Blood Bound
B***d Bound Chapter 20

YELLOWED LEAVES CRUNCHED under Maya’s boot-clad feet as she trekked her way across the pack land, following the trail left by Xavier’s calming scent.

After they had lunch together—she blanched—the Alpha left to check on his pack warriors and their training progress. He had asked if she wanted a tour of the lands, but Maya had declined, thinking she didn’t need to know her way around. After all, she wasn’t going to be staying for very long.

Although Maya was very interested in the training of his pack warriors and how much she could learn from it, she didn’t want to go with him. She felt as if that would validate whatever it was they had and all his pack members would start calling her his—

“Alpha Female,” someone called from behind the dark sorceress, obviously talking to her because there was no other person in sight.

Maya closed her eyes for a split second and sighed. There was really no helping it.

“My name is Maya,” she corrected, turning her head to look at the approaching female.

“I’m Samorn, one of the pack Gammas,” the ebony-haired female introduced. She had a wide, friendly grin imprinted on her lips and thin bangs Maya could never pull off.

Just one glance at her beautiful sun-kissed skin and warm coffee-colored eyes made Maya feel like a white piece of paper. ‘

She’d never felt as in need of a tan as she did now, not that she’d ever tanned before.

“Are you looking for Alpha Xavier?” Samorn paused, “I can take you to him since I’m headed right that way.”

Maya meant to refuse, but decided otherwise. What was the point? They were walking in the same direction anyway.

“Sure,” Maya replied.

The two females walked side by side in complete silence.

After a minute had passed, Samorn proceeded to give Maya a slight tour of the pack lands, unable to withstand the urge to strike a conversation. ‘

In return, the dark sorceress replied here and there, keeping the conversation constant on the dark-haired woman’s behalf.

“The training grounds are up ahead.” Samorn pointed a finger to the north of them. Her curly black hair bounced with each grounded step.

As soon as Maya stepped foot into the training grounds, everyone had become hyperaware of her presence. Some looked at her curiously, assessing her, while others were just defensive and not very friendly. After their appraisal to determine her level of potency, they dismissed her and went back to what they were doing.

From what she knew, werewolves weren’t very fond of witches and their haughty behavior. Although Maya didn’t consider herself a witch, she was still a magic-user, and that probably didn’t settle well with these werewolves.

But to be honest, their opinion didn’t really matter to her. She was going to be off their pack land pretty soon, so there was no point in trying to change how they feel about her.

The dark sorceress shifted her gaze, watching a group of competent werewolves gather into semi-organic clusters and spar with one another. Be it short or tall, male or female, everyone trained with a vicious tenacity. Yet no weapons were to be seen, just bare hands and deadly claws slashing across resilient flesh. ‘

The uniform and strategic way by which they trained was a clear indicator of just how proficient their leader was.

Maya was impressed.

Very much so.

Her eyes flickered from the crowd of people to the tall male exuding the familiar scent of fresh wood and forest rain.

He stood with his back to her, half-naked from the waist up, sparing with a big bald-headed man.

The Alpha’s muscled back flexed as droplets of crystalline sweat trickled down and disappeared at the waistband of his black pants.

For a split second, Maya found her mouth drier than the Sahara Desert as her eyes devoured his broad shoulders, sinewy muscles, and strong arms.

She quickly averted her gaze and swallowed down the strange reaction, trying to suppress the sweltering heat accompanied by it. “Do you guys rigorously train like this every day?”

“Not really. Our training was strict before, but now it’s even stricter because of the coming war with the Hunters,” Samorn answered.

Hunters.

Maya had heard of them and had met them before.

She considered them to be a sort of abomination created by the human government to kill anything not human.

With genetically modified body parts, they were a lot stronger and deadlier than the average human. They were probably the only beings she knew strong enough to combat the supernaturals.

In the past, Maya had met a vicious group of Hunters who were in the middle of raiding the Wiccan Temple of Asala and preying on the white witches.

After she had seen the vile creatures and the horror and death they created, she had escaped.

From then on, Maya made sure to never cross paths with the Hunters again. They were a lot stronger and scarier than any of the witches and wizards at the Coven of Light.

“How long have they been at this?” Maya asked, hinting at the group of training werewolves whose unity she really admired.

“Since seven. That’s the usual training time for everyone.”

Maya’s nose scrunched.

She watched the handsome Alpha’s muscles bunch and release, coil and uncoil, as he blocked a deadly claw from his sparring partner.

With a deft kick from the Alpha, the bulky, bald male was sent sailing back several feet before slamming heavily on the ground. Dust shot up into the air and swirled around his fallen form like a mini-tornado.

“Anyone else?” the Cardinal Alpha called, looking over the group of muscled men and women in front of him.

Samorn nudged Maya with her shoulder. “Maybe you should give it a go.”

“Not a good idea,” Maya responded, shaking her flamboyant head of red hair.

Although the dark sorceress really wanted to test the full might of his powers on him, she didn’t have as much knowledge as he did in hand-to-hand combat. Her level of fighting was only enough to keep the white witches at bay.

Fighting with someone as skilled as him would only lead to failure. She’d already been there and done that. And she didn’t need a repeat.

