Chapter 20

Daphne

Sitting on the bench outside Miss Amelia’s office was like waiting for my death sentence. Wait, why did she have to hide there just to talk to Alpha Calle? After all, I would never be able to hear them since they were talking through mind-link. Maybe she didn’t want me to see her facial expression as she reported to the Alpha about my newest trouble.

Oh, I am so dead!

“Relax, girl,” I muttered, shutting my eyes. “He’s not gonna kill you. He should have done it before if he wanted you dead.” I balled my hands into fists to stop them from trembling. My whole body felt cold. It was as though my blood as well as my internal organs went ice.

Why do I have to feel this fear again? Seriously I was so done… so done with getting scared of my deeds. I didn’t intend it to happen, to begin with! I only want to attend class, sit my butt in the chair for hours as I listen to the teacher’s boring discussion, and then get back to my room and hide under the blanket to sleep.

Anyhow, I wasn’t scared just for myself. The welfare of that girl named Kyla also popped into my mind by and by. I wondered if she was already conscious. And why was Gage so worried about her?

‘Who wouldn’t get worried, you just knocked someone off right before everyone’s eyes, you idiot!’ I slapped myself mentally.

“ Daphne ?”

I gasped and automatically stood as Miss Amelia walked out the door. Her expressions were neutral as she carefully twisted the knob closed and approached me.

I bit my bottom lip, shortly and said, “Am I suspended for what happened? Or expelled?”

She sighed and gave me a small smile. “Do you think I’ll let that happen?”

I shrugged off, lowering my head to the floor. “I’m always messing around. And this one’s the worst… so far. So, I deserved to be punished.”

She touched my hands and invited me to sit down. “The truth is I was not able to talk with Alpha Calle. It was the wrong timing, I think. But he promised to get back to me regarding the incident.”

I took a glimpse at her and then fixed my gaze back on my swaying feet. “You are mad at me, aren’t you?”

“I was shocked about what happened, but I’m not angry. Keep that in mind.” She patted my shoulder lightly. “You know, before meeting you, the Alpha has already told me about you so I was expecting that things would be a little rough during your first few days of attendance in your new school.”

I inwardly grimaced. I couldn’t imagine what Alpha Calle had told her about me. Maybe, it was as though sharing Miss Amelia with some horror stories?

“Why don’t you get back to the pack house first while we wait for the Alpha to speak with you.”

Because of the situation, I dumped myself into, I felt like the pack house was more of a huge dungeon with a bed made of wolfbane, and my hands and feet were locked by chains…silver chains to be exact.

I gulped down the scary thought in my head.

***

A slow and loud exhale left my lips as I got into my room a couple of minutes ago. As I rode here, I noticed that the men who accompanied me were in a strange silence, unlike when they sent me to school earlier this morning. Was it possible that they all knew about the bad news? I, myself, was a huge bad news.

Still leaning against my door, I heard a series of knocks. My heart raced to the thought of who it could be.

Oh, no. I am going to be punished now. Can I at least request my favorite food before I go?

“ Daphne , are you okay?”

“Hm?” I frowned. The manly voice behind the door didn’t sound like who I was expecting. However, he sounded familiar.

“It’s Beta Degen.”

I clutched my chest, feeling it loosened when I opened the door. He was standing there, his hands in his jeans pocket. As usual, he was in casual but fashionable attire, more streetwise, unlike Alpha Calle who used to walk down the corridor in button-down shirts.

“Um, hi?” I smiled sadly. I only let my head be seen and my shoulder down to my toes still hid behind the door. Due to the problem that I caused, I felt naked in the eyes of everyone, judging me from the outside to my bones. “Am I being summoned to the Alpha’s office?”

“No. Alpha Calle is still in the city. I bet he’ll return in the afternoon,” he said, gazing down at me with a soft expression.

“Well, that’s a relief. Because I’m still not reciting my explanation of what happened,” I said, clutching the cold doorknob tighter.

He chuckled. “Oh, come on. Remember what I’ve told you—he’s never murdered a pack member or sentenced someone to death.”

“And like what I said, I think I'll be the first,” I grimaced, goosebumps forming on my skin just by hearing what I had said.

“Don’t be so negative. You’ll be okay. Remember the saying, ‘It’s only a rough day, not a rough life.” he said, tapping my shoulder. “Anyway, I came here to invite you for lunch. Don’t refuse. You look so pale and suffering from hunger. We don’t put our pups in hunger before we torture them,” he winked, which means that his last statement was a joke. It made me laugh a bit.

