Chapter 4 I really do have a wolf

Oh my goodness. I can't believe it.

He just called me his mate. Like, his mate! But I haven't even officially rejected Killian yet, and here this stranger is saying it. Do I have two mates? That can't be right. My head was spinning.

I turned quickly toward Lila. She had backed up a step, which was strange for her. She never backs away from anything. "Did you hear what he just called me?" I asked, my voice a little shaky. "He called me his mate?"

Lila stared at me with wide eyes. She looked shocked. "Muna!!" she called out, sounding unsure. "Your eyes??"

"My eyes? What's with them?" I asked. I touched my face, confused by how she was acting.

"Your eyes are glowing, Muna. They are partially glowing red," Lila said, almost screaming it.

"My eyes glow red? I think you've lost your mind. I don't have a..…" I stopped talking in the middle because I felt it. My wolf. For the first time in my life, I really felt her wake up inside me. She was there, strong and alert, pushing forward just because I looked into this man's eyes. It was crazy. I had thought my wolf was weak or maybe not even there. But now she was stirring like she had been waiting for this moment.

I turned back to the man. He had just been standing there staring at me the whole time, like nothing else in the world mattered.

"I'm Muna D'Argent, Alpha Ronan's daughter," I said. stretching my hand out for a handshake, trying to sound normal even though my heart was beating fast. "And you are?"

"Chris…..Christopher Langston. A rogue," he replied. His voice was deep and rough. When he shook my hand, his grip was strong but not too tight. His hands felt hard, like he worked with them every day.

"A rogue? Why?" I asked. My eyes went down to some medicine bottles that had fallen on the floor when we bumped into each other.

He bent down and started picking up the bottles and putting them in a bag. "Rejected by my former pack because of my wolf," he answered. "I was exiled, so I stay in the mountains."

I watched him for a second. He looked like someone who had been through a lot. But there was something about him that made me feel safe, even though we just met. "Can I have your number? I have something important to discuss with you later. It's important."

He looked at me like he was surprised. "Why would an Alpha's daughter need me, a rogue?"

"That's why I said it's important," I told him. "We would talk, but not here and especially not tonight." I raised my injured hand so he could see the cuts.

He nodded slowly. Lila understood right away and stepped beside me with my phone already out. Christopher took the phone and put in his contact information. He gave it back, looked at me one more time with those eyes, and then left the pharmacy. The door closed behind him quietly.

Lila turned to the nurse who had been standing awkwardly in the corner the whole time. "Can you come treat her hand now?"

The nurse nodded fast and led us to a small room. I sat down on the chair and pulled out my hand. The cuts looked worse under the bright lights. The nurse cleaned them carefully and put bandages on. It stung a bit, but I didn't complain. My mind was too full of other things and for the first time, I wasn't so scared of pharmacies anymore. Funny how one moment can change that.

The nurse packed the used cotton and empty wrappers into a small bin and stepped out, the door clicking shut behind her. Silence filled the room.

Lila leaned against the wall with her arms folded, staring at me.

"What?" I asked but she didn't answer.

"What?"

She let out a long sigh. "I've known you since we were kids."

"I know."

"I've seen you angry."

"Mhm."

"I've seen you cry."

"I know."

"I've even seen you knock out three boys because they called me an orphan."

A small smile pulled at my mouth. "They deserved it."

"They did." She smiled too, but it disappeared just as fast. "But I've never seen your wolf react."

My smile faded. Neither had I. For twenty-five years, nothing. No voice, no instinct, no shift. The elders called me cursed. Some called me incomplete. Others simply pitied me. And tonight, everything had changed.

"I felt it," I whispered.

Lila nodded. "I know."

"It wasn't my imagination."

"No."

"It was real like really really real."

"It was." She walked over and sat beside me. "I saw your eyes."

I looked at her. "They really glowed?"

She nodded without hesitation. "They weren't fully red. It was like... the color was trying to appear."

My heart skipped. "So I really have a wolf?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "But something is definitely happening."

I leaned back against the chair, everything felt confusing. "My whole life I believed I didn't have a wolf."

"So did everyone else."

"Then why now?"

