Werewolf

Maya's POV
We dropped the SUV about ten miles from the bus station and took an Uber the rest of the way. We had to, because my leg felt like it was on fire. I couldn’t run well, not at all. I was the weak link, and I knew it. I slowed them down. I hated that I was the reason we couldn’t move faster.
I hoped we could catch some sleep on the bus, not real sleep, just brief moments of rest. We’d been running on fumes all week, stealing naps when we could. We took turns keeping watch. Every mile we put between us and the Blackwood Pack made the tension in our bodies ease just a little.
Lauren has a brilliant mind. A strategist and planner, she leaves nothing to chance. She came up with this escape plan fast, and she didn’t disappoint. But I remember how scared I was to tell them what I had overheard Damien and Trey discussing. I didn’t want to believe it myself.
----
I knocked on their door,

Maya's POV
Lauren was awake, sitting a row behind us, her eyes constantly scanning for threats. She leaned back against the side of the train, legs stretched across the seat, alert and watchful. She gave me a nod when I sat up and glanced around. Sleep had become an enemy, every time I closed my eyes, the nightmares returned, and I could see that Lauren was worn thin. Exhaustion lined her face, but she was calmer now. The SUV had made her anxious; she was convinced it could be tracked. I believed her. With Damien, nothing was off the table. He’d already shown he was willing to imprison Kayla and me to get his way. We couldn’t risk that vehicle leading him to us.
Meliza stirred not long after, rubbing her eyes. We were all running on fumes. Escaping Damien and his goons was proving to be far more grueling than we’d expected. Once we were out, the weight of reality hit. We knew what they w

Damien's POV


“Lauren was made for me. I can’t wait to mark and mate her. She’ll be a great Gamma female. There’s no stronger she-wolf in our pack. I can’t wait to make her mine,” Zach said confidently. I always knew he was the one who picked her for the job, as he had wanted Lauren for a long time. She was a powerful fighter, even stronger than him. He couldn’t overpower her. He came from Gamma blood, while Lauren had Alpha blood in her, with a Beta rank. That was the second reason Zach hadn’t stepped forward to try and force her. The shame of being beaten by a woman would have infuriated him. But the main reason was our fear of her father, Jace. None of us were confident we could beat him in a fair fight. Even my father had always deferred to Beta Jace too often over the years.


My father was weak as an Alpha. I handled Beta Jace cleanly, without a scratch on me. Any respect I had for my father is gone. I did what he couldn’t, and I don’t regret it. Besides, Jace had hurt Maya. He wasn’t cruel to her, but he allowed the pack to grow more aggressive toward her these last five years. I had to agree to make Kayla my Luna just to get her to ease up on Maya. I only slept with Kayla because she was always there, throwing herself at me. I never had to seek company, she constantly put herself in front of me. She thought she was some kind of prize. She wasn’t. She was well-used before I touched her, but her father was Gamma. He pushed me to accept her, and Kayla was attractive. She was a ranked she-wolf. But I only wanted Maya, and I couldn’t have her. All three of Beta Jace’ daughters were off-limits to me and everyone else.


He wanted his daughters to find their true mates, not settle as someone’s chosen. I knew what had happened to him that made him feel that way. Still, I had already marked and mated Kayla. Beta Jace knew I wanted Maya, but had the nerve to tell me, “You made your bed, now lie in it.”


So I waited. When it became clear Kayla couldn’t bear children after three years passed, I waited another year before making my announcement to the pack. Maya understood the message immediately. Sadly, so did her father. He came to my office the next day to warn me off. That was his biggest mistake. He had no right to tell me, his Alpha, what to do. He signed his death warrant that day. I made sure to get rid of both him and his mate. I needed the girls isolated. The pack wouldn’t help them. That made them easier to control.


I had already called Trey the week before, told him to pack up and head here, even before the bodies were found. Trey had given me the idea during our last talk. We came up with the perfect plan. I knew their routine. They never hid where they were going. I was certain they wouldn’t return. I sent Zach to follow them into the city. It would have drawn too much attention if I went myself. No one would question Zach, and if they did, I would handle it. We were all in this together to get our dream girls.


I had been obsessed with Maya for longer than six years. Trey and Zach just didn’t know because I kept it to myself. I was thirteen when I realized I liked her, and she was only eleven. I didn’t care about the rumors. I knew Beta Jace had fallen for a witch. It was taboo, but that didn’t matter. Maya was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was what I deserved as a mate.


