Chapter 122: Waking Nightmare

A wave of nausea washed over Maya, threatening to empty her stomach.

Her body felt heavy, as if an unseen force was holding her down. She wanted to throw up, to purge the sickening feeling that had taken over her.

Her lips were dry and cracked, painfully fused together.

She tried to part them, to gasp for air, but the effort sent a sharp pain through her side, stealing her breath.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as pain radiated through her body.

She tried to reach for the source of the pain, but her arms wouldn’t respond, leaving her feeling helpless and vulnerable.

She forced her eyes open again, only to be met with a blinding white light that stabbed at her sensitive irises.

Fear and confusion welled up inside her. She tried to speak, to voice her distress, but all that came out was a croaking sound, barely recognizable even to herself.

Her muscles tensed as panic set in.

But before her terror could fully take hold, a gentle touch brushed against her hand, offering a small bit of warmth against her cold skin.

The sudden contrast made her flinch.

“Ma—Maya?” a familiar voice broke through the haze of pain and disorientation.

It was Olivia.

The sound of hurried footsteps followed, then a click. The room was plunged into darkness as the light switch was flipped off. She blinked, tears still streaming down her face.

Slowly, her surroundings came into focus.

Olivia was by her side, her hand gripping Maya’s wrist as she looked down at her with a worried expression.

“Are you okay? How are you feeling? Can you talk? Do you need water?” Olivia’s questions came in a rush.

~Calm down, Liv~, Maya thought, but the words remained stuck in her throat, unable to find their way out.

“Here,” Olivia said, disappearing from view for a moment. When she returned, she was holding a blue plastic cup, presumably filled with water.

Maya tried to sit up, but a flare of pain in her abdomen made her grimace. She cursed under her breath.

She hadn’t meant to show her pain so easily, but Olivia’s hand slid under the back of her head, lifting her gently as she brought the cup to Maya’s parched lips.

Frustration washed over her. She didn’t want to appear weak or helpless. But the dryness in her throat and the parched feeling in her mouth overpowered her pride.

She swallowed, the cool water soothing her dry throat as it went down. It hurt, but the relief it brought was undeniable.

She wanted to pull away, to show that she wasn’t helpless, but she couldn’t resist the comfort the water provided. She drank until the cup was empty, her movements almost desperate.

Olivia took the empty cup, letting Maya’s head sink back onto the pillow. Maya’s voice was hoarse as she whispered, “L—Liv… What t—the fuck?”

Olivia chuckled softly, pulling up a stool to sit by her side. “Julian brought you back. You were hurt. You lost a lot of blood. I thought he was going to lose his mind.”

Julian. The memories came flooding back—the sound of his voice as darkness closed in around her, the arrow piercing her, the unseen attacker who had hurt her.

“Di—did you guys find who did this?” Maya asked, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination.

Olivia shook her head, her expression serious. “I don’t think Julian looked. He was really worried about you.”

Maya turned her head to the side, her gaze sweeping across the empty room.

A bitter feeling of resentment crept into her chest as she realized that Julian had left her side, leaving only Olivia for company.

The thought stirred a dark feeling within her, a mix of anger and hurt.

She’d nursed his dumb ass back to health. Really, ~she~ was the idiot. Because when the tables were turned, he was gone…not finding who did this to her.

She knew that much from Olivia’s previous answer. So ~where was he~?

“But then, I told him he needed to help figure this out, so he went to see Willow and…”

Olivia’s lips kept moving. Maya could tell that much, but honestly, not a word she was saying was actually making it to her brain.

He was with ~Willow~. Fucking ~Willow~. She was dying in a fucking bed, and he was ~fucking out and about~ with that ~bitch~?

Was he fucking kidding her?

All right—he was a fucking dead man.

She should have left his dumb fucking ass to die in the fucking mud.

~Motherfucker~.

“HOLY COW!” Olivia’s voice echoed. “He went to Willow to uncover your mystery. To find out her secrets. So we could understand what happened to you.”

“Sure, but he hasn’t returned.”

“He would have, believe me. He and Alex had a clash. Again. I’m beginning to understand why you said two alphas don’t mix,” Olivia continued, her anxiety evident.

~Because he was preoccupied~.

“Maya, I told you, he had a fight with Alex, and I escorted him out.” She exhaled. “I promised him I’d fetch him the moment you woke up. I’m going to do that now.”

Before Olivia could rise, Maya mustered the energy to seize her wrist and halt her. “No, stay here.”

“Maya…”

“If he’s curious about my condition, he can check on me himself. ~And don’t give me that Alex nonsense~,” she cautioned. Julian was an Alpha and if he wanted to storm in here, he would.

Permission or not.

Olivia’s efforts to soothe the situation were kind but futile. Maya understood the true nature of Alphas.

They wouldn’t shy away from a challenge, particularly when they were out to prove their worth.

“If he wants to be here, he can come by himself.”

Hesitation flickered in Olivia’s eyes, a brief uncertainty, but ultimately, she nodded and sat back down, respecting Maya’s request.

“Now that we’re done discussing him,” Maya said with a touch of sarcasm, “what’s the diagnosis for me? Am I dying soon?”

“Given how cranky you are, I’d say no.”

Despite her sassy attitude, her body throbbed, and a lump formed in her throat. Her life had turned into a disaster, and discovering her mate was not the fairytale she had envisioned.

Everything had plunged into chaos since she had met Julian.

If she had known what was in store, Maya would have chosen to never find her mate. She was on the brink of giving him the boot.

She didn’t need the extra complication in her life, nor did she need him to bring such overwhelming turmoil.

He could sort out his shit and his life, and maybe then Maya would consider letting him grovel his way back into her life.

The irritation simmered within her, demanding recognition and resolution.

“Maya, it’s okay if it’s upsetting you,” Olivia suggested, sensing her friend’s distress.

“I know I’m allowed to have feelings, Liv. And right now, I’m fucking angry,” Maya snapped back, her shoulders rolling back in an attempt to lift herself from the bed.

But she failed—a reminder of her weakened state.

“Damn it. How long was I unconscious?”

“A day,” Olivia responded with a faint smile.

“Did anyone else get injured, or was it just my stupid self?”

“Just your stupid self,” Olivia joked, trying to keep the mood light.

“Well, I suppose that’s a good thing,” Maya conceded, a blend of relief and worry flooding her thoughts.

While it was lucky that no one else had been hurt, it also suggested that she had been specifically targeted. Someone or something was stalking them, and that realization fueled her anger.

“And did Willow say anything?”

Olivia shook her head, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen Julian since he left to visit her. I’ve been here.”

By her side.

Which was more than she could say about her ~no-longer-future~ mate. ~Fantastic~.

Maya couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment and abandonment. She had expected Julian to prioritize her health and be there for her.

But it seemed that Olivia had been the one offering support, while Julian was off dealing with Willow. The realization dampened her frustration.

However, Maya refused to wallow in self-pity. She could fend for herself. She had always been independent and resilient.

She didn’t need Julian to solve things for her. She would handle it herself.