again hang Bradley's clothes on the door." 

"I can't promise anything," he said after he'd already walked out the door, leaving me alone. 

I dashed over to the main mansion. It wasn't a large city. In fact, we had everything it took to be one, but the plan was to go unnoticed by the rest of the world because the nearest city was about 30 minutes away by car.

The majority of us went there to school, though some preferred the lycanthrope school. Only those with overprotective parents usually stay. Adrien drove me because I didn't know how to drive. When I turned sixteen, the Alpha offered me a car, but I declined. I didn't trust myself to steer the car, and I didn't want such a significant gift.

I went straight to his office when I reached the hall. I was a resident of the main mansion despite the fact that I slept in an attic room. It was a reasonably small space with a bed, a sofa, and a fireplace. Small but comfortable.

Curiosity drove me as I knock on the door. He never authorized me to go to his office; in fact, he rarely entrusted anyone in the pack to do so.

"Please come in, Estelle."

I immediately complied. Alpha's office was mahogany in style and crammed with books and various documents. Mr. Adriel Laiken Villalobos barely glanced at me through his glasses before returning to his reading.

To my surprise, he suddenly talks. 

"Adrien's birthday is coming up soon."

I just nodded, not saying anything. There was no need to go into detail about how much this man managed to frighten me. It wasn't bad, not by a long shot. Perhaps it was his overwhelming and regal demeanor. He always seemed to be able to see right through you, as if he knew all your secrets. He looked exactly like Adrien, except his eyes were a pale blue. Similar to the sky before a storm.

"As you are aware, it is only when a lycanthrope reaches puberty that he can sense the presence of his mate."

My heart seemed to stop for a split second. I tried to remain calm. I didn't want the Alpha to notice how powerful his words were. Wolves are inquisitive creatures. They first encountered their inner wolf when they were sixteen years old. Before that, they were just ordinary people with extraordinary abilities. According to legend, wolves were man's spiritual counterparts. Only after dealing with his spirituality could a man communicate with his inner wolf. Finally, as an adult, becoming a wolf in all of its guises.

"So Adrien will soon get a sense of who his mate is. Do you have any ideas about who he might be?"

In response, I shook my head repeatedly.

A complete lie. They had taught me everything about their culture since I had joined the pack. I had concentrated on the part of the partners because everyone in the city had told me exactly how they felt.

Mates, the wolf you'll spend the rest of your life with. The other half of your soul, your soul mate,

The issue was that I felt this way every time I saw Adrien.

However, I remained silent. I couldn't simply inform the Alpha: Sir, yes. Of course, I recognized her. She's standing right in front of you! Should I start referring to you as my father-in-law? 

That would be absurd. 

I wasn't a lycanthrope, and there was a good chance that no one would believe me. The Alpha sighed, slightly disappointed by my response.

"I know you're always there for him, Estelle. You might be able to guess who might be a candidate." 

"I'm sorry, sir," I said. "But I don't think I can help you with it."

I was aware of his intentions.

They only wanted to use me as a spy, but I wasn't going to let them. Adrien valued his privacy, and I wasn't going to be the one who informed his father about any interactions he had with one of his possible mates. 

"Astrid said she felt a connection to him," he exclaimed, assessing my reaction.

Astrid. That didn't come as a huge surprise to me. What took me by surprise the most was that the Alpha believed it himself. As a joke, I used to refer to her as a "b*tch" in my head. She's a wolf in sheep's clothing. They were nearly identical in appearance. And, to be completely honest, I didn't care for her. When I was younger, she used to tease me and make fun of me. On more than one occasion, I was duped by one of her practical jokes or humiliated as a result of her antics.

"With all due respect, my lord, but I believe we are all aware of the young lady's obsession with young Adrien."

"That's correct, but the wise say it could be an early connection."

I wanted to tell him that the wise aren't always correct. We called the oldest wolves smart because they were the ones we went to for advice. Each pack had its own age group, but ours were generally uninvolved.

Instead, I said. "It's just a possibility."

"At the moment, I can't say for sure; I'll just have to take his word for it. Estelle, I ask you to be mindful of that relationship." 

Hearing him say that made me feel disgusted. But I nodded, accepting the mission. There was no way to refuse the Alpha's direct order; it was simply impossible. You had to comply even if the Alpha ordered you to jump off a cliff.

