Chapter 4

AIYANA

Dawn was approaching, but I was already back at the edge of the forest, walking slowly. My tired body still felt the effects of a restless night, and my mind was a whirlwind. The cave where I had spent the night, though familiar to me, didn’t bring the peace I was seeking. Sleeping in the forest wasn’t as easy as it used to be.

The trees began to brighten with the first rays of sunlight, but the air was still cold, and I could feel my body shivering, not just from the temperature, but also from unease. My heart was pounding faster with each step toward the village. I didn’t know what I would face there, but I knew I couldn’t keep running away. I had to go back.

Suddenly, someone grabbed me by the waist, pulling me forcefully off the trail. Before I could react, a hand covered my mouth, muffling my scream. My body went into panic, but I could do nothing but try to break free. I was being dragged, forced to walk toward the corral. The smell of hay and wood overwhelmed me, mixed with the sound of heavy, rhythmic breathing.

When I finally managed to turn my face to see who was holding me, my heart nearly stopped. It was him. Maxim.

His piercing green eyes were fixed on mine with a cold, rigid intensity as if I were something he didn’t want but couldn’t avoid. His tanned skin seemed to glow in the first touch of sunlight, and his sandy blond hair was messier than usual, with short sides and a straight top, giving him a wild yet imposing look. He was tall, much taller than I remembered, and his muscles, visible even under a thick shirt, looked like they could burst at any moment.

He looked like a predator, his gaze fixed as if I were prey a threat to be controlled and the anger on his face, now more pronounced, only intensified.

Maxim rarely smiled, and today was no different. His face, though masculine and attractive, was distorted by coldness and tension, as if he was fighting something inside.

I froze for a moment, unable to say anything. What did he want from me now? Why was he following me?

Maxim looked at me, his gaze cold and distant, but for a brief moment, I saw something different. Something deeper something I couldn’t quite understand.

“You ran away yesterday,” he murmured, his voice low, almost uninterested, but I could feel the anger in every word. “Thought you could hide from the pack, from me?”

I couldn’t respond right away, still stunned. But the anger rose within me, and with it came the need to speak, to get everything off my chest that had been stuck there.

“I’m not your responsibility, Maxim,” I whispered angrily, trying to break free from his grip. “You don’t want this, do you? That’s what you said yesterday. So why are you here? Why did you follow me?”

“I don’t know what you are, Aiyana. But the fire doesn’t lie.” He paused, as if regretting every word he’d just spoken, his gaze growing even more distant. “It doesn’t matter what I want truth is, there’s no escaping this.”

Maxim slowly released me, but the tension in the air remained.

What does he want from me?

He turned his face to the side as if trying to emotionally detach himself from everything, but his eyes still fixed on me. And before walking away, he softly said, almost as if he didn’t want me to hear:

“Don’t expect me to accept this so easily.”

Maxim paused for a moment, the distance between us growing even greater. He took a deep breath, as if weighing every word he was about to say.

“I love Isabela, Aiyana. And I’m not going to give that up. It doesn’t matter what the flame said, or what you think it means. She’s the one I chose, and I’m not changing my mind. You’re not going to be the one who makes me let her go.”

I felt a sharp pain in my chest, but I made sure to keep my eyes locked on his. He wasn’t trying to spare my feelings, and his words cut like knives, but I wasn’t going to show weakness. Not in front of him.

“I know that,” I murmured, my voice low, trying not to let the discomfort show.

“You shouldn’t expect me to stop living my life, Aiyana. I’m not giving up on my dreams. I won’t change because of some stupid flame and a bond that makes no sense to me. I don’t love you. I don’t want you. Don’t expect me to pretend otherwise.”

Maxim continued, his tone sharpening, as if he were unloading everything he had kept inside.

I didn’t look away, even though his words hurt more than just my pride.

“Like I’d ever think the prince would leave his princess. No expectations here.”

His eyes narrowed, and I had to roll mine.

“Don’t be so bitter. You’re acting like I asked for this. But I didn’t. I was just as blindsided as you.”

His eyes were cold and hard, and each word he spoke felt like another wall going up between us. But when he huffed in frustration and kicked a piece of hay, a heavy silence fell.

“I’ve never seen you as a woman, Aiyana. Not once.”

Those words hit like a punch to the gut. I tried to stay strong, but a wave of heat rushed to my face, making me want to shrink into myself. I felt like my body was on fire, not warm and comforting, but cold and sharp. Like he’d ripped away the last shred of dignity I had.

I wanted to scream, to snap back, to say something cruel, but the words caught in my throat.

All I could do was step back, just enough for him to see the anguish on my face.

But he didn’t seem to care. Not about any of it.

He turned and walked away without another word, leaving me there, alone.

“Jerk!” I shouted.

Maxim’s words echoed in my mind, a cruel and relentless refrain. I just started walking, aimlessly, like my body knew where to go even though my mind was in complete chaos.

I got home and stepped through the door without looking back.

I slammed my bedroom door shut, locking myself away from the outside world. I didn’t want to see anyone. I didn’t want to hear anyone. His words kept pounding in my head, and the pain I felt was something I didn’t know how to deal with.

I threw myself onto the bed, too drained to do anything else. The sobs came quickly, unstoppable, and I just couldn’t hold them back. Hot, bitter tears ran down my cheeks, and I let myself cry until exhaustion overtook me.

In the silence of my room, my body finally gave in.

I don’t know when, but I fell asleep into a deep, heavy slumber where dreams felt too far away to reach.

But sleep brought no peace.