Maya

 "Hi, I'm Stella," one of the girls introduced herself to me, a warm smile gracing her face. "It's been quite a while since we've had a new member. Welcome to the family!” She enveloped me in a tight hug, and for a moment, I hesitated. I hadn't been hugged by anyone without ulterior motives since my father's death, and the sensation felt foreign, yet oddly comforting. 

Reflecting on it, it seemed almost laughable that I had expected genuine affection from my own mother. How could she have given it? I had been hoping for something from the wrong person after all—she was a murderer, and a murderer could never truly love anyone.

Despite the hesitation, I managed to push away my reservations and returned the hug to Stella, offering a soft smile. "Thank you, Stella."

"Easy there, Stella," Ivy chuckled, playfully pulling her away. "You might scare her."

Ivy had been the one accompanying Tyrone last night when he showed me to my room. Her kindness extended to lending me her clothes, insisting that mine were too uncomfortable to sleep in. Though I'd resisted, she had won the argument. The room allocated to me was modest yet charming, a far cry from the opulence I'd known in Blackthorn. Luxury hadn't brought me solace there, but here, I felt a sense of contentment with what little I had. I could stay happy like this, here, amidst new people—it helped me in many things, but mostly it helped me forget. And that’s what I wanted—I wanted to forget.

Ah, and yes, Ivy and Tyrone had something going on. I wasn’t sure if they were mates, but the chemistry between them spoke for itself.

"I'm Kael," one of the guys introduced himself, extending his hand, which I shook lightly.

"And I'm Liam," another added, offering his hand in greeting.

I had met nearly thirty members so far, and their names beginning to blur in my mind. Currently seated with Tyrone, Stella, Ivy, Kael, and Liam, I noticed an empty chair and wondered who it was reserved for. My curiosity was satisfied when Nathaniel, freshly showered, made his way over to us.

So, the chair was for him…

For a fleeting second, his presence reminded me of Maximus and Leonardo's freshly showered frames. Their hair would cascade delicately over their foreheads exactly the same way as I could see Nathaniel’s right now, and their clothes would snugly hug their muscles, and their eyes would fix at none but me. Yet, this reminiscence only stung—a pang of the broken mate bond.

I still couldn't fathom that I was no longer bonded to him. The tie of our souls had been severed—I had severed it and I had no reason to regret my decision. Because what had I even gained from it when it hadn’t been severed? Only pain and humiliation. They had shattered me, ruined me, yet here I was, unable to erase them from my heart.

How will I ever forget them? Will I ever be able to do so? I don’t know. But maybe no—I won’t.

"Guys, Nate's here!" Ivy's smile brightened as he settled into the empty chair.

"Good morning, everyone," he murmured before delving into his phone, engrossed in whatever he was scrolling through.

"There he goes," Stella sighed. "Put down your phone, Nate. We're having a conversation here."

"Really? What's it about?" He didn't peel his eyes away from his phone.

"I can't believe he's serious," Kael groaned, swiping Nathaniel's phone from his grasp. "We've got a new member in the pack. We're trying to have a conversation, get introduced, and all that. Why don't you just put your phone away and join us like a normal human being?"

"I already got introduced to her before all of you. So that excuses me, doesn't it?" Nathaniel retorted, seemingly unperturbed.

"No! It doesn’t!” Ivy sighed in exasperation, turning to Tyrone, “Tyrone! Why don't you say something?" 

"I think you all should let Alpha be," Tyrone interjected, scratching the back of his head.

"And you should stop calling me Alpha. I've told you before to call me by my name," Nathaniel chuckled. "It's been almost a year, and you're still stuck on that."

Wait, had Tyrone only been Nathaniel's beta for a year? That seemed unusual. Beta positions were typically established long before assuming control of the packs... but why did it matter to me? There was no relevance for me in this information.

Forget it! I couldn't care less about others’ lives. Mine already had too much shit to deal with.

"Yes, Tyrone, Nate's right," Stella chimed in, nibbling on her toast. "You need to step out of that zone."

"Trust me, he'll never break that habit," Ivy laughed. "He's too entrenched in it by now."

"I'll attempt, Alpha," Tyrone replied, his tone overly polite, earning an eye-roll from Nathaniel.

"I can already foresee the kind of 'attempt ' you'll put in. I'm not holding my breath," Nathaniel chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. Unintentionally, our eyes met, and I found myself frozen in place.

Damn it! This was awkward.

Why was I fucking staring at him anyways? This was getting ridiculous.

Swiftly shifting my gaze, focusing on the food on my plate, Nathaniel's voice interrupted my thoughts, "So, Maya, how are you finding the pack so far?"

"Good!" I blurted out, trying to sound composed. "Really good. I'm happy to have met so many people." I stuttered, forcing a smile as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Truth be told, I did like the pack, but my concern lingered—I didn't know if I was safe here. What if Max and Leo came looking for me? I'd have nowhere to turn. No one would stand a chance against them—they were too powerful. No one would even dare to meet their gaze, let alone confront them for my sake.

I was safe for now, but the uncertainty of how long it would last loomed over me. In this fight, I stood alone.

Nathaniel acknowledged my statement with a hum, taking another sip of the coffee before diving back into his phone after successfully snatching it back from Kael. A collective groan filled the air at his actions.

"Forget about him. He's not going to change," Kael grumbled. "Let's pretend he's not here and chat among ourselves."

"Yeah, that seems to be the only option," Ivy sighed before leaning in to whisper to me, "Get used to it. Our Alpha doesn't really prioritize our feelings."

A soft chuckle escaped my lips in response to her comment—she was funny and of course, dramatic.

"I can hear that, Ivy," Nathaniel remarked without lifting his eyes from his phone.

"You should, because that's all you do. You never spend time with your friends," Ivy retorted.

He chuckled, shaking his head before standing up, finishing his coffee. "I'll go catch up on some things. Tyrone, join me when you're free. Have a good day, everybody." With that, he departed, walking away. Once again, much like the previous night, I found myself watching until he completely disappeared from my sight.