The Beast's Desire

Chapter 9: Drawing Boundaries

Maya’s fingers curled tightly around the ceramic mug of rooibos tea, her breath slow and measured as she stared out the kitchen window of her Windhaven home. The early morning sun painted soft golden hues across the rooftops, but she didn’t feel calm. Not after the way Zion had shown up, again, hovering like a spectre from her past, demanding something he no longer had a right to.

She exhaled slowly and sipped her tea, already dressed for work in a slate grey blouse and high-waisted jeans. Amina was still asleep, her soft breathing a gentle rhythm in the background of the quiet house. Maya had learned to protect her daughter’s peace with the ferocity of a lioness. No one was going to disrupt that, especially Zion.

Her phone buzzed. A text from Nia.

“Need me to drive you today? You seemed tense yesterday. Want to talk?”

Maya typed a quick reply.

“I’ll be okay. Just need to take care of something first.”

An hour later, she stood outside a quiet coffee shop on the edge of downtown Windhaven. Zion had insisted on meeting, his tone sharp and possessive in the voice message he left last night. She knew why. He’d seen her with Kael.

Her jaw tightened as she walked in. Zion sat at a table near the back; arms spread out on either side as if he owned the place. His dark eyes flicked up, and that smug smile curled his lips.

“Maya,” he said smoothly, gesturing for her to sit.

She did, but only because she needed to say her piece and be done with this. “Let’s make this quick, Zion.”

Zion’s gaze lingered on her face, then drifted lower, his tone falsely casual. “So, you’ve moved on, huh? Rich guy with a fancy car. He your new baby daddy?”

Maya’s nostrils flared. “Don’t you dare speak about Amina like that. She has one father, and he walked out when she was four months old.”

Zion leaned back, face twitching. “I had my reasons.”

“You always have reasons. None of them good enough.” Her voice cut through the air like a blade. “You left. Not just me, her. She cried for weeks. I held her every night while you were out pretending you didn’t have responsibilities.”

He scoffed, “Don’t act like you didn’t make it hard. Always pushing, nagging, trying to trap me…”

Maya’s fist clenched beneath the table. “You signed your rights away, Zion. Voluntarily. Because you didn’t want to be tied down. You didn’t want the legal obligation to care for your child. Don’t pretend now like you suddenly care.”

A tense silence fell between them. Zion’s eyes narrowed, and when he spoke again, his voice dropped a note. “You think that man knows you like I do? You think he’ll stay once he finds out what a burden you come with?”

Maya rose from her seat. “Don’t you dare follow me. Don’t stalk me, don’t call me unless it’s about Amina and even then, you signed away your rights, so technically, you don’t get to ask anything.”

Zion stood too, his voice sharper now. “So that’s it? You think just because I left, it’s over? That I don’t get to come back? You’re mine, Maya. You always were.”

She turned slowly, her eyes hard. “Pissing on me like I’m some object doesn’t make me yours. That privilege ended the day you walked out and left me broken, holding our infant daughter in the middle of winter with no money and no support.”

Zion’s jaw clenched, but she didn’t give him a chance to speak again. She walked out, head held high, anger and pain twisting in her gut. She needed air.

Kael Storm parked his black SUV across the street, his eyes scanning the sidewalk. He hadn’t meant to stumble upon them—he’d been in the area for a brief site check—but the sight of Maya across from Zion, clearly tense, had frozen him in place.

She hadn’t seen him. Her shoulders were stiff, arms folded, mouth drawn into a line that screamed discomfort. Kael’s wolf stirred, restless and alert.

“Who the hell is he?” Kael muttered to himself. He watched as she stood and spoke with force, her body language rigid and controlled. Zion, on the other hand, was leaning in, posturing, asserting.

Kael’s fists curled around the steering wheel. His instincts screamed at him to interfere, to shield her from whatever threat the other man posed. But he held back. Maya was strong. And whatever this was, it was hers to handle, unless she asked for help.

Still, the possessive edge in Zion’s stance stirred Kael’s fury. No man had the right to make her feel like that. Not now. Not ever.

When Maya stormed out and crossed the street toward her car, Kael considered calling out to her, but something in her face warned him off. Her eyes shimmered—not with tears, but with raw, cold fury. He didn’t want to be another man trying to claim space when what she needed was room to breathe.

Back at home, Maya closed the front door and leaned against it, finally allowing the tears to fall.

She was so tired; tired of Zion’s games, tired of the past clawing its way back every time she dared to dream of a better future. Tired of being strong every single day.

A soft voice called from the hallway.

“Mama?”

Maya turned, wiping her cheeks quickly as Amina padded into the room, rubbing her eyes, hair messy from sleep.

“Hi, baby,” she whispered, kneeling down as Amina ran into her arms.

“I had a dream that we were flying,” Amina said sleepily.

Maya smiled, hugging her tightly. “Maybe one day, we will.”

Later that evening, her phone buzzed. Kael.

“I was in the area earlier. I saw you with someone… Are you okay?”

Maya stared at the screen for a long time before replying.

“It was Amina’s father. No need to worry. I handled it.”

A few seconds passed.

“I don’t doubt you did. Just know… if you ever need backup, I’m here.”

Her lips quirked upward in a tired smile.

“Thank you, Kael. That means more than you know.”

