Maya's POV
Maya dropped the pregnancy test and watched it clatter across the bathroom floor. Her hands shook so badly she could barely pick it up again. Two pink lines stared back at her, clear as day.
She was pregnant. With Alpha Kai's baby.
"Oh my God," she whispered, slipping down the wall to sit on the cold tiles. "Oh my God, oh my God."
Her mind raced with a million thoughts at once. How would she tell Kai? Would he be happy? Would he finally claim her as his mate? Maybe this was the sign they needed. Maybe now he would choose love over politics.
Maya pressed her hand to her still-flat stomach and smiled through her tears. "Hi there, little one," she whispered. "Your daddy doesn't know about you yet, but he's going to love you so much."
A knock on her front door made Maya jump. She quickly hid the pregnancy test in her pocket and ran to answer it. Her heart leaped when she saw Kai standing there, looking handsome and worried.
"Maya, are you okay? You didn't answer my texts."
"I'm fine," Maya said, trying to keep her voice normal. "Just tired from work."
But Kai knew her too well now. He stepped inside and pulled her into his arms. "Something's wrong. I can feel it."
Maya almost told him right then. The words were right there on her tongue. But something stopped her. Tonight was their special time. She wanted to enjoy being with him before everything changed.
"I'm just happy to see you," she said instead, reaching up to kiss him.
For the past three weeks, Maya had been living in a beautiful dream. Every night Kai came to her, and every night felt more perfect than the last. He wasn't the cold Alpha everyone feared when he was with her. He was gentle and funny and sweet.
"Tell me about your day," Kai said, pulling her to the couch.
"Mrs. Henderson brought cookies to the kitchen again. Martha ate three before lunch," Maya giggled. "And Sarah keeps asking me why I'm so happy lately."
"What do you tell her?" Kai asked, playing with Maya's hair.
"That I'm just enjoying life," Maya said. But inside, she thought: I tell her nothing because I'm in love with you, and I don't want to ruin it.
Because that's what had happened over these amazing weeks. Maya had fallen fully, totally, head-over-heels in love with Kai. Not just the strong Alpha, but the real man underneath. The man who brought her blooms he picked on his runs. The man who listened to her talk about books for hours. The man who held her like she was the most valuable thing in the world.
"Maya," Kai said softly, "I need to tell you something."
Maya's heart stopped. This was it. He was going to say he loved her too. He was going to call off the wedding with Victoria Cross. He was going to choose her.
"What is it?" she whispered.
Kai looked into her eyes, and Maya saw so much love there that it took her breath away. "I... I care about you. More than I should. More than I've ever cared about anyone."
"I care about you too," Maya said, her heart racing. "Kai, I—"
"The wedding announcement is tomorrow," Kai said suddenly, and Maya felt like ice water had been poured over her.
"What?"
"Victoria Cross arrives in the morning. We're announcing our engagement to both packs." Kai's voice sounded hollow, like he was pushing the words out.
Maya stared at him, feeling like the world was spinning. "But... but what about us? What about what we have?"
"This doesn't change anything between us," Kai said desperately. "We can still see each other. Nothing has to change."
"Everything changes!" Maya stood up, her voice shaking. "You're getting married, Kai! To someone else!"
"It's just politics," Kai said, reaching for her. "You know I don't love her. I lo—" He stopped himself, but Maya heard what he almost said.
"Say it," Maya whispered. "Say what you were going to say."
Kai looked tortured. "Maya, please. You know how I feel about you. But I have tasks. Responsibilities to my pack."
"What about your responsibility to me?" Maya touched her pocket where the pregnancy test was hidden. Should she tell him now? Would it change his mind?
"I'll take care of you," Kai promised. "You'll have everything you need. A nice house, money, security. And I'll come to you whenever I can."
Maya felt her heart breaking into pieces. "You want me to be your secret. Your mistress while you have a wife."
"It's not like that," Kai said, but they both knew it was exactly like that.
"Get out," Maya whispered.
"Maya, please—"
"Get out!" Maya shouted, tears running down her face. "Go practice being a good husband to Victoria!"
After Kai left, Maya cried until she had no tears left. Then she sat in her empty shack and faced the truth. She was just another woman to Kai. The only difference was that she'd lasted longer than the others and been stupid enough to fall in love.
And now she was pregnant with his kid.
Maya pulled out the pregnancy test and stared at it again. What was she going to do? She couldn't stay here and watch Kai marry Victoria while hiding their child like a shameful secret. She couldn't raise her baby in a world where their father was ashamed of them.
But she also couldn't tell Kai now. Not when he'd just chosen politics over love. Not when he'd made it clear that she would always come second to his tasks.
The next morning, Maya stood in the crowd as Alpha Kai took the stage with Victoria Cross beside him. Victoria was everything Maya wasn't - tall, beautiful, confident. She looked like she belonged next to an Alpha.
"I'm pleased to announce my engagement to Victoria Cross," Kai's words carried across the silent crowd. "We will be married next month, uniting our packs in a powerful alliance."
The crowd cheered, but Maya felt like she was sinking. She pressed her hand to her stomach, where Kai's baby was growing, and made a choice that would change everything.
She was going. Tonight. She would leave before anyone found out about the baby, before she had to watch Kai marry another woman while carrying his child.
But as Maya turned to leave, she felt someone watching her. She looked up and met the cold, knowing eyes of Victoria Cross. The other woman was looking right at Maya with a smile that made Maya's blood run cold.
Victoria knew. Somehow, Victoria knew about Maya and Kai. And from the look in her eyes, she was going to do something about it.