CHAPTER003
969 Words
ELENA'S POINT OF VIEW
"Everyone, put your phones away!" The sound of Professor Nikos' deep voice roared through the training arena.
My body locked up. I couldn't take my eyes off the photo on Thalia's phone while I experienced a twisting pain in my stomach. Marina’s laughter cut through the crowd as whispered murmurs and hushed gasps spread throughout the room, sending a chill down my spine.
She whispered that particular promotion strategy to herself in my direction.
Professor Nikos grabbed the phone from Thalia before I had any chance to react. His eyes scanned the screen with sharp focus while his jaw showed signs of irritation. After a short silence, he snorted in disbelief and showed everyone the phone.
Professor Nikos flatly assessed Photoshop as embarrassingly poor. "The outline around my body is unnatural. The person who created this image prioritized rumor spreading over mastering fundamental editing techniques.
Murmurs washed over the arena as the crowd reacted.
"He's right... look at the edges."
"Wow, that’s desperate. Who would even believe this?"
Marina's confident expression collapsed when her intricate trap fell apart. Satisfaction sparked in my chest.
I thought it looked real for a moment before Thalia nudged me with a playful gesture. "Not that I’d blame you. He’s ridiculously handsome. The majority of women present would trade places with you right now.
I rolled my eyes. "Seriously?"
"Oh, absolutely. And he’s young. Only twenty-three."
That caught me off guard. Although I knew Professor Nikos was close to our age range, I was surprised to learn he was only twenty-three.
"And he’s an Alpha," Thalia continued. "Of the Thalassa Pack."
My stomach dropped.
The Thalassa Pack.
My mother’s pack.
The past came alive through whispered mentions of his esteemed name. Leonidas. The strongest shifter in existence. Leonidas served as the Alpha leader of the Thalassa Pack until his resignation.
So how did Nikos become Alpha?
Students started leaving the room after the session concluded. Thalia stretched. "I need food. Come with me?"
I responded with "In a bit," while my gaze remained fixed on Nikos. Nikos remained close to the practice mats as he examined his phone screen with his furrowed brows showing intense focus. "I need to talk to the professor."
Thalia moved her eyebrows but took no further steps as she left the area. When the room emptied, I approached him.
"Professor?"
He looked up from his device and caught my eyes directly. "The situation has been handled."
He turned his phone toward me. The post was gone.
My brows lifted. "That was fast."
A smirk tugged at his lips. My contact with the platform operator allowed him to delete the post immediately. He took it down without question."
I whispered my thanks as relief swept through me.
My intention to depart halted when I heard his voice.
He started wondering why I looked like someone he knew. When I watched your fight today, I understood everything.
My heart pounded.
"You're Alpha Christos’ daughter."
Not a question. A statement.
I nodded.
"You knew my father?"
Nikos studied me. "Everyone knows him. One of the strongest Alphas in existence. And now I see—he trained you well."
"My entire life," I admitted. My mother and he stand as my top inspirations.
Silence stretched between us. After a moment of hesitation, I announced "I’m throwing a birthday party this weekend."
His head tilted slightly, amused. "Is that so?"
Many Alphas will attend my birthday party. I am celebrating my eighteenth birthday because this event holds great significance in Kallithea. You’re invited."
He stayed silent for a moment, which made my stomach tie itself into knots. I understood the silence meant rejection and started to walk away.
"Should I bring anything?"
I froze.
I twisted my neck to look back and replied with difficulty, "Just yourself."
I exited before I had the chance to embarrass myself even more.
—
"My child is reaching adulthood tomorrow," my mother said softly while she pulled me into a strong hug.
I melted into her warmth. It felt good to be home. The Shifter Academy in Limassol was nearby, yet whenever I left I felt an absence of Kallithea.
"How do you feel?" my father asked, watching me closely. "Any changes?"
I sighed. I knew what he meant. "No. Nothing."
My mother promised me that I would eventually find my wolf. "Stronger than ever."
"She’s right," my father agreed. "It’s in your blood."
I wanted to believe them. I needed to. But doubt still crept in.
My gaze flickered between them. Their love had withstood everything. They demonstrated the strength of the mate's bond with their existence. This bond would be impossible without my wolf awakening.
My father squeezed my shoulder. "Guests are arriving soon. Get ready, Elena bean."
I smiled briefly before walking to my room. As I looked at myself in the mirror, my dress's silk fabric slid smoothly across my skin. One violet eye. One blue. The mark of an Aether shifter.
My mother came to stand beside me while she adjusted the necklace around my neck. "You are stunning."
Pride shone in her eyes. "I’m so proud of you."
I managed to swallow the lump located in my throat. "I love you, Mom."
She wrapped me up in a brief hug then held my hand by joining her arm with mine. We moved into the hallway where the noise from arriving guests filled the atmosphere.
"Oh, I forgot to mention it," I said. I invited my professor. Alpha Nikos."
My mother blinked. "Your professor is Alpha Nikos?"
"You know him?"
Her expression turned unreadable. "As well as I could, I suppose. He is Leonidas’ son."
My breath caught.
Leonidas’ son?
Why had I never known that? There was an obvious sense that my mother was concealing information from me.
- Writer
