Marcus's POV
I dropped the small wrapped gift when I heard Maya crying.
The sound came from the kitchen storage room, muffled but sad. I'd come here to wish her happy birthday, but now I stood frozen in the hallway, listening to the girl I loved fall apart.
"Maya?" I called softly, picking up the gift. "Are you okay?"
The crying stopped instantly. After a moment, the storage room door opened a crack, and Maya peeked out. Her eyes were red and puffy, and there was an angry burn mark on her leg that made my blood boil.
"Marcus?" She wiped her face quickly. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you." I held up the small package. "It's your birthday, remember?"
Fresh tears filled her eyes. "You remembered."
"Of course I remembered." I stepped closer, wanting to hug her but not sure if I should. "Maya, what happened to your leg?"
She looked down at the burn and shrugged. "Accident with the soup. It's nothing."
"That's not nothing." Anger rose in my chest. "Did Martha take you to the pack doctor?"
"It's fine, Marcus. Really." She tried to smile, but it looked forced. "Thank you for the gift. You didn't have to—"
"Yes, I did." I gave her the package, our fingers touching for just a second. The touch sent warmth up my arm, like it always did. "You deserve to have someone remember your special day."
Maya opened the gift carefully, like the paper was precious. Inside was a small silver band with a wolf charm. I'd saved up for months to buy it from the human town close.
"Marcus," she breathed. "It's beautiful."
"Here, let me." I took the band and fastened it around her wrist, trying not to notice how soft her skin was. "Every girl should have something nice on her eighteenth birthday."
She stared at the band like I'd given her diamonds. "I can't accept this. It must have cost so much."
"It's yours," I said strongly. "No arguments."
Maya threw her arms around me in a sudden hug that nearly knocked me over. I held her tight, breathing in her sweet smell, wishing I could tell her how I really felt.
"Thank you," she whispered against my shoulder. "You're the only one who cares about me."
"That's not true." I pulled back to look at her face. "Lots of people care about you."
She gave me a look that said she didn't believe it. And maybe she was right. Most pack members barely noticed the omega workers. They were invisible, just part of the scene.
But Maya had never been invisible to me.
I'd first really seen her two years ago when she'd found a wounded bird in the pack gardens. While other omegas would have overlooked it or thrown it away, Maya had carefully nursed it back to health. She'd made a little nest in her room and fed it with an eyedropper until it could fly again.
That's when I knew she was special. Not because she was pretty, though she was. Not because she smelled like daisies, though she did. But because she had a kind heart in a world that tried to make people hard.
"Martha says I have to serve the Alpha's table tonight," Maya said, breaking into my thoughts.
My stomach dropped. "What?" "As punishment for spilling the soup. She wants me to apologize to Alpha Drake directly. " This was bad. Very, very bad. Drake was already stressed about his wedding, and the last thing he needed was distractions. But more than that, I'd seen how my cousin looked at pretty girls. Maya was perfectly his type - innocent, beautiful, and completely unaware of her own appeal.
"Maybe I could talk to Martha," I offered. "Get someone else to do it."
"No." Maya straightened her shoulders, showing the stubborn streak I secretly respected. "I messed up. I should face the consequences."
"Maya, listen to me." I grabbed her hands, trying to make her understand. "My cousin... Drake... he's not like other guys. He's used to getting whatever he wants."
"I'm just serving soup, Marcus. What could happen?"
Everything, I wanted to scream. Everything could happen, and it would destroy both of you.
But I couldn't explain that Drake collected women like prizes. That he'd charmed dozens of girls over the years, made them feel special for a few weeks, then moved on without looking back. Maya was too pure for that kind of game.
"Just be careful," I said finally. "Promise me."
"I promise." She squeezed my hands. "Don't worry so much. I'm better than I look."
That was exactly what scared me. Maya thought she could handle anything, but she'd never dealt with an Alpha who could make women forget their own names with just a smile.
Before I could say more, Head Cook Martha's voice boomed through the kitchen. "Maya Stone! Where are you? The Alpha's dinner won't cook itself!"
Maya jumped. "I have to go."
"Wait." I caught her arm as she started to leave. "After dinner, come find me. We can walk by the lake and talk."
She smiled, the first real smile I'd seen from her all day. "I'd like that."
I watched her hurry back to the kitchen, my heart heavy with fear. Something felt wrong about today. The whole pack seemed on edge, like everyone was waiting for something to happen.
My wolf senses were screaming danger, but I couldn't figure out why.
I was going back to the main house when I ran into Beta Harrison. He looked worried too, which didn't help my mood.
"Marcus," he said. "Have you seen your cousin? He's supposed to meet with the wedding plans in an hour."
"He's probably hiding in his office," I answered. "The furniture might not survive another meeting about flower arrangements."
Harrison didn't laugh at my joke. "This wedding needs to happen, Marcus. The pack elders are getting worried about the alliance with Crescent Moon Pack."
"I know." I did know, but that didn't mean I had to like it. Drake marrying Lila Cross felt wrong somehow, like putting two puzzle pieces together that didn't quite fit.
"Maybe you could talk to him," Harrison continued. "He listens to you more than anyone else."
"I'll try."
But as I walked toward the main house, my thoughts kept wandering back to Maya. Something about tonight felt important, like the whole world was about to shift on its axis.
I just hoped that when it did, the people I cared about wouldn't get crushed in the process.
Inside the house, I could hear voices from Drake's office. Loud voices, which meant another fight about wedding plans. I was about to knock when I heard something that made my blood freeze.
"The ceremony will begin at sunset," Elder Morrison was saying. "Then the feast, then the mating ceremony—"
"What?" Drake's voice was sharp. "Mating ceremony? Tonight?"
My heart started pounding. If they moved up the mating process, it would lock Drake into this marriage forever. There would be no going back, no chance for him to find real love.
And for some reason I couldn't explain, that felt like the worst thing that could possibly happen.
Not just for Drake.
For everyone.