Chapter 14
Maya
Love, I realized, was an anesthetic.
It numbed you to reality. It blurred the sharp edges of danger. It made you believe that because you felt invincible on the inside, you were actually invincible on the outside.
I was floating.
I walked through the corridors of the Music Conservatory not as the terrified student who flinched at loud noises, but as a woman who had a secret fire burning in her chest. My playing had changed.
Professor Halloway had stopped critiquing my "soul" and started giving me nods of grudging respect.
My roommates had stopped asking why I was always smiling and started just assuming I was on good drugs.
In a way, I was. I was high on Leo Vance.
I checked my reflection in the glass of a trophy case.
My hair was looser. My cheeks were perpetually flushed.
I was wearing one of Leo’s flannel shirts over my leggings—it was huge on me, the sleeves rolled up to my elbows, but it smelled like cedar and him, and wearing it felt like being hugged all day.
I wasn't hiding anymore. Or, at least, I wasn't hiding well.
"You look like a lumberjack who got lost on the way to a rave," a voice deadpanned.
I turned. Harper was leaning against a locker, sipping an iced coffee that was 90% milk. She was eyeing the flannel shirt with a mixture of amusement and forensic suspicion.
"It's cozy," I defended, smoothing the hem.
"It's men's size XL," Harper corrected. "And unless you've taken up chopping wood, I'm guessing it belongs to a certain hockey player who is currently leading the league in penalty minutes."
I felt the blush rise, but I didn't stammer. "Maybe."
"Maya," Harper sighed, walking over to me. She lowered her voice. "I'm happy for you. Really. You look... alive. But people are talking. I saw a post on Blackwood Confessions this morning. 'Why is the Cello Girl wearing the Captain's skin?' It's getting loud."
"Let them talk," I said, a reckless confidence bubbling up. "They don't know anything."
"They know enough to be jealous," Harper warned. "Just... watch your back. The puck bunnies are organizing. I saw them buying pitchforks at the campus store."
I laughed. "I can handle puck bunnies. I have a wolf."
"Right. Just make sure the wolf doesn't bite you."
Harper patted my arm and walked off toward her Journalism seminar. I watched her go, smiling.
I wasn't worried. Leo and I had a plan. We were going to get through the Draft, have the baby, and then... figure it out. It was a vague plan, sure, but it felt solid because we were solid.
I checked my phone.
Leo: Meet me behind the library. 10 minutes. I need a fix.
My heart did that traitorous little flip.
Me: I have class in 20.
Leo: That leaves 10 minutes for me. Don't make me beg.
I bit my lip to stop the grin. I turned on my heel and headed for the library.
The spot behind the library was a narrow alleyway between the brick wall of the stacks and the dense pine forest that bordered the campus. It was secluded, shadowed, and smelled of damp earth.
Leo was already there.
He was leaning against the brick wall, one leg cocked up, looking at his phone. He was wearing his team jacket and a beanie pulled low over his forehead.
When he saw me, he didn't smile. He just pushed off the wall and opened his arms.
I walked straight into them.
He wrapped me up, burying his face in my neck, inhaling deeply. "Better," he groaned. "God, the air on this campus is toxic until I smell you."
"You're dramatic," I mumbled into his jacket.
"I'm addicted," he corrected. He pulled back slightly, his hands framing my face. His thumbs traced my cheekbones. His eyes were warm, golden-hazel, searching mine. "How are you? How's the... peanut?"
"The peanut is the size of a poppy seed," I whispered. "And I'm fine. Tired. Hungry. But fine."
"Did you eat lunch?"
"Not yet."
"Here." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a protein bar. "Eat this. Peanut butter chocolate."
I took it, laughing. "You are literally feeding me like a pet."
"I'm feeding my heir," he said deadpan, but his eyes were dancing. "And my mate."
He leaned in and kissed me.
It was supposed to be a quick hello. A recharge.
But the moment our lips touched, the spark ignited. It always did.
His arms tightened around me, lifting me up onto my tiptoes. I dropped the protein bar—Leo caught it reflexively with one hand without breaking the kiss—and wrapped my arms around his neck.
The kiss deepened. He tasted of mint and coffee. I opened my mouth to him, and he groaned, his tongue sweeping in to claim me. He pressed me back against the brick wall, his body hard and heavy against mine.
