Maya's legs felt like lead as she walked toward the pack meeting. Elara's words echoed in her mind: "Liam isn't the bully you think he is. Everything he does is under his father's orders. Alpha Marcus beats him when he shows weakness."
Could it be true? Was Liam forced to be cruel?
The thought made her stomach twist. If true, she had misjudged him terribly.
"Maya!" Caleb caught up with her. "Are you okay? You look pale."
She couldn't tell him what Elara had said. Not yet. "I'm fine. Just nervous about the meeting."
"Whatever happens, I'm on your side," Caleb promised, squeezing her hand.
As they approached the pack grounds, Maya spotted Liam standing beside his father. Their eyes met across the distance, and that now-familiar pull tugged at her heart. Liam's face showed no emotion, but something in his eyes seemed different. Vulnerable, almost.
Had she been blind all these years?
Alpha Marcus raised his hands for silence, and the chattering crowd quieted.
"We gather tonight for an important announcement," Marcus declared, his voice booming across the grounds. "My son Liam has found his mate."
Whispers rippled through the crowd. Many eyes turned to Maya.
"Maya, daughter of Thomas, step forward," Marcus commanded.
Maya took a deep breath and walked to the center of the circle. She could feel Liam's eyes on her, but she stared straight ahead.
"Elder Sophia will confirm the mate bond," Marcus announced.
An old woman with silver hair stepped forward. Elder Sophia was the pack's oldest and wisest member. If anyone could verify a true mate bond, it was her.
"Look at each other," Elder Sophia instructed.
Reluctantly, Maya turned to face Liam. Their eyes locked. Immediately, that strange electricity buzzed between them, stronger than ever before.
Elder Sophia placed one weathered hand on Maya's shoulder and the other on Liam's. She closed her eyes, concentrating.
After several seconds, she gasped. Her eyes flew open, wide with shock.
"What is it?" Alpha Marcus demanded. "Confirm the bond, Elder."
But Elder Sophia was staring at Maya and Liam with wonder. "This isn't just any mate bond," she whispered. "It's a bond of the ancient kind. A true alpha pair bond."
The crowd erupted in shocked murmurs. Maya's heart hammered in her chest. A true alpha pair bond? Those were rare—almost mythical. It meant she and Liam were destined not just to be mates but to lead the pack together.
"Impossible!" Alpha Marcus roared. "My son is meant to lead with a proper mate, not this... this troublemaker!"
Maya flinched at his harsh words. From the corner of her eye, she saw Liam tense.
"The bond does not lie, Alpha," Elder Sophia said firmly. "They are bonded as true alphas."
Marcus's face darkened with rage. He grabbed Liam's arm. "You will reject this bond," he hissed. "I will not have her as the future Luna of this pack!"
For the first time, Maya saw fear flash across Liam's face as he looked at his father. In that moment, she knew Elara had told the truth.
"No," Liam said, pulling his arm away. The single word seemed to shock everyone, including Liam himself.
Marcus's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What did you say to me?"
"I said no," Liam repeated, stronger this time. He moved to stand beside Maya. "The mate bond has spoken. I won't reject it."
Maya stared at him in surprise. Was this the same Liam who had tormented younger wolves? The boy who had pushed others around?
Alpha Marcus looked ready to explode. "You dare defy me? After everything I've done to make you worthy of leading this pack?"
"Worthy?" Liam laughed bitterly. "You mean after all the times you forced me to be cruel to prove I wasn't weak? After all the beatings when I showed mercy?"
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Luna Evelyn stepped forward, her face pained. "Marcus, please. Not here."
But it was too late. The secret was out.
"Is this true?" Elder Sophia demanded, looking at Marcus with horror.
The Alpha's silence was answer enough.
Maya's mind whirled. Everything she thought she knew about Liam had been wrong. He hadn't been a bully by choice.
"The bond stays," Elder Sophia declared firmly. "And these serious accusations against the Alpha must be addressed by the pack council."
"How dare you!" Marcus snarled. "I am Alpha! My word is law!"
"Not if you've abused your power and your son," another elder spoke up.
The pack meeting dissolved into chaos. Some defended Marcus, while others demanded answers.
In the confusion, Maya felt Liam's hand close around hers. "We need to talk," he whispered urgently. "Now."
