Chapter 2 THE PACK'S PREPARATION

Maya woke to the sound of footsteps.

She opened her eyes slowly and stayed still for a moment, listening. People were moving quickly outside her room. Doors opened and slammed shut, someone shouted from down the hallway, and another voice answered almost immediately.

Maya frowned.

This was unusual.

The pack house was normally quiet at this hour.

She sat up and quickly fixed her hair before leaving the small room. The moment she stepped into the hallway, someone rushed past her carrying a large basket.

"Sorry," the girl muttered without stopping.

Maya blinked.

Another servant hurried past.

Then another.

Everyone seemed to be in a hurry.

Maya looked around, confused. "What is going on?"

Nobody answered.

She walked toward the kitchen, and the noise became louder as she got closer. Servants carried trays back and forth while the cooks prepared more food than usual. Someone was hanging fresh curtains, and another servant was arranging decorations around the doorway.

Maya stood near the entrance, watching the chaos.

She noticed one of the girls she worked with carrying a pile of folded clothes.

"Lena."

The girl stopped and turned around. "What?"

Maya pointed around them. "What's happening?"

Lena looked at her as if the answer should have been obvious.

"You don't know?"

Maya shook her head. "No one told me anything."

Lena glanced around before lowering her voice.

"The Alpha is coming back."

Maya stared at her. "The Alpha?"

"Alpha Adrian."

Maya frowned. "When?"

"Today."

"Today?"

Lena nodded quickly. "They said he'll be here before noon."

Maya looked around the kitchen again. Suddenly, everything made sense-the extra food, the decorations, the rushing servants, and the warriors preparing outside.

"So that's why everyone is acting like this?"

Lena laughed softly. "Of course. The Alpha has been away for weeks."

Maya had heard his name before, but she had never expected his return to cause so much excitement.

"Have you seen him before?" Maya asked.

Lena's eyes widened. "Of course."

"What is he like?"

Lena lowered her voice dramatically. "Powerful."

Maya smiled slightly. "That doesn't tell me anything."

"He's strict. Very strict. And everyone says he's difficult to impress."

Maya glanced around the busy kitchen. "Then why is everyone so excited?"

Lena shrugged. "Because he's our Alpha."

Before Maya could say anything else, a voice came from the kitchen.

"Lena! Maya! Stop talking and get to work!"

Both girls immediately straightened.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Lena quickly grabbed Maya's arm. "Come on."

The two girls returned to work.

---

The next few hours passed quickly.

Maya helped carry food, clean tables, arrange dishes, and prepare the large courtyard. Everywhere she looked, people were preparing for Adrian's arrival.

She had never seen the pack house this busy.

Even the warriors looked different. They stood straighter, checked their uniforms repeatedly, and made sure everything around them was in perfect order. Some of the young women had clearly taken extra time with their appearance, fixing their hair and clothes whenever they passed a mirror.

Maya couldn't help noticing.

"Why are they all dressed like that?" she asked Lena.

Lena smiled. "Some of them are hoping the Alpha notices them."

Maya looked confused. "Why?"

Lena stared at her.

"You really don't know anything, do you?"

Maya shook her head.

Lena laughed softly. "Forget it."

Maya returned to work. She wasn't interested in being noticed by anyone, especially not the Alpha. She had spent sixteen years learning how to stay invisible.

She wasn't about to change that now.

"Maya!"

She turned at the sound of her name.

Selena was walking toward her.

"Come here."

Maya approached her. "Yes?"

Selena looked her up and down. "Why are you standing around?"

"I was helping with the decorations."

"Then help faster."

Maya nodded.

Selena handed her a stack of cloth. "Take these inside."

Maya accepted them.

"And after that, clean the main hallway."

"Yes."

Selena started walking away, but then she stopped.

"Oh, and stay away from the courtyard when the Alpha arrives."

Maya looked at her. "I wasn't planning to go there."

"Good."

Selena's expression softened into a satisfied smile.

"People like you shouldn't be getting in the way."

Maya's fingers tightened around the cloth.

She said nothing.

Selena walked away.

Maya watched her disappear before turning back toward the hallway. She had been treated like a slave since she was seven. Orders were nothing new.

Neither was being reminded of her place.

She simply kept working.

But as she passed the windows, something caught her attention.

The warriors had gathered near the main gate.

More people were arriving.

Everyone was waiting.

Maya slowed down and looked toward the road. She still couldn't see anything, but the entire pack seemed to be holding its breath.

Lena came rushing past her.

"Maya!"

Maya turned. "What?"

"He's almost here!"

Maya's eyes widened. "So soon?"

Lena nodded excitedly. "The Alpha is coming."

Maya looked toward the gate again.

She had spent the morning thinking of Adrian as nothing more than a name. Now, for the first time, she wondered what would happen when she finally saw him.

She quickly shook the thought away.

It didn't matter.

She was a servant.

He was the Alpha.

Their paths would never cross.

Or at least...

Maya believed they wouldn't.