Kai's POV
Kai's fist crashed through the wall of his office, sending chunks of plaster flying. The pain in his fingers was nothing compared to the fire burning in his chest. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't focus on anything except Maya's smell still filling his head.
"Get out," he growled at Beta James, who had followed him from the meeting hall. "Everyone out. Now."
"Alpha, we need to talk about what just happened," James said carefully. "The whole pack saw-"
"I said GET OUT!" Kai roared, his eyes flashing gold.
James backed toward the door. "The Cross Pack representatives are coming tomorrow for the engagement announcement. We can't-"
The second punch left another hole in the wall. James fled.
Kai fell into his chair, his whole body shaking. What was happening to him? In thirty seconds, that little omega had shattered every belief he'd ever held about mates and love and power.
Maya Rose. Sweet, clumsy Maya from the kitchen. The girl who'd been unseen to him for two years was now the only thing he could think about. Her scent was like a drug in his system, making his wolf go totally wild.
"This isn't real," Kai said out loud. "True mates are stories. Fairy tales."
But even as he said it, he knew he was lying. What he'd felt when their eyes met wasn't normal desire. It was recognition. His soul calling to hers. His wolf claiming what belonged to them.
Kai stood up and started walking. He had to get control of himself. Tomorrow, Victoria Cross would arrive expecting a proposal. He'd already agreed to the political marriage. His pack needed the union.
But Maya's smell was still in his nose, driving him crazy with need.
"Focus," Kai told himself. "You're an Alpha. You don't lose power over one omega."
Except he was losing control. His hands wouldn't stop shaking. His wolf was moving restlessly, demanding they go find their mate. Every instinct in his body was yelling at him to claim Maya, to mark her, to never let her out of his sight.
A knock at the door interrupted his thinking. "Go away," he called.
"It's Elder Marcus."
Kai cursed under his breath. His grandpa wouldn't be easily dismissed.
"Come in."
Elder Marcus entered, his wrinkled face grave. "We need to discuss what happened in the meeting hall."
"Nothing happened," Kai said quickly. "I smelled a new adult omega. That's all."
"Don't lie to me, boy." Marcus's voice was sharp. "I've seen mate ties before. What happened between you and Maya Rose was obvious."
Kai felt fear rise in his throat. "It doesn't matter. I'm marrying Victoria Cross tomorrow."
"Are you insane?" Marcus stared at him. "You just found your true mate. You can't marry someone else."
"Watch me." Kai's voice was cold. "The pack needs this union. I won't put my personal feelings above my duties."
"Your personal feelings?" Marcus laughed bitterly. "This isn't about feelings, Kai. This is about fate. The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes."
"The Moon Goddess isn't real," Kai snapped. "And even if she was, I won't be controlled by some magical bond. I make my own choices."
His grandfather looked at him with disappointment. "Your father would be ashamed."
The words hit Kai like a physical blow. "My father is dead because he cared more about my mother than his responsibilities. I won't make the same mistake."
"Your father died in an accident," Marcus said softly. "Not because he loved your mother."
"He died because he was busy. Love makes you weak."
Marcus shook his head sadly. "Love makes you strong, Kai. But fear makes you stupid."
After his grandpa left, Kai tried to work. He studied patrol reports, checked supply orders, answered messages from other pack leaders. But Maya's scent kept drifting through his mind, making focus impossible.
By midnight, he was going crazy. His wolf was screaming inside his head, begging to go find their mate. Kai had never felt anything like this frantic need. It was like being starved for something he'd never known he needed.
"One conversation," he told himself. "I'll talk to her once, explain that this can't happen, and then it will be over."
But even as he made the excuse, Kai knew he was lying to himself.
He found himself walking through the pack grounds toward the small house where Maya lived. His feet moved without his permission, drawn by an unseen rope he couldn't break.
Maya's smell got stronger with every step. By the time he reached her door, Kai was barely hanging onto his human form. His wolf wanted out, wanted to claim their mate right now.
He knocked softly, not trusting his voice.
The door opened, and Maya appeared in a simple nightgown, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. She looked up at him with those wide brown eyes, and Kai felt his world change completely.
"Alpha," she whispered. "I... what are you doing here?"
"I don't know," Kai answered honestly. It was the first totally truthful thing he'd said all day.
They stared at each other in the moonlight. Kai could hear Maya's heart pounding, could smell her fear mixed with something else. Something that made his wolf purr with satisfaction.
"Can I come in?" The words left his mouth before he could stop them.
Maya paused, then stepped aside. "Yes."
Kai walked into her tiny cabin, his large frame filling the small area. Maya closed the door behind him, and suddenly they were alone together in the darkness.
"Maya," Kai said, his voice rough. "What's happening between us-"
"I know what it is," Maya interrupted softly. "I felt it too. When our eyes met in the meeting hall."
"It doesn't matter," Kai said, but his voice lacked confidence. "I can't... we can't..."
"Can't what?" Maya stepped closer, and her smell wrapped around him like silk.
Kai's control snapped. He reached for her, pulling her against his chest, breathing in her amazing smell. Maya didn't fight. Instead, she melted into him like she belonged there.
"This is impossible," Kai whispered against her hair.
"I don't care," Maya answered, looking up at him with trust and want in her eyes.
And then Kai kissed her, and the whole world burst into light.