The Maid Who Should Not Be There

Lyra wiped the same spot on the marble floor for the third time. Her back ached, her hands were raw, but she kept moving. The night shift at Vance Global never ended early. Not if you wanted to eat.

She pushed her cleaning cart down the quiet hall on the top floors. Most maids hated this level. Too close to the bosses. It's too easy to lose your job with one wrong look. Lyra did not mind. The pay was double, and every extra coin brought her closer to buying Toby’s freedom.

Her little brother was only twelve. Sick lungs from the bad air in the fringe. The pack enforcer, who owned their debt, said Toby could work it off when he turned thirteen. Lyra’s stomach twisted every time she thought about it. No. Not happening. She would scrub floors until her fingers bled before she let that man touch her brother.

She stopped outside the executive suite and checked her dull brown contact lenses in the small mirror on her cart. Still good. They hid the strange gold colour of her real eyes. She adjusted the scent-blocker patch under her uniform collar. One slip and everything would fall apart.

The door to the big office was open tonight. Strange. Alpha Xavier Vance usually kept it locked like a vault. Lyra glanced around, then stepped inside to empty the trash. The room smelt of cedarwood and money. A huge desk sat in the middle, covered with papers and three glowing screens. She moved fast and quietly, the way she had learnt.

A photo on the desk caught her eye. Xavier Vance is shaking hands with important people, his face hard as stone. Tall, cold, scary. Everyone in the building whispered about him. The cursed alpha. The one whose wolf was slowly going mad. Lyra felt a small shiver but shook it off. Not her business. She was here for money, nothing else.

She reached for the last bin when voices drifted from the private elevator.

…The board wants you married by the end of the month, Xavier. A human wife. Docile. No drama. They say your wolf is scaring investors.”

A deep, rough voice answered. “Tell them to go to hell.”

Lyra froze. She knew that voice from the company speakers. Alpha Xavier. He was back early. She ducked behind the tall leather chair, heart pounding. If he saw her, she would lose this job. She could not afford that.

Heavy footsteps entered the office. “Leave me.”

The other man sighed and left. The door clicked shut.

Lyra held her breath. Just stay still. He will sit down and make calls, and you can slip out when he goes to the inner room.

But Xavier did not sit. He walked straight to the windows, shoulders tight. “Damn wolf,” he muttered. His voice sounded tired. Almost broken.

Lyra peeked around the chair. He looked even bigger up close. Six-four and easy, with wide shoulders under a perfect black suit. A thin scar cut through his left eyebrow. His ice-blue eyes stared out at the city lights as if they owed him something.

She felt something strange pull in her chest. Not fear. Something warmer. She pushed it down hard. Stupid. This man could end her life with one phone call.

A soft beep came from the elevator again. Then another. Then three more.

Xavier turned fast. “What the?"

The doors burst open. Four men in dark clothes rushed in, faces covered, knives shining under the lights. One held a gun with a weird silver tip.

“Kill the alpha!” the leader shouted.

Xavier moved like lightning. He grabbed the first man and threw him against the wall with a sick crack. But the others jumped on him at once. A knife slashed his arm. Blood sprayed across the white desk.

Lyra’s mind screamed at her to run. But her feet would not move. Toby’s face flashed in her head. If Xavier died tonight, the company would fire everyone. No more money. No more hope for her brother.

One assassin raised the silver knife high behind Xavier while he fought the other two. The blade came down fast.

Lyra did not think. She jumped out from behind the chair and slammed into the man’s side with all her strength.

“Get away from him!” she cried.

The man stumbled. The knife missed Xavier’s back but cut his shoulder instead. Xavier roared in pain.

For one second, everything stopped. All eyes turned to her. The small maid in the cheap uniform.

Xavier’s ice-blue eyes locked on hers. Shock. Then something darker. His wolf flashed silver in his gaze.

“Who the hell are you?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The assassins recovered fast. The leader pointed at her. “Kill the girl, too. She saw us.”

Lyra’s hands shook. She had no weapon. No plan. But deep inside her chest, something old and powerful woke up. It burnt like fire in her blood, pushing against her skin, begging to come out.

She looked at Xavier, bleeding but still standing tall, and made a choice.

“I won’t let them take you down,” she said quietly.

The leader laughed and lunged at her with the silver blade.

Lyra’s vision sharpened. Time slowed. She raised her hand without thinking.

A wave of warm golden light exploded from her palm.

The assassin flew back like a toy, slamming into the wall so hard the glass cracked. The others shouted in fear.

Xavier stared at her, eyes wide. “What are you?”

Before Lyra could answer, the leader got up, face twisted with hate. He pulled out a second gun and aimed straight at her head.

“Die, Freak.”

Xavier moved faster than she thought possible. He crashed into her, wrapping his big arms around her small body as the gunshot rang out.

They hit the floor together. Pain exploded in Lyra’s side. Warm blood soaked her uniform.

Xavier’s face was inches from hers, his expression wild. “You stupid girl… why?”

Lyra tried to speak, but the room started spinning. The last thing she saw was his ice-blue eyes turning fully silver and the sound of more footsteps running toward them.

Then everything went dark.