Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I awoke in a familiar room, feeling slightly groggy and disoriented. I struggled to keep my heavy eyelids open as I peeled myself from the bed. I fought the urge to lie back down as I got onto my feet and stretched my arms. It's Saturday, nearly midday, and I have a job to attend to, which is my only source of income to support myself and my tuition at college. I have no one to lean on and no family to ask for help. So no one will give me money if I lie here all day. I had to work hard for me to be able to live. To be quite honest, I don't see any reason Why do I have to keep living, why do I have to keep breathing, and why the f*ck do I need to keep working my ass off when I could've just chosen to die. In that way, I wouldn't need to suffer every day for being a lonely creature. I have no family, I have no friends. I have nothing.

No one will miss or notice when I die.

I shook my head and laughed to myself at the depressing thoughts that had crossed my mind. 

Silly. 

I headed straight to the bathroom and took off my nightdress, tossing it off to the basket filled with my used clothes, before I opened the shower and let the water fall through my body, washing the drowsiness in my system. I yelled when the cold water hit my heated skin, making my eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. After a while, I got used to its sudden cold temperature and I began enjoying my bath.

After putting a towel around my body, I walked towards the sink and brushed my teeth. I usually brush my teeth first before going under the shower, but sometimes I feel like doing it as part of the last part of my morning routine. It's basically no longer a morning, but since I had just woken up, I called it one. 

I wore a plain sweater, tight jeans, and a pair of old white shoes. After I dried my hair with the hair blower, I tied it up into a loose bun before I picked up my bag and headed out of the room in my apartment. I didn't bother going into my kitchen to find something to eat before I went to work. Mostly because there's literally no food in my cupboards or even leftovers in my fridge. Not that someone cares. I lived alone.

“Hi, Katia!” a woman's voice greeted me as I walked down the stairs of the three-story building where my apartment was located. It didn't startle me that she suddenly showed herself out of nowhere. I smelled and sensed her before I could even see her. However, no one knew of that.

“Hi, Analyn,” I said, my voice barely audible. I kept my gaze straight, not bothering to look at her.

“My mom prepared breakfast for you. It's an omelet. Here, take this. She would surely feel sad if you reject this.” Before I could say anything, she pushed the lunchbox on my chest as she blocked my way. 

I sighed and took it from her, giving her a small smile. “Say my thanks to you, Anastasia,” I said, referring to her mother. “I'll go ahead.”

She grinned and jumped happily as I walked past her. I couldn't help but shake my head. They are my generous neighbors, giving me food from time to time even though I didn't ask them to. I'm grateful but didn't know how to express it to please them. 

People say I'm dull, but I couldn't actually care less. I knew I'm aloof and I knew pretty well I'm weird but I gave no damn shit of it. They can say whatever they want to say, but I'll never change myself for them. If I can't fit into this society where everything matters to people, then f*ck everyone.

I sighed for the ninth time, leaning my head against the window of the bus that would take me to my workplace. It didn't affect me that much that it's practically freezing outside. Aside from the thin sweater I was wearing, the perk of being a normal person slash a werewolf is that I have my own heat. 

I'm basically a rogue. I do not belong in any packs and have never planned on joining one in the future. They are nothing but some sort of coward werewolves who were sheltered their whole lives but still think they are superior to everyone else—that they are stronger and more powerful than rogues or any other race. The truth is, they are all cowards, hiding inside their pack, scared as kittens to wander around the world.

My stomach suddenly grumbled, reminding me how I had starved myself for two days now. It's not because I am too lazy to prepare a meal for myself or to buy something to eat. I just don't have an appetite to eat and fill my stomach.

Sighing for the ninth time, I looked down at the lunchbox on my lap and decided not to waste Anastasia's efforts upon sparing a moment to prepare this for me. Besides, my stomach was already begging to be filled, and I knew if I stayed like this—starving—I would collapse later.

Throughout the ride, I opened the lunch box and ate it in silence. Much to my delight, no one sat beside the vacant seat next to me. I finished the whole meal just in time for the bus stop to a station near my workplace. I picked my bag and got out, closing my eyes briefly as the sun hit my lilac eyes. The weather can be unpredictable at times. One minute it was freezing cold and now the sun was up. Just like life and death, it is unpredictable and yet inevitable.

I resumed walking towards the alley, leading me to an old shop, almost rotten to be exact. When I opened the door, I was greeted with the smell of old books. The smell invaded my nostrils, sending euphoria through my system. Just like that, a small smile appeared on my lips.