"Leo," I gasped, breaking the kiss for air. "We're in public."
"No one comes back here," he murmured, kissing my jaw, my ear, the sensitive spot under my earlobe. "It's just us."
"Someone could see."
"Let them see," he growled. His hand slid down my back, gripping my ass through the flannel shirt.
He squeezed, pulling me flush against his hips.
I felt the hard ridge of him through his jeans.
"I'm tired of hiding, Maya. I want to walk you to class holding your hand.
I want to sit in the front row of your concerts and glare at anyone who doesn't clap loud enough. "
"Soon," I whispered, running my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. "After the Draft."
"Soon," he agreed.
He kissed me one last time—hard, possessive, bruising—and then stepped back. He looked down at me, his chest heaving slightly. He picked up the protein bar from where he’d set it on a ledge and tucked it into my pocket.
"Eat," he ordered. "I'll see you tonight?"
"The Hive?"
"My room. 8:00 PM. I'll leave the window unlocked."
"You're corrupting me," I smiled.
"I'm just getting started."
He winked and walked away, heading toward the gym.
I stayed there for a moment, leaning against the brick, waiting for my pulse to slow down. I touched my lips. They felt swollen.
I was so happy.
I pushed off the wall and turned to head back to the main path.
I froze.
Standing at the end of the alleyway, partially obscured by a large oak tree, was a figure.
It was a girl. She had long, dark hair and was wearing a North Shore University sweatshirt.
She was holding a phone up. The camera lens was pointed directly at me.
My stomach dropped.
"Can I help you?" I called out, my voice sharper than I intended.
The girl lowered the phone. She didn't look embarrassed. She looked... amused.
She smirked—a cold, calculating expression that didn't reach her eyes.
"Cute shirt," she said. Her voice was raspy.
Then she turned and disappeared into the woods. Not walking on the path, but slipping into the trees with an unnatural grace.
I stood there, staring at the spot where she had been.
A shiver ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold.
North Shore.
Leo had mentioned a rival pack. He had mentioned a territorial dispute.
Why was a North Shore student on our campus? And why was she taking pictures of me?
Paranoia, cold and insidious, started to creep in.
I told myself I was overreacting. It was probably just a hockey fan. Or a gossip blogger like Harper had warned about.
But the way she had moved... into the trees...
I hugged Leo’s flannel shirt tighter around me and walked quickly toward the safety of the crowds.
Later that afternoon.
The unease didn't leave me. It sat in my gut like a stone.
I went to my History of Music lecture, but I didn't hear a word the professor said. I kept looking at the door. I kept checking my phone.
When class ended, I packed up quickly. I needed to talk to Leo. I needed to tell him about the girl.
As I walked out of the lecture hall, someone fell into step beside me.
"Hey, Maya."
I jumped. It was Silas.
He was wearing his team jacket, looking relaxed and golden-retriever-ish as always. But his eyes were serious.
"Silas," I breathed. "You scared me."
"Sorry," he said. "Walk with me?"
It wasn't a request.
We walked toward the student union. Silas kept us moving, steering me away from the main thoroughfares.
"Everything okay?" I asked, looking up at him.
"You tell me," Silas said. He glanced around, checking who was near us. "Leo is... distracted. He missed a team meeting today. That never happens."
"He was with me," I admitted. "Before lunch."
"Right," Silas sighed. He ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Maya. I like you. I really do. You make him human. But you have to be careful. More careful than you're being."
"We are careful."
"You were making out behind the library at noon," Silas said flatly. "Jax saw you from the second-floor window. If Jax saw you, anyone could see you."
My face burned. "We thought it was private."
"Nothing is private when you're dating the Alpha," Silas said. "Especially now. There's... tension. In the pack."
"Tension?"
"The guys are restless," Silas explained, keeping his voice low. "Leo is supposed to be focused on the Draft. Instead, he's sneaking out, missing meetings, and smelling like vanilla 24/7. Some of the guys—the older ones—are starting to question his priorities. They think he's 'compromised'."
"Compromised?" I stopped walking. "Because of me?"
Silas stopped too. He looked at me with pity. "Because of the biology, Maya. An Alpha in love—or whatever this is—is protective to the point of insanity. If the pack thinks he's putting you above the team's safety or territory... they might challenge him."
