Chapter Three

The sun had just begun to stretch over the city skyline, bleeding pale gold and lavender into the horizon. It was nearly 5 a.m., and the diner’s sleepy rhythm was beginning to shift as the next shift rolled in.

Victoria clocked out and glanced over at Celeste, who was slowly gathering her things near the staff lockers in the back corner.

“You wanna stay for breakfast?” Victoria asked as she tugged off her apron and tossed it into the bin behind the counter. “My brother’s joining, if that’s okay.”

Celeste looked up, blinking like she’d only just returned to the present moment.

Victoria smiled. “No pressure. Just pancakes and people watching.”

Celeste offered a small, tired smile. “Thanks. But I think I’m just gonna head home and crash.”

Victoria nodded, trying not to show her disappointment. “Alright. Get some rest.”

Celeste disappeared into the back briefly while Victoria slid into the corner booth—their booth—and pulled out her phone to text her brother.

A few minutes later, the bell above the front door chimed.

He stepped in, quiet as ever, presence commanding even in worn jeans and a dark gray hoodie. Most wouldn’t have guessed he was the Alpha King. He carried power in stillness, not in show. His eyes scanned the room instinctively before settling on Victoria.

Celeste emerged from the back at the same moment, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

They almost collided.

“Sorry,” Celeste murmured as she stepped aside, not even looking up.

He brushed past her—his arm grazing hers just slightly—but the contact made him freeze mid-step.

Celeste didn’t notice. She kept walking, nodding a brief goodbye toward Victoria. “See you later.”

“Bye,” Victoria called.

Celeste pushed the door open, letting it close gently behind her as she disappeared into the rising light of morning.

The Alpha King stood still, staring after her through the window.

Victoria frowned. “What?”

He didn’t respond immediately. His eyes narrowed slightly, focused and thoughtful.

“Who is she?” he asked at last, his voice low.

“That’s Celeste,” Victoria replied slowly, brows drawing together. “She works here. We’re... close, I guess. She mostly keeps to herself. Think she’s been through somethings she just wants to keep to herself.”

His head tilted slightly, eyes still fixed on the door. “What things?”

“I don’t know,” Victoria admitted. “She doesn’t talk about her past. All I know is she came here about a year ago, and she’s been hiding something since the day I met her. She’s kind, smart, but guarded like she’s expecting the world to hurt her again.”

There was a long pause.

Victoria looked at him, reading the tension in his stance. “Why?”

He didn’t answer right away. Then, his voice dropped:

“I feel like I’ve seen her before.”

Victoria blinked. “Where?”

“I’m not sure. A long time ago, maybe.” His brow furrowed, and something unspoken passed through his expression—something quiet but sharp, like the sting of a memory that hadn’t surfaced in years. “There’s something about her.”

Victoria leaned forward trying to figure out what to say.

**

The diner was calm again, the rising sun filtering through the windows in soft orange streaks. Victoria studied her brother as he sat across from her, silent, eyes still distant—still pointed toward the door Celeste had just walked through.

He hadn’t spoken since sitting down.

Victoria sipped her coffee and waited a beat before breaking the silence.

“You gonna tell me why she’s got you looking like you just saw a ghost?”

He didn’t answer at first. Just stared into the tabletop like it held a question he hadn’t figured out how to ask.

“I don’t know,” he said finally. “There’s something about her. Something I can’t place.”

Victoria tilted her head. “Like what? You think she’s dangerous?”

“No,” he said quickly, shaking his head. “Not like that. Just... familiar.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You meet a lot of people. Maybe she just reminds you of someone.”

“That’s the thing,” he muttered. “I don’t forget people.”

Victoria leaned back against the booth, studying him. “She’s not the talkative type, if that’s what you’re thinking. Barely says anything, let alone what she did before she got her. Honestly, I thought she was just another girl trying to disappear for a while.”

That got his attention.

“Disappear?”

“Yeah. You can see it on her. She walks like she’s bracing for someone to recognize her. Like the second she lets her guard down, everything’s going to fall apart.”

He was quiet again, but something shifted in his expression—tightened.

“She doesn’t even smell like anything,” Victoria added. “I know that sounds weird, but it’s true. It’s like she’s washed clean. I just assumed she wore perfume to cover something. Maybe she was running from an ex. Or a bad pack.”

At that, her brother’s eyes met hers—sharp and searching.

“What?” Victoria asked, confused.

But he only shook his head slightly and leaned back, resting one hand against his jaw. “You said she’s been here about a year?”

“Give or take.”

“No pack?” he asked carefully.

“She’s never said. I don’t even know if she’s… you know. Like us.”

He didn’t answer that either. Instead, he looked back out the window, as if expecting to see Celeste still there—lingering in the morning fog.

“She’s hiding,” he said quietly. “From something bigger than she’s letting on.”

Victoria leaned forward, suddenly uneasy. “You’re not going to scare her off, are you?”

“No,” he said after a pause. “But I need to know who she is.”

“And if she’s not who you think she might be?”

His jaw clenched faintly. “Then I need to know why she feels like someone I was supposed to find.”