Maya woke to the smell of herbs and pine. She was in her bed, a cool cloth on her forehead. The pain in her chest had dulled to a constant ache, like a bruise that wouldn't heal.
"You're awake," her mother said, relief flooding her tired face. "That's the third time you've collapsed this week."
Maya tried to sit up. "How long was I out this time?"
"Just a few hours." Her mother helped her up. "Maya, this can't continue. The rejected bond is killing you."
The weight of her mother's words settled heavily on Maya's shoulders. Death. Was that really where this path led?
"I need to find Liam," Maya whispered. "Luna Evelyn said—"
"Luna Evelyn is gone," her mother cut in. "Alpha Marcus sent her away after she visited you. No one knows where."
Maya's heart sank. Another ally lost.
A knock at the front door downstairs made them both freeze. Alpha Marcus had ordered Maya's banishment, but her father had convinced him to give her one more week to recover enough strength to leave.
"Stay here," her mother ordered, heading downstairs.
Maya heard muffled voices, then footsteps on the stairs. Her door opened to reveal Caleb, his face etched with concern.
"Five minutes," her mother said sharply to him before leaving them alone.
Maya crossed her arms. "I have nothing to say to you."
Caleb stepped closer. "I know you're angry. You have every right to be."
"You lied to me," Maya said, her voice cracking. "That video was fake."
"Not fake," Caleb corrected. "Just... not recent. It happened last year, before Liam started changing."
Maya's eyes widened. "So you manipulated me."
Caleb sat on the edge of her bed, ignoring how she shifted away from him. "I did it to protect you. You don't belong with him, Maya. You never have."
"That wasn't your decision to make!"
"I've loved you since we were kids," Caleb blurted out. "Watching you get paired with that bully was torture."
Maya stared at him, speechless. All these years, she'd seen Caleb as her best friend, her training partner. Nothing more.
"I don't care what some mystical bond says," Caleb continued, his voice growing passionate. "You deserve a choice. Everyone does."
Despite everything, his words struck a chord. Hadn't she been fighting for that very thing? The right to choose her own path?
"The mate bond is killing you," Caleb said softly. "What if there was another way?"
Maya's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Elara isn't the only one who knows about breaking bonds." Caleb leaned closer. "There's a ritual. If you form another connection—a real one, based on choice, not fate—it can weaken the mate bond enough to break it without killing you."
"A connection?" Maya repeated. "Like... dating someone else?"
Caleb nodded, his eyes hopeful. "Like dating me. Just once. Just to see if there's something there."
Maya laughed bitterly. "You think one date will break a supernatural bond?"
"It's a start," Caleb insisted. "Maya, look at what this bond is doing to you. You can barely stand. Is that the kind of relationship you want? One that hurts you when it doesn't get its way?"
Put that way, the mate bond did sound more like a prison than a blessing. Just as Elara had said.
"One date," Maya found herself saying. "That's all I'm promising."
Caleb's face lit up. "Tomorrow night. I'll pick you up at sunset."
After he left, Maya stood shakily and walked to the window. The forest stretched dark and mysterious beyond the pack grounds. Somewhere out there, Liam ran as a wolf, suffering the same pain she was.
Or was he? A new thought struck her. What if male wolves experienced the bond differently? What if Liam was already recovering while she wasted away?
The thought hardened something inside her. Maybe Caleb was right. Maybe it was time to take control of her own destiny.
The next evening, Maya dressed carefully in a simple blue dress that brought out her eyes. Her mother watched with a worried frown.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked. "Dating someone else won't fix a broken mate bond."
"I have to try something," Maya replied, brushing her hair. "I can't just sit here getting weaker."
Her mother sighed. "Just be careful. Caleb may have his own agenda."
Maya was spared from answering by a knock at the door. Caleb stood on the porch, holding wildflowers and looking nervous.
"You look beautiful," he said, his eyes wide.
Despite everything, Maya blushed. She'd never seen Caleb look at her this way before.
"We'll be back before midnight," he promised her mother, who nodded stiffly.
They walked together toward the pack's lake, where Caleb had set up a picnic under the stars. As they passed through the main grounds, other pack members stared and whispered. News traveled fast—the rejected mate was dating someone else now.
The lake gleamed under the half-moon, ripples of silver dancing across its surface. Caleb had arranged a blanket with candles, food, and even a small speaker playing soft music.
"This is... really nice," Maya admitted as they sat down.
"I wanted it to be special," Caleb said, pouring her a cup of cider. "Our first real date."
As they ate and talked, Maya found herself relaxing. This was familiar—comfortable in a way her interactions with Liam never were. There was no fighting, no tension, just easy conversation with someone who knew her well.
"Remember when we snuck into Alpha Marcus's office during the spring feast?" Caleb laughed. "You were so scared!"
Maya smiled at the memory. "You said nothing would happen, and then we got caught and had to clean the meeting hall for a month!"
"Worth it," Caleb said, his eyes twinkling.
The moon climbed higher as they reminisced. For the first time in days, Maya didn't feel the constant ache in her chest. Maybe this was working. Maybe the bond was weakening already.
"Come on," Caleb said suddenly, standing and offering his hand. "There's something I want to show you."
He led her along a moonlit path to a small clearing she'd never seen before. In the center stood an old oak tree, its massive trunk hollowed out to form a small shelter.
