Reborn as Wolf!

He was Different...

Chapter 7 - Present - Penelope    

Life was calm as the sea after a storm... Both Alexander and Penelope acted normally, despite the subtle tense vibe that swirled between them whenever they met after the night of Solstice.

Sometimes the she-wolf wanted to approach the young man and question his intentions; however, the fear of knowing his answer wouldn't allow her to do so...

On the other hand, Alexander was still trying to understand his own actions on that day while looking for the best moment to apologize to Penelope.

On the day of his birthday, all night, they didn't exchange words at the party held in the Pack's House... But! When their eyes met, something abnormal occurred. 

Their faces flushed as soon they see each other, and this subtle detail was noticed only by two people... Phillip and Alpha Joseph.

Joseph was surprised by the reaction from both young werewolves, especially Alex. In his mind, he decided that at a more appropriate time, he would question his daughter about it.

But that wasn't the case for the future Beta. He spent the night watching Omega girl and the future Alpha... 

And if he didn't know about their weird relationship, Phillip would swear they were in a secret relationship hidden from the curious eyes, a couple like Romeo and Juliet in the eyes of young romanticist Beta who believed in finding his Mate, no matter how long it takes different from his sister.

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A sigh escaped my lips as I finished washing the dishes we used to dine in the restaurant before opening, which would be in a few minutes. Everything should be perfect in the kitchen, or it could affect any dish's preparation throughout the evening.

I was drying my hands when I heard the Chef calling us into the restaurant hall where the day's meetings were usually held. 

I thought that was a bit strange because we had already done one today before dinner, so I didn't know what they wanted to talk to us about.

"Everybody is here?" He asked us to see if anyone was missing. "Well, I would like to introduce the new member of our team after tomorrow..."

He introduced the man next to him, who shouldn't be older than me, or at least I thought... Unlike the others, he had a strange smell, making me sure he was a supernatural creature like I.

His name was Harley Maxwell Johnson, said to be 24 years old, and starting tomorrow would become our sous chef's assistant before replacing her in the next month because she would retire.

In fact, I found his English name strange compared to his Latin appearance with brown eyes and hair with light waves, his tanned olive skin that was the dream of many people... But who was I to judge?

I was a Chinese born in the United States with a Greek name.

"Nice to meet you." I should have got in my own world more than I imagined... I blushed as I saw him standing there with his hand outstretched, waiting for me to greet him.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Penelope, an apprentice here." An open smile appeared on his lips after our hands touched. "I can't wait to learn more from you."

"Penelope... A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He spoke to me before continuing to greet the other members from the kitchen.

That night was full of rumors...

Some people didn't like Harley as he would assume the position they believed to be theirs, or from someone that already worked in the restaurant instead of a stranger.

... It was unbelievable how cooks could be as much gossipy as teenage girls...

More than those conversations, Harley's different scent didn't leave my mind. 

I couldn't tell which race he was... Although his surname gave me the impression that it was similar to someone else's that I knew, a very familiar scent somehow... From years ago... But who?

For hours, Harley occupied my thoughts until someone knocked on my room's door, and at home, it could only be a person on the other side... My father.

I told him he could come in, that the door wasn't locked. Upon entering, he apologized for bothering me at night time before I went to bed.

"You aren't bothering me, Dad," I told him because I understood that his schedules were busy between the Company and the Pack. And although he had such a busy life already, he even decided to adopt and raised me alone, so he was such an amazing man in my eyes. "What do you need with me?"

"I couldn't help but notice that..." He seemed to weigh his words before keep talking. "Something seems to have happened between you and Alexander."

I could feel the heat overpowering my skin that was growing redder with my father's words as I remembered the kiss of days ago and had forgotten as I thought about Harley.

"I'm right, aren't I?" He asked after noticing my silence. "Something happened between you and him."

I thought about what I should tell him... If I should tell him about the kiss or not... If it wouldn't be strange as he was my father, even if we didn't have the same blood.

But... Unlike Eli, He was always the one who believed my words from the beginning... He never opposed my feelings, and in a way, he even encouraged me to wait for Alex.

"Another day... During the solstice..." I began to tell him. "Alex ended up kissing me..."

I must look like pepper now, but I didn't regret telling him... or I thought so.

"Well... I see I wasn't wrong..." He spoke in a shallow and calm voice, and I almost didn't hear him.

"What?"

"Nothing that you need to worry about, Sweet." He told me before speaking about how he was right that Alex would soon become our Alpha; however, those words seemed to be more for himself than for me. 

Leaving me confused by his reaction... I mean... What was the connection between both things?