Bound by Moonlight; A Night with the Alpha

10

Maya's POV:

Cheryl wasn't around when I got back home last night and I couldn't be more grateful because I was too tired to have any issues with her. It became weird when she still wasn't around the next day, but I knew she wasn't a child, so she was safe.

If I were to place a bet, I was sure she was at her cousin's place and wouldn't come until I gave her a proper apology, which wasn't going to happen.

Talking things over like an adult doesn't seem to work with Cheryl and I was ready to live with that as long as she doesn't get on my nerves like she did yesterday.

The doorbell rang just when I placed the pie on the slab and I prayed in my mind as I rushed to get it that it was my sister.

“Selene,” I said with a breath of relief that left her confused for a split second.

Selene and Cheryl have met each other a few times and to say that they didn't like each other was going to be the biggest understatement. Cheryl wasn't comfortable around my sister and my sister also felt the same way about her.

This was another reason that I was grateful that she wasn't around. I didn't even want to imagine how she was going to react and probably cry about how I had invited my own relative on purpose even though she wasn't comfortable around that person.

“Maya,” my sister said and gave me a hug before stepping in.

I watched her take off her shoe even though I had told her the first time that she was free to use her shoe in the house. I would never understand how she got that habit because we definitely didn't grow up with it.

“How's Carlos?” She asked just after she took her seat on the sofa with a sigh.

She looked really exhausted, so I decided to get her a glass of water first. I really appreciated the fact that she didn't care about how long it took to get here just to pay me a visit.

“Thanks a lot,” she said with a shy smile before gulping down the water.

“So how's life treating you?” I asked her as I settled on the couch adjacent to hers because I knew that she wouldn't find it chill if I sat too close to her.

“I have a performance tomorrow,” she said with a smile that made her eyes beam with excitement.

The joy that I felt in my heart dripped a bit, although it wasn't intentional. I guess it was because I thought she travelled all the way here to check up on me.

I tried to keep the smile on my face though, because the last thing I wanted was for the second person who cared about me to feel like I was jealous of her success.

“Am I invited?” I asked her even though I always found her concerts boring…no offence, but it wasn't just my thing.

“That's why I'm here,” Selene said, not even bothering to hide the fact that she was just looking for an audience.

I wasn't being bitter but I would really appreciate it if she didn't make it so obvious. I knew that she cared about me because that would be the only reason she helped me with my escape and I was forever going to be in her debt.

“Oh really?” I said with fake enthusiasm that made me cringe mentally.

I really wanted to enjoy this moment with her but I couldn't bring myself to do that. My sister soon helped my situation when she just simply nodded, then shyly asked for another glass of water.

“Aunt Selene,” I heard my son say from where I was, and a smile appeared on my face.

I couldn't give him the perfect family that most kids have, but I was happy that I could at least give him a relative that truly cared about him.

“Oh, so you're the representative?” Selene asked my son with a childlike expression that looked adorable on her.

I already knew what Carlos had told her because he hadn't stopped talking about it ever since he got back from school. He got picked for a little competition and everyone around him had to know about it, not that I was complaining though.

“Here,” I said as I dropped the glass of water for her, then heaved into my seat.

Carlos left Selene’s side and ran to my lap with so much force that I had to close my eyes to take the impact. Selene laughed at it, which prompted me to join in while trying to lift Carlos, who had gained weight on my lap.

“So where is the concert going to be held?” I asked her and I couldn't help but want to hit myself for bringing up the topic that had already died down.

The reason I did so was because Selene was definitely going to be too shy to start a conversation and I had nothing much to say. I knew for a fact that she had no love life just like me and discussing our parents had never occurred to us.

“Back at home,” Selene said quietly.

I froze. My hands that were deep inside Carlos' silk hair - a feature he got from his father - fell to my side as I stared at my sister. What she was saying was pretty clear to me.

She wanted me to travel to New York with her which meant I had to visit home and that would mean meeting with my mother.

“Selene…” I started but trailed off because I didn't know what to say.

I had known for a very long time that there would be a day when I would have to visit my parents, but I never expected it to be tomorrow.

The thought of meeting with my parents was suffocating as it was, so I didn't even want to imagine what it would be like when I finally saw her in person.

“You know that I can't,” I said with a tone of exasperation while secretly pleading with my eyes that she should see things from my perspective.

Selene wasn't going to force me and I knew that, but I felt like I owed her my entire life, so I didn't want to turn down her offer to visit my parents just like that.

“That man…” I started but it seemed like I couldn't find myself to complete my statement.

The look on Selene’s face made it clear that she knew who I was talking about but there was something else that was there which was hard to read.

“You mean your ex-fiancé?” She asked me bluntly which made me cringe a bit.

I knew it was crazy to still be worried about a man of six years ago but there was something behind those eyes that I didn't like. No one was going to understand that crazy obsession, since they weren't the ones faced with it.

“Is he married now?” I asked her even though I knew that my mother was crazy enough to lock me up for the second time and sell me off to him.

Was it illegal? Yes, and was my mother going to get away with it? Most definitely.

The thought of meeting him again or my mother mentioning him made my skin cra-

“He's dead,” Selene dropped the bomb like it was an average statement.

“What?”

The disbelief in my voice morphed into several emotions that I couldn't figure out because they changed every second before I couldn't name it.

“He was murdered.”