Mated To An Alpha

The Calm Before Destiny.

Chapter 2

Alicia's POV

The warm rays of the morning sun slipped through the curtains and gently landed on my face. I slowly opened my eyes, blinking several times as I adjusted to the bright light. With a soft yawn, I rubbed my sleepy eyes and looked around my room.

Everything looked the same as always—my neatly arranged bookshelf, the small flower vase on my bedside table, and the family photo hanging on the wall. Yet, for some reason, I felt different today. I couldn't explain it, but there was a strange excitement mixed with an uneasy feeling deep inside my heart.

"Good morning, my little angel."

I turned toward the familiar voice and smiled warmly. Standing by my bedroom door was the most precious woman in my life—my mom. She wore her usual gentle smile, the one that always made every bad day seem a little brighter.

"Ugh... not again, Mom," I groaned as I stretched lazily. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

She chuckled softly and folded her arms across her chest.

"You'll always be my little angel, no matter how old you get."

I rolled my eyes dramatically, making her laugh even more.

"Now, up, up, up!" she said cheerfully. "Get ready. We're going shopping today."

"Shopping?" I repeated in surprise.

I sat upright immediately, staring at her with a puzzled expression. My sleepy mind struggled to remember why we would suddenly be going shopping so early in the morning.

Mom laughed at the confused look on my face.

"Oh my goodness, Alicia," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Don't tell me you've forgotten."

"Forgotten what?" I asked honestly.

She placed both hands on her waist and gave me a playful look.

"Your birthday is in three days!"

For a few seconds, I simply stared at her.

Then it finally clicked.

"Oh..."

"Oh?" she repeated dramatically. "That's all you have to say? Seriously, Alicia, you're unbelievable."

I couldn't help laughing at myself.

"I've just had so much on my mind lately," I admitted with an embarrassed smile.

"I can see that," Mom replied. "Well, hurry up. We still have plenty of places to visit today."

"Okay, Mom. I'll be ready in a jiffy."

She smiled and quietly left my room, gently closing the door behind her.

The moment she was gone, I threw the blanket aside and quickly walked toward my wardrobe.

I pulled the doors open and frowned almost instantly.

"So many clothes..." I muttered.

My eyes scanned every shelf before I let out a long sigh.

"...and yet I have nothing to wear."

Most of my favorite outfits were either too old, slightly faded, or simply didn't feel right anymore.

"No wonder Mom insisted on shopping," I whispered.

I carefully searched through every hanger, hoping to find something decent enough for today.

Just as I was about to give up, my eyes landed on a beautiful gift bag resting on the very top shelf of my wardrobe.

Curious, I reached for it.

The moment I opened it, a warm smile spread across my face.

"I remember this..."

Inside was the beautiful outfit my dad had given me on my sixteenth birthday.

Back then, I had been so excited that I almost wore it every single day, but I eventually decided to keep it safe because it was one of the most thoughtful gifts he had ever given me.

Gently, I ran my fingers over the soft fabric, remembering how proud he had looked when I first tried it on.

"I guess today is the perfect day to wear you again," I whispered.

Without wasting another second, I grabbed my towel and hurried into the bathroom.

After a refreshing shower, I carefully got dressed.

When I finally stood in front of the mirror, I couldn't help smiling.

The outfit fit me perfectly.

I was wearing a fitted white top tucked neatly into a soft pink tennis skirt that reached just above my knees. I paired it with clean white Nike socks and a pair of pink-and-white canvas sneakers that matched the outfit perfectly.

I brushed my long hair until it flowed smoothly behind my shoulders before tying the front strands into a simple half-up style. A light touch of lip gloss and a delicate silver bracelet completed my look.

I twirled once in front of the mirror and laughed quietly.

"Not bad at all."

Taking one last look around my room, I picked up my phone and slipped it into my small handbag. As I reached for the doorknob, I couldn't shake the strange feeling that today was going to be the beginning of something unexpected.

Little did I know that this ordinary morning would soon change my life in ways I could never have imagined.

With a deep breath and a bright smile, I opened my bedroom door and headed downstairs, ready to meet my mom and begin our day together.