Aria's POV
I threw my pillow across the room and watched it hit the wall.
Three days. I'd been living in this house for three days, and I still felt like a stranger. Everyone kept calling me Maya now that we knew the truth about Lily, but the name didn't feel right in my mouth.
I wasn't Maya Blackwood. I wasn't Aria Nightwood. I wasn't anybody.
A soft knock on my door stopped my thoughts.
"Come in," I called out.
Rose peeked her head inside. Her arm was still in a sling from where she'd taken the bullet meant for me.
"Hey," she said quietly. "Mind if I sit?"
I shrugged and moved over on the bed. Rose sat down carefully, wincing when she moved her hurt shoulder.
"You didn't have to do that," I said. "Take the bullet for me."
"Yes, I did." Rose looked at me seriously. "Maybe we don't share blood, but you're still my sister in every way that matters."
My chest got tight. "But you don't even know who I really am. Nobody does."
"I know you're brave. I know you're kind. I know you were willing to give yourself for little Lily." Rose smiled. "That's all I need to know."
Before I could answer, Dante's voice carried up from downstairs. He was talking to Victor about something, and they both sounded worried.
"What's that about?" I asked.
Rose's face got serious. "There's been another wild attack. This time they hit the Silver Creek Pack to the south."
My blood went cold. "Is Kane back?"
"No, he's still in prison. But some of his followers fled during the fight at the border. They're trying to find you."
"Why won't they just leave me alone?"
"Because you're still the most powerful wolf alive," Rose said gently. "That didn't change when we figured out your real identity."
I flopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "I don't want to be strong. I just want to be normal."
"Normal is overrated," Rose said with a small laugh. "Trust me."
Footsteps pounded up the stairs, and Dante appeared in the doorway. His ice-blue eyes found mine instantly, and I felt that familiar flutter in my chest.
"Maya," he said, then caught himself. "Sorry. I don't know what name you prefer."
"I don't know either," I admitted.
Dante stepped into the room, and Rose quietly excused herself. Once we were alone, he sat down on the edge of the bed.
"We need to talk," he said seriously.
"About what?"
"About the mate link. About what happened at the gate when we used it together."
I felt my cheeks get hot. "What about it?"
"Maya, when we finished the bond, it wasn't just to control your power. It was real. Permanent."
My heart started beating faster. "What does that mean?"
"It means we're mated for life. Whether we want to be or not."
I looked at him. "Do you want to be?"
Dante was quiet for a long moment. "I don't know. I've spent my whole life thinking that mates made Alphas weak. But when I thought Kane was going to hurt you..." He ran his hands through his hair. "I've never felt anything like that rage before."
"So what do we do?"
"We figure it out together. But first, we need to make sure you're safe."
"I'm fine here," I said quickly.
Dante shook his head. "The rogues know where you are. Victor's pack is strong, but they're not strong enough to fight off an army. You need to come back to my area where my warriors can protect you."
"No." The word came out harder than I meant it to. "I just found my family again. I'm not leaving them."
"Maya—"
"My name isn't Maya!" I burst, jumping to my feet. "Maya Blackwood died seven years ago when those rogues took her. Aria Nightwood never existed. I'm nobody!"
Dante stood up too, his face worried. "You're my mate. That's who you are."
"Because of some magical bond I didn't choose?"
"Because you're brave and strong and you saved everyone you love," Dante said strongly. "Because you jumped in front of a gun to protect a child you'd just met. Because you're willing to give everything for other people."
I felt tears starting to fall. "But I don't know who I really am."
Dante stepped closer and gently wiped my tears away. "Then we'll figure it out. Together."
Before I could reply, Rose burst back through the door.
"Sorry to interrupt," she said hurriedly, "but we have a problem. A big one."
"What kind of problem?" Dante demanded.
"Victor just got a call from Alpha Marcus Blackwood," Rose said. "Maya's father is coming here. Tonight."
My stomach dropped. "What? Why?"
"Because Lily called him," Rose said. "She told him everything. About remembering who she really is, about finding you, about the prophesy."
I sank back down on the bed. "Oh no."
"There's more," Rose continued. "Marcus isn't coming alone. He's bringing his full pack council. And they're demanding that Maya come home instantly."
"Why?" Dante asked, but I could see he already knew the answer.
"Because Maya is the heir to the Blackwood pack," Rose said. "She's supposed to become their Alpha when she turns eighteen."
"But I don't want to be an Alpha," I whispered.
"It doesn't matter what you want," Rose said sadly. "Marcus has formal claim to you as his daughter. And pack law says children must obey their Alpha parents until they mate or turn eighteen."
I looked at Dante desperately. "Can't we just finish the mating bond? Then I'd belong to your pack instead of his."
Dante's face went pale. "Maya, you can't make a decision like that just to escape your father."
"Why not?"
"Because a mating bond should be about love, not convenience."
His words hit me like a slap. "So you don't love me."
"I don't know," Dante said honestly. "The mate bond makes it hard to tell what's real attraction and what's just magic."
My heart shattered into a million pieces. "I see."
"Maya, that's not what I meant—"
Rose suddenly grabbed both our arms. "Do you hear that?"
We went quiet and listened. In the distance, I could hear the sound of cars. Lots of them.
"They're here," Rose whispered.
I ran to the window and looked out. A fleet of black SUVs was pulling up the driveway. Men in dark suits were getting out, all of them moving like trained fighters.
At the front of the group was a tall guy with graying hair who looked exactly like an older version of Lily.
Marcus Blackwood. My real father.
The man who'd been looking for his daughters for seven years.
"He looks angry," Rose noted.
She was right. Even from up here, I could see the anger on Marcus's face.
"Maya," Dante said urgently, "whatever happens, don't agree to anything until we can figure out your options."
"What options?" I asked desperately. "He's my father. Pack law says I have to obey him."
"Not if you're mated to another Alpha," Dante said.
Hope sparked in my chest. "Does that mean...?"
Before Dante could answer, Victor's voice boomed from downstairs.
"MAYA! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"
Even Victor sounded scared.
"Maya," Rose said softly, "there's something else you should know. Something I overheard when Marcus called Victor."
"What?"
Rose looked at me with scared eyes. "Marcus isn't just here to take you home. He's here because the pack council voted. They want you to mate with someone."
"Who?" I whispered, though I was afraid of the answer.
"Alpha Kane's son," Rose said. "They think if you mate with the heir to the Shadow Pack, it will end the war between your peoples forever."
The room started spinning around me. "But Kane's son is..."
"A monster," Rose finished. "Just like his father. And Maya, the wedding is tomorrow night."
Downstairs, heavy footsteps were climbing the stairs.
My father was coming to take me away.
And there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.