Emma’s eyes widened, and then she was the one shrinking, withering under Maya’s glare.
Celeste didn’t seem as fazed, but her laugh lacked its usual bite. “You think dressing her up changes anything? Kieran’s already made his choice. I’m his Luna.”
“Congrats,” Maya said coolly. “What a world-altering achievement. You must be so proud.
Would you like a cookie?” The way she said it made it sound like Celeste had drawn on the walls and was expecting praise.
Maya took a step back, standing at my side as Celeste bristled with barely contained anger.
My new friend slipped her arm in mine. “Come on, Sera,” she said. “It’s reeks of insecurity and desperation.”
Celeste’s eyes flashed, but she didn’t say another word as Maya pulled me away.
I let her guide me forward, our heels clicking against the polished floor like punctuation marks.
I could feel the burn of glares on my back, but I didn’t look back.
Celeste was where she belonged-behind me.
SERAPHINA’S POV
As we walked, my shoulders started to ache-not from the bags I was carrying, but from the weight I thought I’d finally shrugged off.
I tried to hide it. I smiled at Maya, thanked her a thousand times, even made a joke about tripping in one of the ridiculous heels she made me buy.
But the truth? My shopping spirit had flatlined somewhere between Emma’s sneer and Celeste’s smug little declaration.
Even now, it echoed in my head: ‘Kieran’s already made his choice!’
I knew that. And it shouldn’t have bothered me one bit.
Still, hearing it-spoken with such confidence, like I was nothing but a discarded mistake- burned hotter than any insult ever could.
“Okay, one last stop,” Maya announced as we pulled up to our cars. “My car has been acting up lately,” she tapped on the hood for emphasis-“and if that isn’t a sign that I need a new whip, I don’t know what is.”
She pointed to the dealership across the street from the mall. “Let’s drop our bags and-‘
“I think I’ll head home,” I said. “I need to… decompress. Maybe take a nap before dinner. It’s been quite a day.”
Maya narrowed her eyes slightly. “I thought we could grab dinner together.”
I forced a grin. “Rain check?”
She bit her lower lip. “You’re not letting those girls get to you, right? They’re all fucking juvenile. Not worth the headspace, Sera.”
I nodded, my jaw aching with the strained smile. “I know, Maya. And thanks for that earlier; it was pretty badass.”
She nodded slowly. “Alright, birthday girl. You promise you’re not going home to sulk under a blanket?”
I shook my head. “I’m not.” At least I hoped I wasn’t.
She watched me a beat longer, then nodded. “Okay then.”
She watched me as I unlocked my car and put my shopping bags inside. Before I slid into the driver’s seat, I waved at her cheerfully, pretending like I didn’t feel as if I’d just been shoved ten steps backward in my healing.
***
MAYA’S POV
I’ve walked into ambushes alone and walked out without a scratch. Once took down an
Alpha twice my size with plastic chopsticks.
But nothing-and I mean nothing-could’ve prepared me for the jolt that went through me the moment I stepped into that godforsaken dealership.
I’d been distracted, worrying about my new friend and all the forces of the world that conspired to hurt her.
I’d been wondering what else I could do to help her, to ease the weight she constantly carried like a pain mule, when I felt it-white hot lightning rushing through my body, freezing me in place.
All my senses honed in on the source of that feeling, and I felt my wolf, Nyra, stir.
He was leaning against the hood of a dark green Mercedes G-Wagon, all polished steel and understated arrogance, casually arguing with the service manager like he owned the place.
I wouldn’t have noticed him if the bond hadn’t punched me in the chest like a battering ram.
‘Mate!’ Nyra howled. The sound filled my head. Awareness spread through my body. The sheer force of my realization gave me vertigo.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. A clean-shaven jaw I could already see myself punching for fun.
And those eyes-like storm clouds gathering in a clear blue sky-locked on me the moment
I entered.
He felt it too.
I saw his body tense as he straightened, saw his pupils dilate. Felt the weight of his attention on me, the service manager suddenly an afterthought.
He started toward me, slow and cautious, probably trying to play it cool despite the magnetic pull humming between us like a live wire.
Each step he took toward me reflected in my pounding heart, but I forced it to be still, forced my nerves to ease.
I was Maya fucking Cartridge, and I didn’t get fazed. Mate or no.
“Hey-” he began. His voice was warm silk, smooth and rich.
I raised a brow. “If you’re about to say you think we know each other, don’t. It’s clich?.”
He blinked. Then laughed. Damn it. It was a nice laugh-it curled into the air between us, oddly intimate.
Nyra purred.
“I wasn’t. I was going to say”-he stuck out a hand-“I’d like to know your name.”
My lips twitched. “Would you now?”
“Very much.”
I almost told him. Almost.
I’d always found the idea of fated mates a little ridiculous. No disrespect to the moon goddess, but if I was going to be with someone for the rest of my life, it would be my decision, not fate’s.
I wasn’t the kind of girl you stumbled upon and just claimed. I had to be earned.
I took a step closer. Close enough to let the tension sharpen.
His scent hit me-dark leather with a trace of pine.
My senses sharpened. In recognition. In hunger.
Shit.
“Then here’s a challenge, mystery man.” I forced my voice to steady, to not betray the longing coiling in my belly. “You’ve got one week. Find out who I am-without using the bond. No sniffing, no asking around the pack, no cheating. And if you manage that…”
His brows lifted, intrigued.
“…then we’ll talk.”
His eyes darkened, his lips quirking. “A challenge… Interesting.”
I tilted my head. “Are you up for it?”
His eyes flit to my lips, and almost instinctively, I bit down on my lower lip, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Explosive, no doubt.
“Definitely.”
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