Without waiting for her response, he pulled her away from the crowd, toward the forest.
"Let go of me," Maya protested, though the tug of the bond made her want to move closer, not pull away.
Liam released her hand once they were safely away from the commotion. For a moment, he just looked at her, his blue eyes troubled.
"How did you know?" he finally asked. "About my father?"
Maya hesitated. "Someone told me. Just before the meeting."
"Who?"
"A woman named Elara. She says she's my aunt."
Liam's eyes widened. "The rogue? She's back?"
Maya nodded. "She said I needed to know the truth about you before I made my decision."
Liam turned away, his shoulders rigid. "So now you know. The great alpha's son isn't a bully by nature. He's just too weak to stand up to his father."
The bitterness in his voice tugged at Maya's heart.
"That's not weakness," she said softly. "What you did tonight, standing up to him in front of the whole pack? That was brave."
Liam looked at her with surprise. "You're not angry anymore?"
"I'm still furious," Maya clarified quickly. "You still hurt people, Liam. Understanding why doesn't erase what you did."
"You're right," he admitted, surprising her again. "I have a lot to make up for."
Before Maya could respond, a twig snapped nearby. They both whirled around.
Caleb stood there, his expression dark. "Maya? What are you doing alone with him?"
"Caleb, wait—" Maya started.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," Caleb interrupted. "The pack meeting's falling apart. Alpha Marcus is threatening anyone who speaks against him."
"We have to go back," Maya said, alarmed.
"Not you," Caleb replied, glaring at Liam. "Alpha Marcus specifically threatened your family, Maya. He says if you accept the mate bond with Liam, your father will lose everything."
Liam cursed under his breath. "He can't do that."
"He's the Alpha. He can do whatever he wants," Caleb shot back.
Maya felt trapped. Accept Liam and destroy her family, or reject him and fight the powerful pull of the mate bond?
"There's another option," a calm voice spoke from the shadows.
All three turned to see Elara step into the moonlight.
"You should not be on pack lands," Caleb growled. "You were banished."
"And yet here I am," Elara replied smoothly. "Because the balance of power in this pack is about to shift."
"What do you mean?" Maya asked.
Elara's eyes gleamed. "The true alpha pair bond isn't just rare, it's sacred. If confirmed by the elders, it supersedes even the current Alpha's authority."
"That's just a legend," Liam said, but he sounded uncertain.
"Is it?" Elara smiled mysteriously. "Tonight, both of you felt power surge when Elder Sophia confirmed your bond. That was just the beginning."
Maya had felt something—a strange warmth that had spread through her body when the Elder touched them.
"There's more," Elara continued. "Maya, what did your parents tell you about your bloodline?"
"Nothing special," Maya replied, confused. "Why?"
"Because you come from an ancient warrior bloodline," Elara revealed. "Your mother and I were the last, until you and your sister."
Maya's head spun with this new information. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Elara said, stepping closer, "that together, you and Liam could challenge Marcus for leadership of the pack. Tonight."
The forest fell silent. Even the night creatures seemed to hold their breath at this dangerous suggestion.
"Challenge my father?" Liam whispered, his face pale in the moonlight.
"That's insane," Caleb protested. "They could be killed!"
But Maya was watching Liam carefully. She saw the conflict in his eyes—fear battling with something else. Hope, maybe. Freedom.
"We barely know each other," Maya said softly. "How could we possibly lead together?"
Elara touched Maya's cheek gently. "The mate bond chose you for a reason. Trust it."
Before anyone could respond, a howl pierced the night—a call to arms. The pack was in danger.
"Father," Liam whispered, horror in his voice. "He's called his loyal wolves. He's going to punish anyone who stood against him tonight."
Maya thought of her family—her father who had already been threatened, her mother, her little sister Serena. They were in danger because of her.
In that moment, the choice became clear.
"I'll fight," she decided, her voice steady despite her racing heart. She turned to Liam. "But I won't force you to stand against your father."
Their eyes met, and Maya felt the mate bond pulse between them, stronger than ever.
"If we do this," Liam said slowly, his gaze never leaving hers, "there's no going back."
Another howl rose in the night, closer now. Time was running out.
"Well?" Elara pressed. "What will it be?"
Maya and Liam looked at each other, their fate—and the fate of the entire pack—hanging in the balance.