Chapter 3

I couldn't open my eyes. Not with the severe headache that troubled me. I tried opening my eyes a few times so I knew I was in my room in the mansion's attic. I had the blankets covering me up to the jaw, and yet I was still shivering from the cold. I could hear the fireplace burning. The fire crackling and the smell of burning wood were unmistakable.

When I managed to feel a little better, I looked at everything around me. The room was dark and only the fire lit dimly. I was surprised to notice that Adrien was sitting on the small sofa in my room, totally asleep.

I tried to get up, but the pain in my body was much more substantial. I felt burning, my temperature was high, my throat was dry, and my ankle throbbed.

I had gotten sick from the rain, it was apparent. I was always in poor health, which is why the Alpha had forbidden me many times to play with Adrien and the other pups in the pack. They could be for days in the rain without problems. I, on the other hand, had the health of a bit of a chick. I let out a soft groan, but it was enough to wake Adrien and have him by my side in the blink of an eye.

"How do you feel?" he asked with concern.

"Like shit," I replied hoarsely.

He laughed a little, he seemed to be in a better mood so I smiled back at him. He touched my forehead a couple of times, frowning.

"You have a fever. Do you want to eat something?" 

"I have no appetite," I muttered.

"It would be best if you ate something, Estelle." 

"I feel bad, Adrien," I whimpered. "Pamper me."

The tremendous and future Alpha had a weakness. One he could never resist. And that was the sad puppy look. I knew how to use it well, so it was still very efficient. He gently stroked my hair with that expression of resignation, knowing that I had won this battle.

His mouth twisted. He seemed to be thinking of something. He was so handsome, and I was a mess.

In my defense, no one looked good being sick.

"If you eat something, whatever is healthy, I promise to pamper you the rest of the day."

"Deal!" I exclaimed, delighted.

I could make the sacrifice to eat something if it meant having him around all day. I liked spending time with him, even as friends. Our video game and movie afternoons were my favorites. Because we grew up together, our tastes used to fit together. Things like fighting over which movie to put on were alien to us.

Complicity. We were so complicit in all aspects of our lives that, in one way or another, we ended up synchronizing and complementing each other.

"I hate soup," I grumbled after I finished it. I knew he was going to take advantage of my misfortune.

To my regret, that was also part of our friendship. What kind of friends didn't tease each other from time to time?

"I know," he admitted, grinning.

He lay down next to me, like every night where silences weren't uncomfortable, where I didn't need to explain things to him because he already knew. Adrien feared storms ever since his mother left him in the middle of one. The Alpha told me about it once, just because he noticed his son taking refuge in my room every rainy night.

When the former moon decided to leave office and her family, the rain was falling outside with great fury. Little Adrien was outside the mansion all night, waiting for his mother to return. Not even the Alpha could convince him to take shelter in their home.

So they ran an incredible feeling of loneliness in Adrien, even when so many years had passed since then.

However, we were already teenagers, almost adults. He no longer came seeking my protection, but the habit remained between us.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized for the fifth time that day.

"I already told you we're fine. It wasn't a big deal." 

"You're sick because of me. I should never have listened to Astrid." 

"What are you talking about?" I asked, frowning.

"She said it would be okay to escape for a while. She said the bus would run until nightfall, that she had already checked it out." 

"No bus passed in two hours, Adrien," I spat. I wanted so badly to smash that wretch's face.

She did it on purpose. She knew for sure. Did I have proof of it? No, I didn't. But that didn't take away my annoyance. Someday I would charge her for everything she had done to me during my childhood and adolescence.

But now, she claimed to be the future moon of the pack. 

What would she do to me then? I couldn't stay here if she commanded me to leave. Not even Adrien could protect me. I was sure she would make my life miserable.

No, she was nobody's moon. 

I shook my head to remove all the unwanted thoughts. 

"I know. I arrived here, and many hours had already passed, and you're still not home. Nobody knows where you are. I was petrified. I had never been so scared in my life." 

He was crying. Not in an outrageous and disgusting way. No. Tears were running freely down his face, and he didn't try to stop them or pretend that he wasn't crying. He opened up to me, allowed me to see his heart even though it wasn't necessary.

"Listen to me well, Adrien," I spoke seriously, forcing him to meet my eyes.

"It wasn't your fault. I should have called someone when I saw that a bus did not pass. Yes, I ran out of battery at the bus stop. However, no one forced me to get lost in the forest."

"But you didn't have to make that decision if I had been there."

"I'm tired, Adrien," I admitted. "I don't want to continue being the weak human of the pack. I'm only here because you forced them to accept me."

"That's not true." He tried to deny it, but we both knew he was lying.

"I can't even make it to the pack on my own. What does that say about me?" I sniffed loudly through my nose. I was seconds away from crying.

"I never tried to show you the way. It's my fault, not yours." He was desperate, and it was evident in his voice.

"And I didn't learn it on my own."

We both let out a sigh in unison. It was useless to argue. We would both blame ourselves. It wasn't the first time, of course not.

When we were kids and someone was caught up in mischief, we used to blame ourselves. The Alpha never really knew who to punish, so we usually ended up punished together.

We talked for hours. Adrien hadn't had a day off for months, and the Alpha gave it to him with the excuse that he was going to take care of me. I didn't have to worry about him catching it since werewolves rarely got sick.

I sometimes envied them. They were more potent, more agile, and with better resistance to all kinds of diseases than humans. In comparison, I was just a paper doll, too weak.

But that would change. It needed it to change. I was going to ask Adrien to show me the way, to train me. I couldn't just remain the friend of the future alpha. Not if there was a chance, however small, that Astrid was his moon.

I had to learn to take care of myself. I couldn't remain a burden to Adrien.