She stared out the window, Amina now watching cartoons in the living room. The storm of her past had knocked again, but this time, she hadn’t let it in. She had her daughter, her future, and maybe, just maybe, she had a chance at something new with Kael.

But first, she had to sever the last lingering threads Zion kept trying to weave back into her life. Tomorrow, she would speak with her lawyer. Zion needed a permanent boundary.

No more warnings. No more second chances.

Just peace for her, and for Amina.

And maybe even love.

*********************

Kael sat behind his desk at the penthouse suite of the Windhaven Grand, the city skyline glittering behind him like a thousand scattered stars. Despite the success of the business negotiations that had finally turned in his favor, his mind wasn’t on contracts or future investments. It was on Maya.

His wolf stirred restlessly under his skin, still basking in the memory of her scent, the warmth of her smile, and the fierce strength she displayed even under pressure. The confrontation with Zion Nare earlier had left Kael with a bitter taste in his mouth. He hadn’t intended to overhear, but once he had, there was no unhearing the venom Zion had spewed or the pain that flickered in Maya’s eyes.

She deserved peace. She deserved freedom. And part of Kael burned with the need to give her that.

His phone buzzed. Amari.

“Speak.”

"Sir, Maya just left the community center. Nia confirmed she’s heading home. Do you want us to trail her discreetly for safety?”

Kael hesitated. His instincts said yes, but he also respected Maya’s autonomy. “No. Not tonight. But keep a pulse on Zion. If he so much as breathes the wrong way, I want to know.”

“Understood.”

He ended the call and leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. He needed a plan. Not just for Maya’s protection but for her integration into his world. Because whether she knew it or not, her life had already changed. And Kael Storm had no intention of letting her go.

Meanwhile, Maya sat curled on her couch with a mug of rooibos tea, Amina fast asleep in her bedroom. The night was still, the kind of quiet that made your thoughts louder. She stared at the television, not seeing what was on. Her mind replayed every word she’d hurled at Zion in their confrontation. Part of her trembled from the sheer emotional exertion, but another part of her felt empowered.

For years, she had carried the weight of his abandonment, never allowing herself to fully speak of it, let alone confront him. But today, she had set boundaries. Today, she had stood her ground. And Kael… Kael had witnessed it all.

She should have felt embarrassed. But instead, his presence had anchored her, not judged her. His quiet support, his steady gaze from across the room; it had meant more than he could know.

Her phone pinged.

Kael: “Are you okay?”

Maya smiled faintly and typed back.

Maya: “I think so. Still decompressing.”

Kael: “I’m here if you need to talk. Or if you want to be distracted.”

She hesitated.

Maya: “A distraction might be good.”

His reply was instant.

Kael: “I’ll pick you up in 30. No pressure. Just a drive.”

Thirty-five minutes later, Maya found herself stepping into Kael’s black SUV. He looked devastatingly handsome in a navy shirt and dark jeans, his sleeves rolled up and the top buttons undone. He didn’t say anything as she settled into the seat, just handed her a takeaway cup with a warm smile.

"Chamomile and vanilla," he said. "Your usual, according to my very reliable sources."

She chuckled softly. "I’m going to assume that source is Nia."

"Guilty."

They drove through Windhaven, the streets quieter now, the night deepening into a velvet calm. Kael didn’t head for the restaurants or cafes. Instead, he took her up the winding hills that led to the northern cliffs of the city, a hidden overlook that most tourists never saw.

The view took her breath away. The city lights glittered beneath them, and the sea sparkled in the distance under the moonlight.

"Wow," Maya breathed.

Kael glanced at her; his face half-shadowed. "When I need to think, this is where I come. It’s peaceful."

They stepped out of the car and leaned against the hood, sipping their drinks in companionable silence. Maya’s shoulders slowly relaxed.

"You didn’t have to do this," she said eventually. "But I’m glad you did."

He looked at her. "I wanted to. You’ve been carrying too much on your own."

She turned to face him. "Kael... why are you doing this? With me, I mean. You’re successful, powerful, you could be with anyone."

Kael’s jaw flexed. He stepped closer, his voice low. "Because I’ve never felt this drawn to anyone before. And I don’t just mean attraction, Maya. It’s more than that. Something ancient and instinctive in me recognizes you."

Maya blinked, startled by the rawness in his voice.

He sighed, then ran a hand through his hair. "There’s so much about me you don’t know yet. Things I want to tell you, but I need to know you’re ready. That you trust me enough to listen."

She searched his face. "Is this about Zion?"

"Partly. He’s a complication, yes. But he’s not the reason I’m holding back. It’s… deeper. It’s about who I am."

Maya was quiet for a long moment. Then, "Kael, I don’t know what this thing is between us. But I do feel it. I’m not imagining it."

He looked at her, and the air shifted.

"You’re not imagining it," he said, his voice rough. "I promise you, Maya, when the time is right, I’ll show you everything."

They stood there under the stars, something unspoken passing between them.

Kael didn’t kiss her. Not yet. But he reached out and took her hand in his, their fingers locking effortlessly.

It was a beginning.

Back in the city, Zion Nare watched from a distance, his jaw tight, his eyes narrowed.

He hadn’t expected Maya to push back. Hadn’t expected her to find someone like Kael Storm.

But this wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.