“I will go down the dining hall after I change my clothes,” I said, nodding.

“Cool,” he said, shrugging off. “I’ll see you in a minute.”

After he left, I closed the door with a smile on my face. Somehow, chatting with Beta Degen in a short while loosened up my nerves a bit. He always had a positive aura, always smiling or smirking as if the word ‘problem’ wasn’t in his vocabulary.

Even on the actual lunch, he continued to throw good stories and even jokes. He didn’t even mention the trouble I caused in the school, or even ask what happened back there.

This was bad. What if Beta Degen only distracted me so I forget about the idea of escaping before Alpha Calle arrived?

‘Goodness, Daphne . You are eating Mac and Cheese, not a plate of paranoia, so stop freaking out!’ I shrieked at myself, trying to drink the bottle of soda Beta Degen had pushed on the table toward me.

When I returned to my room, I was beginning to be consumed by sleep so I took a little nap. I felt alive and energized when I got up after an hour. That was the time I realized how messy my room was. Anyway, since when did my room get clean and tidy?

After stretching my arms, I decided to clean the room I had neglected for like a century. I needed a distraction, anyway. I picked all the small things and put them in the right places. They must have been thanking me for my effort. I also got down on my hands and knees and wiped the floor with wax until it was golden and shiny.

‘What if I leave the wax on my door so when the Alpha dares to enter, he’ll slide down?’

I shook my head, dismissing my naughty thoughts from scattering like a tumor throughout my brain cells.

I ran the vacuum and did some of my laundry in the washing machine. It was amazing how modern this packhouse was. I couldn’t deny the fact that Alpha Calle had intended to design his place as if this mansion sprawled in the city.

After I relished the labor of house chores, I decided to take a long bath to ease my muscles. At least in just a couple of minutes, I could forget all my worries.

But an hour into my leisure time, I heard a knock at the main door of my room. I instantly stood from the foamy bathtub when my heart began to rise uncontrollably. My knees, however, weakened as I smelled an alluring scent. It was manly—strong but sweet, spicy but delectable, musky but clean. No, it wasn’t the shampoo. The smell that was attacking my nostril was new… and addictive. I even had to take a long and deep breath just to calm myself from the effect of that mysterious scent.

‘Could it be… a mate’s scent?”

“Oh, no. Oh, no! I wasn’t prepared for this!” I immediately washed myself under the shower. Oh, why do I feel nervous…at the same time, excited to see the person who just locked the door from the inside.

“ Daphne !” I heard him calling.

For a moment, I froze. My eyes went a bit misty as I exited the bathroom.

"Alpha Calle? It's… it's you?" I thought my eyes were only deceiving me when I spotted Alpha Calle. His attire was sophisticated in a business suit, but his expression looked savage as if he wanted to devour me alive.

"Who else should be?!"

My skin still felt cold from being exposed to the cool air. However, my face was burning just by his hot gaze. He might look angry—fury even—but why was excitement stirring within me?

"Have you forgotten what I've told you about obedience? Are you playing games to catch my attention? Well, imagine what..." he was roaring as he wrapped his hand around my neck. I should be freaking out and begging for my dear life, shouldn’t I? But being contacted with his skin made every tissue in my body scream. The impact of this touch was greater between my thighs.

But then…

Why was he not surprised about the scent? It was as though he was already used to my scent. I know for sure that he was the one I’m smelling. And my body was reacting insanely about it!

Wait, hold on…

"H-how long have you been aware of this?" I finally asked and for the first time in forever, he seemed taken off guard.

It was painful to think, but what if he already knew that I was his mate, only he wouldn’t admit it to me? Since day one, his treatment of me was special. He even had me live in this glamorous mansion instead of shoving me to one of the isolated cottages around the pack.

Yet, he was cold.

"Know about what?"

Seriously? Still playing innocent?

"That you are my mate!" I yelled at his face, my hands were itching to punch him, but my lips were dying to kiss his lips. “Tell me why!”

He stepped back, releasing me from his tight grip as if he got struck by electricity. His handsome face looked confused, his eyes, however, looked hungry as he scanned me from face down to my toes.

“You want to know why?'' he finally said. “I didn’t tell you about our mate bond because…”

My breath halted, and every nerve in my body froze, dying to know a piece of his mind.

“Because you will not make a good Luna.”