Calla's POV
The next few days passed quietly, but not peacefully.
I went about my daily tasks as I always did—helping in the kitchens, organizing supplies, assisting the elder omegas—but something had changed in how people looked at me.
At first, I thought I was imagining it.
But I saw it in the way eyes followed me a little too long. Heard it in the hush of voices when I walked by. Felt it in the stillness that lingered just a second too long when I entered a room.
Even Mika noticed it.
"They're talking," she said gently one afternoon as we folded linens in the sun. "Ever since you stepped into that circle."
I looked down at the white sheet in my hands. "What are they saying?"
"That you're strange," she said honestly. "Different."
I folded the sheet slowly, pressing the corners together. "I've always been different."
"Yeah," she agreed with a smile. "But this time… they're curious."
---
Darien's POV
"She's being watched," I said aloud, leaning over the pack records with Kael standing beside me.
He didn't ask who. He knew.
"Word's spreading," he replied, flipping through a few papers. "Some think she's dangerous. Others think she's special."
"She hasn't shifted. She's not dangerous."
"But she shook the ground without even trying," Kael pointed out. "That much energy from someone untrained? Someone unshifted?"
I closed the book and looked out the window.
She was there again.
Calla.
Sweeping the walkway in front of the supply lodge with quiet focus, her hair tied back, her sleeves rolled to her elbows.
She looked like any other omega.
But she wasn't.
Not anymore.
---
Calla's POV
I was sweeping when I heard someone approach from behind. Not footsteps—just presence. Strong. Confident. Still.
I turned around slowly.
Alpha Darien stood there.
My heart jumped.
"Alpha," I said softly, gripping the broom tighter.
He didn't say anything at first. His eyes scanned the walkway, the sweep of dust, the way my hand trembled just a little. Then, finally, he spoke.
"Walk with me."
My pulse raced. I nodded once and set the broom aside.
We walked side by side in silence, the kind of silence that wasn't uncomfortable—just… charged. The late afternoon sun painted the village in gold, and wolves moved around us with subtle bows and curious glances.
He didn't look at me until we reached the edge of the woods, just outside the village where the trees started to grow thicker.
Then he turned.
"You felt something," he said simply.
I hesitated, unsure what to say. Lying would be pointless.
"Yes."
"Tell me."
"I… don't know what it was," I admitted, folding my arms. "It felt like something was waking up inside me. Like I was standing at the edge of a cliff, and all I had to do was jump."
He nodded slightly. "But you didn't."
"I couldn't."
"Why?"
"Because I'm afraid I don't know who I'll be when I land."
Darien was quiet. His eyes, those stormy gray depths, didn't flinch.
"You've never shifted," he said, not as a question.
"No."
"You're not the only one who was late."
I blinked. "You were?"
He looked away, toward the trees. "Not late. Just… different. It happens. Sometimes it means nothing. Sometimes it means everything."
He turned back to me.
"We won't force you again. But if something stirs in you… let it. Don't be afraid of yourself."
I didn't know what to say. So I just nodded.
As we walked back, I felt the strange warmth again. Not a pull. Not the spark from the stories. Just… awareness. Like his presence grounded me, reminded me of something I couldn't name.
And maybe he felt it too. Because when we reached the center of the village, he paused.
"I've arranged for a private space," he said. "Near the ridge. For training. Just you. No one else. When you're ready."
I stared up at him, unsure how to respond.
"Thank you," I whispered.
He nodded once and walked away.
I stood there for a long time.
Maybe this was the beginning of something.
Maybe I was finally being seen.
---
Darien's POV
"She's close," Kael said later that evening as we stood in the Alpha House, reviewing patrol maps.
"She's still scared," I said quietly.
Kael gave me a side glance. "You care."
I didn't answer.
But I did.
Not just because of what stirred inside her. Not because of what she might be.
Because I saw something in her I hadn't seen in a long time.
Strength born from silence.
Fire born from fear.
And I wasn't going to let the pack crush it before she even learned what it meant.
---
Calla's POV
That night, I stood at the edge of the ridge. The space Darien had prepared for me wasn't big—just a clearing with soft earth, a few training posts, and a small stack of folded clothes and towels under a tree.
But it was quiet.
Private.
Mine.
The moon rose higher, casting pale light on the clearing.
I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply.
"I'm not afraid," I whispered.
Even if it wasn't fully true…
It was a start.