Calla's POV
The air had started to change. It wasn't the weather—it was something else. Something inside her. A feeling. A stirring. Like the moment before lightning cracked across the sky—silent, tense, waiting. Calla couldn't explain it, not even to herself.
The training grounds buzzed with life as usual, warriors sparring, pack members shifting in and out of their wolves, but for Calla, everything felt slightly off. The sun was warm on her skin, yet she felt a coldness threading beneath her ribs. She rubbed her arms unconsciously as she crossed the edge of the field, heading toward the tree line. Her chores were done for the day, and she often used her free time to find a quiet place, far from judging eyes, especially since the Alpha had placed new eyes around the pack's perimeter.
Darien Kaelstrom.
Even the thought of his name made her heart thump. Not from love or longing—at least, that's what she told herself—but from a strange tension that had grown since their arrival. There was something about him that tugged at her attention, and she hated it. She hated how aware she was of him.
Still, he hadn't noticed her. Not really. They'd only exchanged a few words since that first brief encounter. He'd looked at her as if trying to figure her out, but then his attention had shifted away—just like everyone else. That was good. That was safe.
The last thing she needed was the Alpha digging into her life.
She pushed deeper into the forest, toward the small stream that curved around the back edge of the land. This was her quiet place. Even Mika had only recently learned of it. Speaking of Mika...
"You always disappear," Mika said, her voice warm behind her. Calla turned to see her best friend stepping carefully over some roots, her arms folded playfully.
"I like the quiet," Calla said simply, settling onto the soft moss near the stream.
Mika joined her, flopping down beside her with a loud sigh. "You know what they're saying, right?"
"No. And I probably don't want to."
Mika grinned. "Too bad. Rumors spread fast when the Alpha's mansion is finally finished, and the patrols have doubled overnight."
Calla looked up. "Did something happen?"
"No one's saying, but I think it has something to do with outsiders. Rogues maybe. Or maybe the Alpha just doesn't trust everyone yet. Honestly? Can't blame him."
Calla remained quiet. She'd seen the new mansion from afar. It was large, elegant, yet not placed to look down upon the others. It stood proudly among the rest—an Alpha's home, with wide windows, a stone pathway, and enough space to hold gatherings. Still, she'd never stepped close to it. She didn't need to.
"Did you hear about the ring?" Mika asked suddenly.
"What ring?"
"The one the Alpha wears. Some of the others said it's a custom of the Kaelstrom bloodline—silver band with a crescent symbol carved into it. Passed from Alpha to Alpha. It's like a legacy thing. Old magic or something."
Calla blinked. "Magic?"
Mika shrugged. "Symbolic, mostly. The crescent represents their connection to the moon. They say it glows when worn by the rightful Alpha, and it dulls when passed to someone unworthy."
"Huh," Calla said, staring into the water. "I never knew that."
"Neither did I. But it's cool, right?"
"I guess," Calla murmured, though her thoughts were spinning elsewhere.
Something had begun to shift inside her. Not just the air. Not just the Alpha's arrival. It was in her body, her bones. In her wolf, who had remained mostly quiet these past few weeks. That stillness was beginning to hum again.
Are you awake? she asked silently, eyes narrowing at her reflection in the stream.
A flicker of warmth rippled through her chest.
Just watching, her wolf whispered. I feel something coming.
The hairs on the back of her neck rose.
Before she could respond, they both stiffened.
Footsteps.
Not Mika's. Heavier. Controlled.
Calla turned slightly, eyes searching the tree line, and there he was.
Darien Kaelstrom.
He stood a good distance away, his arms crossed, face unreadable. The wind tugged at his dark shirt, and his short-cropped black hair looked like shadow under the dappled sunlight.
Mika froze beside her. "Uh oh…"
Darien's eyes met Calla's—and held.
Not recognition.
Not a spark.
Just… focus.
And yet, for a split second, Calla's wolf stirred sharply.
A rush of heat. Then nothing.
The moment passed.
"Everything alright here?" he asked, voice low but strong.
Mika scrambled to her feet. "Yes, Alpha."
Calla stood more slowly, her heart beating louder than necessary.
He glanced at her, just briefly, and then looked away. "Stay close to the main grounds from now on. We've had signs of movement in the western border. Nothing confirmed yet, but stay alert."
"Yes, Alpha," both girls echoed.
And just like that, he turned and walked away.
Calla watched him go.
No tingling skin.
No burning mark.
No bond.
Why? she thought, quietly, but her wolf didn't answer.
Not yet.
Something is sleeping, she thought instead.
And maybe it's better that way… for now.