Maya woke up in her room, her body aching like she'd been hit by a truck. The morning sun streamed through her window, but it did nothing to warm the coldness inside her. Three days had passed since she'd collapsed at the training grounds, and the pain from rejecting her mate bond with Liam hadn't gone away.
"You need to eat something," her mother said, entering with a tray of soup.
Maya turned away. "I'm not hungry."
"The bond sickness will only get worse if you don't keep up your strength," her mother warned, setting the tray down.
Maya closed her eyes, remembering Liam's face when she'd rejected him. The hurt in his eyes. The betrayal. And now he was planning to join Alpha Rowan's rival pack—all because of her.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Serena peeked in, her young face worried.
"Can I come in?" she asked.
Maya nodded, and her little sister climbed onto the bed beside her.
"Everyone at school is talking about you and Liam," Serena whispered. "They say you broke the sacred bond."
"I had no choice," Maya replied, her voice cracking. "I did it to protect our family."
Serena's small hand found Maya's. "But now you're sick. And Liam is angry."
Maya's chest tightened. "How do you know that?"
"I saw him yesterday. He was with those mean boys from the rival pack."
Maya sat up too quickly, making her head spin. "Where?"
"By the old oak tree. They were talking about something secret."
Before Maya could ask more, another knock came at the door. This time, it was Caleb.
"You have a visitor," he said, his expression grim.
Maya's heart jumped. "Liam?"
Caleb shook his head. "Elder Sophia. She says it's urgent."
With Caleb's help, Maya made it to the living room where Elder Sophia waited. The old woman's eyes widened at Maya's appearance.
"The bond sickness is worse than I feared," she said.
"I'll be fine," Maya insisted, though standing made her dizzy.
Elder Sophia shook her head. "You won't be fine, child. Neither will Liam. A true alpha pair bond cannot be broken without serious consequences."
"What consequences?" Maya's father asked, stepping into the room.
"The pain will grow until it becomes unbearable," Elder Sophia explained. "And worse—it affects the wolf inside. Your wolves know you belong together, even if you deny it."
"So what can I do?" Maya asked, panic rising in her chest.
"There are only two paths forward," Elder Sophia said. "Restore the bond... or watch both you and Liam suffer until your wolves break free."
"What does that mean?" Maya's mother asked, her voice trembling.
"It means they could lose control of their wolf forms," Elder Sophia said gravely. "They could become dangerous to themselves and others."
A heavy silence filled the room. Maya felt sick with fear.
"There's something else you should know," Elder Sophia added. "Alpha Marcus is planning to announce Liam's replacement as future alpha tonight. He's chosen Kira."
"Kira?" Maya gasped. "But she's—"
"His illegitimate daughter," Elder Sophia finished. "Yes. Few know this truth."
Maya's head spun with this new information. Kira had always hated her, always competed with her. And now she would lead the pack?
"This changes everything," Maya's father said. "If Liam joins Rowan's pack and Kira becomes alpha here..."
"War," Elder Sophia said simply. "War between the packs."
After Elder Sophia left, Maya felt more trapped than ever. The pain in her chest grew sharper, and her wolf prowled restlessly inside her, wanting to break free.
That night, Maya couldn't sleep. Her fever spiked, and strange dreams haunted her. She saw Liam standing at the edge of a cliff, his back to her. When he turned, his eyes were not his own, but those of a wolf gone wild.
She woke with a start, sweat soaking her sheets. The digital clock beside her bed showed 3:17 AM. Without thinking, she climbed out of bed and pulled on her boots.
The night air was cool against her hot skin as she slipped out of the house. Her feet seemed to know where to go, even as her mind questioned her actions. The pain in her chest pulled her forward, guiding her like a compass.
She found herself at the training grounds, empty and silent under the moonlight. But she wasn't alone.
Liam stood in the center of the grounds, as if he'd been waiting for her. He looked terrible—dark circles under his eyes, his normally perfect hair messy, his clothes wrinkled.
"I knew you'd come," he said, his voice rough.
"How?" Maya asked, keeping her distance.
"I felt you," Liam tapped his chest. "The bond... it's still there, even though you rejected it."
Maya struggled to breathe. Just being near him eased her pain a little, but pride kept her from admitting it.
"Is it true?" she asked instead. "You're joining Rowan's pack?"
Liam's jaw tightened. "What choice did I give you? You gave me none."
"I was protecting my family!"
"And I'm protecting myself," Liam snapped. "My father has already replaced me with Kira. Did you know that? My own father threw me away like garbage."
Maya took a step toward him. "Liam, we need to talk about the bond. Elder Sophia says—"
"I know what she says," Liam interrupted. "The sickness will get worse. Our wolves might take over." He laughed bitterly. "Maybe that would be better. At least wolves don't feel betrayal."
"I didn't want to reject you," Maya whispered, her voice breaking.
For a moment, Liam's hard expression softened. He moved closer, close enough that Maya could see the pain in his eyes.
"Then why did you?" he asked.
Maya wanted to explain everything—how his father had threatened her family, how she'd felt trapped, how much it had hurt her too. But before she could speak, a howl cut through the night.
Liam stiffened. "That's Darren's signal. Rowan's wolves are waiting for me."
"Don't go," Maya pleaded, grabbing his arm.
The touch sent a jolt through them both. For a heartbeat, Maya felt everything Liam was feeling—anger, betrayal, loneliness, and underneath it all, a longing so strong it took her breath away.
Liam pulled away first. "It's too late, Maya. You made your choice. Now I'm making mine."
"If you join Rowan's pack, there will be war," Maya warned.
A cold smile spread across Liam's face. "Maybe that's what I want."
As he turned to leave, Maya called after him. "The bond will kill us both if we don't fix it!"
Liam paused, looking back at her one last time. "Maybe that would be better than living with this pain."
Then he was gone, disappearing into the shadows of the trees.
Maya sank to her knees, the pain in her chest unbearable now. Her wolf clawed inside her, desperate to break free and chase after Liam.
In the distance, multiple howls rose into the night sky. Maya recognized Rowan's wolves calling to each other. And among them, a new howl—deeper and more powerful than the others.
Liam had shifted. He had joined the enemy pack.
Maya's vision blurred as the bond sickness overwhelmed her. As consciousness slipped away, she felt something change deep inside her. Her wolf, tired of being controlled, was taking over.
The last thing Maya saw before darkness claimed her was her own hands changing, claws extending where fingernails had been. For the first time in her life, she was losing control of her wolf.
And there was no one left to save her.