Maya POV
I came down the stairs one careful step at a time.
Blood had already soaked through the fresh bandage on my palm again. A thin, dark line trickled between my fingers and dripped onto the polished wood. I didn’t bother wiping it. The wound still burned every time I flexed my hand — a sharp reminder of how close I had come to dying.
I had moved back into the mansion three days ago. Katherine’s place had been quiet. Safe. But I couldn’t stay hidden forever.
The house felt different now. Heavier. Like the walls themselves were watching me.
I still remembered the night everything changed.
Aria’s small body had been soaked in blood when they carried her in. A rogue child, barely breathing, skin the colour of ash. Caleb had found her near the border after the last conflict. Alpha Ian ordered every healer available. Nothing worked.
So I used my own blood.
I slit my palm and let it drip into the wound on her chest, trying desperately to revive her. When that wasn’t enough, I opened the other arm. Lucas’s voice cut through the haze more than once — sharp, almost desperate — telling me to stop. He came forward and gripped my arm. I yanked it free and pushed him back. I couldn’t let a sweet, innocent child who hadn’t even lived long enough die in front of me. I kept going until her eyes fluttered open and she coughed.
Then the world tilted sideways and everything went black.
The last thing I remembered was an arm catching me before I hit the ground.
I slept for almost a week.
When I finally woke up, the pack looked at me differently. Alpha Ian’s gaze lingered longer than usual. My duties were reduced without explanation. Security around me tightened. Zain became awkward and tense whenever he was near. No one would tell me why.
Everything felt odd. I knew something was being kept from me.
Especially because Alpha Ian had become more protective than usual. Always checking if I needed anything, if I was in pain, if he should call a doctor. I wasn’t allowed to leave the house without guards. It didn’t really bother me. The first thing I did after waking was go see Aria.
She was alive. Healthy. Excited to show me her drawings and the new friends she had made. She ran at me so hard I nearly lost my balance. At least she was happy.
And Lucas had moved back into the main house.
He had always kept his distance. Preferred solitude. Now he was here every day — quiet, watchful, and somehow softer in ways I didn’t understand. He never mentioned the night I had thrown myself at him. He never looked at me with disgust. He simply existed in the same space, and that alone made something restless stir under my skin.
I hated how much I still felt him.
At night the memories came without permission. The weight of his hands. The heat of his mouth. The way my body had answered him like it already knew. I found myself aching in ways that made me press my face into the pillow and curse under my breath.
I had never been like this before.
Not with Caleb. Not with anyone.
I couldn’t just... get him off my mind. Every night I lay in bed and the same images returned. The pressure of his fingers. The heat of his mouth. The way my body had opened for him without hesitation. I would close my eyes and let my hand drift lower, chasing something that never quite satisfied me. I came once, twice, sometimes three times, but the emptiness always returned the moment it was over.
I was still aching. Still restless. Still wanting something I shouldn’t.
****
I moved down the stairs and headed toward the kitchen. My body still felt weak. Heat rushed up my neck until my face burned. That was why I needed the cold water.
The kitchen was dark and quiet. I poured a glass and leaned against the counter, letting the chill settle in my chest.
Footsteps.
"Maya."
I turned.
Caleb stood in the doorway. Grey hoodie stretched across his shoulders, black joggers hanging low on his hips. An apple in one hand, phone in the other. The moment his eyes landed on me, they softened.
I looked away and moved to leave.
His hand closed around my wrist.
Pain shot up my arm from the bandage. A small sound escaped me.
"Ahh..." I gasped.
He released me at once, but he didn’t step back. He stayed close, blocking the only way out.
"Maya." His voice was low. "Are you seriously going to keep avoiding me forever? We’re supposed to be engaged in a few days and you won’t even look at me."
I kept my eyes on the floor.
"I made a mistake," he continued. "I already apologized. Couples fight. What else do you want from me?"
I finally lifted my gaze.
"I want you to leave me alone."
