Page 28 of M.A.Y.A
Hello, Alpha’s mate.
Good evening, Alpha’s mate.
Alpha’s mate. Alpha’s mate. Alpha’s mate.
As if she was reduced to a title, the same way she’d been called a number when she lived in a glass box and was used as a science experiment.
As if she didn’t belong.
No, she thought. It was unfair to continue comparing Isaiah’s affection and home to the torture she’d endured. Despite the cold reception of some of the pack members, she was free. She was safe.
When she entered the cavernous dining space decorated like some sort of castle hall, Maya noticed that Isaiah and all the other Betas had already taken seats around the long, scarred wooden table.
Isaiah got to his feet and held out a hand before she made it to his side. His eyes were locked on hers, even as he continued his conversation with Nako. He still wore the same outfit he put on that morning, which meant that he hadn't been lured into another sparring match or shifted spontaneously. She’d quickly learned the reason why he always had his clothes stashed everywhere—his need to shift could be unpredictable. Every time his body morphed, he lost another outfit.
“Hi,” he said.
Despite her irritation with the sparring lessons that he’d been the one to encourage, Maya walked to his side to receive his kiss. He pressed his mouth against hers in a way that made her feel like he cherished every touch, every moment with her.
And didn’t that just make it all the more difficult to put him at a distance? To try to think logically about whether or not she belonged? About whether or not she should mate?
When he pulled back, his serious expression relaxed, and his eyes warmed as they scanned her face. “How was?—”
“Don’t,” she said, cutting him off. “Don’t ask me how it went when all I want to do is strangle you for putting me through that bullshit.”
He chuckled. “Come on,” he said and motioned to the empty chair on his left. “I figured you could use a change of pace with dinner. Instead of eating by yourself in my home, it would be good for you to eat with my Betas. Your rank as my mate surpasses theirs, and you deserve a seat at the table.”
“Do they know that?” Maya mumbled as she motioned to the Betas that were now openly staring at them.
“Of course, and they want you to be here, too.”
Isaiah hadn’t lied to her since she’d first arrived in his dimension, but telling her that the Betas wanted her in their presence sounded perilously close to a fib. Sonya was still glaring at her, while Drayden and Nako went back to ignoring the fact she was even there. Alex was the only one who even smiled in her direction, while Cindy gave her a casual wave before reading something on her phone. Sergei was leaning over Cindy’s shoulder, trying to see her screen.
Maya lowered herself into the chair next to the man she was close to loving.
Love.
She swallowed hard. Damnit, even her gut told her that she’d found her soulmate.
“Maya?”
She looked at Isaiah who was watching her closely. “Everything all right?”
No, she thought. Nothing was all right. She was addicted to him, and he could break her. “Are all of you seriously comfortable with the fact that you have to make a decision about fate and the rest of your life within fourteen calendar days?”
Every single Beta nodded.
“Great,” she muttered. “Fine.”
Isaiah leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her jawline. “Different dimension, different rules. We have one week left so you better make it count, tiny warrior.”
Two staff members wheeled out carts filled to capacity with trays and bowls. The smells were familiar, reminding her of her childhood.
“Is that…is that Indian food?”
Isaiah smiled and nodded. “I figured you might enjoy it. I know it’s not rationed and freeze dried, but we do our best here.”
Maya felt her heart skip a beat at his consideration. She had made a passing comment yesterday about the type of food they both grew up eating. His mother was a few generations removed from her South Asian origins, but she used to make Indian food for him, the same way Maya’s mother tried her best to keep their culture alive in the kitchen.
