Three years ago…
Three thunderclaps rattled through Darius's ears as he ventured towards the exit of the mansion in the woods. In his brown trench coat, dark worn-out trousers, and old work boots; Darius trod the short-haired carpet on the floor, guiding him to his demise. His red eyes had considerably darkened from his dejection, yet he chose to walk proudly—as if he was still the Alpha that he used to be.
Behind him were the remaining Betas and Gammas of the pack. A blonde woman stood in the middle, her red eyes glaring at the back of the leaving man. Her nails dug into her arms that she left crossed on her chest. To her, this shouldn't even be his only punishment.
However, Darius was a strong Alpha, who had never lost a battle, even to his Alpha female mate. Trying to kill him would be akin to unnecessary death. Thus, she could only reject him and banish him from the pack through a vote among the remaining members.
The double doors open, and the fierce wind of the storm outside blew the rain through the opening. Darius only turned his collar up to fight it before walking out of the mansion. Mud had kissed his boots, the rain quickly filling up the imprints of his soles. The weather outside the mansion was unforgiving; so were Darius's actions that he didn't admit to.
He knew so well that he didn't kill them all, but why were they so adamant in making him take the fall?
In the end, he just chose to leave and accept the rejection then and there. When his heart felt the inextinguishable pain of being rejected by his mate, he only held onto his coat. He spared no glance in her direction; neither did the woman wait for him to give her one last gaze.
"Where am I supposed to stay now?" Darius murmured to himself as he held onto his coat tighter. The rains had made the streets colder than the midnight breeze, and having the city near the sea didn't make it any warmer than the freezing Atlantic. The air continued to be thin and humid, making it hard to breathe.
"Maybe I can think here…" Darius looked up and saw the neon shop sign of a bar.
The words 'Simple Answer' lit up the streets with their buzzing lights. Even the people whose visions had blurred could still see the pink and orange lines of the shop sign. Despite the stark contrast of the bright sign against the gloomy dark clouds that covered the moon in the sky, Darius still looked up to see it. Who knew what future would greet him in the morning, without the pack he took care of for so long?
His almost numb hands pushed against the door, the freezing steel stinging his palms. He was conserving his body heat in this weather, and this piece of metal didn't help him at all. However, the cozy atmosphere of the bar soothed him immediately. Just as his eyes landed on the dark mahogany walls and off-cream ceiling, Darius felt like he was being warmed from the inside.
He took note of the empty tables at the other half of the bar. Considering that the storm outside was enough to make Darius a soaked puppy, he figured no people would want to be out here with him. Still, he was grateful that this place was open.
The master of the bar glanced at the man that just walked in. Darius was not easy to recognize due to his aversion to normal people, and so his foreignness made him stand out. The master prepared a coaster for him as soon as he sat down on the barstool.
"Can I have something strong? Also need to stay warm." Darius knew that he had some money in his pocket. He might not be comparable to his Luna, who owned half the fortune of the city; however, he could buy his pack members good things if he wanted. As for having a car, that was not something he thought of when he liked walking around the coastal city.
"I've never seen you here before, but you're not new in the city." The master chuckled as he prepared hot cocoa instead. "Should I ask for identification? How old are you?"
"Don't I look past twenty-five to you?" Darius shot a brow up, but he still received a mug of hot cocoa. With his eyes staring at the mug, he whispered, "This isn't what I ordered."
The master just leaned on the bar and laughed as if urging Darius to just take it. "I won't serve you alcohol. You'll freeze in that weather outside. Trust me, it's better for you not to get drunk, lest you want to get sick or die from hypothermia."
With a shrug, Darius only took a sip of the hot beverage. Even if he didn't like chocolate and it was prone to poison him, he just took the drink as it was. He'd rather risk an upset stomach than a numb body. Unlike before, there were no more people to huddle with during stormy weather like this.
Soon, the door opened once again. The master didn't greet the man, but he took a look as if reading the subtlest actions of the newcomer. Since the bar was spacious and almost empty because of the hard rain, the newcomer just chose to sit at a faraway table. At that, the master sighed and left his counter to wait at the table. He was the only one in the bar right now.
"…?" Darius felt the coming of the newcomer. Even if he was drinking his hot cocoa, his nose still twitched and caught the foreign scent of the man that came. He turned his face to take a look at the man, watching him order from the menu offered to him by the master of the bar.
Then, the man lifted his sharp gaze to meet Darius's eyes. For some reason, Darius froze at the piercing feel of those cherry eyes that lit up under the curtain of dark hair. The man kept Darius's eyes on his, only for him to suddenly lift a corner of his lips to smile.
Choke. Darius lightly choked on his hot cocoa as he quickly turned away. His eyes were wide, but he avoided even the master's gaze on him. By then, he only had one thought in his mind: 'I am an Alpha. What does he think he's doing?'