The Rejected daughter chosen by the Alpha (Maya and Atila) novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37

MAYA

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“I’ll take Mr. Volkov’s meal to the training grounds,” I said, adjusting the cloth bundle more securely in my arms.

Miss Langford stopped what she was doing at once. She had been arranging jars and folded cloths along the long table in the main room, lining them up with near-obsessive precision. One jar sat slightly crooked; she straightened it before even looking at me. Only then did she lift her head, her glasses sliding a little down her nose.

“Wait a moment,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron. “I’ll walk you there.”

I smiled faintly, trying to project more confidence than I actually felt. “That’s not necessary. I know the way already. I can go alone, by the road.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. “Isn’t it dangerous?”

“There’s no problem if I take the road, is there?” I replied. “I’ve memorized the whole path. If you walk me everywhere every time I leave the house, how am I supposed to become independent? How am I supposed to feel at home here?”

She exhaled slowly, her body relaxing a little. Her shoulders lowered, the tension easing from her face. “You’re right,” she agreed. “And it’s probably better that you start getting used to Moonville. There’s nothing like walking alone to help you adapt.”

“Exactly,” I said, encouraged. “So I’ll be on my way.”

“Wait, Maya.” She took a couple of steps toward me, her voice dropping. “Just promise me one thing. Stay far away from the forest. Don’t even think about going in.”

I laughed softly, trying to lighten the warning. “Alright. I’m not some mischievous, disobedient Little Red Riding Hood.”

She let out one of her warm laughs-the kind she always gave when something genuinely amused her.

I adjusted the bundle of food in my arms and headed for the door. The cold air wrapped around me the moment I stepped outside, and I pulled my shawl closer. I followed the road leading to Moonville’s training center, gravel crunching beneath my boots. The lamps along the way cast a yellowish glow, flickering now and then, throwing uneven shadows across the ground.

I took a deep breath, letting the rhythm of my steps organize my thoughts. It was strange how, even alone, I felt… safe. Maybe it was the proximity to the center. Maybe it was the comfort of doing something ordinary. Or maybe it was the fact that I was going to him.

A smile curved my lips without my permission. Something had been stirring inside me since the night before-a contained excitement I no longer tried to deny. Wearing the necklace again gave me the odd sensation of starting over. For the first time, I had the chance to connect with Atila in a real, conscious way, without everything being driven by the relentless pull of fate. Knowing that what was at stake now were our feelings-choices made freely, not imposed-sent a pleasant chill through my stomach, the kind that blends anticipation, fear, and desire in perfect balance.

That was when I noticed the voices.

Three figures appeared ahead, walking toward me from the opposite direction. At first, I didn’t pay much attention. Moonville had its own rhythms, and it wasn’t unusual to cross paths with groups at that hour. I kept walking, distracted, until something in the way they moved made me look more closely.

My heart skipped a beat.

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Chapter 37

Then another.

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As they drew nearer, the familiar outlines took shape. The hair. The posture. The low laughter I knew far better than I ever wanted to.

My sisters.

The blood in my veins turned to ice. My first instinct was to lower my head and keep walking, as if I hadn’t seen them. I tried to let my hair fall forward, hiding behind a dark strand. It was useless.

Their relaxed expressions shifted the instant they recognized me. I saw brows lift, eyes narrow-and then Elizabeth almost lunged toward me.

“Well, well,” she said with a crooked smile. “Look who we’ve run into. The prodigal daughter of our household.”

I ignored her and tried to pass, keeping my gaze fixed ahead. Her hand clamped around my arm, fingers digging in hard.

“Let go,” I growled, yanking back. “Take your hand off me.”

“And if I don’t?” She tilted her head, taunting.

Her eyes slid to the bundle of food in my arms. “Where do you think you’re going with that?”

‘None of your business.”

She looked me up and down, contempt written all over her face. “Since when did you get so mouthy? Feeling important now, are you? Just because an Alpha is using you and you’re already walking around like you matter.”

Think whatever you want, Elizabeth,” I said, trying to pull free. “I need to go.”

But I didn’t

Margot and Freida moved at the same time, blocking my path. Margot crossed her arms, her gaze hard. “You owe us a conversation, Maya.”

‘Do I?”

Freida spoke then, her voice oddly low. “Yes. You need to tell us what you did to enchant Alpha Átila.”

rolled my eyes. “For God’s sake. I didn’t enchant anyone.”

You always knew how important this was to us,” Margot said, her voice controlled to the point of strain. “And you still stole he Alpha who was supposed to be our husband. A girl who never amounted to more than a servant in her own home… How lare you think you had that right?”

