Chapter two
Maya's 18th Birthday
This was tradition. Every young wolf's 18th birthday marked their official step into adulthood, celebrated with a gathering under the full moon. For some, it was a night of pride and belonging. For others, it was the beginning of something more—of finding their place, their mate, their destiny.
But for Maya, it felt like the beginning of the unknown. And the unknown made her restless.
She stood at the edge of the clearing, hands clenched at her sides as she watched the festivities. Children darted between legs, squealing as they chased one another. Warriors—her father among them—laughed and teased over tankards of ale, their booming voices cutting through the music. Her younger sister Serena was perched near the dessert table, sneaking cookies when she thought no one was looking.
It should have felt perfect. Whole. A moment to cherish.
Instead, Maya's wolf paced within her, restless and wild.
"You don't look like someone who's celebrating," Caleb's voice broke through her thoughts.
Maya turned, her face softening as she met the warm, familiar gaze of her childhood friend. Caleb stood beside her, leaning casually against the rough bark of an oak tree. The lantern light turned his sandy hair golden, and his easy smile did its best to calm her fraying nerves.
"I'm not much for crowds," she replied, forcing a smile she didn't quite feel.
Caleb snorted softly. "You're the best warrior-in-training we've got, Maya. You've faced worse than this."
"Yeah," Maya muttered, glancing toward the center of the clearing where the alpha and luna sat, their chairs carved from dark wood and draped in fur. "But this feels different. Tonight feels… strange."
Caleb followed her gaze, his expression growing serious. "You're nervous about the mate bond."
Maya's stomach turned uneasily. The mate bond. Every wolf was taught to dream of it—the pull that bound two souls together, a promise from the Moon Goddess herself. For some, it was a fairytale. For others, a curse.
"It's not that," Maya lied, though her voice was too quiet to be convincing. "I just… I don't want anything to change."
"Change isn't always bad, you know," Caleb said softly, nudging her shoulder. "No matter what happens tonight, you'll still be you, Maya."
Maya wanted to believe him. But the feeling gnawed at her, the sense that something was on the verge of shifting beneath her feet. She glanced back toward the crowd and froze.
Liam.
He was standing near the firepit, his presence as loud as a shout in a quiet room. Even from across the clearing, his dark green eyes were sharp and alive, flickering like the flames themselves. His smirk—lazy and full of challenge—made her blood simmer.
He wasn't looking at her, not yet, but somehow, Maya felt him there as if he were standing right behind her. Her wolf stirred again, pacing with a mix of unease and something else Maya didn't want to name.
"You should eat," Caleb said, sensing her shift in mood. "It's your birthday. Serena will eat everything if you're not careful."
Maya huffed a quiet laugh, grateful for his attempt to lighten the mood. "I'm not hungry."
Before Caleb could respond, a loud voice boomed over the clearing, silencing the crowd. Alpha Marcus rose from his seat, his towering form commanding instant attention. His sharp eyes surveyed the pack, lingering briefly on Maya before he spoke.
"Tonight, we gather under the light of the full moon to honor one of our own," his voice carried across the clearing, deep and authoritative. "Maya Westwood."
A cheer erupted, and Maya swallowed thickly as dozens of faces turned toward her. Her father, standing near the alpha's chair, grinned with pride, and Serena waved enthusiastically from the dessert table.
Maya stepped forward slowly, the weight of every gaze pressing on her shoulders. She walked toward the center of the clearing, where the moon's light pooled like a spotlight. The moment felt ceremonial, almost otherworldly. A knot tightened in her chest.
Alpha Marcus's gaze locked onto hers, sharp and unreadable. "Maya, tonight you join the ranks of the adults in this pack. You have proven yourself a fierce warrior, one who embodies the strength and honor we hold dear."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the pack, and for a moment, pride swelled in Maya's chest. She glanced toward her father, whose eyes shone with unspoken words. I'm proud of you, his gaze seemed to say.
But then she felt it.
Like a spark of lightning zipping through her veins, the pull hit her.
Maya stiffened, her breath catching as her wolf stilled completely, as though listening for something she couldn't hear. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and suddenly, the noise of the pack blurred into a dull hum.
Her eyes moved on their own, drawn to the firepit.
Liam.
He was staring at her, his smirk gone. His emerald eyes widened slightly, surprise flashing across his face before he masked it with the expression she knew all too well—arrogance. Triumph.
The pull intensified. Maya's skin burned, her heartbeat thundering in her ears as her wolf let out a low, mournful howl inside her.
Mate.
The word whispered through her like a cold wind. She swayed on her feet, the world tilting.
No. No, it couldn't be.
Liam took a step forward, the firelight catching on his sharp features. Something flickered in his eyes—something she couldn't bear to look at. Pride. Satisfaction. And beneath it, hope.
"Maya," Liam said softly, though the sound carried across the clearing like a bell.
Her hands shook.
No.
It wasn't supposed to be him. It couldn't be him.
She stumbled back a step, bile rising in her throat as the pull between them grew stronger. Her wolf cried out in recognition, reaching toward him like a tether she couldn't break. Maya clenched her jaw, her breath ragged as the pack watched, whispering amongst themselves.
"She's his mate…" someone murmured.
"Liam's mate…"
Maya's vision tunneled, her chest tightening as though a vice had wrapped around her lungs. The word echoed in her mind, a cruel taunt she couldn't escape.
Mate.
Mate.
Mate.
Liam's lips curved into that smirk again, but this time, she saw the cracks in it. Beneath the pride was a question. Was she going to reject him? Did she even have a choice?
Maya's legs moved before her mind caught up.
She turned and ran.
Gasps followed her, but she didn't stop. Her feet pounded against the earth as she pushed through the crowd, ignoring the shouts of her name. The forest loomed ahead, dark and familiar, and Maya welcomed it like a cloak.
Branches whipped against her arms as she plunged into the trees, her breath ragged, her chest heaving. She didn't slow until the clearing was far behind her, until the only sound was her heartbeat and the distant hum of the pack she'd left behind.
She fell to her knees, clutching at the damp ground as though it could anchor her to reality. Her wolf whimpered softly inside her, torn between joy and confusion.
"No," Maya whispered, her voice trembling as she shook her head. "Not him. Anyone but him."
The mate bond flared again, a reminder of what she'd just run from, and Maya squeezed her eyes shut against the burning tears that threatened to fall.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
And yet, no matt
er how far she ran, she could still feel him.
Liam.
Her mate.