"What is this place?" Maya asked, stepping inside the hollow tree. Lanterns hung from the gnarled interior, casting a warm glow.
"My secret spot," Caleb said, following her in. "I found it when I was a kid. No one else knows about it."
The space was cozy, barely big enough for two people. Maya suddenly felt very aware of how close Caleb was standing.
"Maya," he said softly, "I need to tell you something important."
His serious tone made her heart skip. "What is it?"
"The night Elara took your moonstone—I was there. I saw everything."
Maya frowned. "What do you mean? You were at the pack grounds."
Caleb shook his head. "I followed you home. I saw Elara take the stone. I saw Liam crash through your window."
"Why didn't you help me?" Maya demanded.
"I was going to," Caleb insisted. "But then I heard what Elara said about the stone. About its power."
A chill ran down Maya's spine. "And?"
"I know where she's keeping it," Caleb confessed. "I've been tracking her movements. She has a hideout in the eastern caves."
Maya grabbed his arm. "You know where my moonstone is? We have to get it back! We have to tell—"
"No," Caleb cut her off. "We can't tell anyone. Not yet."
"Why not?"
Caleb took a deep breath. "Because Elara isn't wrong about the mate bonds. They are a form of control. Think about it, Maya. Why should some mystical force decide who we love? Who we spend our lives with?"
"That doesn't give her the right to steal my stone," Maya argued.
"No, but it gives us an opportunity," Caleb said, his eyes gleaming. "With that stone, we could ensure no one in our pack is ever forced into a mate bond again. Everyone could choose, just like we're choosing now."
Maya stepped back, suddenly uneasy. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying we should work with Elara, not against her." Caleb moved closer. "Just long enough to break your bond with Liam permanently. Then we'll take the stone back."
"That's crazy," Maya whispered. "Luna Evelyn said the stone is important to the pack's magic."
"That's just what the Alphas want everyone to believe," Caleb scoffed. "To maintain control."
Something in his voice sent warning signals through Maya's mind. This wasn't the Caleb she knew.
"I don't think—" she began.
Caleb cut her off by leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers. For a moment, Maya was too shocked to move. Then a searing pain exploded in her chest, as if the mate bond was being ripped apart. She shoved Caleb away with a cry.
"What's wrong?" he asked, looking hurt.
"It burns," Maya gasped, clutching her chest. The pain was worse than ever, radiating outward from her heart.
A howl echoed through the forest—close by. Angry. Threatening.
Caleb's head snapped up. "He's here. How did he find us?"
"Who?" Maya asked, though she already knew.
"Liam," Caleb hissed. "His wolf has been tracking you."
Another howl, closer now. Maya could feel the bond vibrating with fury.
"We need to go," Caleb said, grabbing her hand. "Now."
"No," Maya pulled away. "I need to talk to him. To explain."
"Explain what? That you're moving on?" Caleb's face hardened. "Fine. Tell him. Let him see us together."
The hollow tree's entrance darkened as a massive shape appeared. Liam's wolf stood there, golden eyes glowing with rage. His black fur was matted, his powerful body lean from days of running. He looked wild, dangerous.
"Liam," Maya whispered.
The wolf's eyes fixed on their joined hands. A low growl rumbled from his throat.
"Go ahead," Caleb taunted, pulling Maya closer. "Tell him about us."
Before Maya could speak, the wolf lunged—not at her, but at Caleb. Teeth flashed in the lantern light.
Maya screamed as the two tumbled out of the tree hollow, Caleb shifting mid-fall into his smaller brown wolf form. The wolves clashed in a fury of teeth and claws, black against brown, Alpha's son against warrior.
"Stop!" Maya cried, stumbling after them. "Liam, stop!"
But the wolves paid no attention, locked in a battle that had been brewing for years. Blood darkened the grass as they tore at each other.
Pain lanced through Maya's chest again, dropping her to her knees. Through tear-blurred eyes, she saw Liam's wolf gain the upper hand, pinning Caleb's smaller form beneath him. His jaws opened wide, going for the killing bite.
"No!" Maya screamed. "Liam, I reject you! I reject the bond!"
The black wolf froze, his head whipping toward her. Their eyes locked across the moonlit clearing—hers filled with desperate tears, his with stunned betrayal.
In that moment of distraction, Caleb's wolf twisted free. But instead of fleeing, he lunged at Liam's exposed throat.
"Caleb, don't!" Maya cried.
Too late. As the wolves collided again, the ground beneath them suddenly gave way. The hollow tree's massive roots had created a sinkhole, hidden beneath the grass. With twin yelps of surprise, both wolves disappeared into the darkness below.
"Liam!" Maya screamed, crawling toward the edge. "Caleb!"
Only silence answered her. The hole gaped black and bottomless in the moonlight, swallowing both wolves without a trace.
Maya collapsed at the edge, the pain in her chest nothing compared to the horror coursing through her. She had rejected Liam again—said the words out loud to save Caleb. And now they were both gone.
As the moon disappeared behind a cloud, plunging the clearing into darkness, a soft voice spoke from the trees behind her.
"Well, well," Elara said, stepping into view. "That was quite a show."
Maya looked up through her tears to see Elara standing over her, the moonstone glowing in her palm.
"You," Maya gasped.
"Me," Elara agreed with a cold smile. "And now, my dear, you have a choice to make. Your mate, your friend—or your freedom."