Just when Maya thought no one would stand out, a lanky, auburn-haired male stepped up and said, “I’d like to volunteer our Alpha Female.”

The entire crowd of people went silent, and everyone’s eyes shot to Maya. They gauged her value again, like they had when they first saw her. But from the look on their faces, it was obvious they didn’t consider her a threat to their Alpha.

Maya’s jade-like eyes lowered, and a minuscule curve extended on her glossy lips.

Xavier turned his head in her direction. His opalescent orbs stared into her viridescent ones, sending some type of liquid heat through Maya’s tense body.

There was a relaxed smile etched on his lips, making her feel as if he were lounging on a sofa in front of a TV, not sparring with a group of lethal werewolves. ‘

It felt as if he were trying to tell her, with his eyes, that she didn’t have to accept if she didn’t want to.

Unknowingly, her shoulders relaxed.

“Actually, I would like to ‘spar’ with you, instead.” Maya’s icy green eyes glared down the lanky male whose self-importance was starting to leak out in nauseating waves.

Her request had surprised him because his earthy-green eyes had widened a fraction in response.

“It’ll be my pleasure, Alpha Female,” he grinned, walking with a cocky little swagger in his steps.

At the moment, Maya was glad she wore pants instead of a dress, it would make kicking the lanky male’s a*s a lot easier, without flashing her underwear to the entire pack.

“Of course it is,” she replied, ruby-red lips stretching into a Cheshire grin, imbued with mockery and deceit.

Maya wanted to see how fast she could make him grovel and beg at her feet; she didn’t think it would take very long.

Hopefully, this would teach him a lesson about volunteering anyone—other than himself—again.

Xavier chuckled under his breath. His golden orbs securely fastened on his little mate’s form. He’d always found Maya extremely attractive when she exerted so much confidence and darkness.

Everyone around cleared the way and created a circled around Maya and the lanky male named Wilbur.

Although they didn’t voice their opinion, she could tell they were very excited to see her fail. It was too bad she’d have to prove them wrong and make an example out of the cocky male.

Her wicked grin widened.

Maya stood stock-still with an aloof expression on her face, while Wilbur circled around her like a shark in the water. There was a smug look on his face as he evaluated her stance and dismissed her because of her shorter frame.

He’d give her ten seconds, tops, before he’d have her flat on her beautiful little a*s, Alpha Female or not.

“No using your magic now, Alpha Female. This is just a hand-to-hand spar,” he informed, thinking this would be the easiest fight ever.

What witch could fight without their magic?

None, he thought gleefully.

“I only use my magic against worthy opponents. Fighting with you…just a pinky is enough.” Maya fluttered her thick lashes and flashed him an innocent smile, showcasing a set of perfect white teeth.

His cocky expression fell for a split second and was quickly replaced by building rage. As he charged at Maya with an inconceivably fast pace, a harsh growl burst from his throat.

Ah, just as easy to rile as the white witches.

Maya remained in her spot, waiting for him to come closer.

Just when he stepped within a foot of her, she brought her arm up over her chest and swatted him away with the brunt of the side of her pinky, like a flyswatter batting down a pesky fly.

The momentum and force of her new powers at full capacity caught Wilbur off guard.

His right cheek hollowed and his head thwacked to the side in the aftermath. He was forced to stumble back several feet before he fell on his butt with a stupendous look besmeared on his face.

It almost made Maya break into laughter, but she quickly reigned in her emotions. “See, I told you I’d only need a pinky.”

After Wilbur managed to stand back up, Maya had dashed in front of him and swatted him away again. This time, the sound of his jaw dislocating sent a spike of excitement surging uncontrollably through her veins.

For the next couple of minutes, Maya toyed with the lanky male, pushing him to his limit without completely breaking him in.

It was worse than a cat batting a mouse around.

To the viewer’s eye, it was entirely pathetic and glaringly obvious the dark sorceress was way, way out of Wilbur’s league. Yet, how she had this kind of power puzzled the group of werewolves watching the entire debacle known as Wilbur.

When Wilbur landed on his back again, Maya’s booted feet dug into his throat, keeping him pinned to the ground like a flattened cockroach.

The feeling of the Southern Lord’s power traveling through her lithe body, flowing through her heated b***d, filled her with absolute glee. It made her feel like she was on top of the world, like she was the king of the jungle.

“I think everyone has learned their lesson today, don’t you?” Xavier intervened before Maya could rip Wilbur a new one.

Although he could have stopped the fight earlier, he didn’t. He had been waiting for a chance to teach Wilbur a lesson, to show the younger werewolf how being so arrogant and foolish could cost him in the long run. But Maya had done it for him, exceptionally well at that.

Why cut her fun short?

“Do you forfeit?” she asked, staring down her tall nose at the traces of b***d dripping from every crevice on Wilbur’s face.

The werewolf said something, but Maya couldn’t make it out through the annoying gurgles coming from his throat. So she lessened the pressure on his throat and let him talk again.

“I-I…fo-forfeit,” Wilbur croaked, painfully swallowing mouthfuls of metallic b***d.

It was a pity he didn’t beg, she said to herself. That would have been a much more delightful victory.

Maya removed her foot and stepped back, sweeping her eyes across the crowd of stunned werewolves.