The Rejected daughter chosen by the Alpha (Maya and Atila) novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43

– MAYA

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The red-haired girl stood with her back to me, stirring something inside a dark iron pot balanced over a makeshift stove. The liquid simmered slowly, releasing a scent that was… odd. Not unpleasant. But definitely not inviting, either.

I watched her every move a little too closely.

Maybe it was survival instinct still screaming in my veins.

Maybe it was just fear.

She lifted a wooden ladle, dipped it into the thick broth, and poured the contents into a deep bowl. Green leaves floated in a yellowish, dense liquid-something that absolutely did not belong in any recipe book I’d ever seen.

Then she turned and walked toward me.

“Here,” she said, holding the bowl out.

I took it on reflex-out of politeness more than willingness-and stared at it like it might leap up and attack me.

“What is this?” I asked, wrinkling my nose.

“Weed soup.”

I blinked.

…Weed soup?”

My brain immediately went: Is that supposed to be food?

I glanced back at the suspicious mixture and added, trying to sound gracious,

“Thanks, but I don’t think I’m going to drink-”

She cut me off, her voice sharp, almost offended.

“That’s exactly what kept you alive the past few days.”

“What?”

She dragged over a stool, sat directly in front of me, and crossed her arms.

“My father and I found you barely breathing inside a tunnel deep in the woods,” she said dryly. “You were covered in injuries. You could hardly breathe. Looked like severe internal damage. So we fed you that soup. And thanks to it, you’re sitting here now. Alive. Talking.”

Heat rushed to my face.

My eyes dropped to the bowl, and a strange wave of embarrassment washed over me-for reasons I couldn’t quite explain.

So this is what healed me?

Was it connected to the herbs the healer had used on my ankle back at Atila’s place?

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Chapter 43

I swallowed.

“Okay.” I murmured. “If it kept me alive…”

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I raised the bowl with exaggerated caution and took a small sip. The texture was thick-almost pasty. The taste was… unexpected. Earthy. Warm. Slightly bitter, but not terrible.

She watched me closely, clearly enjoying herself.

I couldn’t stop the face I made.

“It’s… weird.”

“Drink it properly,” she said. “Works better that way.”

I rolled my eyes and took a larger sip. Then another. Before I realized it, half the bowl was gone.

She smiled.

“See?”

I huffed, annoyed at myself, and finished the rest in one go, pulling an overdramatic grimace at the end.

I handed the bowl back.

“It’s not as bad as it looks.”

“Of course it isn’t,” she said, taking it from me. “It’s delicious.”

“That’s a stretch.”

She laughed, set the bowl on a wooden table, then brushed her hands off like the matter was settled.

“So.” she said, turning her full attention to me. “What’s your name?”

I studied her face-the freckles, the alert eyes, the confident posture.

Could I trust her?

And trust her with what, exactly?

If it weren’t for her, I probably wouldn’t even be alive to question it.

“Maya,” I said at last. “My name is Maya.”

“Maya…” She tilted her head. “It suits you.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know. Sounds like the name of someone who survives.”

I didn’t know how to answer that.

She planted her hands on her hips.

“Now tell me something, Maya,” she continued. “What was an omega doing alone in a tunnel in the middle of the forest?”

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Chapter 43

My stomach twisted.

“…” I started, then choked on the words. “I was thrown there.”

“Shit,” she said immediately, frowning.

Silence settled between us-heavy and uncomfortable.

She broke it first.

“Did you see the face of the bastard who did it?”

My sisters flashed through my mind.

Elizabeth.

Freida.

Shame came before anger.

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“They were people I knew,” I said carefully. “They… didn’t want me alive. They dragged me into the woods and threw me into that hole.”

“That’s cruel,” she whispered.

“Yeah.” I shrugged, unsure where to look. “And… how did you find me? Who are you, exactly?”

She straightened, her smile widening as she extended her hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Beatrice.”

I shook her hand, still wary.

“My father and I are border guardians,” she explained. “He protects the natural boundaries between pack territories. Portals. Old paths. That kind of thing.”

“So you’re a-”

“Alpha,” she finished calmly. “And don’t worry. Anyone who wants to hurt you won’t succeed here.”

“They won’t?”

She glanced toward the open window, where the forest seemed to watch in silence.

“This place has a natural magnetic field. Keeps hunters out. Unauthorized crossings. And… unpleasant people.”

“Good to know,” I muttered.

She looked back at me.

“If you want, we can go to Moonville today. File a report. Tell the authorities about the ones who tried to kill you”

My chest tightened instantly.

Atila’s face rose uninvited in my mind.

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Chapter 43

My sisters.

Everything that had happened.

I wasn’t ready.

Not even close.

“Could I…” I began slowly, “stay here for a little while?”

“Here?” she echoed, surprised.

“Yes. If it’s not too much to ask.”

She crossed her arms, thoughtful.

“It’s just… this place is small.”

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“I can sleep in the back,” I said quickly. “I don’t mind. I was unconscious here for five days-what’s a few more?” I blushed.

Her eyes widened.

“You are not sleeping outside.”

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