The words struck something deep inside me.

It was as if someone had ripped away the old plank I’d been using to cover a hole that had existed for far too long. Every memory rushed in at once, uninvited. Years of exclusion at the table. Sideways glances when I entered a room. The calculated silence when I tried to speak. Harsh words disguised as advice, but always delivered like punishment.

I took a deep breath.

The air burned as it filled my chest, but I didn’t retreat. For the first time, something different began to form where fear had always lived. It wasn’t blind rage. It was clarity.

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Chapter 37

I lifted my gaze slowly, meeting Margot’s eyes without lowering my head. My heart pounded, but it was steady. I was no longer folded inward, trying to disappear.

“Right?” I repeated, almost in a whisper. Then I laughed-short, humorless. “Do you really believe a person can be stolen like an object?”

Elizabeth scoffed and rolled her eyes, but I continued before she could interrupt.

“I spent my entire life being told I wasn’t enough,” I said, each word falling into place. “Not pretty enough. Not worthy. Not important. Always behind. Always on the margins. And now you want me to believe all of that was just… preparation to serve Mom’s plans?”

Margot pressed her lips together. “Don’t twist things, Maya.”

“I’m not twisting anything.” I straightened my shoulders. “I’m just saying out loud what you’ve always made clear with your

actions.”

Freida looked away for a second. That hurt more than if she’d stared me down.

You never saw me as a sister,” I went on. “Just someone useful. Someone who stayed in the corners. Someone who wasn’t supposed to want too much.”

Elizabeth stepped forward. “Don’t play the victim now.”

I’m not playing anything.” My voice came out firmer than I expected. “I’m just tired of swallowing everything in silence.”

The silence that followed was heavy. The road lamps flickered above us, and for a moment the world felt small-crushed between old resentments.

You talk as if I chose all this just to provoke you,” I added. “But the truth is, for the first time in my life, someone actually aw me. Not as leftover. Not as obligation.”

Margot crossed her arms defensively. “Do you really think this is going to last?”

‘I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “But I don’t see why that should matter to you.”

Elizabeth let out a harsh laugh. “Of course it matters. It always has.”

I tried to step around them, but they stayed put, blocking the road. The air felt colder now. Thicker.

‘Either way, I don’t owe you explanations,” I said at last. “And I definitely don’t owe you apologies.”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “You’ve changed.”

Maybe I had. Or maybe I’d just stopped shrinking.

“That happens,” I said. “People change when they stop surviving and start choosing.”

The silence returned, stretched tight as a drawn wire. I could feel something about to snap, even if I didn’t yet know what But for the first time, I didn’t regret speaking up.

If this was the price of finally standing on my own feet, I was willing to pay it.

“I need to go now. I have to deliver my man’s food.”

I adjusted the bundle in my arms and walked past them.

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“Wait, sister!” Elizabeth’s voice rang out behind me, loud and dripping with irony.

I turned just in time to see her lift a chunk of wood from the roadside. The movement was too fast.

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Instinct took over. I threw myself backward, hitting the ground hard. The log flew past, missing me by inches. My heart aced wildly as I scrambled away, staring at the hatred etched across her face.

How dare you?” I stammered, trying to get up.

Elizabeth smiled and advanced. I got to my feet in a rush, nearly falling again. I grabbed a branch from the ground, gripping I with both hands.

You were always a mistake,” she spat.

And you were always cruel,” I shot back.

He should have chosen me.”

He’s not a prize.”

You don’t deserve any of this.”

I didn’t ask for it.”

You did-just by existing.”

What do you mean by that? Do you know something I don’t?”

Of course I do. I’m Mom’s best friend, remember?”

she came at me again. I defended myself as best I could, blocking the blows, feeling the impact shudder up my arms. The

ranch nearly slipped from my grip. My body trembled, but I didn’t back down.

You know what bothers me most about all this?” she asked, her tone unnervingly calm.

I’m not interested.”

Oh, you are,” she said with a half-smile. “You always have been.”

Then say it.”

You really believe you belong somewhere now.”

The words sank in slowly-but deep.

‘I belong where I choose to stay.”

“No.” Elizabeth shook her head. “You belong where they allow you to stay. It’s always been that way.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is,” she said, cornering me. “In our house, you stayed because you were useful. Here, you stay because it’s convenient”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know exactly.” She tilted her head. “You never noticed how you always had to adapt just to fit? Stay quiet. Be grateful for

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