Not anymore.

The next day I was feeling much better. There were still traces of illness, I sneezed from time to time and I should always have a handkerchief at hand, but at least I could now go to school.

The future Alpha was leaning against his white car, gleaming, waiting for me. He wore a forest green shirt, ripped pants at the knees, and a wild smile on his lips.

So attractive, so provocative. I had an immense desire to jump on him, taste his lips and lose myself in him. He cleared his throat, drawing my attention.

I didn't feel ashamed. Hee did the same thing all the time. I was wearing a white T-shirt and distressed jeans. I needed to buy more clothes, but I had to free myself from a couple of exams before I could get to work.

Sometimes I worked in a cafeteria in the center of the city. The owner was a kind she-wolf. She had accepted me as a daughter, despite her being a widow.

I had come into her life right after the death of her husband. Werewolves normally die after the loss of their mate, so everyone in the pack was waiting for her to die.

She was a girl in a very peculiar place, so I didn't understand any of her rules. When I saw her, I could only approach, take her hand, and whisper that I felt the loss of her. Something that was forbidden in the pack, but just what Margaret needed.

Every day I would go to her cafeteria, who was in the pack at the time and chat with her for hours.

We were both broken, too hurt. Only we could know the pain we carried. She acted like a mother to me and I gave her a reason to stay alive.

Since then I have worked for her on vacations and off-hours.

"Earth calling Princess Estelle," I heard Adrien's voice, too close to me.

He was standing, his face just inches away from mine. I feel my cheeks burn and thousands of killer wasps attack my stomach.

"Why princess?" I asked the first thing that crossed my mind.

He seemed to think about it for a few seconds, putting his hand on his chin.

"Because you're the princess of my life, I guess." He shrugged.

I tried to keep my heart from racing at his words but it was impossible. How could I not fall in love with him? How can I avoid falling at his feet?

"I'm not a princess," I stammered.

"You are to me. Now, Miss Princess, move those ass of yours to my car or we'll be late for class." 

I laughed when I heard him. Adrien had humor that only flourished with me. For the others, he had to be serious and regal, like a true leader. It was when we were alone that his true personality came to light.

He drove to school. He had set me on the road during the trip. I was sure I would learn it on my own. If I had managed to get there as only a child, then I was capable of doing it again.

"Hey, Alpha!" Miguel, his best friend, called mockingly.

They clashed their fists and then slapped each other on the back in a rare greeting characteristic of men.

"Hi, Migo." I ruffled his hair and scratched behind his ear, like a puppy.

He immediately stuck out his tongue and started moving one leg, playing along with me. He was kind of like my personal pet. He had mahogany hair, his eyes were green and mesmerizing. His eyebrows were bushy and he was handsome in his way.

Not an Adonis type, of course. But he was very attractive. Miguel was in love with my best friend, Ainsley. An unrequited love, sadly.

"Tel!" A voice yelled from behind me, just before Ainsley rolled me over.

She was a human. Her hair was brown with yellow tips, reaching past her waist. Her eyes were honey, her lips were thin, and always covered with some lipstick. Flirtatious eyes, carefree and smiling attitude. She was my best friend, the only human I allowed to get close to me.

If I was a lesbian, surely I would court her. She was too beautiful.

My friendship with her developed in such a peculiar way. The outgoing girl adopted an introvert as a friend type. Ainsley moved closer to me no matter how hard I resisted. I must not be close to humans, since they could find out about my relationship with the pack, which was forbidden.

But she didn't let me walk away. She stayed by my side, earning my appreciation each day a little more.

"Don't call me Tel," I claimed. 

"Oh, come on! Everyone calls you Elle, sometimes I don't understand if they're just calling you or they're saying the alphabet." 

"Don't be envious." I tapped him on the forehead, smiling. 

She puffed out her cheeks, pouting adorably. Oh, how much I adored this girl. She was my friend for several years, and she was always with me, being my support and my anchor. 

I noticed that Miguel was looking at her too, mesmerized by her beauty. I felt sorry for him; I knew well what her friendzone was and all the disadvantages of belonging to it.

"Stop with all the chit-chat. It's time to get into a class," Adrien urged.

I was an excellent student. I was the best in the whole institute, and that is how I had to keep it if I wanted to continue with my scholarship. The Alpha offered to pay for my education, but I didn't want to always depend on his kindness. He gave me a roof and food, that was too much.

"Come on, Mr. Grumpy." I gave him a slight shove with my shoulder but didn't move an inch.

Damn werewolf, damn super strength that made me look foolish.

He laughed when he saw me sulking, mocking. It was funny to him that I didn't have a chance, although more than once, I had managed to beat him as a child.

I grew up running and traveling all over the place, so I wasn't exactly a young lady. Werewolves usually play heavy, always fighting each other.

At first, they were not letting us fight since the future Alpha should not be so cruel when fighting against humans, but that was before they saw that we were equal in strength. This made the Alpha so upset that he sent him to exercise much more than he really should.

A human should never have a chance against an alpha. Over the years, he had stopped being a good opponent. Adrien could break my bones just by touching me.

I wasn't afraid of him at all. Adrien and I are so certain, thanks to all the years we've lived together. He was always my brave protector, even though it was not what he was supposed to do.

Once, I heard the old ages speak about us. It was strange that we could get along so well, so they held an emergency meeting within a few weeks of my stay.

Even though that hadn't been my intention hiding in the council room, I still overheard them talking about a myth.

They say that if your mate is in danger, the real threat of death, then she can be guided to you. They believed that I had faced so many risks that the path to the pack had been marked in my steps.

Then it was dismissed, as they had never encountered a human mate.

Until I arrived, of course.