The Startup Queen

The First Encounter

Maya could barely recall the drive home. Her hands stayed locked around the steering wheel, while her thoughts had drifted somewhere far away. The voice remained in her mind. Run, little queen. She had tried to explain it away. Stress. Fatigue. Too much coffee. Honestly, anything seemed easier to accept than the idea that she was hearing a voice that wasn't hers. She parked outside her apartment but sat in the car for several minutes. The night felt strangely still. Maya stared through the windshield.

Nothing moved. Even so, she couldn't get rid of the feeling that someone was watching her. At last, she got out. As soon as her feet touched the pavement, a sound came from the alley beside the building—a faint scrape. Maya stopped cold. "Who's there?" There was no reply. She peered into the darkness. For a moment, a pair of eyes showed between two parked cars. Her heart lurched. She stepped back, and the eyes vanished. Then footsteps sounded. Quick ones. Coming closer.

Maya spun around and ran for the building entrance. She reached the door, punched in her security code, and hurried inside. The door shut behind her.

She leaned against it, breathing hard. Her heart hammered as she waited. Nothing happened. Slowly, Maya let out her breath. "This is ridiculous."

Instead of using the elevator, she started up the stairs. For some reason, she couldn't stand the idea of being shut inside another cramped space. Once she reached her apartment, she locked the door behind her. Then she checked the lock twice. Her phone rang, and she almost screamed. Elena. Maya answered. "Hello?" "Are you home?" "Yes." "Lock your doors." "I already did." "All of them." Maya frowned. "Elena, what's going on?"

"I need you to listen to me." The gravity in Elena's voice made Maya sit down. "Okay." "Do you remember anything about your parents?" Maya glanced toward the window. "Not much." "Your mother?" "I remember her hair." "And your father?" Maya shut her eyes. "A voice." "What did he say?" She reached for the memory. A strange warmth spread through her chest. "He told me I was special." Elena went quiet. "Why are you asking me this?" "I think it's time you knew the truth." Maya's stomach clenched. "What truth?"

Before Elena could respond, Maya heard something outside. A low growl. She turned toward the window. "Elena?" "What's wrong?" "I heard something." "What?" Maya moved toward the curtains. "I don't know." "Don't open the window." Maya stopped. "Why?" "Just don't." The growl came again, closer this time. Maya's pulse quickened. Slowly, she backed away from the window. Then something crashed into the glass. Maya screamed. A dark shape shifted outside. She staggered backward. The window cracked. Another impact followed. The glass burst apart.

A0

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Maya threw up her arms, shielding her face. A huge black wolf dropped into the apartment. She could only stare. It was massive, with fur so dark it seemed to swallow the light. Its eyes glowed an unnatural gold. Maya froze.

The wolf rumbled a warning. She edged backward. "Stay away from me."

It took one step toward her. Maya snatched the lamp from the table. "Don't."

The wolf halted. There was something in its gaze that terrified her. Not because it resembled a normal wild animal. Because it seemed aware. Almost human.

Her phone slipped from her fingers. Elena's voice came faintly from the floor. "Maya?"

Maya couldn't respond. The wolf abruptly faced the window. Its ears perked, and it growled. A new noise rose from outside.

Several voices. Footsteps sounded somewhere below. The wolf glanced at Maya, then positioned itself between her and the shattered window.

It was protecting her.

Maya's confusion only grew. "What are you?"

The wolf held her gaze. Then, impossibly, it answered. Not aloud. The words formed inside her mind.

Mate.

Maya's eyes widened. The word reverberated through her thoughts. She let the lamp fall. "What?"

The wolf came closer.

Mate.

Maya shook her head. "No."

Without warning, the wolf began to change. Bones shifted. Fur vanished. The creature reshaped itself into a man.

Maya stared in horror.

Adrian Blackwood stood in front of her. He stood shirtless, chest heaving, his dark hair hanging over his forehead. Maya's mouth fell open. "No." Adrian met her gaze. "Maya." She retreated a step. "How did you get here?" "I came to protect you." "You were the wolf?" He nodded. Maya stared at him. "You're insane." "I'm a werewolf." A nervous laugh escaped her. "No." Adrian's expression didn't change. "I am." "No." "Maya..." "No!"

She spun toward the door, but Adrian blocked her path. Maya backed away at once. "Don't come near me." He stopped. "I won't hurt you." "Then tell me what just happened." Adrian drew in a slow breath. "There are things about you that you don't know." Maya narrowed her eyes. "What things?" Before he could explain, the front door burst inward. Three figures charged into the apartment. Adrian reacted instantly. His body shifted, and Maya watched in horror as the wolf emerged again. The attackers were wolves, too. They slammed into Adrian.

Chaos tore through the apartment. Furniture splintered, and glass shattered. Maya screamed and pressed herself against the wall. One wolf turned toward her. Its eyes burned red. It sprang. Maya threw up her hands without thinking. Something erupted inside her. A wave of force sent the wolf flying across the room, where it struck the wall. Then everything went quiet. Maya looked down at her hands. Adrian stared at her. The other wolves ran. Adrian changed back.

He looked at Maya, and she saw something on his face she had never seen before. Fear. Not fear of her—fear for her. "You did that," he whispered.

Maya shook her head. "I don’t know what happened."

Adrian moved toward her slowly. "Maya, listen to me."

She met his eyes. "What am I?"

He paused. "You’re a werewolf."

Maya swallowed hard. "No."

"You are."

"I can’t be."

"You are."

"Then why didn’t I know?"

"Because your power was sealed."

Her breaths turned thin and quick. "Who sealed it?"

"Your parents."

She stared at him. "Why?"

Adrian glanced toward the shattered window. "They were trying to keep you hidden."

"From who?"

He turned back to her. "From people who have hunted you since you were a child."

Tears gathered in Maya’s eyes. "What does any of this have to do with you?"

His expression softened. "Everything."

"Why?"

He stepped closer. Maya stayed where she was.

Adrian lowered his voice. "When I saw you today, my wolf recognized you."

Maya remembered the odd feeling that had passed between them when they shook hands—the warmth, the steady beat beneath his skin.

The pull between them suddenly made sense. So did the change in his eyes.

"What did your wolf recognize?"

Adrian held her gaze. "My mate."

Maya stared at him. The word seemed impossible. Still, something inside her answered. Warmth unfurled through her chest.

Then the voice came back. The ancient voice.

He is yours. Maya shut her eyes. "No." Adrian's brow furrowed. "What?" She opened them again. "I’m not yours." A faint smile touched Adrian's face for the first time. "I know." "Then don’t call me that. Ever." "I won’t." Maya studied him, wary.

"Good." Adrian glanced at the wrecked apartment. "You need to come with me." "No." "This place isn’t safe." "I don’t care." "You should." Maya folded her arms. "You can’t storm into my home as a massive wolf, ruin my evening, and then start ordering me around." Adrian nearly smiled. "You’re right." "I know." "You’re still coming." Maya shot him a hard look. "Make me." For a moment, gold flickered in Adrian's eyes. Heat flared behind Maya's own. She hurried to the bathroom mirror. Her reflection stared back at her.

For one terrifying moment, her brown eyes turned silver—bright, almost glowing. In the reflection behind her, Adrian stood watching. His eyes shone gold. Maya spun around, and there he was, staring straight at her. Neither of them said a word. Somehow, something ancient had stirred between them, something neither could control. Far beyond the city, another wolf raised its head beneath the moon. A woman’s voice drifted through the darkness. "She’s awake." Then she smiled. "Find the queen."