Denial

chapter 3

 Denial

Her wolf was pacing again—restless, agitated. Weak.

Maya clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms to ground herself. She'd been avoiding him for days now, determined to suppress the mate bond that wrapped around her like invisible chains. She refused to believe it, refused to accept that he—Liam, of all people—was meant to be hers.

"Stubborn wolf," she muttered to herself, pushing to her feet. Her legs trembled beneath her weight, the fatigue setting in faster than usual.

"Maya!"

Caleb's voice echoed through the clearing. She turned to find him jogging toward her, his face bright with an easy smile that almost hid the flicker of concern in his eyes. Caleb had always been able to read her, a trait that usually comforted her. Today, it felt like a curse.

"Skipping meals again?" he teased, handing her a bottle of water. "You look like you're about to pass out."

"I'm fine." Maya forced a tight smile and took the bottle, gulping it down.

"You've been off lately," Caleb pressed, crossing his arms as he studied her. "Ever since your birthday."

Maya stiffened, her fingers tightening around the bottle. "I said I'm fine."

Caleb's teasing smile faltered, replaced by a crease of worry. "Maya…"

Don't ask.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but the sound of footsteps silenced him. Maya froze. Even before she turned, she knew who it was.

"Funny, I thought warriors didn't need babysitters," came Liam's voice, smooth and edged with that infuriating arrogance she knew so well.

Maya's jaw clenched. She turned slowly, her gaze locking onto him. Liam leaned against a tree on the edge of the clearing, his arms folded casually across his chest. The late afternoon sunlight caught the sharp angles of his face, glinting in his dark eyes as he smirked at her.

"Go away, Liam," she bit out, wishing she could smother the flutter in her chest at the sight of him.

He raised an eyebrow, ignoring her words. "Avoiding me won't change anything, you know."

The pull of the bond stirred inside her, a thread tugging her toward him. Maya fought against it, burying the feeling deep where it couldn't reach her.

"I said, go away," she repeated.

Caleb glanced between them, his expression darkening with suspicion. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing," Maya snapped, a little too quickly.

"Nothing?" Liam echoed, his smirk softening into something unreadable as his gaze lingered on her. His voice dipped lower, quieter. "Lying doesn't suit you, Maya."

Her heart thudded painfully. Why did he have to look at her like that—like he could see right through her?

"Leave. Now," she hissed.

Liam pushed away from the tree and stepped closer. Caleb moved to her side instinctively, his stance protective. The tension crackled between the three of them like lightning before a storm.

Liam's eyes narrowed at Caleb. "Shouldn't you be minding your own business?"

"Shouldn't you?" Caleb shot back, his tone sharp.

Maya stepped between them before it escalated. "Stop it, both of you." Her head was pounding now, her wolf whining from the effort of holding back the bond.

Liam's gaze returned to her. For the briefest second, the mask of arrogance slipped, replaced by something softer—something real. "You can keep running from it, but it won't stop. It'll just hurt more."

Maya sucked in a breath. "I'm not running."

Liam's lips curled into a humorless smile. "You're lying to yourself."

The words hit her harder than she cared to admit.

She turned away, grabbing Caleb's arm. "Let's go."

"Maya—"

"I said, let's go."

Caleb hesitated, glaring at Liam for a bit ionger before following her into the forest.

Liam didn't stop her. He just stood there, his expression impossible to read.

By the time they reached the packhouse grounds, Maya's body ached with every step. She could hear Caleb talking beside her, but his words blended into meaningless noise. Her wolf was clawing at her from the inside, desperate to turn around, to go back to him.

Her body was betraying her.

"Let's spar," she said suddenly, interrupting Caleb mid-sentence.

He blinked at her. "What? Now?"

"Yes, now." She needed to move—needed to do something to drown out the chaos in her head.

Caleb hesitated, but when Maya grabbed two wooden training swords and tossed one his way, he sighed and fell into position. "Fine. But don't complain when I beat you."

Maya managed a weak grin. "Dream on."

They moved into a clearing behind the packhouse, where the ground was worn smooth from years of training. Caleb lunged first, his sword slicing through the air. Maya deflected, the clash of wood jolting up her arms.

For a while, the rhythm of sparring soothed her. It was familiar, grounding. Caleb pressed forward, his strikes quick but controlled. Maya countered, her movements sharp and precise. Sweat slicked her palms, but she pushed through it.

"You're getting slow," Caleb teased, though his tone was gentler than usual.

Maya gritted her teeth and struck harder, forcing him back.

"You're trying too hard," he said, his voice low. "Maya, what's really going on?"

She didn't answer. Couldn't.

Caleb lunged again, but this time, Maya's reaction was a second too slow. The wooden sword slipped past her defense, striking her shoulder. Pain shot through her, sudden and sharp. She staggered back, her vision blurring.

"Maya?" Caleb dropped his sword, his voice rising in alarm. "Hey, are you okay?"

Her chest heaved. Her knees buckled. The ground tilted beneath her.

Weak.

Her wolf whimpered in her mind, fading into silence as Maya collapsed.

The last thing she heard was Caleb shouting her name, his voice distant and panicked, as darkness pulled her under.