Bonds

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

-Maya’s POV-

The familiar scent of stale beef and leather greeted me as I pushed open the door of The Rusty Compass. My eyes scanned the bar, immediately landing on Riley. She was hunched over, concentrating on pouring a drink, her hair cascading down her back like a fiery waterfall.

As she straightened, our eyes met. A jolt passed through her, and she flinched, taking a step back. “Hi,” I greeted, my voice softer than usual.

Her response was a shaky, “Hey.” Even from a distance, I could see the dark circles under her eyes, a stark contrast to the vibrancy I remembered.

Concern tugged at me. “Ar

me. “Are you okay? Can you

take a break so we can talk in the back?”

She hesitated, her gaze flickering around the room, before nodding slowly. She excused herself to a nearby coworker, who readily agreed to cover her duties.

As soon as the swinging door closed behind us, shutting out the bar’s low murmur, I blurted out, “You look exhausted. Haven’t been sleeping?”

She sighed, rubbing the circles beneath her eyes. “Yeah, not really. These past two days… I don’t even know who to trust anymore. I mean, anyone could be like you, right? And all it takes is one bad mood for them to rip me to shreds.

”

“Riley, interjected gently, placing a hand on her arm to stop her from spiraling. “Werewolves aren’t bad people. And I’m so sorry I’m putting you through this but no one is going to hurt you.”

Her eyes, wide and searching, locked onto mine. “How do you even ex st?” she whisper yelled, “Were you bitten by one? Do you, like, transform every full

moont

I chuckled, the sound offering a welcome break from the tension, “No, not at all, I was born this way. Being a werewolf is part of me, it’s in my blood. And actually, werewolves can shift wheneverthey want, not just at full moons.”

A shadow crossed my face. “Although, I haven’t let my wolf out much lately.”

replacing some of the fear in her

I admitted, sinking deeper into the worn leather

“So, this wolf… is it

my head. “Not exactly. It’s more like… a primal part of me. Think of it as strong emotions and instincts;

she breathed, her voice tinged with a mix of awe and apprehension. “So, when you, uh, shifted a bit

“But I can usually feel it coming on, a sort of simmering beneath the surface. That night with the bikers, though… everything happened so fast. My wolf

you did

“You fought them off and then… she hesitated, her

faint blush crept up my cheeks. Her keen observation hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Yeah, about that. Werewolves have heightened senses, and our eyes change when we shift or when our wolf is close to the

control how much of the wolf you let out?” Her brow furrowed in

20 Jun

Chapter 23

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replied cautiously. “There’s constant training involved, learning to manage the wolf’s urges and channel its

have, like, a secret werewolf gym

of werewolves, and they have ways to train and

forward in her chair. “So, there are other werewolves

“But the werewolf world is a complex one, with its own set of rules and secrets. Which is why it’s important that you keep

how can I just forget something like that? And what about the whole monster thing? Don’t

mock surrender. “Hold on a second.

people. We have a…

with humans, but violence is a last resort. Mostly, we just

head. “This is all so much to take

trust me, I wouldn’t have told you

a faint pink, “Stronger than a

chuckled. “But you have a good heart. And

touched her lips, “Alright,

bar and now it sounds really dumb after you just poured one for someone else, but I just

into a small laugh. “Sounds good. Just promise me you won’t turn into a giant wolf and devour the entire bottle in one

the sound echoing warmly in the dimly lit backroom. “No promises,” I countered playfully, “but I’ll try my best to

“Hey, Sarah! Can I take a ten–minute break? I just need to

brown hair popped her head out from behind the bar. “Sure thing. Take all the time you need. I can handle things here

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