I pulled back. “What?”
“We met each other’s parents.”
My eyes widened. “Oh? For real?”
She nodded, twisting a strand of hair between her fingers. “I mean, it was more of a Zoom meeting with my parents, and I met your mom officially when she was first taken to the hospital.”
“And?”
She shrugged. “My folks are pretty supportive and have let me live my life majorly how I like. They would have been okay with any mate, but I could tell my dad was really happy he’s an Alpa.”
I chuckled. “And my mom?”
“I actually expected it to be weird, and was surprised Celeste hadn’t poisoned her against
I mean, she didn’t hug me or throw me a party or whatever, but she was…nice.”
I exhaled in relief. Ethan was traditional to his core, and I knew it would gut him if our
Mother didn’t approve of his mate.
“I can’t believe you’re going to be my sister,” I whispered in awe.
She exhaled on a soft laugh. “Don’t hold your breath.”
My brows furrowed slightly. “What do you mean? Aren’t things perfect right now?”
“They are. But…” She paused, chewing her lip. “I’m not ready for marriage. Not yet. Ethan talks about it sometimes, and I know he’s serious-I love that he’s serious. But I love where we are right now. The excitement, the silliness. The lovey-dovey dating phase.” She shrugged. “Marriage-especially to an Alpha-comes with a shit ton of responsibility. I don’t want to rush into all that just yet.”
I nodded. “I understand.” I reached forward and cupped her cheeks, squishing them together. “Enjoy all the phases for as long as you want.”
Her eyes softened. “Thanks.”
“So…” I shifted, lying back and placing my head in her lap. “Tell me more about your family.
You practically know every dirty secret of mine.”
She laughed softly, stroking my hair. “There isn’t much to tell. You already know my dad’s a
Beta. He always had high hopes for me-said I could do anything an Alpha could do, maybe more.”
A wistful smile danced on her lips. “He’s part of why I do what I do-I want to prove him right.”
I smiled. “He must be so proud of you.”
Her smile widened. “Yeah, I think he is. Especially since I started working with OTS.”
“How did you actually start that?” I asked, realizing just how little I knew about my new- best-friend.
Maya tilted her head, eyes flicking toward the ceiling as though dredging up memories. “It was years ago. I left home a little while after I turned eighteen, a little too sure of myself. I spent my time and resources traveling around the world trying to make a difference wherever I could. I mostly lived in impoverished areas-helped out where I could, human and werewolves alike.”
I stayed still, listening.
“One day, I crossed paths with a pack that had no love for outsiders. A group of vengeful
Alpha wolves-strong, angry, and looking for someone weaker to exert their power on.
They were in for the shock of their lives when they met me. They hadn’t expected me to be as strong as I was or to fight back, but soon, their shock wore off, and they overwhelmed
Fast.”
She clutched a pillow to herself, her voice softening. “I was still young. I didn’t know half the things I know now. I thought…that was it.”
My heart clenched. “Maya-“
“But then he came. Lucian.” A faint smile touched her lips. “Like an actual knight in shiny black fur. It was beautiful to see, Sera. He just…dismantled them. One by one. Efficient, calm, like it was no more troublesome than swatting away flies.”
I smiled, remembering how he’d saved me from the rogues at my father’s funeral and at the restaurant.
The smile dimmed when the image of another wolf-with golden brown fur-tried to shift into my subconscious.
I shot it down and refocused on Maya.
“And then when he was done. He held his hand out to me and smiled warmly, and said,
‘Thanks for loosening them up for me. I don’t think I could have taken them down otherwise.””
I laughed, picturing it so clearly-Lucian, unshakable and steady, calmly standing against impossible odds.
“He invited me to join him afterward,” Maya continued. “Said he was putting together something different. A group that wasn’t bound by politics or power, but by choice and determination. Out of The Shadows. I didn’t even hesitate, I would have followed him anywhere.”
I whispered, “You trust him that much.”
“Yes.” Her eyes met mine, steady. “Even now, after all these years, he’s never given me any reason not to. He’s hard to read sometimes, distant, maybe a little closed off. But he’s a good man, Sera. The kind you can build a foundation on. I’ve seen him grow… from gloomy, repressed, almost suffocating himself with restraint… to someone more composed, more grounded. And lately-” she paused, smile softening, “-lately, I’ve seen him loosen up.
Because of you.”
I swallowed, heat curling low in my chest. “Because of me?”
She nodded. “You’ve changed him, Sera. He laughs easier. Smiles more. There’s lightness where there used to be weight. Don’t underestimate what that means.”
Her words sank into me like warm tea, sweet and steadying.
I thought of Lucian’s rare smiles, the way his eyes softened when they found me, how he’d admitted-so uncharacteristically-that he was jealous, that he’d missed me.
And beneath the sweetness of remembering, a familiar flicker of guilt passed too: that I’d wavered, that I’d let old wounds with Kieran cloud what stood right in front of me.
“I hope we can be happy together,” I said softly.
Maya reached out, squeezing my hand. “You will be. I know it.”
SERAPHINA’S POV
Maya and I talked long into the night, our laughter muffled against pillows, our voices dipping low as we shared fragments of our lives.
She told about how she was the fastest runner in her pack and beat half the boys in combat. She told me of her goth phase when she was fifteen and all the ridiculous, inane ways she’d tried to dye her light brown wolf fur black as a result.
I told her about my writing, how it felt to have people-even if they were strangers- appreciate me when no one else did.
I told her how Daniel’s laugh sounded like sunlight breaking through clouds, and how holding him was the best feeling in the world.
We compared heartbreaks and half-healed scars, dreams and hopes we hadn’t dared to speak out loud.
Somewhere down the hall, muffled voices of other OTS members still carried, but here it was only us-two women wrapped in warmth, trust, and the rare kind of friendship that made the world feel bearable.
As the night went on, the hotel’s quiet hum a cocoon around us, I could feel our connection click into place. I could feel her becoming more than just a friend, a sister.
Considering that, I felt mildly guilty at the jolt of excitement that went through me when
Maya finally drifted off-wine glass tipped sideways, a blanket pulled up to her chin.
Wasting no time, I slipped quietly from the bed, my heart thudding loudly.
I tiptoed past the scattered soda and beer bottles and empty chip bags, eased the door open, and held my breath until it clicked shut behind me.
For a moment, I stood still in the dim corridor, ears straining.
The lodge had fallen quiet, save for the faint rush of the hot spring vents outside.
I felt a mix of exhilaration and guilt, like a teenager sneaking out to meet a forbidden crush
-except I wasn’t a teenager. And Lucian was more than a silly crush.
I didn’t get more than two steps before strong arms wrapped around me.
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