CHAPTER FIVE: THE CALL SHE WAS NEVER MEANT TO HEAR

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

The sound echoed through Maya's apartment.

She sat upright on the couch, her heart pounding so hard it hurt.

For a moment she thought she was still dreaming.

The nightmare had felt too real.

The hand around her throat.

The suffocating darkness.

The terrifying sense that someone was hunting her.

Then the knocking came again.

Louder.

More impatient.

Maya glanced toward the clock on the wall.

11:47 PM.

Who would visit her at this hour?

A knot formed in her stomach.

Ever since the doctor's strange diagnosis, nothing felt normal anymore.

Five days.

Five impossible days.

Five days since she had spent one reckless night with a stranger.

Five days since her entire life had fallen apart.

And now she was supposedly carrying a werewolf Alpha's child.

The idea still sounded insane.

Yet every strange symptom made it harder to deny.

The nosebleeds.

The heightened hearing.

The vivid dreams.

The strange warmth spreading through her body whenever she thought about the baby's father.

Another knock rattled the door.

"Maya Chen?"

A male voice.

Deep.

Unfamiliar.

Maya froze.

Nobody outside her workplace knew her full name.

"Who is it?" she called carefully.

Silence.

Then another voice answered.

"Package delivery."

Her eyebrows furrowed.

Package delivery?

At midnight?

No chance.

She took a cautious step backward.

Something felt wrong.

Dangerously wrong.

The silence outside stretched.

Then suddenly she heard whispering.

Not muffled.

Clear.

As if the men were standing right beside her.

"She's definitely inside."

"We can smell it."

"The Alpha's scent is everywhere."

Maya's blood turned cold.

Smell it?

Alpha?

The doctor had used that exact word.

Alpha.

A chill ran through her.

The baby.

They were talking about the baby.

The realization hit her like a truck.

She quietly grabbed her phone from the coffee table.

The screen immediately lit up.

Unknown Number.

Maya hesitated.

Then answered.

"Hello?"

Heavy breathing greeted her.

For a second neither spoke.

Then a deep voice filled her ear.

"Don't open the door."

Everything inside her went still.

She knew that voice.

The stranger.

The man from the hotel.

The father of her child.

Her pulse exploded.

"You."

A pause.

Then a low exhale.

"Thank God."

The words sounded almost relieved.

Maya tightened her grip on the phone.

"Who are you?"

"Not now."

His tone was urgent.

"There are three wolves outside your apartment."

Maya's throat went dry.

"Wolves?"

"Stay away from the door."

Fear tightened around her chest.

"What do they want?"

Another pause.

When he finally answered, his voice was grim.

"You."

A loud bang shook the apartment.

Maya jumped.

The front door rattled violently.

Someone had kicked it.

"Oh my God."

"Maya."

The stranger's voice became sharper.

"Listen carefully."

Her breathing accelerated.

"I'm listening."

"Move away from the entrance."

Another crash echoed.

The door frame groaned.

Splinters scattered across the floor.

"They're breaking in."

"Yes."

His calm response somehow terrified her more.

As though he expected this.

As though this was normal in his world.

"Who are they?" she whispered.

"My pack."

The words stunned her.

"What?"

"They tracked my scent to you."

Maya felt her knees weaken.

Nothing made sense.

Pack.

Scent.

Alpha.

Werewolves.

This couldn't be real.

It simply couldn't.

Yet the fear in the stranger's voice felt very real.

Another violent impact hit the door.

A crack appeared near the lock.

"Maya."

His voice softened unexpectedly.

"Look at me."

She blinked.

"What?"

"The window."

Confused, Maya turned.

Across the apartment, her living room window overlooked the parking lot below.

A black SUV sat beneath a flickering streetlamp.

A tall figure leaned against it.

Even from this distance she recognized him.

Dark hair.

Broad shoulders.

Powerful frame.

Silver-gray eyes staring directly at her.

The stranger.

Kai.

For several seconds neither moved.

The city disappeared around them.

The world narrowed to that single connection.

His gaze held hers.

Steady.

Protective.

Dangerous.

And somehow familiar.

Her chest tightened.

He looked different tonight.

Less vulnerable than the injured man she'd cared for in the hotel.

More intimidating.

More powerful.

Like a predator finally revealed.

Another crash exploded through the apartment.

The spell broke instantly.

"Maya."

His voice came through the phone again.

"I'm coming upstairs."

The line disconnected.

Before she could react, a deafening crack echoed from the front entrance.

The door burst inward.

Three men stepped into the apartment.

They looked human.

Mostly.

But their eyes glowed gold.

Predatory.

Hungry.

One inhaled deeply.

A smile spread across his face.

"Found her."

Maya backed away instinctively.

Her heart hammered wildly.

The largest man took a step forward.

"Don't make this difficult."

Fear threatened to overwhelm her.

Yet something unexpected happened.

A strange warmth spread through her stomach.

Almost like a pulse.

A response.

The baby.

The man paused.

His eyes widened slightly.

"Did you feel that?"

The second wolf nodded.

"The pup."

Before Maya could understand what they meant, a roar echoed from the hallway.

Not human.

Not even close.

The apartment walls shook.

The wolves instantly stiffened.

Fear flashed across their faces.

A second later the hallway door exploded inward.

A massive figure stepped through.

Kai.

His silver eyes burned like molten metal.

Pure fury radiated from him.

The room suddenly felt smaller.

More dangerous.

The wolves took several steps back.

Even they looked nervous now.

"Kai," one of them said carefully.

The warning growl that left his chest silenced him immediately.

Every instinct in Maya's body reacted.

Not fear.

Safety.

Her body recognized him before her mind did.

Kai's gaze found hers.

For one brief moment the fury vanished.

Relief replaced it.

She was unharmed.

Then his attention returned to the intruders.

His face became cold.

Deadly.

"You broke into her home."

The largest wolf swallowed.

"We have orders."

"I don't care."

The words landed like a death sentence.

Silence filled the apartment.

Heavy.

Oppressive.

Then Kai spoke again.

Slowly.

Dangerously.

"Leave."

Nobody moved.

The temperature seemed to drop.

The wolves exchanged nervous glances.

Finally they retreated.

One step.

Then another.

Within seconds they disappeared through the shattered doorway.

Kai waited until they were gone.

Only then did he look at Maya again.

Neither spoke.

Neither moved.

For several long moments they simply stared at each other.

Strangers.

Connected forever by the child growing inside her.

Finally Maya found her voice.

"Your name is Kai."

His expression softened.

"Yes."

"You're really a werewolf."

A faint smile touched his lips.

Not amused.

Resigned.

"Yes."

Maya swallowed hard.

"And that baby..."

Kai's silver eyes lowered to her stomach.

Emotion flickered across his face.

Something raw.

Something almost vulnerable.

When he looked back up, his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Our baby."

And for the first time since this nightmare began, Maya realized she was no longer facing it alone.