"Challenge him?" I whispered. "Like... a fight?"
"Like a fight for leadership," Silas confirmed. "And if Leo fights his own pack right now, with the scouts watching? He loses everything. The Draft. The Captaincy. Everything."
I felt sick.
I had been so focused on us—on the baby, on the romance—that I hadn't thought about the politics. I hadn't realized that by loving him, I was weakening him.
"What do I do?" I asked, panic rising.
"Tighten up," Silas said firmly. "Stop the public displays. Stop the sneaking around during the day. Let him focus on hockey for the next two weeks. Let him remind the pack why he's the boss. After the Draft? You can do whatever you want. But right now... you need to be invisible."
I nodded. "Okay. Invisible."
"Good." Silas squeezed my shoulder. "I'm on your side, Maya. Just... help me keep him safe."
He walked away, leaving me standing on the sidewalk, feeling smaller than I had ever felt in my life.
8:00 PM.
I climbed through the window of Leo's room at The Hive.
It was a ridiculous way to enter a boyfriend's room, but after my conversation with Silas, I wasn't taking any chances. I had worn black. I had snuck through the hedges. I felt like a burglar.
Leo was sitting at his desk, studying game tape on his laptop. He was wearing sweatpants and no shirt. The bruise on his side had faded to a faint yellow smudge.
When I tumbled onto the floor, he spun around.
"Graceful," he smirked.
"Shut up," I groaned, dusting off my knees. "Your hedges are thorny."
He laughed and stood up. He walked over and pulled me into his arms.
"You're late," he murmured, kissing my forehead. "I was getting withdrawal symptoms again."
I leaned into him, absorbing his warmth. I wanted to tell him about the girl with the camera. I wanted to tell him what Silas said. I wanted to tell him that I was terrified I was ruining his life.
But then I looked at his face.
He looked... happy. Relaxed. The tension that usually lived in his jaw was gone.
If I told him about the girl, he would freak out. The Wolf would take over. He would go hunting. He would get paranoid and protective.
If I told him about the pack's doubts, he would confront them. He would start a fight he didn't need.
I couldn't do that to him. Not tonight. Not when he finally looked peaceful.
"I got caught up studying," I lied.
"Nerd," he teased. He picked me up and carried me to the bed.
He lay down with me, pulling the duvet up over us. It was our sanctuary. The one place where the world couldn't touch us.
"Leo," I whispered, tracing the tattoo on his arm.
"Hmm?"
"Do you ever think about... after?"
"After what?"
"After the Draft. After the baby comes. Do you think we can really make it work? A shifter and a human?"
Leo propped himself up on one elbow. He looked down at me, his expression serious.
"Maya," he said softly. "There is no 'trying' to make it work. We are Mates. It's done. Biology doesn't make mistakes."
"But the world does," I said. "Your world is dangerous. My world is... quiet."
"Then we make a new world," he said simply. "One that's loud enough for me and quiet enough for you."
He leaned down and kissed me. It was slow and tender and full of promises he fully intended to keep.
"Don't worry," he whispered against my lips. "I've got us. Nothing is going to touch you. I won't let it."
I kissed him back, but my heart was heavy.
He promised he wouldn't let anything touch me.
But he didn't know about the girl in the woods. He didn't know about the whispers in the locker room.
He didn't know that the enemy wasn't at the gate anymore. It was already inside the walls.
And by keeping it a secret to protect him, I had just locked the doors from the inside.
Meanwhile, two miles away.
In a motel room on the outskirts of Oakhaven, a girl with long dark hair sat on the bed.
She scrolled through the photos on her phone.
Photo 1: Maya and Leo kissing behind the library.
Photo 2: Maya sneaking into The Hive through a window.
Photo 3: A close-up of Maya’s face, looking pale and nauseous outside the health clinic.
She smiled.
She opened a text message thread. The contact name was Alpha North.
She attached the photos.
Then she typed a message:
Confirmation acquired. He’s breached the Treaty. He’s mating with a human. And judging by the clinic visit... she’s carrying a pup.
The Blackwood pack is weak. The Alpha is compromised.
Strike now.
She hit send.
The message delivered.
The girl set the phone down and looked out the window at the distant lights of the university.
"Checkmate, Leo Vance," she whispered.