5. The Phone Call
377 Words
The apartment felt bigger and emptier than usual. Julian couldn’t stop pacing.
He had broken a major rule. He had made contact with a human. He was a fool. What was he thinking?
The risk was too great.
He looked at his phone, the silence of it screaming at him. He hadn't given her his real last name, or his celebrity status.
He had given her a special number, a private line no one else had.
The silence meant she hadn’t called.
She wasn't going to call. And that was for the best, he told himself. It was a lucky escape.
But his heart felt heavy.
He had hoped. For a moment, he had let himself feel hope.
He went to his home gym, a place where he usually found peace through physical pain.
But tonight, it wasn't working. The heavy bag felt light.
The weights felt like nothing. The wolf inside him was restless, a frustrated growl echoing in his mind. It wanted her. It needed her.
He kept seeing her face in his mind, her bright eyes, her strong chin, the passion in her movements.
He thought about the risk to her if they were to get closer.
He thought about the rival pack, the watchful eyes of his own family, the prying media. It was all too dangerous.
He needed to forget her.
He decided to throw his phone away. He walked towards the trash can, the little black rectangle feeling like a bomb in his hand.
He was just about to drop it when the screen lit up. An unknown number.
His heart jumped into his throat. He stared at the screen, a thousand thoughts rushing through his mind. Was it a prank? Was it a mistake? Was it... her?
He took a shaky breath, his mind telling him to ignore it, to throw the phone away and forget this ever happened. But his heart, his gut, and the wolf inside him were all screaming the same thing: Answer it.
He pressed the button, putting the phone to his ear. “Hello?” he said, his voice a little rough.
There was a moment of silence on the other end, and then a soft, clear voice spoke. "Hi," she said. "It's Clara."
- Writer
