Page 43 of Bonds of Pain
“What would you know about it?” The words come out harsher than intended.
“I spent my formative years at the Enclave learning everything there is to know about Alphas, probably more than they know about themselves. Including how to get what you want from a mate who has to believe that he is always the one in charge.” She tilts her head, studying me. “This strategy of emotional detachment, pretending you don’t notice or care what he does, just goads him into trying harder to get your attention. Both of you are miserable, and Logan still treats you like a piece of furniture he can rearrange at will.”
Heat rises to my face. “The handful of days you’ve been here is nothing compared to my years. You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
Her smirk is pure condescension. “I’m sorry for assuming you’d seen enough episodes of Alphas-Behaving-Badly. I must be the only one sick of watching the reruns. If you’re ever in the mood for something new, just let me know.”
My fingers clench into fists, though I know I won’t strike her even if she deserves it. “Some of us didn’t have the luxury of receiving a whore’s education at the Enclave.”
Instead of the outrage I expect at the insult, Maya’s expression softens. “Do you want one?”
“What?”
“An education.” She leans forward, the combined scent of her slick and Logan’s spend still clinging to her skin. “I could teach you what I know. Tactics for managing Alpha moods so the Omega gets what they need.”
I pray she can’t feel the way my heart skips a beat. “What makes you think I want anything from Logan?”
The look she casts me is almost sympathetic. “We’re stuck. There is no going back from this bond. You can’t possibly want it to be like this forever. Let me help you.”
“Why would you do that?” Suspicion colors my tone.
“You’ve helped me. I’m just returning the favor. It’s not using you if you’re getting something in return.”
She says it so easily, so softly, as if she hasn’t dropped a verbal bomb in the space between us.
I stare at her, momentarily speechless. Is she serious? This woman who I’ve been forced to bond with, who I’ve both resented and felt inexplicably drawn to since the moment Logan dragged her into our lives, is offering to help me?
I expected melodrama, tears, perhaps even an attempt at seduction. Not this clear-eyed assessment of our shared predicament. The pragmatism of her approach catches me off guard.
“Logan won’t like it if he finds out we’re conspiring against him,” I point out.
“We’re not conspiring against him,” Maya counters primly. “We’re learning how to live with him. And showing him how to take care of us. There’s a difference.”
I consider her offer. The truth is, despite years at Logan’s side, I’ve never mastered the art of getting what I want from him without it becoming a power struggle. Maya, for all her defiance, seems to understand instinctively how to navigate these treacherous waters.
“What would this education entail exactly?” I ask finally.
“You’ve already had the first lesson.” Her smile turns slightly wicked. “Never fight an Alpha head-on when you can redirect their energy instead. Like tonight—I didn’t tell Logan no. I gave him what he wanted, just not in the way he wanted it.”
Despite myself, I feel the corner of my mouth twitch upward. “And called me in as a distraction.”
“As an ally,” she corrects. “There’s power in that.”
The door rattles from Logan’s heavy steps in the hallway, signaling his imminent return. Maya’s eyes meet mine, a silent question in them.
“Fine,” I mutter quickly. “Teach me.”
Her answering smile is almost conspiratorial as Logan pushes through the door, arms laden with food and drinks.
As he lays a veritable spread out on the bed, Maya gives me a pointed glance over Logan’s head. The prince has never served me a meal in his damn life, much less a midnight snack in his own bed.
It gives me an uneasy feeling, like I’ve just signed a deal with the devil, and my soul is on the line. Maya has shut down her end of the bond, careful only to project distant feelings of sated exhaustion. Her words were honest, but that doesn’t mean she’s told me everything going on in that pretty little head.
But it’s hard to care about what might go wrong when this is the first time in months that things actually feel like they could go right.
Chapter Thirteen
MAYA