“Good afternoon, too, young lady,” a sarcastic voice of an old man snapped at me out. Tilting my head upwards, I saw him atop the stairs as he was finding some books on the tall shelf.

“What are you looking for?” I asked as I dropped my bag on the counter.

“An order,” he curtly replied. I covered my nose with my hand as he brushed off some dirt from the old book he picked.

“What order?” I inquired again, interested. Every order piqued my interest every time. It's not everyday you see an old—almost rotten shop—get a customer. Added to this is the fact that these customers are willing to pay huge prices for our old books. Our books' rate is no less than 1,500 dollars. Crazy, isn't it?

But I know why these books are pretty expensive. It's not just some normal book you can buy in bookstores worldwide. These are rare books you can only find in this shop. Some were ancient.

The old grumpy man, Fernando, said, “It's a book about the annual coming of age.”

My brows furrowed. “Coming of age? What's that?”

“You wouldn't know because you're a rogue,” he said, meaning to offend me, but I shrugged it off. He's always like that, saying offensive words to tease me, but I knew deep down he cared for my well-being. He wouldn't let me work here and pay me twice as much as my previous work if he didn't, right? I also had the privilege of not attending work if I felt like it. 

“So?” I sat on the tool chair across the counter and leaned my face on my palm as I looked up at him with boredom.

“It's where all teens, specifically eighteen to nineteen years of age, would have to attend this ceremony and get to either mate with some wolf or attend the university for wolves like you. And being a rogue is not exempted.”

“What?” I sat straight, frowning and confused as f*ck.

“You heard me, right, Katia.” He slowly went down and shrugged the dirt off of his shoulder. He walked past me and slammed the heavy book on the counter, making me cough as the dust flew across my face.

“Why would someone want to buy a book like that?” I asked.

“We don't know.” 

“Who bought it?”

“Anonymous.”

I squinted my eyes at him suspiciously. I knew he wasn't telling the truth. He knew who the buyer was, but he didn't want to share it with me. Not that it matters if I'd known or not. I also don't understand why he'd always want it to remain anonymous.

I scoffed at him and decided to leave the counter to start my work. I've been working here for more than 7 months and yet I wasn't given any heavy duty other than to keep this shop clean and organized. This old man right there has a habit of disarranging things, especially when he was looking for some books. He forgot where he hid.

I let Fernando do whatever he was doing while I continued my job. I wore my earphones and focused on my task. Arranging books, cleaning the floor, wiping some artifacts, and then I am washing some rugs in the sink. It made me wonder why Fernando doesn't want to change the location of his shop where we would be seen by the potential customers. It makes me wonder why he wouldn't want to reconstruct his shop knowing that his income is enough to pay for materials and pay some construction workers. However, I didn't question him about it. This old shop might be too sentimental for him, and I am not that insensitive enough to question his decision.

I was hardly concentrating on what I was doing when the door of this shop suddenly burst open. I nearly shrieked in surprise. My breath caught in my throat. A man stood in the doorway, dangerously. His presence was so intimidating and scary that it made me suffocate in some ways.

His silver eyes met mine all of a sudden. I unconsciously stepped back as my eyes widened in utter surprise. I saw him taking a deep breath before a low growl escaped from his throat.

My lips parted at the realization.

He's a werewolf...

“Alpha Reui,” Fernando uttered dumbfoundedly as he rushed toward his direction and bowed his head. But the intruder didn't even glance his way. His silver eyes were fixated solely on mine. It was so intense that it made my knees wobble and my heart beat frantically against my chest. 

He took a calculated yet determined step towards me and I involuntarily stepped backwards. Fear crept up in my system and I found myself backing away from his intimidating presence. He let out an unamused growl, his eyes narrowing at me as if he wasn't pleased with my disobedience. I halted immediately, my chest heaving.

“A-Alpha?” Fernando asked, confusion laced in his voice. I opened my mouth to ask for his help, but no words came out. I'm doomed.

The guy whom I've recognized as an alpha startled me when I saw him standing before me all of a sudden. I gasped and looked up at him. He was tall. I had to crane my neck to see his face. But I immediately regretted my actions when our lips nearly touched.

I stumbled backwards, but then he took hold of me, preventing me from falling on the floor. A spark of pleasure ran up to my skin and spread all over my body as our skin collided against each other. I gasped at our proximity. Heat gushed through my veins and an intoxicating scent of fresh woods and caramel invaded my nostrils.

My wolf stirred within me and made a purring sound at the back of my head. My body suddenly went cold and stiff when the realization hit me.

“M-Mate,” I said dumbfoundedly.