Maya's POV
Maya threw another shirt into her old bag, her hands shaking so badly she could barely fold the clothes. Every sound outside made her jump. Every shadow at her window made her heart race.
They were coming for her. She could feel it.
After Kai's phone call telling her about the Cross family's threats, Maya knew she had maybe hours before Victoria's people found her. The public rejection ceremony was tomorrow night, but Maya wouldn't be there to watch Kai destroy her image in front of everyone.
She would be long gone.
"Just the basics," Maya whispered to herself, holding back tears. "Only what you can carry."
Her life fit into one small backpack and a shopping bag. Three changes of clothes, her grandmother's necklace, the pregnancy tests that had changed everything, and the small amount of money she'd saved from working at the pack house kitchen.
It wasn't much to start a new life with, but it would have to be enough.
Maya picked up the framed picture of her parents, the only family she'd ever known. They'd died in a car accident when she was sixteen, leaving her alone in the world. Now she was alone again, but this time she had a baby growing inside her who was counting on her to keep them both safe.
"We're going to be okay, little one," Maya whispered, putting her hand on her still-flat stomach. "Mommy's going to find us somewhere safe."
A knock at her door made Maya freeze. Her heart pounded so loud she was sure whoever was outside could hear it.
"Maya?" A familiar voice called. "It's me, Sarah."
Maya almost cried with relief. Sarah was her only friend in the pack, another omega who worked in the restaurants. Maya crept to the door and opened it just a crack.
"Sarah, what are you doing here? It's almost midnight."
Sarah's face was pale and scared. "I came to warn you. Victoria's been asking questions about you all day. She knows about the baby, Maya. Everyone's talking about it."
Maya's stomach dropped. "How many people know?"
"Most of the pack by now. Victoria's been spreading stories that you're trying to trap the Alpha with lies about being pregnant." Sarah grabbed Maya's hands. "But I know you're not lying. I've seen how Kai looks at you."
"It doesn't matter now," Maya said sadly. "Tomorrow night he's going to reject me publicly and say the baby isn't his."
Sarah's eyes went wide. "He's going to do what?"
"The Cross family is making him to choose between me and keeping the pack safe. And he chose the pack." Maya tried to keep her voice steady, but it cracked on the last word.
"Oh, Maya." Sarah hugged her tight. "I'm so sorry."
"I'm leaving," Maya said suddenly. "Tonight. I can't stay here and let them ruin me and my baby."
"Where will you go?"
"I don't know. Somewhere far away where no one knows me." Maya wiped her eyes. "I just need to disappear."
Sarah was quiet for a moment. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. "Take this."
"Sarah, no. I can't take your money."
"Yes, you can. It's my savings from the past year. It's not much, but it'll help you get started somewhere new." Sarah pushed the money into Maya's hands. "Every woman deserves a chance to build a life for her children."
Maya started crying again. In a world where people like Victoria existed, it was amazing that people like Sarah existed too.
"Thank you," Maya whispered. "I'll pay you back someday, I promise."
"Just be happy. That's all the payment I need."
After Sarah left, Maya finished packing quickly. She had to leave before dawn, while most of the pack was still sleeping. Her car was old and barely worked, but it would have to get her far enough away to catch a bus to somewhere else.
Maya was about to zip up her backpack when she heard footsteps outside. Heavy boots. Too heavy to be Sarah coming back.
She turned off her lights and crept to the window. Three large guys in dark clothes were walking toward her cabin. Even in the darkness, Maya could see they weren't from her pack. These were strangers.
Cross pack members.
Maya's blood turned to ice. They weren't waiting until after the rejection event. They were coming for her now.
She grabbed her backpack and the shopping bag, her mind racing. The front door was blocked by the men outside. The back door led to the woods, but they probably had people there too. She was stuck.
Unless...
Maya looked up at the small window in her bathroom. It was tiny, but she was small too. If she could squeeze through it, she might be able to escape through the woods while they broke down her front door.
The footsteps were getting closer. Maya heard voices outside.
"Check the back. Make sure she can't run."
"What do we do with the body after?"
"Boss says make it look like an accident. Maybe she fell and hit her head."
Maya covered her mouth to keep from yelling. They weren't just here to scare her. They were here to kill her and make it look like she died by accident.
She climbed into her bathtub and pushed the tiny window open. It was a tight fit, but fear made her stronger than she'd ever been. She squeezed through the window just as she heard the front door explode open.
"She's not here!" someone yelled.
"Check every room!"
Maya dropped to the ground outside and ran toward the woods as fast as she could. Branches scratched her face and arms, but she didn't stop. Behind her, she could hear the men finding the open bathroom window.
"She's running! Find her!"
Maya ran deeper into the dark bush, guided only by moonlight. She had no idea where she was going, but anywhere was better than staying to be killed.
Her car was parked on the other side of the pack area. If she could make it there without being caught, she might have a chance. But the woods were full of sounds now - men shouting, dogs barking, motorbikes starting up.
They were hunting her like an animal.
Maya kept running until her lungs burned and her legs felt like they would fall. She stopped behind a large tree to catch her breath and figure out which way to go.
That's when she heard the motorbike getting closer.
Maya pressed herself against the tree and tried to stay perfectly still. The motorbike stopped nearby, and she heard footsteps walking around.
"Maya?" A voice called softly. "Maya, it's me. I know you're here."
Maya's heart stopped. She knew that sound.
It was Kai.
But was he here to save her or help the guys who wanted to kill her?