Bonds

Chapter 23 -Maya's POV- The familiar scent of stale beef and leather greetedas 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," | 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 ripto 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 welcbreak 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." "Why not?" she pressed, curiosity replacing sof the fear in her gaze.

"It's a long story," I admitted, sinking deeper into the worn leather barstool across from her. "One I don't like to talk about." She studiedintently. "So, this wolf... is it like a separate being inside you?" I shook my head. “Not exactly. It's more like... a primal part of me. Think of it as strong emotions and instincts; raw and untamed. It's the fight or flight response turned up to eleven." "Wow," she breathed, her voice tinged with a mix of awe and apprehension. "So, when you, uh, shifted a bit the other night, that was your wolf taking over?" "Yes," I confirmed. “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 sensed danger and reacted before I could fully control it." "But you did control it," pointed out. "You fought them off and then... she hesitated, her voice dropping to a whisper, "your eyes changed back." A 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 surface." "So, you can control how much of the wolf you let out?" Her brow furrowed in concentration.

12:02 Thu, 20 Jun M Chapter 23 83% "To a certain extent,” I replied cautiously. "There's constant training involved, learning to manage the wolf's urges and channel its strength without succumbing to its magn. It's a delicate balance" "Training?" Her eyes widened. "Do you have, like, a secret werewolf gym or something?" A small smile tugged at my lips. "Not exactly. There are packs, communities of werewolves, and they have ways to train and control their woll natures. It's more of a... mentorship thing." "Mentorship?" She repeated, leaning forward in her chair. "So, there are other werewolves out there?" "More than you think," I admitted, a hint of unease creeping into my voice. "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 what you saw the other night to yourself." Her face fell. "But... how can I just forget something like that? And what about the whole monster thing? Don't werewolves eat people?" She looked genuinely terrified at the thought.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Theld up my hands in mock surrender. "Hold on a second. Werewolves aren't monsters out to eat at people. We have a... complicated relationship with humans, but violence is a last resort. Mostly, we just try to live our lives in secret."" "Secret lives," She muttered, shaking her head. "This is all so much to take in." "I know," I offered her a sympathetic smile. "It's a lot to process. But trust me, I wouldn't have told you any of this if I didn't think I could trust you. You soom... different. Stronger than you let on.” Her cheeks flushed a faint pink, "Stronger than a werewolf?" "Not exactly," I chuckled. "But you have a good heart. And that's something I value more than anything." She stared atfor a long moment, her gaze searching. Then, a small, hesitant smile touched her lips, "Alright, Mays. I'll try my best to keep your secret. But you have to promise to answer all my questions, eventually." "Deal," I agreed readily. "But first, can I buy you a drink? I know you work at a bar and now it sounds really dumb after you just poured one for someone else, but I just got a job and my best friend is coming and you can join us if you want to celebrate with me, I'm kind of rambling, aren't I?" Her smile widened, morphing into a small laugh. "Sounds good. Just promiseyou won't turn into a giant wolf and devour the entire bottle in one gulp," she teased.

I let out a hearty laugh, the sound echoing warmly in the dimly lit backroom. "No promises," I countered playfully, "but I'll try my best to restrain myself." Turning towards the swinging door, she called out, "Hey, Sarah! Can I take a ten-minute break? I just need to chat with a friend for a second." A young woman with brown hair popped her head out from behind the bar. "Sure thing. Take all the tyou need. I can handle things here for a bit." She smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Sarah. I really appreciate it." Together, we made our way towards a free table in the corner, the familiar creak of the floorboards a comforting soundtrack to our conversation.

Just then, the bar door swung open with a flourish, announcing Natalia's arrival in a gust of wind and laughter. Her hair, styled in a series of outrageous curls, bounced with every step, and her vibrant energy filled the room like a contagious disease. She spottedinstantly and made a beeline towards our table. "I am literally two minutes late," she announced tically, throwing her arms wide in a mock huff. “And you already replacedwith someone new? I thought you loved me, Maya!"

I rolled my eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "Natalia, please. Just... have a seat. Ldon't have the strength for your theatrics today." Gesturing towards the empty chair, I introduced her. "This is Riley. And, well, kind of sawshift the other night and now she knows werewolves exist, 12:02 Thu, 20 Jun M Chapter 23 and it's kind of screwed up her life, so now we're all having a drink because the world is messed up, and Riley, this is Natalia, my chaotic best friend." Natalia's jaw dropped for a moment before a slow smile spread across her face. "You've always had a flare for interesting introductions," She took a seat across from Riley, her gaze curious. "So, you saw Maya... transform, huh?" Riley fidgeted in her seat, a nervous energy radiating from her. "Yeah," she admitted softly. "It was... a lot to take in. Are you uhm... Like her?"

A Natalia glanced around, her gaze sweeping over the tables before settling back on Riley. She checked for any lingering stakes, a habit that had becingrained after years of keeping our secret. Then, almost imperceptibly, her eyes shifted, the irises momentarily turning a startling black before returning to their usual warm brown. Riley's eyes widened as she witnessed the fleeting change. She scooted back slightly in her chair, her voice trembling a little. "Okay, okay, I got it. One of them." A chuckle escaped me, but it died down quickly. "Knock it off," I said playfully, nudging her arm. "We're trying not to scare her here- My words were cut short by a sudden shift within myself. A low growl rumbled deep in my chest as my wolf paced, suddenly agitated. My head snapped up instinctively, drawn towards the source of the agitation. Following my wolf, I let out a low growl of my own, a sound that resonated with a raw, primal threat Natalia, taken aback by my sudden reaction, looked atwith concern etched on her face. "What is it?” Before I could answer, our eyes met, and her lips curved up in the most annoying way, "Miranda's here." X