The First Alpha Female and her Dragon

“Celeste! Come back here!” A frustrated voice of a middle-aged woman echoed throughout the small village that was located on the far east side of the vast land owned by the werewolf clan where the lower class people reside. Small bungalow houses that look exactly the same make up the whole community with rough roads in the middle serving as their pathways. The sun was about to set and so the villagers who looked tired but happy were all on their way home as the children enjoyed running around with their friends from school shrieking in excitement. The woman sighed in frustration and slowly shook her head; her brunette hair that was tied in a bun on top of her head had loose hair falling over it, framing her tired but beautiful face. Her dirty working clothes stick to her body in an uncomfortable way, reminding her of how exhausted she truly was. Sitting down, she lifted up her plain brown dress that reached up to her ankle to reveal bruises all over her skin. Some are already healing and some are fresh. Oh, how she wished she could just end everything, but then, she had a daughter to take care of. The thought of her lovely Celeste made her sob. Bumping into people, the little girl with dishevelled black hair that was cut like a boy’s made her way around people, her oversized shirt and pants hiding her petite and fragile body underneath as she made her way out of the crowd of people. Her feet were bare as she continued to run towards the forest located just next to their village. It was her own personal hiding spot when she wanted to escape her reality at home. A place where no one would ever find her, as it was already at the edge of their territory. Huffing, she stopped and caught her breath. A sob escaped her pale lips as her eyes watered, blurring her vision. Slumping her small body against a tree, she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in them. Her cries filled the silence of the forest. She stayed in that position for minutes, letting all of her sadness and resentment out. Her young heart was angered by the thought of not being able to do anything to help her precious mother out of the situation that she was currently in, but what could a ten-year-old child even do? Her cries became louder as pain streaked her heart with the reality that she could never do anything for her until she grew up to be someone she could depend on. Celeste’s cries slowly silenced down as time passed by. The forest was completely dark now as the sun had already completely set. Standing up, Celeste wiped the tears off of her face with her hands, her emerald eyes sore from all the crying that she did. It was time to go home as she didn’t want to make her mother worry more. She was about to turn around when someone suddenly spoke. “Are you done being a cry baby, little man?” Celeste’s eyes widened upon hearing a deep voice behind her. Her heartbeat sped up as she subtly sniffed the air for the stranger’s scent, but her nose was all clogged up. Like a character in a horror movie, she slowly turned around to see who it was, but there was no one who just amplified her fear more. “Boo” Shrieking loudly, she moved away so fast from where she was previously standing and turned around once more to see a very tall man leaning on the tree she was sitting at a while ago. He was wearing a three-piece suit, one that looked like a noble’s and a top hat that covered half of his face so she could only see the tip of his nose and his lips that were smirking at her. “W-who are y-you?” She asked, stuttering, her eyes looking at the man cautiously. “You don’t have to know and please relax, I’m not going to do anything bad to you kiddo,” he said, amused. Swallowing, she bit her lower lip softly. She didn’t trust his words. She wasn’t some gullible kid. Growing up being in the streets a lot teaches you to not trust adults, especially nobles. The man she loathed belongs to the same class. Remembering him, her fist clenched as anger flared up inside her, mixing with her fear. “What’s your name?” the man asked with a friendly tone. “Y-you also don’t h-have to k-know,” she bravely answered although she feel the complete exact opposite of it. The man chuckled at her response. “Fair”, the man shrugged. Kai doesn’t know why he stayed with this little boy as he cried a while ago. Well, not technically, as he was already on top of the tree and having a nap when the child suddenly came disturbing his peace. He was about to tell the kid off but he stopped himself the moment he heard his sobs. It somehow touched his cold heart in a way that he couldn’t understand and so he just let him. Swallowing her fear, Celeste decided to take a step towards the man. She really needs to go home now. The picture of her mother’s beautiful face stricken with worry and exhaustion came to her mind as she took another step. She’ll just run as fast as she can the moment she passes by him. As if sensing what she was planning to do, the man backed away from the tree, giving her more space to pass by and at the same time sending her a signal that he wouldn’t try to do anything to her through raising both of his arms as if surrendering. It wasn’t enough to make her feel less tense as she glanced at him warily and so, the moment her opportunity came, she ran so fast without