“You can’t be serious.”
“I am.”
“I’m not going anywhere without the rest of you,” Maya says, her voice sharp with sudden anger.
I turn back to face her, studying the stubborn set of her jaw, the determined glint in her eyes. She’s changed since I first met her—grown harder, more confident, more willing to assert herself. The frightened Omega who trembled in Logan’s presence has been replaced by someone who stands her ground, even against those she should fear.
It’s both admirable and deeply inconvenient.
“This isn’t a debate,” I say, keeping my voice level. “The rest of us will follow when it’s secure.”
“No.” The word is simple, definitive. Maya crosses her arms over her chest, her stance widening slightly—a fighter’s posture, unconsciously adopted. “I made the decision that we stay and fight. Together. I’m not running off to hide while the rest of you risk your lives.”
“This isn’t about hiding,” I counter, frustration edging into my tone despite my best efforts. “I’m trying to keep you safe here.”
“Because I’m weak? Because I need protection?” Her voice rises slightly, color flooding her cheeks. “Or because you think I’ll be in the way when the real fighting starts?”
“We don’t have time,” I say, moving closer to her, close enough that I can catch the subtle notes in her scent—cherries and champagne, now undercut with something sharper. Determination, perhaps. Or fear she’s trying to mask. “The king’s guards have been spotted in the village. They’re working a grid pattern, moving outward from the city. They’ll reach this area within days, maybe hours.”
It’s not entirely true—the guards are in the region, but they’re still focusing on the main roads, not yet combing the countryside where we’re hidden. But the threat is real enough, and sometimes fear is a necessary motivator.
Maya’s eyes narrow, studying my face with an intensity that makes me wonder if she can see through the partial deception. “Then we all leave together,” she insists. “Tonight, if necessary.”
“Not possible,” I counter. “Moving five people without attracting attention requires planning, multiple vehicles, coordinated timing. Moving one person—that we can do immediately.”
“Then I’ll wait until we can all go.”
My patience, never abundant to begin with, begins to fray. “This isn’t a democracy, Maya. The decision has been made.”
“By whom?” she challenges, taking a step toward me. “Logan? The same Logan who gave me the power to decide our next move? The same Logan who promised to respect my choices going forward?”
I resist the urge to step back, to maintain the careful distance between us. Instead, I hold my ground, letting her invade my space. “By all of us,” I say, the lie smooth on my tongue. “For your protection.”
“Bullshit.” The profanity sounds strange in her voice, sharper for its rarity. “Logan doesn’t know about this plan, does he? This is you, acting on your own.”
She’s more perceptive than I gave her credit for. I recalibrate, adjusting my approach. “Logan is occupied at the moment. I’m responsible for security in his absence. That includes your safety.”
“My safety is my responsibility,” Maya counters, her voice rising. “Not yours, not Logan’s, not anyone’s but my own.”
“That’s not how pack dynamics work,” I say, unable to keep the edge from my voice.
“You can’t just ship me off to some hideaway while you all play revolution.”
The accusation stings, more than it should. I take a step closer, deliberately using my height advantage to loom over her. “I want to keep you alive,” I say, my voice dropping lower. “Because contrary to what you might believe, your death would devastate more than just Logan.”
Something shifts in her expression—surprise, confusion, a flicker of something else I can’t quite name. She hadn’t expected that admission. Neither had I, if I’m being honest.
But the moment passes quickly, her resolve hardening once more. “I’m not going,” she says, each word distinct and final. “Not tonight, not alone. If you want me to leave, you’ll have to drag me out.”
“If that’s what it takes,” I say, the threat implicit in my tone.
Maya laughs, the sound startlingly genuine despite the tension between us. “You really think you could force me to go anywhere I don’t want to go? After everything I’ve survived?”
“Yes,” I say simply. “I do.”
Her smile turns sharp, almost predatory. “Try it,” she challenges, her voice dropping to match mine. “See what happens.”
I study her for a long moment, reassessing. The woman before me bears little resemblance to the one I met over a year ago. There’s a steel in her now, a dangerous edge I hadn’t fully appreciated until this moment.
