Maya

"I—" The words caught in my throat, unable to escape as fear held me captive under its merciless grip. Doubts about my survival loomed ominously. What reasons could I offer him? I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth; it was too risky. 

I was scared. Scared to my core.

What should I actually do now? Run back? I doubt I’d be able to make it that far.

"Alpha, who is it?" A man suddenly approached us from a distance, jogging towards us. His smooth, dark skin shimmered under the moonlight, his well-built physique evident. His skeptical gaze scanned me, mirroring the scrutiny of his Alpha just moments ago.

He must be his Beta.

"No, Tyrone. She isn't a rogue. I suspected she was, as rogues have been attempting to infiltrate for days," the Alpha stated, a frown creasing his brow as he looked at me, "But this one is not cooperating at all. She could be a criminal..."

"No! I am not a criminal. Please, believe me. I am not," I burst out in a rush. "Please. Trust me, I am not a criminal."

"Then who the hell are you, lady?” Tyrone pressed, his tone firm. "Start talking if you don't want to be thrown out. At this hour of the night, there would be plenty of creatures emerging, ready to make a meal out of you

I swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in my throat. The Alpha's grip on my arm persisted, his eyes piercing and observant. Their coldness made me uneasy—I was at a loss, unsure of what to do. Telling the truth wasn't an option, yet I couldn't figure out another path.

Lies wouldn't save me, would they? 

"I didn't... I didn't feel accepted in my former pack. The treatment wasn't good," I stammered out, avoiding direct eye contact with the Alpha. Being under his gaze made me anxious; I didn’t know why but it felt like he might unravel my lie with just a glance. In Fact, that was an understatement, he actually looked at me in a way that made me feel like he could look through my soul.

"What's the name of your previous pack?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow, his expression guarded. He seemed unconvinced by my words.

God. Save me.

"It's Blac—" I halted mid-word, a sudden realization hitting me. My mouth snapped shut, and after a moment's pause, I stammered out, "Bluemoon pack."

"Wait, you were going to say something else at first," Tyrone, being the enemy from my previous life and seemingly determined to expose any falsehood, highlighted my hesitation. "What are you fucking hiding?"

That insufferable bastard...

I wished I could throttle him.

"Show me your ID," the Alpha interjected, his suspicious gaze fixed on me, radiating an intimidating aura that sent shivers down my spine.

God, he was terrifying. His mere presence instilled a paralyzing fear throughout my body.

"Just a moment, please," I retrieved my ID from the bag with my free hand since the other was firmly clasped in his grasp, rendering me captive as if I were some criminal. Well…there was no way to deny that sneaking into another pack certainly branded me as one. He had every reason not to entertain my explanations and simply take my life. Yet, by some stroke of luck, for the first time in my life, fate seemed to be on my side.

"Here," I handed him the ID, watching as he scrutinized it carefully.

A few seconds passed before his gaze returned to me. 

“It's a fake ID. If you were going to create one, you could have at least done a better job," he chuckled softly, the deep timbre of his laughter draining the last shreds of hope I had to survive, “Who are you really? A mere trespasser? Or perhaps something worse—a spy? You do realize I could fucking kill you right here, right now, and there's nothing you could do about it, don’t you?” his tone turned deadly serious, his jaw tensing as he spoke.

So, Luck had abandoned me after all.

"I swear to God... I'm not a spy," Tears welled up in my eyes, and I bit down on my bottom lip to stifle any cries from slipping out. "I fled from my pack, and I needed somewhere to go. I stumbled upon this border, and I thought I could find refuge here...I just wanted a place to stay. Nothing else. I swear to god! Please believe me.”

"I don't believe her, Alpha. There’s no way to confirm that she’s telling the truth because she has already lied enough,” Tyrone interrupted. "Let's just kill her and be done. We're already dealing with enough Rogues; we don't need another problem."

My eyes widened at his words.

My baby....

I couldn’t just die like this.

Tears cascaded down my cheeks. "I didn't come here to cause harm to anyone. I just wanted to give my... my baby a better life than what it could have in my previous pack," a choked sob escaped my lips. "Please, don't kill me. I'll tell you everything... just spare my life."

At my words, the Alpha's posture stiffened, and even Tyrone tensed beside him. I couldn't fathom why they reacted this way, nor did I have the capacity to care at that moment—I was desperate, clinging to the faintest glimmer of hope amid the darkness I thought I had escaped. 

I wanted to live. For my baby.

Everything that I'd done was for my baby, to give them a chance at life.

What would any of it mean if I were to die? Nothing.

The Alpha's hand slowly released its grip on my arm, and I collapsed to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably, feeling utterly powerless. "I didn't come here to spy or cause trouble. In fact, I don't even know what pack this is. I fled... I fled from the Blackthorn pack because... staying there would have meant my death. I only intend to save my life and offer my baby a chance at a good life. I have no other intentions..."

I buried my face in my hands, releasing the pent-up sobs from the emotional turmoil and the pain of rejection that I’d endured without a word or thought. Breathing became a struggle at this point.

To my surprise, I felt the Alpha kneeling beside me. I peered at him through teary eyes, taken aback by his unexpected proximity. For a fleeting moment, an instinct to pull away emerged. Everyone who had come this close in my life had only brought hurt, destruction... ruin.

But for some reason, I didn’t pull away.

"So, I assume you were meant to be the next Luna of the Blackthorn pack? Mate to Alpha Maximus and Leonardo?" His question caught me off guard. I hadn't expected him to discern this so quickly.

"We received the invitation to the ritual as well," he answered my unspoken query. "I suppose there won't be a ceremony now that you're here." He retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to me to wipe my tears. "Our pack isn't as prominent or large as the Blackthorn Pack, Maya. But I hope we can make you feel comfortable here."

Wait... what did that mean?

"You won't kill me?" I asked, my words trembling.

He chuckled softly at my question, shaking his head. "No, I won't. We don't take lives unless they try to take ours. We might not be the most exemplary leaders, but we value saving lives over ending them," he said with a gentle smile, his eyes sparkling under the moonlight, appearing... beautiful. "Welcome to the Moonstone Pack."