looking back. Kai’s eyes widened with shock but it didn’t take long until his laughter echoed through the forest. It was his first time laughing genuinely for centuries. Taking his hat off, his silver hair glistened under the moonlight as he wiped the side of his eyes. The kid definitely piques his interest. He could feel the boy’s deep sadness and anger awhile ago that he wanted to be friends with him and maybe help him, as he knows what it feels like to be lonely. But he guessed he scared him away with his poor social skills. Sighing, he shook his head softly and walked away from there. Two weeks later… Kai was lying down on one of the branches of the big tree where he last saw the kid. He didn’t know why he was doing that; waiting for the boy to show up. Every day before sunset, he would go there and stay until nine in the evening, but for the last fourteen days the child never returned. “I guess he wasn’t sad anymore”, he mumbled to himself as he continued to relax there with his eyes closed, one of his arms resting on top of his forehead as the other was just hanging from the tree. He looked like a prince waiting for a princess as he was wearing a three-piece suit as usual. It was his everyday attire. But a thought passing through his mind suddenly made him snap his deep ruby eyes open. “Did I perhaps scare him that much that he never wanted to come here again?” He asked horrified, talking to himself. As if someone answered him inside his own mind, he shook his head; convincing his own self that it wasn’t the case. “That'd be ridiculous! I look too handsome to be a bad guy,” he scoffed as he once again closed his eyes, pushing the negative thought away. Taking a deep breath, Kai decided that this would be the last day he was going there. It was an insane idea, anyway, to befriend a child. What will the child even help him with? Definitely not giving him life advice or teaching him how to improve his lame social skills. He’s content with his solitary life and, so he doesn’t understand himself at all for wanting to be close to that peasant kid. Kai was about to jump down when he heard incoming footsteps. A smile immediately made its way to his lips when the boy finally showed up. Wearing the same exact outfit as the last time, making him frown. Doesn’t he have any other clothes? Or is it just a coincidence? Celeste looked around the moment she arrived at the big tree. Her eyes surveyed the whole place to make sure that the man from last time wasn’t there. Moments later, she let out a relieved sigh when she saw no one. “Are you looking for me?” It felt like her heart jumped up her throat when she suddenly heard his voice. Her eyes immediately snapped up the tree, only to see red glowing eyes staring back at her. A vampire?! Celeste’s heartbeat doubled. Did she somehow unknowingly cross the line to their territory? Kai, on the other hand, wanted to laugh at the boy’s reaction; his emerald green eyes were wide with fear as he slowly backed away from the tree. Cute. Picking up his top hat, he wore it and jumped effortlessly.   “Don’t run. I’m really not going to do anything to you,” “H-how would I k-know that y-you’re not l-lying?” Celeste asked, stuttering. “If I had any bad intentions. You'll already be dead now, boy,” Kai plainly answered as he sat on the ground and leaned on the tree. Swallowing, Celeste bit her lower lip gently. He is right; he could just easily kill someone like her. She hasn’t even shifted yet. “W-why do y-you go h-here then?” she asked, watching him cautiously. “Because this is a nice tree and no one will find me here.” Hearing his answer, the man reminded her of her mother’s resigned and tired voice. She felt sad again. Perhaps the man is feeling the same and that’s why he goes there, was her conclusion. “A-are you l-lonely too?” The question caught Kai off guard, he felt like a lump was suddenly stuck in his throat as he struggled to answer the little boy. Was he lonely too? Is that why he wants to see him again?   “W-well, I am t-too. I guess w-we uhm w-we could be f-friends,” Celeste innocently offered. Her mother said that if someone doesn’t answer a question they probably find it hard to answer as it is true. “You want to be friends with me?” Kai asked, shocked. His train of thoughts got cut off the moment he heard what the kid said. The little boy’s shiny black hair bounced softly as he nodded his head shyly. Her fear slowly disappears as she feels excited about having a friend for the first time. In their village, no one wanted to be friends with her as she was considered to be cursed. A child of a single mother; who was rumoured to be the reason why her own mate died. “Fine. I’ll be friends with you,” Kai agreed, sounding as if he was being forced to do something against his will, but deep inside him he felt lighter. He just had his first ever friend in his whole one thousand years of existence. It felt like he had gained a little brother. Celeste’s face lit up as she immediately walked towards him and offered her dirty right hand to him. “My name is Cele,” she happily said. Giving him her nickname instead because she couldn’t give him her full name. Kai couldn’t help but chuckle softly as he took the small hand in front of him and shook it lightly. “Nice to meet you, Cele. My name is Kai and I’ll be your friend from now on.”