Chapter 3
1140 Words
ADRIANNA.
The moment his eyes landed on me, I forgot how to breathe. Everything stopped. The noise, the music, even the way my heart beat.
I stood frozen, tray in hand, surrounded by wolves who belonged in this glittering room. I didn’t. But for a heartbeat, Alpha Theron looked at me like I was something worth noticing.
Then his eyes moved on.
I sucked in a sharp breath and turned quickly, face burning. Relief flooded me like cool water. He hadn’t stared for too long. It didn’t mean anything. I had just imagined it. I was nothing here. No one.
I backed into the crowd, clutching my tray like it was armor. If I just stayed quiet, kept my head down, maybe the night would pass quickly.
But it didn’t.
No matter how small I tried to make myself, I kept catching his gaze.
At first, I thought it was coincidence.
I moved past the table where the Beta and his mate were seated. I felt the weight of someone’s stare and looked up, his eyes met mine again, calm and unreadable. My breath caught.
Later, I was refilling drinks near the head table. Someone called his name. He turned, laughed politely, said something back to a smiling elder. Then his eyes flicked to me again. Just for a moment. But enough.
It kept happening. No matter where I moved in the room, I felt him. Like a thread tugged between us, invisible and taut.
I didn’t understand it. My skin tingled with awareness, and my nerves felt like they were humming. I was restless, uncomfortable in my own skin. I didn’t belong here. Why did he keep looking at me?
I was nothing but a servant girl. A wolfless orphan.
Still, I didn’t dare approach him or linger too long in his line of sight. The girls who had sneered at me earlier were watching like hawks, ready to pounce if I stepped out of place.
Finally, the music lowered and the ceremonial bell sounded.
Everyone grew silent again as a circle was formed at the center of the grand hall. The elders stepped forward, robes sweeping the floor, and Alpha Theron moved into the middle with calm, confident steps.
Candles were lit. A prayer was whispered in the ancient tongue. I watched from the far end of the room with the other servers, half-hidden in the shadows.
When they pricked his palm and the blood fell into the silver bowl, I felt the air shift around us. The room seemed to hold its breath.
And then the elder raised his voice, loud and proud.
“By the blood of his father and the spirit of our ancestors, by strength of will and purity of purpose, we welcome Theron, Alpha of Silverton Pack!”
A cheer erupted, wild and thunderous. Wolves howled. Applause echoed off the walls.
The music surged to life again, faster now, joyful. Dancers spilled into the open space, swirling gowns and polished shoes twirling under the chandelier’s glow.
I backed away, heart still pounding, and slipped through the side doors into the cool night air.
The garden behind the ceremonial hall was quiet, silver-lit by the moon and dotted with soft lanterns hung in the trees. A cobbled path wound through flower beds and stone benches. I stepped off the path, shoes crunching against gravel, and breathed deeply.
Cool air filled my lungs. Finally. No shouting. No trays. No watchful eyes.
I wandered slowly, fingers brushing the leaves and petals as I passed. For once, I could pretend I was just a girl at a party, wandering the garden under the stars.
“Are you hiding too?”
I jumped and spun around.
Theron stood a few paces away, hands tucked into his pockets, his dark eyes focused only on me. The corner of his mouth lifted.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I…I didn’t mean to be here. I’ll go back inside.”
“Why?” he asked, not moving. “I was hoping for some quiet too.”
I blinked at him. “You... were?”
He nodded. “It’s all a bit much in there.”
“You’re the Alpha,” I said, not able to hide the disbelief in my voice.
“Exactly.” He chuckled. “Which means everyone’s watching. Everyone wants something.”
I hesitated, unsure what to say. “No one wants anything from me.”
“That’s not true,” he said softly.
I looked away, unsure how to respond. No one had ever spoken to me like this before,without cruelty or mocking.
“I saw you earlier,” he said. “You looked like you’d rather be anywhere else.”
“I didn’t mean to come,” I said quickly. “There was a mix-up. They thought I was one of the servers.”
“I’m glad they did,” he said simply.
My stomach flipped. “Why?”
“Because you’re the only person here who isn’t pretending,” he said. “Everyone else is wearing a mask.”
“And I’m not?” I asked.
He stepped closer. Not threatening, just... near.
“No,” he said. “You’re real. I like that.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. My heart was pounding again, not from fear this time, but something I couldn’t name.
“You’re... different from what I expected,” I said, still stunned.
He smiled. “That’s good, I hope.”
“It is,” I said softly, meeting his eyes.
There was a long pause. The tension between us buzzed like lightning in the air. I felt hot and cold all at once, my skin sensitive to the breeze, to the way he was watching me.
He stepped even closer.
“I know we just met,” he said, his voice lower now. “And maybe this is madness, but... would you spend the night with me?”
My breath hitched. I took a step back, unsure I heard him right.
“You can say no if you want to. I’m never going to force you,” he said quickly, sensing my hesitation. “I just... want a night without expectation. No titles. No duty. Just a night.”
I twiddled my thumbs, unsure. “The burdens of the world will still be there tomorrow,” he added, his voice gentle. “But tonight, we could be free.”
I should have said no. I should have turned and walked away.
But his eyes held mine, warm and deep, and I couldn’t move.
Something inside me, something quiet and aching said yes.
“Yes,” I whispered.
His smile deepened.
He rea
ched out, palm open.
I placed my hand in his.
Together, we turned from the garden lights and slipped away into the night.
- Writer
