The morning after her dream felt… off.
Not wrong. Not right either. Just different—like a shift in the wind that only she noticed.
Calla moved through her morning chores quietly, avoiding eye contact with most of the pack. She helped gather herbs for the healer, sorted dried roots, and stacked small firewood along the edge of the hut. No one spoke to her unless necessary, and that was how it had always been.
Being an omega meant silence. Stillness. Shadows.
But something inside her was starting to stir.
Did you feel it too? she whispered internally.
Her wolf was quiet at first. Then a faint hum echoed in the back of her mind.
He saw us. Not as they do. Not fully. But he felt the spark.
"Darien?"
Yes.
Her wolf's voice was soft, low, but confident. Our Alpha.
Calla's heart skipped.
"But there was no bond."
Not yet.
---
Later in the day, Calla went with Mika and two other omegas to deliver herbs to the Alpha Mansion.
It still made her uneasy, approaching the largest house in the village. The mansion stood like a stone sentinel—tall but not towering, elegant but not flashy. It was built from pale, smooth rock and thick beams of darkened wood. Its windows reflected the pack lands in quiet glints. It had more than one floor—something uncommon for the rest of the homes—and stood on level ground with the rest of the pack, yet somehow still felt elevated.
She always thought it was strange how it looked peaceful and intimidating all at once.
They were stopped at the main gate, of course. Guards with sharp eyes and clipped words.
"Herbs for the Alpha's office," Mika said, lifting the small woven basket.
One of the guards nodded and waved them in. "Leave them with the assistant."
Calla's steps slowed as they crossed the wide yard leading up to the mansion. Something about the air here was heavier, like it remembered power more than the rest of the land. Her eyes lifted to the windows on the second floor.
And her breath caught.
There he was—Darien. Standing by the glass, watching them.
No expression. Just unreadable calm. But he was looking directly at her.
Again.
She forced her eyes away and walked faster.
He sees us, her wolf murmured. But he doesn't know why.
---
Darien's arms were folded as he watched from his study window.
Her again.
Calla.
He didn't know why her presence made his wolf restless. She didn't wear perfume. Didn't look anyone in the eye. Didn't even speak much. But she moved like her soul was carrying something ancient. Something buried so deep even she didn't know it was there.
Why can't I feel her? he growled internally.
His wolf was pacing.
You're not ready to see her fully.
Darien blinked. "What does that mean?"
But his wolf only huffed in response, circling in the dark of his mind.
"Is she my mate?"
No scent. No link. Not yet. But something else is there.
Darien sighed, running a hand down his jaw. "I don't want to guess. I want to know."
His wolf fell silent again, leaving him with more questions than answers.
---
Later that night, Calla sat on the wooden steps outside her home, legs pulled to her chest, the silver ring warm against her skin. The village was quiet, firelight flickering from house to house. Children had already gone in. Even the forest was calm.
"I don't want to believe I'm different," she whispered, "but something's wrong with me, isn't it?"
You're not broken, her wolf said. You're sealed.
"Sealed?"
By power. By blood. Maybe by fear.
Calla shook her head. "That doesn't make sense."
The ring pulsed.
She looked down at it again, narrowing her eyes. She'd worn it forever, but lately, it felt more… alive. It never glowed around others. Only alone. Only in the forest. Only when he was near.
"What are you really?" she whispered to the ring.
But no answer came.
Suddenly, the sound of shifting leaves behind her made her jump.
Calla turned quickly—and saw Darien standing near the edge of the trees.
Not close. Not threatening. Just there.
He looked at her for a long moment before speaking.
"You shouldn't sit outside alone. It's not safe lately."
His voice was deeper at night. More raw.
"I like the quiet," she replied, standing slowly.
Their eyes met.
And for the briefest moment—just a second—something passed between them.
Not the mate bond. Not magic.
But… recognition.
He blinked and looked away. "Go inside, Calla."
She obeyed, her heart racing.
Behind the door, she pressed her palm to her chest.
Her wolf whispered, He felt somethin