Chapter 13
As soon as Kayla lifted the Alpha’s scribe, Max shouted her name.
His voice was so sharp that it could have made her drop the scribe, but she held it tight.
She turned to him, her expression a mix of surprise and suspicion.
“What is it?” she asked, gripping the scribe firmly.
Max hesitated for a moment, then quickly said, “I just remembered why Zayron killed Samira.”
Kayla’s brows pulled together.
“Why?”
Max cleared his throat.
“According to the news going around, Samira was wearing a skin mask to hide who she really was.”
Kayla’s grip on the scribe tightened.
“I knew it,” she said, shaking her head. “I always felt something was off about her, but no matter how much I tried to figure it out, I couldn’t. And with everything else happening, I let it go.”
She exhaled and looked at Max again.
“Who was she impersonating?”
Max hesitated before answering.
“Isla.”
Kayla’s eyes widened.
A short silence followed before she spoke again.
“Now I understand why Zayron killed her. She deceived him for too long.”
She lifted the scribe again, her eyes scanning the message in front of her.
Max watched closely, searching for a way to distract her before she read too much.
But nothing came to mind.
He could only stand there as she stared at the scribe.
Then she turned to face him fully.
“You saw this already,” she said, her voice calm but firm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Max swallowed.
“I,” he stammered, trying to think of the right words. “Yes, I saw it, but it’s because you’re pregnant. I didn’t want to stress you.”
Kayla narrowed her eyes.
“What does this have to do with my pregnancy? Do you think I wouldn’t be happy to see that Zayron is coming back tomorrow evening or what?”
Max blinked.
Perhaps a new message had been sent, replacing the one he was worried about.
He let out a quiet breath of relief again.
Kayla placed the scribe back on the table.
Whatever was in it no longer mattered to her.
All she knew was that all the Alphas who went for the peace restoration campaign were coming back tomorrow evening.
Alpha Zayron was coming back.
Kayla rushed toward the exit as if she planned to leave for the Azure Moon Pack that night.
Max picked up the scribe and started reading the latest update.
He wished there was a way to erase information from it. If he could, he would have deleted the message the Moon Lord sent earlier about the help Zayron needed.
Before stepping out of the office, Kayla stopped at the door and turned to Max.
“Contact Ana,” she said. “Use the same way she reached you before. Tell her to come home immediately. We’re going to the Azure Moon Pack tomorrow to wait for Zayron and welcome him properly. I'm throwing a small party for him.”
Kayla was smiling as she spoke, her whole face glowing with excitement.
It was as though a weight she had been carrying for too long had suddenly disappeared, as though all the struggles, the pain, and the fear had been leading up to this moment, the moment when everything would finally be right again.
Max forced a smile.
He was happy to see her like this, but deep inside, he felt sick with worry.
What would happen when she saw Zayron tomorrow?
When she realized he wasn’t the same?
That something had gone terribly wrong?
And worse, what if it couldn’t be fixed?
His thoughts were running in circles when Kayla’s voice suddenly snapped him back.
“Max Carter!”
Max flinched and looked at her.
“Where is your mind?”
“Right here!”
“Did you hear what I just said?” she asked.
“What?” Max mumbled.
Kayla sighed.
“Tell Ana to come back home. We’re going to the Azure Moon Pack tomorrow to clean Zayron’s chamber and prepare a banquet for him. A small party to welcome my hero back home.”
Max nodded.
“I'll try to reach her as soon as possible.”
Kayla gave him a grateful look.
“Thank you, Max. You’ve been a loyal Beta to me, and I won’t forget that.”
She hesitated for a moment, then added, “And I meant what I said earlier. I want you to think about leading the Silver Mountain Pack. If I return to the Azure Moon Pack, I might only come back to officially hand over the Alpha’s scepter to you.”
“You have proven beyond every reasonable doubt that you love this pack so much and the pack trusts you. They need someone strong. Someone who knows them, who understands them.”
She exhaled.
“If I step away, I need to be sure they’ll be in safe hands. I need you to be ready, Max. To take up the role fully, if that’s what it comes to.”
She looked at him for a response, but he remained silent.
He wasn't ready to face the possibility of Kayla not returning.
Not now.
Instead of answering, he simply gave a nod.
“I’ll try to reach Ana,” he said.
“I think you should tell Ana how you feel about her. I know you are unmated, but she is too, so I don’t see why you should be shying away when it comes to that angle,” Kayla said, her eyes meeting his with an earnest look.
Max leaned back.
“It’s not as easy as you think, Kay. Ana just agreed to be Alpha Denzel’s chosen mate because it was the only way to save her. Now she’s stuck in that arrangement, and she’s trying to figure out a way to break the deal. I can’t just make it worse.”
“But isn’t that exactly why she might need you now? To show her there’s another way, someone who’ll stand by her no matter what.”
“Kay, I don’t want to make her feel more trapped than she already does,” Max whimpered.
“Sometimes, the best way to help is by showing up when it’s hardest. Talk to her. Both of you should figure out how to break the deal.”
Kayla studied Max for a moment, then nodded as if satisfied.
Without another word, she turned and left the room, leaving Max alone with the scribe still glowing in his hands.
As soon as she was gone, Max exhaled sharply and looked down at the message again.
The update about Zayron's return had pushed the previous information down, and now, for the moment at least, Kayla remained unaware of it.
He hoped it stayed that way, at least until Zayron arrived.
While the members of the pack were deep asleep, Kayla was busy packing her things as she got ready to return to the Azure Moon Pack to welcome her hero home.
Plans on how to make the party a memorable one were already taking shape in her head.
Kayla had never been this excited in her life, and suddenly, she felt stronger than she had ever felt before.
There was a fire in her heart, a sense of purpose, as she thought about Zayron returning and the celebrations to come.
She felt ready, not just for the event, but for whatever the future might hold.
She looked at her baby bump and ran a hand over it, her eyes softening as she spoke.
“Baby, your daddy is safe and sound, and he’s returning home to us. I'm sure you can't wait to feel him, feel his hand when he touches my stomach.”
Kayla whimpered, as if she was seeing the person she was talking to.
She took a deep breath and smiled.