Maya was the proof of their love. Looking at her over the years must have been hard for Helen. Still, she wasn’t a bad stepmother. The pack’s hatred toward Maya didn’t matter to me. I loved her from sixteen, and those feelings only grew. Being near her was like heaven, though rare. So I started bullying her from time to time. I regret that. I know others followed my lead, and things got worse.


Everyone began targeting her more. They believed she was less than them, all because her mother was a witch. Maya wasn’t. Her mother left when she was young, and she never trained. I never felt power in her. She was defenseless, like a human. She stayed safe only because no one wanted to anger her father. That changed when she turned eighteen and didn’t get her wolf. I felt awful for her. Life got worse fast.


Jace wasn’t openly cruel, but he stopped defending her, and the pack noticed. Her sisters did defend her, though. Anyone who hurt Maya got it right back from them. The pack learned that Maya might not have Jace’s protection, but she had her sisters'. Only Kayla and her friends kept bullying her, probably because of the pillow talk after sex. I never wanted Kayla. I used her to get her off Maya’s back. Kayla knew how I felt about Maya. Her threat to kill Maya wasn’t idle. She pointed out that no one in the pack liked Maya, and one “accident” could end her. I did what I had to do to protect her.


A few mean words and the occasional shove were better than what Kayla had in mind. When Kayla became Luna, she calmed down briefly. Her jealousy toward Maya was intense. I avoided Maya and let Kayla assign demeaning jobs to keep the peace. Then, one morning, I realized the truth; Kayla was afraid of Lauren. That’s why she really backed off. When I confronted her, Kayla laughed in my face. That moment was eye-opening. I had thought I sacrificed for Maya, but Kayla had only stopped because of Lauren.


After that, things spiraled. I couldn’t stand Kayla anymore. I stopped sleeping with her. I didn’t want her bearing my heirs. I always wanted Maya to be the mother of my pups. She was half-werewolf, and even without phasing, I knew she would give me strong pups. But Maya couldn’t stand me. She didn’t want me. And I had already made my announcement. She knew exactly what I meant. She would be the one to bear the pack’s heirs.


I was sure everything would fall into place once she had my pups. A few words from me would soften her. I told Kayla if she ever hurt Maya, she wouldn’t live out the week. I meant every word. I would kill her myself. No one would take Maya from me. I would risk the entire pack for her.


“Damien, what’s up with you, man? You completely zoned out,” Zach said.


“I was just thinking about Kayla. Your sister is a possessive bitch. I only made her Luna because I knew Beta Jace would never let me claim Maya. I thought giving her what she wanted would calm her down. It didn’t. She relaxed for a while, but she’s been fuming since I announced I would choose a pack member to bear my pups,” I said.


“You knew who she was before you accepted her. She’s a royal bitch to everyone, including me and Dad. She only likes her two friends and Mom. Once I mate with Lauren, I’ll stay far from Kayla. You should have left the pack and found a different Luna. Kayla will never leave any woman alone. She uses the pack funds like they’re her own. She’ll bleed us dry and leave when it’s gone. You knew that before you marked her,” Zach scoffed.


“I know how she is. If I have to, I’ll have her moved permanently to the cells. I’m not fighting her forever. I’m the Alpha. What I want matters most. Maya will learn to love me. Once she gives me a pup or two, she’ll feel something for me. If not, she’ll live in her gilded cage, in a special room where I’ll make sure she stays pregnant until she understands how much I’ve done for her,” I told Zach.


Trey and Zach both nodded. I meant what I said. I couldn’t kill Kayla, it would hurt because of our bond. But I would find a way to reject her and break it. Then I would decide her fate. If she’s draining pack funds, the others would support me putting her to death. That money isn’t hers to waste. I’m letting it go this time only because I need time alone with Maya. A few days to win her over. But if she refuses to come willingly, that’s fine too. The decision is no longer hers. It’s mine. And what I want, I get.

Maya's POV
We dropped the SUV about ten miles from the bus station and took an Uber the rest of the way. We had to, because my leg felt like it was on fire. I couldn’t run well, not at all. I was the weak link, and I knew it. I slowed them down. I hated that I was the reason we couldn’t move faster.
I hoped we could catch some sleep on the bus, not real sleep, just brief moments of rest. We’d been running on fumes all week, stealing naps when we could. We took turns keeping watch. Every mile we put between us and the Blackwood Pack made the tension in our bodies ease just a little.
Lauren has a brilliant mind. A strategist and planner, she leaves nothing to chance. She came up with this escape plan fast, and she didn’t disappoint. But I remember how scared I was to tell them what I had overheard Damien and Trey discussing. I didn’t want to believe it myself.
----
I knocked on their door, my stomach full of dread. Would they believe what I was about to say? Or would they regret ever try

Chapter 6