The Chosen Alpha (Prequel to The Female Alpha)

Mikalya's P.O.V

"Thank you...for the picnic...and the photoshoot." I gave him a tight smile, withdrawing my hand from his.

He noticed the sudden change in my demeanor, but he didn't comment on it. But now, we had both finished dinner and that bottle of palm wine that he had managed to get his hands on.

But since the sun had already set and the sky had gotten dark enough that it wasn't safe to travel back to the town, in case we got lost on the way...there was no other way than to stay the night here, by the ruins of this ancient palace. Oddly enough, it wasn't scary at all. It was calm and peaceful, with the silence momentarily interrupted by the chirping of the crickets and other nocturnal animals.

"The food was really delicious." I commented, unable to find a better topic. "This restaurant was a good choice."

"Wasn't it?" His grin finally returned. "I went there for lunch this afternoon and really liked it! I knew you would love it too, since you like spicy food. Maybe I should start learning to cook spicy food too, huh?"

A man who knew how to cook? Now wasn't that the kind of guy we women wanted as a husband material?

I quickly banished that thought away because I knew the predicament I was in. The last thing I wanted to do was to complicate matters any further. I needed to hold my ground and ensure that nothing took me away from the goal I wanted to set out for myself.

"Thank you, Abhay," I smiled. "But I'd suggest you not try to hurt yourself. You can't stand spicy food, can you? Then why take on such a hassle?"

Abhay seemed to have meticulously planned this trip and I highly doubt that this happened as a spur of the moment thing. He had taken extra food in case we might get hungry again. He had also packed a blanket and several other stuff that I couldn't even count. He even brought a makeshift tent that he had set up for us, with one side still open so we could see the stars even as we nestled inside to get away from the bugs.

"I brought some extra stuff just in case but I don't really expect you to want to stay the night here," he looked around at the ruins as if wondering if it was going to be safe.

"Well, it's getting pretty late and in the desert, it can be quite challenging to find directions during the night when there is no light around." I shrugged. "Besides, we slept out in the sands the other night, didn't we? We have blankets now, and even pillows. So this night out would be a lot more comfortable.

"I had only planned to stay till evening and then take you somewhere else the next day," he scratched his nape. "But I'm glad that we're getting to spend more time together tonight."

I remained silent as I thought about his words. I would be leaving tomorrow and that was the only reason why I wanted to spend the night here, with him. It was like a final goodbye before I was gone. Because we both knew that his car had a navigator and he also had a compass in his backpack. With how efficiently he had driven me here this afternoon, I was sure he had mugged up the road map to the T.

But since he didn't say anything, I understood that he wanted to spend more time with me, just like I did, so we both kept quiet and sat next to each other on the picnic blanket, surrounded by rocks on all sides to give us enough privacy.

I knew that I was going to miss him once I was gone, but I knew it was for the best since he was human, and he had no idea of the supernatural world. It was best to keep him away from a world that would horrify him, change him, if he ever decided to be a part of it. But despite the ache in my chest, I wanted him to be happy in the future, preferably with someone who was his kind.

I still couldn't fathom the reasons why the Moon Goddess would give me a human mate, but it was divine predicament and I had no control over who my mate was. Abhay may have been my one chance at happiness, but for him, I would soon become a life threatening burden. And I didn't want our cruel world to corrupt his pure so-

"Mikalya...?" Abhay asked a bit hesitantly.

I looked up to see an inquisitive look on his face. Surely, there was something bugging him and he seemed to have trouble voicing it out.

"What's wrong?" I frowned, leaning forward. "You can tell me anything, I don't mind."

"In that case..." he took a deep breath before asking what was on his mind. "Is it strange that I think of you as a wolf?"

I spat out the drink I was having and soon, I was in a choking fit, coughing as confusion clouded my mind. How on earth had he known that? How did he know that I belonged to a different world entirely? Something wasn't right and I was determined to find out what it was.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it as an insult. Please, forgive me." Abhay held rushed to my side, patting my head to make sure I was breathing properly.

Funny enough, I didn't blame him. After all, he might just be acting innocent. I was the one that overreacted because I hadn't expected him to guess my species this correctly. Finally, after what seemed like hours, I calmed down as he gave me some water to drink.

