Chapter Two: The Alpha's Eyes

The wolf held Elena's gaze with his fierce stare, his blue eyes piercing her very soul. Instead of wonder and happiness at finding her Goddess-chosen mate, she felt only fear. It was clear from how he looked at her that he knew very well who she was. Hell, everyone in Silverpine knew who she was thanks to those nasty girls and their rumors.

Now she could add acting like a scared little pup to the list of insults. Whoever the wolf was outside her door, he didn't look very impressed with having her for a mate. He huffed, shook his head one more time, and turned, running once more for the tree line.

Elena waited for the shaking in her hands and legs to lessen enough so she could stand. Slowly, she climbed to her feet. Next to the door, she found her bag where she had dropped it. It surprised her that she even managed to bring it inside.

She went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass from one of the cabinets. Filling it with a handful of ice from the freezer, she grabbed a Coke. Gazing far off into the distance with her mind on anything other than the can in front of her, she popped the lid and poured the soda into her glass.

Elena kicked off her shoes by the island, hardly thinking about how Gail would fuss at her in the morning. She strode across the thick pile of the carpet to the door and double-checked the lock. Just then, an ear-splitting howl tore through the night, and she knew it was her fated mate...whoever he was. Something about it ripped through her soul, and she longed to be out there with him.

Just one little problem. No wolf. It had been almost one entire year since her 18th birthday, and she still had no sign of her own wolf. She may have been the daughter of one of the greatest Alphas on the East Coast, but without her own wolf, she was a laughingstock.

DING!

She jumped as her phone chimed with a text message. The one bright spot in her life was her best friend, Jordan. They'd been inseparable since Elena's first day. She remembered it like it was yesterday.

***

"It's going to be okay," Gail said as she fixed Elena's hair. "Everyone gets nervous when they have to do something new."

Elena had been with her pack for her entire life. Losing her parents meant losing everything. Her family. Her friends. Her home. It was great that she had her aunt to lean on, but it just wouldn't be the same. 

Because she was only 16, she couldn't take over as Alpha. That meant her father's Beta, James, would step in until she was old enough to claim the title. She trusted her pack was in great hands, but it didn't make starting a new high school in her sophomore year any better.

Gail dropped her off at the front entrance to Silverpine High School, waving a smiling goodbye in the rearview mirror. As Elena made her way up the steps, she could feel everyone's eyes turn in her direction. She swore she heard someone whisper, "Fresh meat."

After getting her locker assignment and schedule from the main office, she began navigating the twisting hallways. Finally, at her locker, Elena paused to breathe. Her heart was racing. She covertly checked her outfit to make sure it was still in order. She had chosen a bright purple T-shirt with a snappy blue denim skirt. Her heeled sandals rounded out the look with her silky black hair brushed straight to her waist.

She heard a quiet noise to her left. When she looked, a walking, talking fashion model of a guy was standing there looking at her. He flashed her an over-the-top grin before offering his name, Matt, with a wink.

"New here?"

"That obvious, huh?" she asked in response.

"How about you let me show you around?" Matt offered.

Having limited options, Elena agreed. By the end of the day, he had shown her the entire school, and they had a date for that evening. 

Elena spent an hour getting ready, excited that this could actually be a fresh start for her after so much tragedy. She selected a cute yet tasteful blue summer dress and matching sandals. Matt picked her up on time in a souped-up muscle car. Not knowing anything about cars, she just knew it was loud and fast.

She got in the car with him, and he almost immediately showed his true colors. He drove to the local park. Being 8:00 at night, it was deserted and dark. At first, Elena took it as a romantic gesture, but she soon realized what he was after when his hand grabbed her bare knee.

Matt pushed her back against the seat and forced a really wet, sloppy kiss on her. Unsure of what else to do, she bit him. He jumped back, screaming, "FUCK!"

"What is wrong with you?!" Elena yelled.

She jumped out of the car and started walking out of the park. As she turned the corner, she realized they weren't the only ones in the park. Jordan was sitting on a blanket looking up at the stars.

"Are you okay?" Jordan asked Elena when she saw her crying.

"No, but I will be," Elena replied. Jordan invited Elena to sit and share her story. Unfortunately, that night wouldn't be the end of it. 

The next day, Matt had spread the story far and wide of how he slept with Elena on the first date. Everyone was calling her names like whore and slut. The only one who stood by her was Jordan.

***

"What are you doing tonight?" Jordan texted.

Instead of texting, Elena called her best friend and told her the whole story of what happened with the wolf. 

"Wait. What? You found your fated mate?!" Jordan screamed.

"Yeah, but I don't know who he is. And he didn't look happy to see it was me." 

"Well, what do you want to do?" Jordan asked.

"I kind of just want to forget tonight happened. It's all just another reminder of how I don't have a wolf," Elena said.

They hung up the phone, and Elena changed for bed. She sat down in the window seat and gazed up at the full moon. While she didn't have a wolf, the moon still called to her. Perhaps that meant one day she would finally get one. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, and for a quick second, she swore her eyes flashed silver.