Chapter 3

• “I’m home!” I announced as soon as I stepped into our small living room.
• I threw my bag on the table and flopped down in the nearest chair. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.
• “You’re finally home,” Arthur, my younger brother, said as he walked over to me with his hands in his pockets.
• He thinks that makes him look cool, but he’s only fooling himself.
• “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What happened?” he asked.
• “You’re not far off…” I replied, my voice low. I couldn’t shake the image of the pale stranger I’d encountered in the woods, and the rumbling footsteps still echoed in my head. The beast was real!
• I made it out alive, but what about him? Did the beast get him?
• My heart was filled with dread.
• "Ara!"
• Arthur snapped his fingers across my eyes, I blinked and alighted from my train of thoughts -it's a pity that handsome stranger's life would be wasted just like that.
• "I’m fine now, where is mom?"
• "She went to the pack-house," Arthur answered. "There's a pack meeting and I think it's about the selection parade, Alpha Jarek personally came to inform mom about it..."
• He paused and tilted his head, with his brows furrowed in a serious frown.
• "... do you think he has a crush on mom?" he asked.
• I leaned forward and pushed his head gently, making him glare at me but he quickly looked away when I glared at him back.
• "Stop dreaming about being the alpha's son, you're not fit for that title."
• If Arthur ends up becoming the alpha's stepson, I believe all the unmated girls in our pack will become pregnant with his kids, even before getting a chance to know who their mates actually are -after all, he's got great looks and a big ego.
• In fact, everyone in our lineage has great looks and bodies, I'm not an exception.
• “Right, I’m not, and you’re already twenty-two and still haven’t found your mate yet,” Arthur said.
• “I don’t need a mate,” I replied, a little annoyed. “And you know what? I’m too tired to deal with your nonsense right now.”
• I cuffed his head sharply and got up, grabbed my bag from the table, and headed towards my room.
• After this long day, I really needed a long, hot bath and a good night’s sleep.
• ★★★★★
• It was just me and him again in the lonely woods, a place so quiet that not even a bird dared to fly overhead.
• “You’re here,” he said, his voice breaking the silence.
• “Yes,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
• Then there's silence, he didn't say anything and neither did I. But it was okay. Every time we met, we fell into this wordless companionship that felt almost like a silent conversation between our souls.
• I never saw his face—though he might have seen mine. I could only look at the back of his head, his form always facing away from me.
• His dark hair was slightly tousled, and the way it fell made him seem like a shadowy figure in the dim forest light.
• “You called me and I’m here. Can I at least see your face?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
• This is the first time I've requested to see his face.
• “No,” he replied simply.
• “Why not?”
• “I’m ugly. My face would scare you away.”
• “Huh?” I huffed, not believing a word.
• “It’s going to be your worst nightmare,” he added.
• How could I be friends with someone without knowing what he looked like? Who was he? And why did he always call me here? How did he even manage to reach me?
• “Stop thinking. Your tiny brain’s gonna explode because I don’t know why I can call you, either,” he said, his tone almost teasing.
• How did he know what I was thinking? Was he some kind of vampire who could read minds?
• “You’re right, I can read minds. So, I suggest you stop thinking,” he said with a hint of amusement.
• “Oh,” I replied, more intrigued than ever.
• This only made me more determined to see his face. He might be someone I know.
• I reached forward to touch his shoulder, but before I could—
• ★★★★★
• My eyes snapped open at the sound of someone banging on my door very loudly, I threw a glare towards the door as I imagine I'm glaring at whoever is banging on it.
• From the scent I could tell it's Arthur, I angrily sprang up and sat on my bed, gathering my blanket in my hands.
• "What?!" I barked at him.
• "Mom said I should wake you up, breakfast is ready, and she’s got news from the pack meeting." he said.
• I rolled my eyes. The last thing I wanted to hear about was the selection parade—unless, of course, the news was that it had been canceled!
• "I'll be there in a jiffy!" I replied, then I heard his footsteps fading away.
• I fell back on the bed and covered my face with my palms, I puffed out some air.
• The same dream again, it's been quite some time since I had this weird dream -why did I dream of him today?
• I've been dreaming of this nameless man since I was twelve, I don't know anything about him.
• But the weirdest thing is, I always enjoy being around him in my dream -I must be losing my mind.
• "Ara, mom said you should hurry up!" Arthur shouted from the living room.
• "Well, you didn't have to shout before I hear you!" I shouted back at him.
• I pushed the blankets off me and hopped out of bed, then dashed into the bathroom.