With mixed emotions, I withdrew.

Adrien, I was certain, was my mate. I knew he was my soulmate, my destined partner. He was, however, the Alpha's son. In the future, he would be the pack's leader. He couldn't possibly have a human mate.

When I returned to kindergarten, I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the great Adrien covered in glitter, wearing lipstick, and wearing a brightly colored boa around his neck. Even at his most pitiful, he was attractive.

The girls made a mischievous laugh. They were only three young girls, but they were capable of causing thousands of disasters. At least this time, it was something minor and innocuous. He didn't want to see them in a bad mood while he was looking after them.

"Are they sleeping?" In hushed tones, I inquired.

"It was only ten minutes," Anne replied.

I couldn't help but laugh. Adrien was the worst at caring for the children. They always did whatever they wanted with him.

I shook him slightly, and he growled in response.

"Come on, Adrien, let's go upstairs."

"Just five more minutes," he begged.

"No. It would help if you got up, or the beta would scold you. " 

"I don't care; you stay here to defend me," he said, hugging one of the stuffed animals that surrounded her.

I let him sleep for a little longer. He was undoubtedly exhausted. The intense training as a potential alpha was killing him.

As the hours passed, all of the parents went to look for their children, thanking me for looking after them. Adrien was still sleeping on the floor, and he had no idea how to wake him.

"It's time for you to wake up, Adrien." I leaned in, hoping to elicit a response from him.

The wolf snored like a bear in hibernation.

Suddenly, his arms wrapped around me, and I was glued to his body like one of the nursery stuffed animals. My heart was racing wildly, and the math connection was pounding inside of me.

It wasn't the first time I'd seen him doze off. The Alpha's son sought refuge in my room on stormy nights. I've never been afraid of anything since I was a child. I was in the middle of the storms, but I could tell he was worried. It was while watching him sleep that I realized we had a connection for the first time.

I loved him madly and despondently. I adored this boy who teased me while looking after everyone else. The one who laughed aloud when we were alone, the one who played video games with me and got upset every time he lost but wouldn't stop playing.

My partner.

"Astrid, you smell fantastic."

Anger swept over me. I gave him a strong push with an unusual amount of force, which resulted in him waking up. I didn't pay much attention to his dislocated gestures, let alone his stammering. I was so enraged that I ignored his response instead of focusing on picking up my purse and sweater.

"Elle? What's the problem?" He inquired, his face flushed with exhaustion.

"I'm going home," I said briefly.

"Wait. Are you bothered by the fact that I fell asleep? I'm sorry, but the training sessions have been deteriorating and…."

"I'm not interested in knowing," I said as I grabbed my bag and exited the cabin.

Behind me, I could hear his footsteps. I chose to ignore him. I couldn't care less what he had to say or what he desired.

"Estelle, we've already discussed it. You can't expect me to know you're upset unless you tell me."

I didn't respond.

It was impossible for me. How did I explain to him that I saw him with Astrid and he was dying of jealousy? How did I explain that he thought he was my mate even though I wasn't a wolf and wasn't even old enough to handle it?

Because it was simply impossible, I remained silent. Maybe someday I'll dare to tell him.

However, if she were honest with herself, I wouldn't mind waiting for him to reach the age of majority and discover for himself. It had only been a few months before.

"Estelle!" My body was paralyzed as she spoke in an alpha voice.

Adrien, unlike his father, did not frighten me. He was one of the people in whom he had the most faith. She did, however, have some respect for him.

"Please, he talks to me," he pleaded as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and hugged me from behind.

That was the thing she despised the most about him. He was disputed, spoiled, and jealous, and he muddled my emotions from one moment to the next.

"It's all right, Adrien. It's nothing, "I said, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"No, it isn't. Elle, you're crying. I can almost smell your tears." 

"It's just sweat," I lied, even though it was pointless.

"You can deceive anyone, but you'll never deceive me. I recognize you, bunny. "

That was a nickname that made me cringe every time I heard it. He'd put it on me as a joke when he first arrived. He was the big bad wolf, and I was just a little bunny next to him.

"Can we just go home?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Adrien never asked about it again, though he did look at me several times on the way. 

It had been a long and exhausting day. And I wasn't feeling up to dealing with him. Yes, I was madly in love with a moron.