Lila went quiet, thinking. After almost a minute she finally spoke. "There are only two possibilities. Either Killian has been hiding something…" She paused. "…or Christopher is."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

She rested her elbows on her knees. "Think about it. You've believed Killian was your fated mate for years."

"Yes."

"But tonight another man looked at you and called you his mate."

I slowly nodded.

"And your wolf reacted to him."

"Yes."

"But your wolf never reacted to Killian."

My eyes widened. She was right. Not once. Not the first time we met. Not during the mating ceremony. Never.

"But… Killian always said we were fated mates."

Lila looked straight into my eyes. "Did you ever actually feel the bond?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. The answer was no. I had believed him because everyone else believed him. The elders congratulated us. The priests blessed us. Even I had accepted it without questioning it. But I had never truly felt anything. Not like tonight. Tonight was different. It felt natural, powerful like every part of me wanted to run toward Christopher.

I shook my head quickly. "No."

"What?"

"I've only known him for five minutes."

Lila snorted. "That's how mate bonds work."

"I know. But it still feels strange."

"It should." She stood up. "Come on. We've been here long enough."

We left the pharmacy. The night air felt cooler now. Lila and I got into the car. The driver started driving toward home without saying anything. Lila kept looking at me. She couldn't wrap her head around what just happened.

“ Muna I think I've got it. Either Killian lied or used some bad magic. Or this Christopher guy is special. But a rogue living in the mountains? Your dad is not going to like this." Lila said looking at me.

For several minutes after that, neither of us spoke. The city lights slid past the window. People still walked the streets outside, none of them knowing my whole life had changed in a single night.

Lila finally broke the silence again. "Do you trust him?"

I looked outside. "I don't know."

"He could be lying."

"I know."

"He could be dangerous."

"I know." I waited a beat, then looked down at my hands. "But… I don't think he is."

"You barely know him."

"I know."

"So why do you sound so sure?"

I smiled sadly. "Because when he looked at me…" I placed a hand over my chest. "…I didn't feel fear. I felt safe."

We kept talking the rest of the way home. By the time we got to the Alpha's Dominion, I felt a little less crazy.

The Alpha's Dominion is different from every other house in the pack. It sits right in the center of our territory. It's the biggest building, more like a big estate with different wings for family, guests, offices, and training areas. Tall gates, beautiful gardens, and lights that stay on all night. It feels like home but also like a place full of heavy responsibility.

When the car stopped, I got down. Lila came around to stand beside me.

"You should sleep," she said, giving me a look.

"You too."

"I know you will."

She reached out and gently fixed a loose strand of my hair. "I'll come early tomorrow morning."

"I'll be waiting."

"You better not skip breakfast."

"I won't."

"And don't overthink tonight."

I laughed softly. "You're asking the impossible."

"I know."

For a brief moment, we hugged each other.

"I'll be fine, Lila. Go rest too. I'll see you tomorrow morning," I told her.

"Call me if anything happens. And don't think too much tonight. Your head needs rest." She hugged me quick, then stepped back. "Goodnight, Princess."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't call me that."

She grinned. "Goodnight."

I watched her walk toward her own wing of the estate before I turned toward the main villa. Then I walked into the main villa. The big doors felt heavier than usual. Inside, the lights were low. I found my dad sitting on the big couch in the living room. He was smoking. That was rare for him. He only did it when things were really bad.

"Dad?" I said softly.

He looked up. His face looked tired and old. He sighed like he didn't expect me to come back home tonight. "Go to sleep, baby girl. We'll talk in the morning."

I wanted to say more. About the glass, about Christopher, about my wolf waking up. But I could see he had enough for one night. I walked over and kissed his forehead. "Okay, Dad. Goodnight."

I went up the stairs to my room in the family wing. My bed looked so big and empty. I changed into my night clothes and sat down for a minute. My bandaged hand throbbed a little. I looked at my phone. Christopher's number was there now. I saved it but didn't message him.

The full moon was still shining through my window. I thought about everything but deep down, I felt a small spark of hope. My wolf was alive. She had chosen someone. Maybe the Moon Goddess hadn't forgotten about me after all.

I lay down and pulled the covers over me.