Chapter 4 Chapter 4
CALIX POV
Being born to the Alpha of the Crescent Pack meant I never really had a say in anything. My life was carved out before I could even speak my first word. Every decision, every expectation was handed down like a royal decree. I was expected to lead, to dominate, to marry someone from a powerful bloodline, and most of all— to forget about things like choice or love. My interests in literature, in music, in the things that made me feel human-those were stripped from me under the guise of duty.
And the crown jewel of that life sentence?
Simone Hendrix.
The beta's daughter. She was beautiful, yes, but so is a wildfire-bright, captivating, and utterly destructive. With her long, flowing hair and piercing blue eyes, she could light up a room. But beneath that beauty lay a tempest of ambition and entitlement that could consume everything in its path.
We dated for exactly one year. One excruciatingly long, pride-wounded, image-obsessed year. She was the perfect match on paper. Her parents were pack nobles. She was well-bred, well-trained, and absolutely insufferable. I felt like I was trapped in a gilded cage, and every day was a reminder of the life I hadn't chosen.
The day I ended it was supposed to be a relief. Instead, it turned into another cage.
"Calix, don't be ridiculous," she snapped, arms folded tightly across her chest, her manicured nails digging into her arms like talons. "What do you mean we're breaking up?"
I stood by the oak tree at the back of the schoolyard-our usual meeting spot. The late autumn wind rustled the leaves, mimicking the chaos swirling in my chest. I could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on me, the air thick with unspoken words.
"I don't feel anything for you anymore, Simone. If I ever did, it was respect. Not love. I can't keep doing this," I said, my voice steady but laced with an edge of desperation.
Her laugh was sharp and mean, like glass cracking under pressure. "Do you even know what people will say? Our parents already made arrangements-"
"That's exactly the problem," I growled, stepping back, my frustration boiling over. "Our lives are being run like politics, not lives. I want something real. And if we're being honest, so do you. You want worship. I can't give you that."
She flinched, then narrowed her eyes, but it wasn't anger in her gaze. It was calculation, like she was already plotting her next move.
"Fine," she said after a pause, her voice cool and collected
"Let's make a deal. If neither of us finds our mate by the time college ends, we get back together. You fulfill your pack duty, and I get my position."
I stared at her, stunned by how quickly she'd twisted everything to her advantage. But I was tired. Tired of the games, the expectations, and frankly, I never believed I'd find my mate anyway.
"Deal," I muttered, not thinking it would ever matter.
She smiled like she'd won something. She didn't.
Not yet.
-—
Since then, she'd made it her mission to scare off every girl who even looked my way. It was like I had a neon sign above my head that read "Stay Away." And when I tried to break the deal, she'd guilt me with her parents, with the pack, with duty.
It was exhausting, and I felt like I was suffocating under the weight of it all.
So, I decided I'd find my mate. Not just some girl I could tolerate— but the one destined for me. The problem was... everyone knew Simone's wrath. Girls steered clear of me like I was radioactive. And I hated it. I wanted to scream at the world, to shake things up, but instead, I was stuck in this never-ending cycle of loneliness.
Then one day, the school administrator had a family emergency and asked me to step in. Normally, I'd say no, but I was restless that day, feeling the walls close in around me.
That's when I saw her.
Maddie Vale.
Her application sat quietly at the top of the pile like it had been waiting for me. A wolfless werewolf. A fresh transfer. A long list of academic accolades. And completely unaware of the mess that was Simone Hendrix.
I approved it on the spot. I didn't know why, just that... something in me stirred when I read her name. It was as if the universe had shifted, and suddenly, I was drawn to her.
And here she was, standing in front of me, looking up at me with wide, shimmering eyes, one hand covering her cheek, which was still red from the slap Simone had given her. She wasn't crying for sympathy. No, she was holding back something raw, something much deeper. Was she really wolfless?
I helped her to her dorm, my hand burning from the brief touch of her skin. It was supposed to be nothing just helping a girl who got pulled into Simone's madness. But the longer I was around her, the quieter my thoughts became. My wolf wasn't screaming anymore. He was watching. Waiting Then... he spoke.
Mate.
I nearly stumbled as the word whispered through my mind, a rush of emotion flooding my senses. I tried to focus, tried to play it cool, but my heart raced like it was trying to break free from my chest.
My entire world had just shifted. Without another word, I left her standing there, probably thinking I was a jerk. But I couldn't stay. Not with my wolf staring at her like she was made of starlight. Not with my curse simmering just beneath the surface.
Because I knew the truth. Every time I've ever loved anything
—I ruined it. It started with my mother. Then my younger brother. Even a damn dog when I was twelve.
The Moon Goddess made one mistake with me she made me capable of love, but cursed anyone I gave it to.
And now? Now I'd found the one person I was supposed to protect above all.
The one person I could never have. Maddie Vale. My mate.
And if I wasn't careful... she'd bleed because of me.