Chapter 3: "Hey beautiful, can i know your name?"

We drive for three hours before any thoughts start running through my mind. 

The first one that hits me makes fear race through my heart.

Where will we go?

I can't take us to my parent's pack. Hunter's pack is really strong and it'll only be a matter of time before he comes for me. He'll charge me with attempted murder and take Maya away from me before he kills me. My parents won't be able to stop him, and Hunter's pack will stand behind him.

So maybe I should take us elsewhere. 

I have a distant cousin who lives a few cities away. My atm and one of my credit cards are in my pocket, and luckily it's the one Hunter doesn't have access to. I've been saving some money for Maya's education in case Hunter decides not to sponsor her schooling anymore, I'll have to use some of it to get us far away from him.

Tears prick the back of my eyes and I blink them back, keeping my eyes on the road and  watching as the clouds roll by, thick and heavy in the night.

I've been living in so much fear for my daughter, always preparing myself to cope with whatever is thrown our way and always preparing to step in if Hunter decides he doesn't want to take care of her anymore. I know I should resent him.

I should resent him for hating Maya, his own daughter. He even wanted to kill her, and I should wish he burns in hell for that.

Yet I can't help but feel I understand him.

My tears break free from my eyes as a sob racks my body and I let myself cry.

It's all my fault.

My hands grip the wheel tighter and I sob silently.

Hunter needs a male child if he's going to keep the Alpha title in his family's bloodline. His father and his father before him all had male kids. He's the only one who doesn't and if he fails to produce one, the pack will have to choose another Alpha and he loses his title. It would be a shame on him, a disgrace to his name and his family's, all because his fated mate couldn't give him a male heir.

I clean my tears and sniffle before laughing.

I'm being silly!

He should have never resorted to beating me. No matter what! 

The harm he inflicted on me didn't make me love him more, the pain, the hours of beatings and assault, didn't make me produce another child for him. I'm much more than my body and he's never seen me as anything more than that. 

I hate him now. Heir or no heir, he can rot in hell for all I care!

"Mummy?"

Maya's sleepy voice brings me out of my thoughts and I'm surprised to see the sun already rising. The clouds are now fluffy lumps of light and color and though it's not fully dawn, it will soon be.

"Yes, Maya?"

"Are we going to see Grandma and Grandpa?"

I chuckle and clean my face more with the back of my hand before shaking my head.

'"No, not yet. One day we'll come back to see them, but first, we need to get as far away from Dad as we can."

I look at my daughter's reaction through the head lens of the car and what I see shatters my heart. Maya's face takes on a crestfallen look, like she's dejected and she remembers what almost happened to her, but all at once she hides all that and a resilient look enters her eyes, she stiffens her chin and nods. She understands. 

No child should ever have to go through this.

Some more hours of driving pass by and soon we're passing through a more populated area. The town has a picturesque effect and I see Maya climbing onto the chair so she can get a better look at the fountains and people. There's a grumble not less than a minute later and she turns to me.

"I'm hungry."

My eyes flit to the time being displayed in the car and I frown. It's nine in the morning already. She should have had breakfast by now.

I keep a lookout for a hotel and when I see one I take us there.

"Come on, let's freshen up before we get something to eat."

Maya waits for me to fully park before getting out of the car but the minute I do, I snatch her hand and pull her to me.

 Wolves!

The air is thick and heavy with the scent of them. I shield my face with my hands slightly while telling my wolf to calm down. I‘m fiercely protective of my cub and wolves from another pack could mean trouble.

"Is anything wrong mummy?"

I shake my head and pull my daughter closer to me.

"Stay close Maya, and if anything dangerous looks like it's about to happen, hide."

She nods and lowers her head. Seeing that gives me all the courage I need and we walk bravely to the reception. The lady there is human, and she checks us in with polite efficiency. We have no bags so we go straight up to the room and all the while I'm on the lookout for any sign of danger.

The space I've booked is a single room and parlor and considering the cost isn't that much, the thought strikes me that we could hide out here for a few days. If I smelled other wolves just now that means there must be a pack nearby. This could be part of their territory. If Hunter somehow succeeds in tracking us down here then there's no doubt he'll be in a rage. He's going to be confronted by the other wolves around and before he gets to us, I'd have carted off with Maya and we'd be on our way out of here.

I hear that grumble again, louder this time, and my chuckle is as sweet as the smile that lights up my face.

"Let's get some food into that belly."

Maya nods and after we brush our teeth, we head out. The receptionist tells us there's a diner not far from the hotel so we drive there.

Joe's Diner is a small yet fashionable place painted in bright colors and fitted with crystal clear glass. The moment we get seated Maya is already reading through the menu and not a minute later she drops it on the table and taps on one of the dishes.

"I want that one."

I take the menu, turning it back to me and I am not surprised.

"Eggs and bacon. You only ever eat eggs and bacon Maya, why not try something else for a change?"

That stubborn jut to her chin surfaces again and I chuckle before raising my hands in surrender.

"Okay, eggs and bacon it is."

The waiter comes and takes our orders and soon Maya has a steaming hot plate of eggs and bacon in front of her. She doesn't even look at me before she starts wolfing it down and that makes me smile.

She's a little wolf my Maya, and speaking of wolves...

"Won't you eat your food mummy?"

I am as still as a rock right now and I don't know what to do.

"Maya," The scent of male werewolves is heavy in the air and I think they know we're here "Can you drop your fork right now and stand up?"

The scent of one gets closer to me.

"Hey beautiful, can I get your name?"

The moment he speaks I know he's already at our table and when I turn, I see him. A rugged-looking male with a nasty scar down his chin but dressed in good clothes all the same. His golden brown hair lays flat on his head and even reaches his shoulders, but it doesn't diminish the danger I feel radiating off him.

"Maya get up."

"Hey, I asked a question."

"We're out of towners" I don't stumble or search for words "We're only passing through and we don't want any trouble."

He grabs me by the arm and pulls me to him, a violent light glinting in his eyes as he rasps.

"I only want to know where you're from, honey."

I yank my hand with as much force as I can and I'm surprised when it gives. I'm walking towards the door with Maya pulled close to me the next moment.

I can feel the tension in the air.  

The silence that has engulfed the diner and the promise of violence that's creeping down my back makes me shiver. I move faster and I'm almost at the door, I'm almost at my escape, but the door comes open, and in walks a man who makes my heart stop.

My footsteps halt, and soon I'm looking into eyes the color of a deep blue unlike any other.

Fuck.

He has an Alpha aura.

There’s a frown on his face but our eyes lock, and the moment it does I gulp.

Fuck.