-Maya''s POV-


    The m of the front door echoed through the empty house, a punctuation mark to the whirlwind of emotions I was feeling. The nerve of them


    both


    gut.


    Alex waltzing in like he owned the ce, and Ivan letting him. I fumed all the way down the sidewalk, my anger a hot coal burning in my Reaching the house, I practically threw myself through the doorway, copsing onto the couch with a sigh that could have rivaled a hurricane. My phon Ivan checking in to see if I was okay. Another sigh escaped my lips, this one tinged with irritation.


    They could all go to hell. This was going to be a me-


    day. A day of escape. Ivy and Nate were safely with Ms. Rodriguez''s for the afternoon at the park, leaving me


    with a glorious expanse of empty time. No work, no mind-


    numbing worry about the vanished mark, and definitely no Alex to disrupt my carefully constructed peace.


    Today, I was taking back control. Today, I was going to be a woman with needs and desires that extended far beyond the tangled mess that was my re care, a day to recharge the emotional batteries that had been steadily draining ever since this whole madness started.


    With a renewed sense of purpose, I pushed myself off the couch and padded towards the kitchen. Wine. That was what I needed. A nice, deep ss of something red and robust, something that would help me unwind and forget the world outside these walls for a while.


    I rummaged through the cabs, finally pulling out a bottle that looked promising. After a brief struggle with the stubborn cork, I poured myself a gene with the wine and a photo album tucked away on the coffee table.


    Flipping through the worn pages, a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. I kept flipping through the worn pages, a


    bittersweet smile ying on my lips as then as my fingers grazed a particr picture from my college days, a wave of emotions washed over me, stro They flooded back with the vividness of a recent event. The insistent drumming of the professor''s voice faded into the background, reced by Natalia “Amaya, everything is going to be fine," she murmured, her voice a soothing balm against the storm of emotions brewing within me. "We''ll figure things I cut her off abruptly, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "We are not going anywhere near him. My father would have my head on a stake if he found out."


    Natalia''s eyes narrowed, her usual carefree demeanor reced by a sh of fierce protectiveness. "For thest time," she hissed, "screw Daniel Stone know how many wolves spend their entire lives wishing for that?"


    *My mate is Alex freaking Thorne," I whispered back, the weight of the name pressing down on me. "My family''s pack''s biggest rival. We can never be


    "You are fated," She countered, her voice firm. "No matter what, you can''t escape fate. There will be obstacles, but it will


    work out in the end. It will only work out, though, if you put in some effort to fight for it. I know if I found my mate, it wouldn''t matter if it was going to be


    I didn''t respond, my gaze drifting away from her and towards the professor, his words turning into a meaningless drone. All I could think about was the stall. My wolf had been a whirlwind of emotions, a primal urge pushing


    me towards him. But even then, a part of me knew it was a path leading straight to disaster.


    Out of everyone in the world, I just had to be fated to the billionaire alpha who was my father''s biggest enemy. It was a story written for tragedy, doom The bell finally pierced the fog in my head, its shrill ring snapping me back to reality. ss was over. Natalia nudged me, her expression a mix of co "Are youing?" she asked softly.


    I shook my head, the words catching in my throat. “I need some time alone."


    She studied me for a moment, her gaze unwavering. Then, with a silent nod, she gathered her things and left the ssroom. The hollow echo of the Tears pricked at my eyes. Was I really going to let fear dictate my life! Was I going to let this fated bond turn into a burden? The struggle raged on


    ????????????????


    within me, a war between logic and desire. The memory of Alex''s touch, the way my wolf responded to him, was a co. my father''s fury, the potential fo But the image of


    I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to find a solution. There had to be a way. There had to be a way for us to be with him, even if it meant defying Just then, a click startled me, breaking the tense silence. I snapped my eyes open to see Natalia standing next to me again, a mischievous grin ste directly at me.


    "What was that for?" I yelled, a mixture of surprise and irritation flooding through me.


    Natalia, unfazed by my outburst, simply turned the phone screen towards me. There, frozen in time, was my face a picture of misery with tear tracks staining my cheeks. Next to it, on the other half of the split-screen photo, was Natalia - her face stered with a goofy, mischievous grin.


    “I just wanted to show you how dumb you look sitting down and sulking about a mate that you can''t have, she dered, her voiceced with yful an


    There was no point in arguing. Natalia, once she set her mind to something, was an unstoppable force. With a sigh, I pushed myself up from the chair,


    #


    As we walked out of the ssroom,


    she thrust the phone into my hand. The picture of our contrasting expressions stared back at me. Something about it, the sheer absurdity of the situation captured in that moment, made meugh. A genuine, full-bodiedugh that echoed through the empty hallway, chasing away the storm clouds of despair that had been brewing inside me.


    Looking back, I realized that picture was more than just a funny memory. It was a symbol of Natalia''s unwavering support, a reminder of the strength I Two weekster, I had that


    picture printed. Gazing at it now, yearster, a sad smile touched my lips. So much time had passed since then, yet Natalia remained a constant in my And as for Alex? I didn''t even need to go searching for him. When


    I stepped out of the ssroom that day, he was already waiting, a mix of worry and determination etched on his face. It took just one look, one nce


    That was when the fight truly began. It wasn''t easy, not by a long shot. But with Natalia by my side, and the unwavering belief in me and Alex''s bond,ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Yes, we won for a little while. For three years until everything fell apart. I felt a tug on my mind


    like in the office again but it was strained, weak. Just before I walked out, he had looked at me like he wanted to fight that battle again and the most s Again.


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