Chapter 3 James

Maya’s POV… I studied him from the corner of my eye. There was no arrogance in his stance, no false charm like some of the other suitors who had approached me that night. He was different—calm, composed, but undeniably powerful. And yet, there was something else beneath his composed exterior, something restrained, as though he carried a secret burden of his own. “You’re quiet,” James remarked after a moment, his voice deep but smooth. I turned to face him fully, meeting his sharp, calculating gaze. “I have nothing to say.” James lifted a brow, amusement flickering across his face. “Most would at least pretend to be interested in flattery.” “I have no use for flattery,” I said plainly. “If you’re here to impress me, Alpha James, you’re wasting your time.” His lips curved slightly. “I’m not here to impress you, Lady Maya. I’m here to offer you something real.” I tilted my head, studying him. “And what exactly is that?” James hesitated for a fraction of a second before he spoke. “A union. A partnership.” I scoffed lightly. “That’s what all the men here are offering.” “No,” James corrected, his expression serious. “What they offer is a claim, a chance to bind you to them for status, power, or ambition. What I offer is something different.” He took a step closer, lowering his voice. “I know you don’t want to be here. I know you still ache for revenge. And I know this arrangement was never your choice.” I tensed. He saw too much. James continued, his voice steady. “I won’t insult you by pretending to be your fated mate. I won’t feed you lies about love at first sight. But I can offer you something stronger—an alliance built on trust, respect, and a shared purpose. Together, we can protect what remains of your family. Together, we can ensure justice is served.” My breath hitched. I had expected empty words, but what he was offering was something else entirely. “You would tie yourself to me for that?” I asked, watching him carefully. James exhaled, his expression unreadable. “Yes.” I searched his face, looking for any trace of deception. “What of your fated mate? Do you not have one?” A shadow passed over his features, something deeply buried beneath his carefully controlled demeanor. “I do,” he admitted. “Or rather, I did.” I stilled, my wolf stirring within me. “You did?” Irepeated. James’s gaze was unreadable. “I have a fated mate, Maya. But I will not claim her.” The words shocked me more than I expected. Wolveswere taught from birth that a fated mate was the greatest gift the Moon Goddess could bestow. Rejecting one’s mate was almost unheard of—painful, even deadly in some cases. “You would reject her?” I whispered. James’s jaw tightened. “For you,” he said simply. “For us.” I swallowed, feeling an unfamiliar weight settle over me. “Why?” I asked. “Why would you do something so... irreversible?” James studied me, as if considering his answer carefully. “Because I am not a man ruled by fate. I make my own choices. And I choose you.” I didn’t know what to say. I had spent so long consumed by my own grief, by the need for vengeance, that I had never considered what a future beyond that might look like. And yet here stood a man willing to give up something sacred, all to stand beside me. I should have been suspicious. I should have questioned his motives. But instead, I found myself believing him. And for the first time since the night my family was taken from me, I felt something shift within me—a new path unfolding before me, uncertain but undeniable. James had chosen me. Now, the only question was whether I would choose him in return. “Earth to Maya, Hello!” James waved a hand in front of me. I’d been too deep in my thoughts. I didn’t even notice he was still standing there. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I still find it hard to understand why you would give up your fated mate for me. Your fated mate is supposed to be—” James cut me off. “She may be chosen for me by the Moon Goddess, but that does not mean she is right for me.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I have spent years preparing to be the Alpha my pack needs. My mate…” His voice faltered slightly. “She has her own path, one that does not align with mine.” I narrowed my eyes. “And you think I do?” James studied me intently, as if he were seeing something deeper within me. “I think we are both wolves without a place to rest. We both have lost something that cannot be replaced. But together, we could build something strong. Something real.” I looked away, staring at the flickering torches lining the grand hall. I had never once considered the idea of a mate—not truly. I had been raised to put duty above all else, to fight, to lead, to protect. Love had always seemed like a distant dream, something I could never afford to want. And now, here was James, offering me something that was not built on love or fate, but on choice. A choice I wasn’t sure I was ready to make. “I don’t know if I can do this,” I admitted. James didn’t react with frustration or impatience. Instead, he simply said, “Then don’t decide now. Let me prove my worth to you.” I turned back to him, caught off guard. “Prove?” A small, almost knowing smile tugged at his lips. “You are not a woman who trusts easily. And I am not a man who makes promises lightly. So I will give you time, Maya. Time to see if I am worthy of being your mate.” Something about his words struck me in a way I didn’t expect. Most men would have tried to claim me, to assert dominance, to remind me that I was the one being courted. But James… he was offering me power. The power to choose. I let out a slow breath. “And if, after all of that, I decide I do not want this?” James held my gaze steadily. “Then I will walk away. No questions, no obligations. But until then… I will stand by your side.” I swallowed, feeling something stir deep inside me—something I didn’t quite recognize. For the first time since my family’s death, I wasn’t facing the future alone. Perhaps… just perhaps… this was the beginning of something neither of us had expected.