His jaw tightened. "You’re still going through with the engagement. You don’t have a mate."
He paused, his hand passed through his hair as he exhaled slowly. His gaze still fixed on me.
"You have a body that could drive any man insane, yet you refused to give yourself to me. What else was I supposed to do? I’m a man. I have needs. Stop acting so immature and forget whatever happened."
Something cold settled in my chest.
Was that a compliment or an insult?
"I’m not immature," I said. "And I do have someone. Stay away from me. I really don’t have the strength for this right now."
I turned to leave. He stopped me again, pulling me back towards him.
"Maya, we had a rough patch, but we can fix this. I was confused. I’m not anymore. I really want to be with you. I love you. Only you."
A short, humourless laugh escaped me.
"You’re right," I said. "We all make mistakes."
He exhaled, relieved. "Yes. One stupid impulsive moment. But what we have is real."
I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes.
"You know what else was impulsive, Caleb?"
"What?"
"I made a mistake that same night."
"What do you mean? It doesn’t matter. I forgive you."
"Even if I slept with someone else?"
He went dead silent.
I laughed softly. "And guess what? He’s now my lover."
His lips parted. Shock and disbelief written across his face.
"And honestly?" I tilted my head, holding his gaze. "It was the best mistake I ever made. You should try it sometime. Actually, never mind. You already have."
His eyes darkened. His fist clenched so tightly the knuckles turned white.
I should have stopped talking. I didn’t.
"That night was the best night of my life," I continued. "I never knew sex could feel like that. His fingers were extremely skilled. He made me feel things I never thought I was capable of. And his tongue? He went down on me, Caleb. You could never compare. The way he touched me... it was as if he knew me better than I knew myself. So yes, thank you for cheating on me with a rogue. You can fuck as many women as you want. I don’t give a damn. I have someone, and that someone is not you."
For a second he didn’t move.
Then his arm shot out and yanked me against him so hard the air left my lungs.
"Don’t," he growled against my ear. "Don’t you dare talk about another man touching you."
His fingers dug into my waist hard enough to bruise. "If any man lays a hand on you, I won’t just gut him. I’ll make sure he regrets being born." He pulled me tighter until there was no space left between us. "You’re mine, Maya. You’ve always been mine, and always will be mine. Never forget that."
My heart slammed against my ribs.
What was wrong with him?
I had never seen Caleb like this. His eyes were almost black, his jaw locked so tight a muscle jumped in his cheek. The way he looked at me — like something inside him had snapped — made my stomach drop.
If he was this angry just hearing that someone else had touched me... what would he do if he ever found out it was Lucas?
The thought alone sent a cold shiver down my spine.
Before I could push him away, his mouth crashed onto mine.
The kiss was hard. Hungry. Angry. His tongue pushed past my lips without waiting for permission. One hand slid down my back and gripped my ass, squeezing hard enough to make me gasp into his mouth. The other hand shoved my dress up my thigh, fingers rough against my skin as he dragged the fabric higher.
He pushed me toward the sofa without breaking the kiss, pinning me beneath him. His weight pressed me down. His hand moved higher, fingers brushing the edge of my panties.
Panic rose sharp in my throat.
I shoved at his chest. When that wasn’t enough, I pulled my hand back and slapped him across the face as hard as I could.
The sound cracked through the quiet room.
He stumbled back a step, eyes wide, jaw tight, breathing hard.
I stood there with my dress half-pushed up, lips stinging, heart slamming against my ribs.
"How dare you," I said, voice shaking. "Don’t ever touch me like that again."
Then I turned and ran up the stairs before he could reach for me a second time.
I locked my bedroom door behind me and leaned against it, breathing hard.
My hands were still trembling.
Not just from the fear of what Caleb had just done.
From the colder, heavier fear of what he might do if he ever learned the truth.
And from the quiet, unwanted truth that the only touch my body still answered to... belonged to the one person I should never have wanted.