Maya

The food I'd poised to eat remained untouched as soon as she came into view. My appetite vanished in an instant; she had that effect on me. Rage surged through me like a wildfire—I fucking loathed her more than I ever thought possible. Seeing her made me want to fucking slit her throat and end it all.

She was the reason for my suffering. If not for her, I wouldn't have been trapped in this pack. If she had only been a fraction of the mother I'd needed, perhaps I wouldn't be paying for her fucking sins.

"What the fuck do you want, mother?" I uttered the word 'mother' as if it were a curse; Well it was.

A fleeting reaction in her eyes signaled that she had caught the undertone, but what intrigued me more was her response. She was a master manipulator—a vile entity beyond comparison.

"Is that how you speak to your mom, darling?" She feigned softness in her tone, hiding her true nature behind a façade.

"Certainly not. But let's set this straight— you're not my mom," I retorted sharply, my grip on the fork tightening. "Don't deceive yourself into thinking I'll heed anything you say."

"Fine, say what you will," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Where are your mates, by the way? I thought they'd be keeping you company," she added with a suggestive raise of her eyebrows.

"None of your damn business, right? Why even bother? It's not like you give a damn about them," I retorted casually, nibbling on my toast, my irritation barely concealed.

Truthfully, I had no clue where they were, nor did I care. Anywhere else was better than here, even if only for a brief respite from the suffocating atmosphere.

"Maya, let's end this charade. Come on, I'll overlook whatever you said the other day. Let's move past it, okay?" She attempted a smile, smoothing my hair. "We're in this together. A team.”

Fuck this 'team' shit!

"We'd be a team if I were some a whore, Mom. But I'm not. Find someone else who fits your criteria," I stood up, eager to leave, but then she spoke again.

"You really have no clue what you're up against, do you? They'll fucking destroy you—sooner or later. There's no way out. Try to make things easier for yourself and others by submitting. At least that way, you might have a slim chance at life."

A slim chance at life? I wanted to laugh at that. 

She didn't care about any 'slim chance at life.' Her concern was solely the benefits she'd reap if I became a subservient puppet to the twins until they decided to kill me.

"I made it clear the other day—I'm not interested in improving things for you or paving your path to some imaginary throne that's robbed you of every ounce of dignity you once had. Oh, my bad, I forgot—you never had any fucking dignity to begin with," I smirked, crossing my arms defiantly, “Your words won't sway me, Morgana. Find someone else willing to play the subservient game and suck their dicks to boost your own status, or better yet, do it yourself. After all, you're known for your exceptional skills in that department, aren't you?"

"Maya!" She shot up from her seat, fury blazing in her eyes.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me, Morgana," I stepped closer, meeting her gaze head-on, my own expression hardening. "I refuse to be your punching bag any longer, to put up with your crap. So, spare your efforts. From what I've heard, your affair with Alpha Alaric began with your, shall we say, talents—a mind-blowing blowjob. Since you've kept the father entertained for so long, might as well keep the sons too, right? Although, they do seem to prefer younger company, from what I've noticed."

"Remember, you're speaking to the Luna of this pack, Maya. I can exile you or punish you however I see fit—and trust me, there's no one, absolutely no one, who would support you," she threatened, her fists clenched at her sides.

A small chuckle slipped from my lips at her threat. "Go on, try punishing me. I'd love to see how the Sterling Twins would allow that. I've been announced as the future Luna anyway, and so far, I'm more welcome here than you are. At least I'm not known as a promiscuous person who has sucked ten different men at once. So, Best of luck with your authority then?”

I could sense her desire to strike me, that familiar expression on her face, but I knew she wouldn't. What I said wasn't a bluff—it was the truth. She might hold sway over certain pack matters, but she had no power over me.

"Do you honestly think the twins will protect you?" she scoffed. "You're naive!"

"They won't protect me, but they damn well need to. They want to be the only ones inflicting pain, draw up, draw cuts, wounds, and scars, marking me—it's their sick possession. And as messed up as it is for me, it's just as twisted for you because if they found out you laid a hand on me, they'd rip those hands off your body," I smiled at her. "You have no clue what they did to a girl they suspected of harming me. And if they knew it was you, you'd lose your entire facade and your precious position. So be grateful I haven't exposed you. Next time, don't mess with me. You mean nothing to me."

Turning away, I walked off, heading upstairs to my room.

"You're making a grave mistake, Maya. You won't last long like this!”

"I'd rather survive a little than live like you," I retorted without looking back, reaching my room.

Rage coursed through every vein. I wanted to kill her so badly—my life was ruined because of her, all because of her!

As I approached the bed, a gnawing sensation struck my lower abdomen, mirroring the morning's symptoms. Dizziness overcame me; I closed my eyes, feeling my throat constrict.

Rushing to the bathroom, I vomited, just like earlier. It wasn't normal—something felt wrong, very wrong.

Crazy. I'd vomited in the morning and now…. This wasn't normal at all. 

Wiping my mouth and splashing cold water on my face, a cold sweat covered my body. My thoughts pieced together slowly.

No, this couldn't be.

Werewolf pregnancies could show signs within a day, but... 

Fuck! They never used protection with me. I'd been feeling weak for days.

No! No! No! This can't be happening!

"Holy...!" I covered my mouth, my breaths ragged. "I can't be pregnant."

Pacing in the bathroom, I couldn't comprehend what to do.

"Maybe I'm overreacting," I murmured to myself. "It could just be regular sickness. That's possible," I rationalized, running a hand down my face, but my nerves refused to calm, and I knew they wouldn't until I confirmed it.

I needed to take a test... I had to see the pack doctor