Page 15 of M.A.Y.A
She looked down, and then immediately met his eyes again. He appeared as comfortable in his nudity as she’d become. The only problem was that she was…affected by him in a way that she’d never experienced with anyone before. Maya’s arm plate beeped, and she glanced down at the display window. Her heart rate was accelerated.
“Don’t worry,” Isaiah said, smiling.
“Worry about what?”
His voice lowered to a deep timbre that had the hair raising on the back of her neck. “About your heart rate. About your arousal. I can smell it. It’s normal before mates claim each other to be aroused. The feeling will increase over the next thirteen days.”
“I think it’s just because I’ve never seen a naked man before,” she murmured.
His brows lifted to his hairline. “Never?”
“Never. It’s only natural for me to be…flustered.”
“Whatever you want to tell yourself,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s the mating bond. I think I can feel it stronger than you because I’m Alpha.” He leaned closer until she was consumed by his scent. “I heard that after the first kiss, it’s undeniable.”
The thought of kissing Isaiah all muscled and bare, while he stood inches away, had her alarm beeping at a faster rate. She fumbled with the interface to shut it off the way she’d seen the scientists do in the lab.
“I doubt that it would have any effect on me,” she said, reality setting in like a cold shower in the lab. She couldn’t stop the bitterness from coating her voice. “They stripped me of everything and replaced it with metal.”
Isaiah growled deep in his chest. The vibrations were so strong that Maya felt goosebumps race up her spine at the sound. “You have your soul, Maya. And whatever is left of your human heart belongs to me now.” He pressed a hand against the center of her breasts. His palms were so large that his fingertips brushed against the base of her throat. She felt self-conscious when she realized that he was covering the port over her heart.
“I’m so sorry that you’re stuck?—”
“I’m not,” he replied.
She found it difficult to believe him. Wouldn’t he want someone who was beautiful and whole? Someone who understood him? Someone who didn’t have all the baggage she’d carry for the rest of her life?
“Look,” he continued. “This is new for you. All of this is new to me, too. But we’ll figure it out together. You’re mine now, and that means that I will protect your freedom and happiness with my life.”
In that moment, there was a sharp pain in her chest, a lightning bolt of sensation that shot straight up her spine, and the dizzying feeling that nothing else mattered except for the man in front of her. As her vision focused on his dark eyes, there was only one emotion that remained, and it resembled hope in the most terrifying way.
ChapterSix
It had been one day since Maya showed up in his territory, and he already felt like his entire life had flipped on its head. To give her some space, he left the clearing and the safe house with Sonya and Sergei standing guard. His two Betas didn’t believe that Maya was an innocent party who escaped a horrific situation in her own world. It didn’t matter though. They were loyal, and despite disagreeing with him about his mate’s safety, they’d still protect her.
He headed to Franz Ravine where he’d first found Maya and met up with Nako and Drayden. The Betas managed to find a strange manhole covered with a metal grate. It was unlocked and wedged open with a scent trail that was distinctly Maya. As a temporary measure to protect their land, Nako, Drayden, and Isaiah had shoved a boulder on top of it. Anyone in his pack could move it with enough motivation, but until they could find a more permanent solution, the boulder would have to do.
Afterwards, Isaiah intended to stay at his office for the rest of the day where he had copious amounts of messages and paperwork to complete, but he was drawn back to the safe house that evening. He wanted to check on Maya before he tried to get some sleep.
He sent a quick text to Sergei and Sonya that he was on his way, and they were relieved of their post. A few minutes later, he heard the wolves running through the trees as they passed him on their return to the central Den.
As he approached the safe house, a sense of calm washed over him. Because it was so late, Isaiah would find a spot outdoors to sleep for the rest of the night, where he’d be able to hear her if she was in distress. He’d spent many nights sleeping under the stars in wolf form, so it wasn’t a chore on his part. His body and his heart wanted to get close to this woman, who had consumed his thoughts from the moment she arrived in his territory.
As he stepped into the clearing under a blanket of stars, his plans to sleep outside quickly changed when he spotted Maya on the top step of the front porch. She was still dressed in his button-down flannel shirt, but she'd removed her pants, exposing her lean legs. Her hair hung in frizzy waves down her back, and she crossed her arms over her chest as if to ward off a chill.
“What are you doing up at this time of night?” He asked as he approached her. “It's cold out here, and you can get sick.”
In the shadows and darkness, Isaiah saw her shake her head. “I’m fine. My body temperature is well regulated.”
“You should try to sleep.”
She looked up at him, her large brown eyes shining in the moonlight. “I did. I had a nightmare that I was back in the lab. That I hadn’t really escaped.”
His stomach knotted. Damnit, he should’ve realized that her trauma was going to haunt her. This was her first full night out of captivity. He should’ve been here, should’ve watched over her so she didn’t have to wrestle with her demons by herself.
“It might take some time,” he said gruffly. “But you’re strong. You survived. Even though you’ll be carrying those memories with you for the rest of your life, you’ll learn how to cope with them. If you let me, I’ll help you.”
She hugged her knees to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut as if blocking out visuals from her past. “Hopefully destroying the portal entrance will put my demons to rest. Until then, insomnia will be my friend.”
