Callum's POV
I didn't know why I lied… but I just did.
I told Hailee I wanted to do some grocery shopping when, in truth, I had everything I needed in my small apartment. I wasn't hungry. I wasn't out of anything. I was just bored—and she came to mind. So I picked up the phone and called her. Just to hear her voice. Just to get her attention.
"So, you like her," my wolf teased.
I scoffed, ignoring him as I grabbed my car keys.
I left the apartment and drove off.
It was the weekend, and I was supposed to be home with my family. The drive back to my pack wasn't long—just twenty minutes from the Full Moon Pack—but I didn't feel like going. I didn't miss the noise. I didn't miss the constant activity.
Back home, the pack house was always crowded.
There was always someone around, always something going on. Training. Pack meetings. Patrol schedules. Someone needing help. Someone asking questions.
I couldn't breathe there sometimes. Everyone expected me to be strong, to be constantly training. But here in this little apartment, I didn't have to be anyone but myself.
And I liked this… but unfortunately, it wouldn't last.
In less than a year, my life would hit a full reset. I'd return home, get fully involved in the pack, and start my final round of training as Alpha-to-be. After that, there would be no escape.
There were days I wished I wasn't born into a royal bloodline. That I wasn't the heir. That I was just a normal werewolf with no big expectations. No responsibilities. No spotlight.
Peace… that's all I wanted sometimes. But peace is the one thing an Alpha doesn't get. Not really.
Maybe that's why I turned into what they call me now—a womanizer. I didn't plan to be. But when girls kept throwing themselves at me, I didn't push them away. They loved the title. The attention. They didn't care about me, not really. They wanted the future Alpha. The name. The power.
But this Hailee… this omega, she was different.
She didn't chase me. She didn't care about who I was or what title I held. In fact, she acted like she barely noticed. She didn't flirt, didn't dress up for me, didn't try to impress me.
And for some damn reason… that made me want to know her more.
I couldn't explain it, but just meeting her yesterday, I felt there was something… different about her. Something unique. Something I couldn't put into words.
But of course, I couldn't tell her that. I had to keep up the image she'd probably already heard.
Callum, the womanizer.
Callum, the arrogant heir.
Callum, the rude future Alpha who didn't take anything seriously.
I pulled up near the gates of Full Moon Pack and parked a short distance away, just far enough to not draw attention but close enough for her to see me.
I took out my phone and typed quickly.
"I'm outside. Come out."
Short and simple. No emojis. No overthinking. I tossed the phone into the passenger seat and leaned back.
The gates were quiet for a minute. Then I saw her.
She stepped out like she hadn't just spent ten minutes deciding if she should come. Like this wasn't some weird spontaneous meeting on a weekend. She walked with that same calm she always carried, like nothing in the world could shake her.
And damn—she looked… good.
She wasn't wearing anything fancy. Just a fitted black top, some jeans, and sneakers. But she looked better than any girl I'd ever seen try to impress me in silk or red lipstick. Her hair was tied back, a few strands falling free, and there was no makeup on her face—at least not that I could see from here.
But she was beautiful. Effortlessly gorgeous.
I swallowed hard and quickly looked away, pretending to fiddle with something on the dash.
I couldn't let her see me staring.
She opened the passenger door and slid in like she belonged there. No hesitation. No nerves. No shy giggles or flirty comments. She simply buckled her seatbelt and glanced over at me.
"What do you want to get?" she asked, her tone flat and to the point.
I cleared my throat. "Uh… just a few things. Milk. Bread. Apples. Soap."
I listed whatever came to mind, even though I had plenty of all that sitting untouched in my kitchen.
She nodded once and pointed ahead. "Take the left. There's a small market down that road."
I did as she said, turning left, hands tightening slightly on the wheel.
The car fell into silence after that.
Real silence. Not the kind you fill with fake laughter or shallow questions. She didn't even look at me. Just stared out the window like I wasn't there. Like I wasn't the same guy half the girls in my pack would kill to sit next to.
She didn't ask about my day.
She didn't try to make small talk.
She didn't flirt.
She didn't care.
It was… strange. Unsettling.
I kept glancing at her from the corner of my eye, half-expecting her to flash a shy smile or start asking about my family, something. Anything.
But nothing came.
It was the first time I'd sat in silence like this with a girl my age. The only other females who treated me this normally were my sister and maybe my mother on her grumpy days.
My jaw clenched slightly as I turned onto the quiet road she directed me to. I wasn't used to this. Not being the center of attention. Not having to dodge wandering hands or overexcited giggles.
My wolf stirred again.
"Maybe she likes someone else," he murmured, almost smug.
I frowned. My mind went straight to the only name it could.
Nathan.
Was that it?
Did she like him?
Was that why she was so… unimpressed with me?
I shook the thought off.
No. I wasn't going to start making stupid guesses. Besides, Nathan might not even be her type. At least, I didn't think so. But then again—I didn't know what her type was.
Hell, I didn't know anything about her.
And for some reason… that made me want to know everything.