6. Maya

6

Maya

I let my wolf's instincts take over. She was the only one who could run, evade, and hide. I was only good for fucking things up, apparently.

I'd been so wrong about everything. Larson was just like my father, so at least I dodged a bullet there. It was foolish that I'd put my hopes in him.

Even more foolish? Thinking that the next man who was nice to me would save me. That a lover would save me.

My wolf was small and fast, a powerful little bullet in the dense woods. It wasn't until she slunk under a bush that I realized she wasn't reacting to Rhyson.

Wolves.

The scents were old, maybe a few days to a week, but there were so many of them. Had I entered a pack territory without knowing it? If an alpha caught me, I'd be dead, but these markings were personal, not pack. That also didn't make any sense.

Where the hell was I?

I tried to think of what I knew about the new king. King Silas had reigned for as long as I could remember, and for almost a decade before I was born. He had reached his thirty-year mark but rarely came to visit this part of the country. I'd never seen him. I'm not even certain my father had ever met him. There were rumors that he was losing his mind at the end.

Rhyson came out of nowhere to challenge him. His brother was an alpha, and Rhyson was part of his pack. I didn't know why he challenged Silas, but I heard he fought for a brutal month of challenges. I remembered Chase asking my father if he would challenge him, but Bruce liked his position. Sure, he wanted to expand the pack, but king? Too much responsibility.

What was he doing here? The king lived five hundred miles away, and there was no way we traveled that in five hours. So where the hell was I?

More than anything, I wished I could communicate with my wolf. Others knew exactly what their wolf was thinking or feeling. They could act as one, but my wolf and I weren't like that. We were so disconnected, and I had no idea why. Still, I tried to ask her why her hackles were going up.

No response. I could detect the wolf smells, but there was something else. Something that was making her very uncomfortable.

We couldn't stay under a bush for forever. I needed to find a person so I could ask where I was. With this many wolves, it was unlikely that I was in human territory. If I was lucky, the alpha would be kind and understanding.

Except I was never lucky. So recon first.

I forced my wolf back and took control. I didn't hear anything, so I slowly crept out from under the bush. My stomach growled, but I ignored it. It had been nearly an entire day of no food, but it was not the first time I'd gone without. I had about twelve hours before I really started to weaken.

Except that everything was different now. My normal calculations didn't count for shit. Still, there was nothing I could do about it now. My wolf had never hunted in her life. I had no idea if she even knew how, but I had a feeling I wouldn't still be wandering around by myself in twelve hours. Wolves were territorial. Someone would find me.

The sun was high overhead, but the woods were dense and provided plenty of shade. The summer heat could be tough on wolves, but not here. I crept slowly, my head a constant swivel until I heard the sound of water. Cautiously, I walked forward into a clearing. A large river rushed by me. My thirst was suddenly undeniable, and I kept close to the edge as I walked, searching for a calmer shore. Half a mile downriver, the river widened, calming the currents. I waited a few minutes to see if anything else emerged from the thick underbrush.

Finally, I made my way forward and slaked my thirst with the cold water of the river. My legs started to tremble. I was exhausted. I was not going to be able to go much longer without food.

I turned just as the shadow moved out from the woods. I didn't stand a chance. The wolf, nearly twice my size, rammed right into me, and I rolled and splashed into the river. As I struggled to get back to my feet, teeth sank into my shoulder, and I yelped. Panic set in, and I scrambled back to get away from my attacker.

The ground dropped instantly beneath my feet, and I plunged into the river. Blood mixed with the water as the current started carrying me down, and I paddled hard. As a human, I had no idea how to swim, but a wolf?

Even worse.

She keened in panic, struggling to stay afloat. Water flew into my mouth and rammed down my throat, practically choking me, and I dipped beneath the surface.

Shit. This was it. I was going to drown in the middle of nowhere.

Something wrapped around my body and pulled. Instinctively, I fought against it, but the hold just tightened and pulled me against the current. We rose above the water, and I tried to turn my head to see what was holding me, but I couldn't get a good angle. I shoved my wolf down deep and tried to focus.

I smelled shifter, but it was a human arm hauling me back to shore. When he pulled me out of the river, I finally turned to see who it was.

Rhyson.

My wolf tried to turn again to run, but I was exhausted. "Stop," he ordered. Wolf magic pulled at me, hard and strong, and my wolf instantly collapsed and whined in submission. Fury was in his eyes as he stared down at me. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

It wasn't like I could answer him anyway. I coughed up more water. Blood oozed from my shoulder, and when I tried to get up, my legs didn't obey. Collapsing back on the ground, I passed out.

***

The smell of a fire and cooked meat woke me up. To my surprise, my wolf was gone, and I was sandwiched between two blankets. Night had fallen. Confused, I sat up and found six pairs of eyes staring at me. Gasping, I pulled the blanket up and shriveled back.

"Perimeter check," Rhyson growled. Everyone left instantly except for Duke, who brought me a wooden bowl and set it in front of me. He left as well, and Rhyson just watched me impassively.

My stomach growled, and I picked up the cooked meat and shoved it in my mouth. There were some greens and beans. It didn't take long before the bowl was empty. "Thank you," I said quietly as my stomach twisted. "For saving me."

"I am your king."

Right. It wasn't personal. I no longer had any delusions about him doing anything for me personally.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I muttered. "For the food as well."

"Do you know where you are?"

"Geography wasn't my strongest subject in school." Sure, Maya. Be sarcastic to the king of werewolves. Smart.

"Apparently neither is swimming. Or hiding your tracks. Or hunting. Or any type of survival skill," he grunted. "Your father called you a pampered princess."

I almost laughed. It was most definitely the kindest thing my father had ever called me, and it was a lie.

"He also calls you a whore."

"No offense, Your Royal Highness, but you've already said this part. I'd rather not hear it again. If you point me the way to a main road, I'll just get out of your hair, and you don't have to tell me all the things my father said about me. You'd just be wasting your breath, and frankly, I'm not all that interested."

In the blink of an eye, he was on his feet, and I quickly bowed my head. Did the king still execute wolves for insubordination? It would be a shame if he'd saved me just to have to kill me.

"You have a mouth on you now that I know the truth."

Keep quiet. Just pretend he's dear old Dad and let him talk until he runs out of steam. Whatever you do, don't contradict him.

"You know nothing of the truth."

Great job, Maya.

"I know what I can smell," he growled as he stalked near me. "I know why you followed me. I know what you think you want from me."

Oh, shit. Shit. Shit!

"You, Maya Callahan, are pregnant, and you're hoping to pass your little bastard off as mine."