Chapter six

"You?" I gasped, completely blindsided by who stood before me.

It was her—the casual-dressed girl from the reception. Up close, she was even prettier than I'd thought, with warm brown eyes that crinkled when she smiled and a sprinkle of freckles across her nose. Her short dark hair was styled in a way that somehow looked both messy and perfect.

"Hey there, fellow dress-code rebel," she said with a grin, extending her hand. "I'm Maya. Maya Wilson."

I took her hand, surprised by her firm grip. "Lena Blackwood."

"Oh, I know who you are. Everyone does." She leaned against my doorframe, completely at ease. "Mind if I come in? These hallways have ears."

I hesitated for only a second before stepping aside. Something about her felt trustworthy, like we were kindred spirits.

"So," she said, flopping onto the armchair by the window while I sat on the edge of my bed. "What's the Alpha's daughter doing dressed like she's ready to run away rather than find her destined mate?"

Her teasing tone made me smile despite everything. "Maybe because that's exactly what I'm planning."

Instead of looking shocked, Maya laughed—a genuine, belly-deep sound that made me like her instantly. "I knew I liked you for a reason." She kicked off her boots and tucked her feet under her. "My cousin Amara thinks I'm crazy for not wanting to 'fulfill my destiny' or whatever."

"Amara?" I blinked in surprise. "Amara King is your cousin?"

Maya nodded. "Yep. My mom is her dad's sister—Beta of the King Pack. Which makes me werewolf royalty adjacent, I guess." She rolled her eyes. "Not that I care about any of that stuff."

My mind was spinning. The future female Alpha and this rebellious girl were related? They couldn't be more different.

"You two don't seem very... alike," I said carefully.

Maya snorted. "Understatement of the century. Amara lives for pack politics and power plays. Me? I just want to live my life without some random dude deciding he owns me because he managed to catch me in a glorified game of tag."

I felt a rush of excitement hearing someone else say exactly what I'd been thinking. "That's what I've been trying to tell my family! This whole hunting party is barbaric. We're not deer. We shouldn't be hunted."

"Preach," Maya said, raising an imaginary glass in toast. "But good luck getting anyone to listen. I've been complaining about this for years, and all I get is 'it's tradition' and 'this is how we find our true mates.'" She mimicked an older voice that made me laugh.

"My brother kind of gets it," I said, remembering my conversation with Ethan. "He says when he becomes Alpha, he'll change things."

"That's something, at least." Maya got up and walked to the mini-fridge in the corner, pulling out two sodas. She tossed one to me, which I caught easily. "My dad just tells me I'll change my mind when I meet 'the right male.'" She popped the tab on her soda and took a long drink.

I did the same, the cold sweetness a welcome distraction from my anxiety. "Why can't we just date like normal people? Get to know someone before committing our entire lives to them?"

"Right?" Maya exclaimed, pointing at me with her can. "Like, hello? It's not the Dark Ages anymore. We have phones and dating apps. We don't need to be chased through the woods to find someone compatible."

We talked for hours after that, sprawled across my bed with empty soda cans and the snacks Maya had sneaked from the reception piled between us. It felt like I'd known her forever—like finding a missing piece of myself I hadn't realized was gone.

As the sky outside darkened, our conversation turned more serious.

"What will you do?" I asked, picking at a loose thread on my comforter. "If someone catches you tomorrow that you don't want?"

Maya's expression hardened. "Fight like hell. I've been training in combat since I was twelve—secretly, of course. My parents think I'm taking dance lessons." She grinned wickedly. "I might not be as naturally strong as some of these guys, but I'm faster and smarter."

"But what if that's not enough?" I whispered, voicing my deepest fear. "What if he's too strong? What if he forces the mark on you?"

Maya was quiet for a moment, her fingers absently tracing patterns on the bedspread. "I've thought about that a lot," she admitted finally. "If the worst happens... I guess I'll have to play the game until I can find a way out. Some females manage to escape bad matings. It's rare, but it happens."

"And if he hurts you?" The words felt thick in my throat. "If he's cruel or... or abusive?"

I was thinking of the stories I'd heard—whispered accounts of females trapped in matings with violent males, their wolves too bonded to leave despite the abuse their human sides endured.

Maya looked up at me, her eyes suddenly vulnerable. "I don't know," she admitted. "That's what scares me the most."

Without thinking, I reached across the bed and took her hand. "If that happens—if you get a bad mate who hurts you—I'll kill him for you."

The words came out fierce and certain, surprising even me with their intensity. But I meant them. In that moment, I knew I would protect this girl I'd just met, this kindred spirit who understood me like no one else had.

For a second, Maya looked startled. Then her face softened into a smile. "You're kind of adorable, you know that? Tiny but fierce." She squeezed my hand. "Same goes for you. Anyone tries to hurt you, they'll have to go through me first."

A warm feeling spread through my chest—part relief, part something else I couldn't quite name. For the first time since learning about the hunting party, I didn't feel completely alone.

We fell into comfortable silence, both lost in our thoughts. I got up to turn on the small lamp by the bed as the room grew darker, my stomach growling loudly enough to make Maya laugh.

"Hungry?" she asked. "I think I've got one more protein bar in my pocket..."

"I'm starving," I admitted. I hadn't eaten much at the reception, too anxious to have an appetite. Now my body was reminding me that werewolves, especially young ones, needed a lot of calories to maintain our enhanced metabolism.

Maya produced a slightly squished chocolate protein bar from her jacket pocket and broke it in half, handing me the larger portion. It wasn't much, but I wolfed it down gratefully, licking the chocolate from my fingers when I was done.

"We should probably get some rest," Maya said, glancing at the clock. "Tomorrow's going to be... intense."

The reminder of what awaited us sent a cold shiver down my spine. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

"Me neither," Maya admitted. "But we should at least try. We'll need our strength."