CHAPTER 37
Darius's POV
The air in my office was oppressive, with the subtle smell of pine and blood hanging over me like a stifling shadow. I reclined in my chair and gazed at the ceiling while the burden of my decisions weighed heavily on me. Maya, the pack, the Council, the Phantom Pack, a never-ending cycle of danger, and every turn appeared to lead to disaster.
The knock on the door was tentative yet determined. Already preparing myself for more terrible news, I straightened.
“Come in,” I murmured, sounding harder than I meant to.
Evelyn intervened, looking severe. My chest was raging, and her serene, mysterious manner did little to quiet it.
“The wolf didn’t make it,” she said without preamble.
As the realization weighed heavy, I wiped my face again. “Did he say anything else before…?”
With a hint of urgency in her voice, she stated, “Just what you already know.” “They’re on their way.” And they want her.”
Her.
At the thought of Maya, my chest constricted. She was more than just a target. She was the woman who had burrowed her way into the cracks of my armor, the one person who made me question everything I thought I stood for.
But She also was dangerous, not because she chose to do so or made a mistake, but simply because she existed.
“Evelyn,” I started, my voice trailing, “what do I do?
Surprised by my candor, she blinked. “Are you requesting answers from me?”
My laughter was harsh. “You’re supposed to be the wise one, aren’t you?”
The ---
With a sigh, she moved in closer. “Darius, there’s no easy answer here. But you have to decide where your loyalty lies—with your pack or with Maya. Because trying to straddle both worlds will only end in disaster.”
Her words were more impactful than I expected. Knowing the truth about them hurt, but I wasn’t prepared to accept it. Not yet.
“I need more time.” I said, my voice was hardly audible above a whisper.
Evelyn looked at me for a long time and then nodded. “We don't have much time . Choose wisely, Darius.”
The room was silent as she walked out, and I sagged back in my chair. My thoughts were racing with unworkable options and partially developed strategies.
My thoughts were once again interrupted by a gentle knock.
“It’s open,” I said wearily.
The door opened with a creak, and Maya entered. Her presence was a source of both comfort and agony for the room.
“You seem to be carrying the weight of the world.” She said, and shut the door.
“Because I am,” I answered, my voice cracking with emotion.
She walked across the room with gentle yet purposeful movements and sat opposite me. “Talk to me, Darius. What’s going on?”
I avoided her eyes and shook my head. “You don’t want to know.”
“Try me.” In a forceful but worried voice, she challenged.
I paused, my throat tightening at the words. How could I explain to her that she was the cause of my torment? That she was both my greatest weakness and my most dangerous liability?
“Maya.” I began, my voice trailing off. “You have no idea how much you’ve changed everything. For me. For the pack. For everything I thought I believed in.”
Her brow furrowed in a frown. “Is that a bad thing?”
“It’s complicated.” I acknowledged, “You are wanted by the Council.” You are the target of the Phantom Pack. And the pack—my pack—is looking to me for answers that I do not possess.
She touched me with her fingertips as she reached across the desk. The simple touch shocked me, reminding me of the connection that bound us together in ways I couldn’t describe.
“You don’t have to figure it all out on your own,” she said softly.
Although her words were meant to be consoling, they hurt my chest even more.
“Maya, you don’t get it,” I murmured, removing my hand. “Every decision I make affects hundreds of lives. I can’t afford to make the wrong one.”
“And what about my life?” In response, she raised her voice and asked, “Isn’t that important to you?”
The chair scraped the floor as I suddenly stood up. “Of course, it matters! That is the issue!”
With wide eyes filled with shock and pain, she gazed at me.
“Do you think I wanted this?” Her voice shook as she asked, “To become a target? To be the cause of this whole mess? Darius, I didn’t ask for any of that. Yet here we are.”
Her words hit like a punch to the gut. She was right, of course. None of this was her fault. And yet…
“I’m trying to protect you.” I said. My voice was hardly audible above a whisper.
“By pushing me away?” she demanded. “By treating me like I’m some burden you have to carry?”
I didn’t have an answer for her. The truth was, I didn’t know how to protect her without putting everything else at risk.
“Maya,” I said, my voice brimming with emotion, “I don’t know what to do. For the first time, I’m at a loss for answers.”
She stepped toward me, her hand on my arm as her face softened. “Then let me help you.”
Her touch was warm and both soothing and agonizing.
“How?” I asked with a broken voice. “How can you help when I don’t even know what I need?”
She smiled, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.“By being here. By standing with you, no matter what comes.”
Her words wrapped around my heart, a lifeline in the chaos. But even as I clung to them, the doubts lingered.
The door sprang open before I could reply. One of my men staggered in, his face wounded and pale.
“Alpha,” he exclaimed. “There’s movement on the eastern border. It’s them.”
The Phantom Pack.
The atmosphere in the room was heavy and oppressive as the air changed.
“Gather the warriors,” I ordered, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. “And secure the territory.”
The warrior gave me a nod and hurried out, leaving Maya and me alone again.
Her eyes blazed with resolve as she turned to face me. “I'm coming with you.”
“No.” I answered firmly. “It is hazardous.”
“I’m not asking for permission,” she retorted.
Her disobedience impressed and enraged me, but I can't allow her to endanger herself.
“Maya—”
“Darius,” She interrupted in a quiet but firm voice. “You don’t have to protect me from everything. Let me fight for myself.”
There was no room for argument in the ferocity of her eyes. And for the first time, I pondered whether she might be right.
“Fine,” I said grudgingly. “But you stay close to me.”
She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. “Deal.”
I thought things would change as we left the workplace and entered the night.
And I was still determining my readiness for it for the first time.