Alpha Cepheus | EBNAB#1

Chapter 3

ALPHA CEPHEUS

The Mating Ceremony finally started.

In the clearing of our vast forest, the newly eighteen-year-old females eagerly awaited their transformation into their wolves and the chance to meet their mates. Everyone was dressed in white, symbolizing the purity and new beginnings this day represented. It was a pivotal moment for many, but for me, it was just another duty as Alpha.

As the pack members shifted into their wolves, I stood on the stage, observing the scene. The Alphas of the other packs sat around me, discussing pack politics and alliances, but I was more interested in scanning the crowd. I had an unsettling feeling, a restless energy that I couldn't shake. I hoped this ceremony would bring some clarity.

My gaze moved over the newly mated couples, their joy and connection evident in their eyes and actions. I felt a pang of something I rarely allowed myself to acknowledge-loneliness. At thirty, I was still mateless. Despite my power and influence, the Moon Goddess had not yet blessed me with a mate. It was a source of frustration, a weakness I couldn't afford to show.

As the ceremony continued, my eyes caught sight of someone standing at the edge of the clearing. A young woman, seemingly out of place and alone, trying so hard to hide herself in the crowd, it didn't go unnoticed. Her aura was different, almost as if she didn't belong here. She wasn't shifting with the others. Curious, I kept my gaze on her, feeling a strange pull that I couldn't explain.

Then our eyes met. In that instant, everything around us seemed to disappear. Her eyes were wide with surprise, mirroring my own confusion. There was something about her, something familiar yet foreign. I felt a connection, an invisible pull that ignited something deep within me. It was as if she could see right through me, beyond my Alpha exterior, into the core of who I was.

No wonder my wolf have been restless this morning.

Before I could process what was happening, the moment ended. I broke the gaze, feeling a mix of emotions-confusion, frustration, and something else I couldn't quite identify. I needed to know who she was.

Determined, I moved through the crowd, my eyes never leaving her. As I approached, she looked up at me, her expression a mixture of fear and awe. She was smaller up close, her presence unassuming, yet there was a strength in her eyes that intrigued me.

"A-Alpha," she whispered, bowing her head in respect.

"You. What's your name?" I demanded, my voice cold and authoritative than I meant to, I got used to being commanding, I saw how it scared her.

"Callista... Alpha Cepheus," she replied softly, her voice barely audible.

"Callista, look at me," I commanded. She obeyed, her brown eyes meeting mine again. There was something in those eyes, a vulnerability that made my chest tighten. She had no wolf, I realized. She was different from the others, an anomaly in our world.

"You have no wolf," I stated, my tone harsher than I intended. Her reaction was immediate, a mix of hurt and acceptance. She knew she was different, and she carried that burden with grace.

For a moment, I felt a surge of anger and frustration. Not at her, but at the situation. How could the Moon Goddess be so cruel? To deny someone their true nature, their wolf? It made no sense. And yet, as I looked at Callista, I felt something shift inside me. An inexplicable connection, a bond that defied logic.

Without another word, I turned and walked away, my mind in turmoil. This was not how things were supposed to be. I was the Alpha, the leader of the Loropoulus pack, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that something profound had just happened. I am angry with the fact that I searched for my mate in different places, and yet all along she's in my reach, waiting for me to find her. The thought of her feeling upset about finding out she can't shift and not being able to join the mating ceremony upset me even more.