"It's fine, I'm okay." I gave a tight smile.

I composed myself, telling myself that this wasn't actually real because he couldn't possibly know. I hadn't transformed into my wolf form even once since I came to this place. And neither had Ruksaar. So there was no reason for him to suggest such a thing. And yet...here he was, asking me a question that I had no reply for.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

"Why? I mean, why a wolf of all creatures?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Well, for a few days now...I've been dreaming of a snow white wolf...and whenever I see you and your blue eyes...I just think that...nah! I'm totally rambling bullshit, aren't I?" He gave a nervous laugh, moving away from me. "Sorry if I worried you. I didn't mean to be such a buzzkill..."

"I see.."

A snow white wolf with blue eyes. It was me that he was dreaming about. There was no other wolf like me in the entire sub-continent that had pure white fur and blue eyes. But why? Was it because he was my mate? Was the Moon Goddess slowly preparing him to accept reality?

I had no idea, but as much as I tried to wrap my mind around the possibility of the goddess trying to ready him for the supernatural world, my decision was final. And besides...this was the first time I was hearing about this. "Was that all the dreams showed you? Is there anything more?" I asked, wanting to know if this had a deeper meaning behind it.

"Not really... This dream usually comes in the early hours of the morning and my mother often tells me that dreams around this time usually come true but I don't understand Mikalya. How can such a weird dream come true?"

He looked bewildered, a bit nervous even, so I had to try and make light of the situation before he thought too much about the incident. He didn't need to know any further. And the goddess needed to stop whatever bullshit she was playing at, because I was not going to accept Abhay as my mate!

"What if I was a wolf disguised as a human? Will you still be as intrigued by me?" I joked, hoping to distract him from the serious topic.

I burst out laughing when I saw the look on his face. The mix of horror, annoyance and intrigue was almost comical, as if he didn't know which one to choose.

"You know...I think...even if you were a wolf in disguise...I think I would still like you...just the way you are."

I stopped laughing as his words registered, my entire body freezing in shock.

"Abhay..." I gulped. This wasn't the reaction I had been expecting...this wasn't what I had wanted.

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"It may sound cheesy and inappropriate but I think I fell in love with you at first sight," he smiled, almost sadly, as if he could feel me retreating into my shell.

He looked flushed, nervous as hell as he fidgeted with his hands, and still, he had brought out the courage to tell me the truth.

"Really?" I whispered, my heart suddenly beating erratically inside my chest.

What was wrong with me? I never felt this breathless with any of my previous partners. But with this man...everything felt different.

"When I first saw you...looking like a Firangi...it really blew my mind. I couldn't describe in words how I felt about you." He looked up at me shyly, locking his eyes to mine. "But...maybe this will tell you what I really feel." Reaching out, he took one of my hands and placed it palms down on his chest. I could feel the erratic beat of his heart against my palm, and I knew it matched my own heartbeat.

Inside this tiny tent, shielded away from the rest of the world, it felt like we were cocooned in a world of our own where nothing else existed.

At that moment, I made a split-decision. I didn't care if it backfired but I was going to do it all the same. I leaned forward and placing my hand on his nape, hauled him in for a kiss. Butterflies erupted in my stomach a second later, electricity buzzing through my veins as my lips moved on top of his.

He wrapped his hands around my waist, drawing me further towards him. But when I realized that he wasn't all that responsive, I pulled back immediately, blaming myself for being too forward. I had a feeling that he didn't like it either. "I'm sorry..." I whispered, unable to meet his eyes despite the bold move I made a second ago.

But Abhay shook his head immediately, a light blush covering his cheeks as he looked down at his hands on his lap.

"Don't say that Mikalya. It's not you it's me." He smiled sadly. "This...this is my first time..."

"I know." I chuckled, placing a finger under his chin so I could make him meet my eyes. "And I promise I'll be gentle."

"Hey..." finally, a smile formed on his lips as his hands came up to cup my cheeks. "Don't steal my lines."

And then he leaned forward and placed his lips on mine...and it seemed like I had just rediscovered how to kiss all over again.