Three Years Later

Chapter Seven: Three Years Later

Three years passed like water through open fingers.

Maya stood at the window of her beachside house, watching the sun rise over the ocean. The sky was painted in shades of pink and gold. The waves crashed gently against the shore. Seagulls cried overhead.

It was peaceful. Beautiful. Everything she'd ever wanted.

She took a sip of her coffee and smiled.

Three years ago, she'd been broken. Bleeding. Running for her life. She'd collapsed at the border of the human world, pregnant and alone, with nothing but the clothes on her back and a shattered heart.

Now she had everything.

A successful career. A beautiful home. A daughter who was the light of her life. Friends who loved her. A family she'd chosen for herself.

She was thriving.

We made it, Kaelen said softly. We actually made it.

Maya pressed her hand to her chest. Her wolf was content. At peace. The bond with Xavier was gone,severed, broken, dead. She'd healed. She'd moved on.

She didn't need him anymore. She didn't need anyone.

Mama!

A small voice broke through her thoughts. Maya turned. A little girl with honey-brown eyes and wild dark curls came running into the kitchen. She wore a mismatched outfit,a purple dress over striped leggings,and carried a stuffed wolf in her arms.

Lyra, Maya laughed. Look at you. You're already dressed.

I dressed myself, Lyra announced proudly. Do you like it?

Maya knelt down. She kissed Lyra's forehead. I love it. You look beautiful.

Lyra grinned. She was three years old now, bright and bold and fiercely independent. She had Maya's spirit and Xavier's stubbornness,a combination that made her both infuriating and wonderful.

Mama, can we go to the beach today? Lyra asked. I want to build a sandcastle.

Of course, sweetheart. After breakfast.

Yay! Lyra danced around the kitchen. Her wolf flickered beneath her skin,a brief flash of grey fur and golden eyes. She was already powerful, already strong.

Maya watched her with a mixture of pride and worry. Lyra had shifted for the first time at eighteen months,a sign of powerful Alpha blood. Maya had panicked. She'd hidden it from the human world. She'd trained Lyra to control it.

But she knew, deep down, that Lyra's wolf would only grow stronger. And one day, the werewolf world would come calling.

Maya pushed the thought away. Not today. Today, she would enjoy her daughter. Her life. Her peace.

The morning passed in a blur of laughter and sand and sunshine.

Maya and Lyra built a sandcastle on the beach. They collected seashells. They splashed in the shallow water. Lyra's laughter filled the air, bright and carefree.

Sarah, Maya's best friend, joined them in the afternoon. The human woman was a divorce lawyer, fierce and loyal and utterly unimpressed by werewolf politics. She'd been Maya's anchor during the darkest days.

Look at you two, Sarah said, settling onto a beach blanket. Living your best lives. I'm so proud of you, Maya.

Maya smiled. I couldn't have done it without you.

Bull. Sarah waved her hand. You did this yourself. You built this life. You're a badass, and don't you forget it.

Lyra ran over, her face covered in sand. Auntie Sarah! Look what I made!

She held up a seashell. It was small and white, shaped like a tiny star.

It's beautiful, Lyra. Sarah hugged her. You're a treasure.

Lyra beamed. She ran back to her sandcastle, her laughter trailing behind her.

Maya watched her daughter play. Her heart swelled with love. This was everything. This was all that mattered.

I'll protect her, she thought. No matter what. No matter who comes. I'll protect her.

That evening, Maya put Lyra to bed.

She tucked the little girl under her blankets and kissed her forehead. Lyra clutched her stuffed wolf, her eyes already heavy with sleep.

Mama, Lyra murmured. Where's my daddy?

Maya's heart clenched. It was the question she'd been dreading.

What do you mean, sweetheart?

All the other kids at school have daddies, Lyra said. Where's mine?

Maya swallowed the lump in her throat. She brushed Lyra's hair back from her face.

Your daddy... he's not here, sweetheart. It's just you and me.

But where is he? Does he love me?

Maya's eyes burned. She blinked back the tears.

Yes, sweetheart. He loves you very much. But sometimes... sometimes people can't be with the ones they love. Sometimes they make mistakes. Big mistakes.

Lyra's brow furrowed. Did he make a mistake?

Yes, Maya whispered. He did. A very big one.

Lyra was quiet for a moment. Then she snuggled deeper into her blankets.

That's okay, Mama. We don't need him. We have each other.

Maya's heart shattered and healed all at once. She kissed Lyra's forehead again.

That's right, sweetheart. We have each other. And that's enough.

She turned off the light and left the room. She walked to her own bedroom and collapsed onto the bed.

Tears streamed down her face. Silent. Unstoppable.

He will never know her, she told herself. He will never know what he lost.

And I will never let him hurt her the way he hurt me.

Unbeknownst to Maya, far away in Silver Crescent, Xavier was discovering the truth.