5

Maya's POV

I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door. For a few seconds, I stayed staring at the unfamiliar ceiling above me. The events of the previous night returned one after another, and the moment I remembered Leo, my chest tightened.

My son was dead, Caleb had killed him. I swallowed hard and forced myself out of bed. I refused to cry. I had cried enough yesterday but from now on, I needed to think clearly.

The door opened after another knock, and Merikh walked inside. He was already dressed in a black shirt and dark trousers, his hair neatly arranged, and his expression as calm as it had been the night before.

"Breakfast is ready." He informed me briefly.

"I am not hungry." I replied almost immediately, my stomach churning at the loss of my child.

He turned to me, his gaze narrowed. "You need to eat."

"I said I am not hungry,” my voice rose in anger and frustration.

He looked at me for a few seconds before turning toward the door. "You can either come downstairs and eat willingly, or I can have someone bring it here."

I frowned at him. "You are very controlling."

"I have been told that before,” he said with a faint smile. I almost rolled my eyes, but I followed him downstairs.

The dining room was large, but unlike the Red Leaf pack house, it was not filled with people moving around and pretending to be happy.

Merikh pulled out a chair for me before taking the seat opposite mine. Eggs, bread, fruit, and a cup of tea were placed in front of me. "I don't need you to take care of me," I said.

"I know,” came his curt reply that left me rather frustrated and confused.

"Then why are you doing this?" I asked, my brows drawing together at his vague response and nonchalant attitude.

"Because you are my wife now." The answer irritated me more than it should have.

Merikh watched me for a moment before speaking. "You need to understand how this place works. My pack house has three main sections. The private quarters are where I, Liam, and now you live. The eastern wing contains the offices and council rooms. The western wing is controlled by the guards."

"Liam?" I asked, raising my head as his words piqued my interest.

He nodded slowly, his eyes softened as he replied. "My son."

I looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction and trying to see past the unreadable and fathomless look on his eyes. "He is two?"

"Yes,” he answered, picking up a glass of water while his gaze was locked on mine.

I bit my lips, contemplating if I should ask the question in my mind. Would he find it breaching? Like I was trying to pry into his personal life? But I couldn't stop myself and so I asked. "Where is his mother?"

Merikh's expression changed slightly. "I don't know, I have been looking for her but it felt like she just disappeared into thin air."

I lowered my eyes as he continued eating as if the answer was enough. "The pack has rules. You can move freely inside the pack house, but certain areas are restricted. You will be given access to most of them. If you need something, ask the guards. If anyone tries to stop you without a reason, tell me."

He reached into his pocket and placed a small black phone on the table. "This is yours and this one is connected to the pack's private network. My number is already saved. Thomas's number is there too. You can contact the guards whenever you need them."

I turned the phone over in my hand. "You trust me with this?"

"I am giving you access to more than a phone.” He pulled out a tablet and placed it beside my plate. "This is the security system and you can review the cameras."

"All of them?" I asked curiously to see how far this would go.

He shook his head. "Most of them. Now, finish breakfast. After that, I will introduce you to them.”

Twenty minutes later, Merikh led me into the training courtyard. About twenty men were already waiting.

They were all large, trained, and dressed in black combat clothes. The moment I entered, several of them looked at me with open curiosity.

One of them whispered something to another. "Wife or hostage?"

The men laughed but Merikh didn't react. "This is Maya," he said. "She is your Luna and she will train with you."

A tall man stepped forward. "With respect, Sire, she has never trained with us."

"Then train her." The guard turned to me, offering a mocking smile. "Start with basic combat?"

"No," I replied coldly. "I want you to attack me."

The courtyard fell dead silent. When the guard lunged, I didn't hesitate. Pivoting sideways, I drove my elbow into his ribs, twisted his arm and slammed him to the dirt.

"Again," I breathed, standing over him.

At Merikh's nod, the guard attacked again, soon joined by a second, then a third. Surrounded, I fought with every ounce of grief and fury over Leo and Caleb. Every blow carried my rage; every time I was knocked down, I forced myself back up.

By the time we finished, blood dripped from my lip, but I wiped it away, standing my ground. The first guard gave me a respectful nod. "You fight like someone who has nothing left to lose."

Merikh walked over, a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth. "You were supposed to stop when you were tired."

"I wasn't tired and they were bleeding too." I replied, trying to catch my breath.

"Fair enough. From today, she trains with you whenever she wants," he told the squad.

After bathing and changing into new clothes, I wandered through the western hallway afterward, the sound of light laughter drew me toward a half-open door. Inside, a dark-haired boy sat surrounded by wooden toys.

"Liam?" I asked softly.

He promptly threw a wooden block at me, which I caught out of the air. When he reached for a second, I gently snatched it away. He looked offended, but I sat on the floor beside him and stacked a small tower.

Liam immediately crawled over and knocked it down with a giggle. We repeated this game until I handed him a block, and he carefully placed it on top himself.

Watching him closely, I realized he flinched at every sound from the hallway, his eyes constantly darting toward the door.

"You miss your mother, don't you?" I murmured, pulling him into a soft hug. "You don't have to be bad to make people stay."

He rested his head against my shoulder, and something tight inside my chest finally loosened.

Footsteps echoed, and Merikh appeared in the doorway, staring in disbelief. "He doesn't usually do that. I have tried."

"He isn't difficult," I said softly, looking up. "He's scared. So am I."

Before Merikh could respond, the phone in my pocket vibrated. Opening the live footage of a skirmish near Red Leaf territory, I watched several figures moving through the trees. Behind them stood a woman in a dark hooded cloak.

I zoomed in, replaying the clip, and my heart stopped. Even after all these years, I knew that face. "No..." I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief as I zoomed in on the familiar face.

Merikh stepped closer. "What is it?"

My heart pounded heavily as I kept my gaze on screen, looking right into the cold yet familiar eyes of my half-sister, Selene. What was she doing here? And who was she working for?