Maya’s POV
My wolf hadn’t been in heat—so why did it hurt so much all of a sudden in my lower abdomen?
I stood up to leave the corridor, but just as I reached for the door handle to return to the Council chambers, it wouldn’t budge. It was locked from the outside.
Then came Elena’s smug voice from behind the door.
“Pathetic bitch, how’s that leftover bond treating you?”
“Damon’s always loved me, from the very beginning. Now that I’m here permanently, you should get out of our way.”
“You really had the audacity to show up tonight, of all times, trying to steal my moment?”
Doubling over in pain, I clutched my belly, cold sweat dripping down my brow. The loss of my pup was still affecting my body in ways I didn’t understand.
My voice was weak but defiant when I replied, “Elena, if you want him, take him. I’m done fighting for him.”
Elena let out a cold laugh, not buying a word. “Funny. You think I’d believe that bullshit?”
“You stole my position back then—now you want to keep stealing what’s mine? Who do you think you are?”
“You’re staying in here tonight. No one’s coming to save you.”
With a twisted smile, Elena dragged a “Restricted Area. Authorized Personnel Only” sign over and set it by the door.
Because some of the Council discussions tonight were classified, everyone had been required to surrender their phones before entering the chambers.
No one but Elena would think to come down this isolated corridor.
Wracked with pain, I could only slide to the floor, slumping against the cold stone wall, my strength fading fast. With what little energy I had left, I pounded on the door and cried out in desperation.
“Help… someone, please… Help me…”
But anyone passing by would see the sign and turn away without a second glance. No one came to save me.
I didn’t know how long I had been shouting before the pain finally overwhelmed me, and I passed out on the freezing floor.
When the Council meeting ended and I still hadn’t returned, Damon’s brow furrowed with mild concern.
Elena blinked up at him with feigned innocence. “Damon, do you think maybe she got upset because you gave me her Luna seat?”
“If I’d known she’d take it so personally, I never would’ve accepted it from her.”
Hearing Elena blame herself, Damon frowned. “You’re the rightful daughter of a former Alpha. You think it’s appropriate for a healer assistant to sit in your place?”
“Forget it. Let her sulk. She’s been getting a bit too presumptuous lately. Maybe it’s good to let her cool off. Let’s head home.”
Out of sight, Elena smiled triumphantly, thinking, ‘Maya, I told you—you can’t win against me. Not with my family, not with my mate.’
That night, I didn’t come home, but Damon never once asked about his wife. He was too busy making sure Elena was comfortable in our bedroom.
The next morning, at the Council building’s restricted corridor, a maintenance worker unlocked the door during his rounds.
There, huddled in a corner, was my unconscious form. My dress was soaked through with cold sweat. Even half-conscious, my body trembled from the freezing temperature.
The worker rushed over, worried. “Luna, how did you get locked in here? You don’t look well—should I call the pack doctor?”
My damp lashes fluttered open. I pressed my arms against the floor, forcing myself up with tremendous effort.
“Thank you, but… no need.”
The pain in my belly had eased, but the corridor had been unbearably cold all night. My wolf was weak from the recent trauma.
I really thought Damon would at least come looking for me when I didn’t return.
Clearly, I’d overestimated my importance to him again.
I remembered how, when Elena once went missing for just ten minutes during a pack run, Damon had nearly sent out search parties in a panic.
But now—after a whole night without contact—he hadn’t even tried to find his wife.
So this is how different, I realized, love is from indifference.
Steadying myself against the wall, I walked out one step at a time and caught a ride back to the pack house with a patrol guard.
In the car, I finally got my phone back—and sure enough, not a single call or text from Damon.
Instead, there was one unread message from hours ago that I’d missed. It was from a travel agency I’d contacted weeks ago in a moment of desperation.
[Ms. Maya, I can’t hold the reservation much longer. One week. I need confirmation for your departure in one week.]
I stared at the message, my heart pounding. I’d almost forgotten about the inquiry I’d made about leaving the pack territory entirely.
Now, after everything that had happened, it seemed like a sign from the Moon Goddess herself.
I typed back slowly: [Confirmed. I’ll be ready to leave in one week.
