In a split second, he found himself in the bush near Maya's house. He opened his eyes to see saliva dripping onto the ground, fangs bared, and yellow eyes glowing.
Jack said, "Dude, learn how to close your mouth."
Alex placed a hand on Jack's throat as Jack lay on the ground.
"Where do you think you're going, pretty boy, huh?"
Jack's eyes turned blue, and his own fangs emerged. He responded with a headbutt.
"You son of a..!" Alex shouted, swinging a punch at Jack, but Jack dodged swiftly. He pushed Alex to the ground, pressed his forearm against his throat, and growled,
"Who sent you? Why are you here? What do you want from her? Answer me!"
Meanwhile, inside the house, Maya walked toward the door.
"What's that noise? I thought I heard someone."
Outside, Jack and Alex froze, eyes locked. They both whispered at once, "Maya."
Maya opened the door to investigate the sound. At that moment, Alex shoved Jack aside and emerged from the bushes.
Maya looked startled. "What are you doing there, Alex?"
"I was attacked by a squirrel. I was fighting for my life," he replied, breathless.
"A squirrel? In the bushes?"
"Yeah. Actually, it was the sound of your voice that scared it away. I told you… you're a hero."
Maya chuckled. "I'm sorry about that. Come on in and have a glass of water."
They stepped inside. Maya turned to her mother and said, "Mum, this is Alex."
Wendy turned to look at him, puzzled by his disheveled appearance.
"I'm sorry about the first impression, Ms. Wendy," Alex said.
"He was attacked by a squirrel," Maya added.
"I see," Wendy said, unconvinced. "So, where will you be taking my daughter tonight?"
"We're going to see a movie," Alex replied.
"At what movie theatre?" Wendy asked.
"Mum!" Maya exclaimed, eyes wide.
"Okay… be back by eleven."
They stepped outside, waving goodbye. Wendy lingered at the doorway, glancing outside with suspicion. As she turned back inside, she saw Jack standing there.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
With a smirk and a sarcastic tone, he replied, "I was the squirrel."
---
Maya turned to Alex as they stepped out of the house.
"The movies? What are we seeing?"
"Teen Wolf, the full movie," Alex replied, smiling as he held her hand and looked deep into her eyes.
"Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle before?"
Maya smiled. "No... why?"
Alex pointed across the street at the motorcycle parked nearby. "That."
He held her hand as they walked to the bike.
"Are you scared?" he asked.
"No, I'm actually excited," Maya replied.
"That's the spirit."
Alex started the bike and hopped on. He looked back at Maya, waiting.
"No helmets?" she asked.
"Do you trust me?"
Maya paused, looked at him, then back at the motorcycle. She climbed on, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her head gently on his back. He drove off.
---
"He's a beta," Jack said, looking at Wendy and Olivia.
"You'll have to tell me everything if you want my help," he added.
Wendy and Olivia exchanged glances. Wendy stood up and headed to her room. She opened her closet and brought down a small box labeled "Reika."
---
Alex and Maya entered the cinema and took their seats.
"We're right on time," Maya said with a smile. "The movie's about to start."
---
"Boss, we have no trace of him. He's really good," one of the men reported over the phone.
"Don't call me again until you've found him!" the boss snapped and ended the call.
---
Wendy came downstairs with the box and placed it on the dining table.
"What's that?" Jack asked, eyeing the inscription. "Reika?"
"It means 'Power of the Wolf,'" Olivia replied.
Wendy opened the box with shaky hands. Inside was a carved wooden talisman. They watched, puzzled, as it seemed to be the only item inside. But Wendy reached deeper, her hand sank below the surface as though the box were deeper than it appeared.
Jack's mouth fell open in disbelief.
Wendy grunted. Her eyes flashed blue, then turned red as she screamed.
"Wendy?" Olivia whispered, shocked.
Finally, Wendy pulled out a smaller box labeled "Lacroff."
Jack and Olivia stared at each other, stunned.
---
Meanwhile, the boss, having ended the call, decided to grab something to eat before resuming the search. He scanned the area and spotted a shop: "Bells' Pastries."
"No, no, no... no sugar," he muttered, turning away.
"Maybe just one bite..." He turned back.
"No, no..that's what I said last time."
He turned again, walking off then paused. "What the hell…" He walked into the shop.
---
"Why didn't Scott move on from Allison? Fifteen years is a long time," Maya asked as they exited the cinema.
Alex chuckled. "True love?"
"Hmmm. Still, it was a great movie."
Outside now, Maya looked around. "It's barely 10 p.m."
"We can never run out of things to do, Maya," Alex said softly, looking into her eyes.
"Time to eat, my lady."
Alex hopped onto the motorcycle, and Maya followed.
"Where are we going?" she asked, excited.
"A place I know you'll love," he said, and they rode off.
---
"Lacroff? The Alpha?" Jack exclaimed. "You were married to an Alpha? That means Maya is a Beta?"
"No," Wendy replied.
"Then why did your eyes turn red?"
"They turned blue, then red," Olivia pointed out.
"I'm an Ultima," Wendy said. "As strong as an Alpha… maybe stronger."
"Please," Jack said, clearly overwhelmed, "help me understand."
---
"I'll have the three chocolate cakes, the strawberry-chocolate cupcake, the scones, five croissants with chocolate syrup, and a milkshake…"
The waitress stopped writing.
"Did you get all that? Oh and make it a jumbo milkshake."
"That's the whole menu, sir. Would you like it to go or—?"
The man paused, eyes narrowing. Someone had just walked in.
"Sir?"
He quickly glanced at the photo of the guy he was hunting.
"That's him," he muttered.
"Sir, would you like it to go?"
"Yes. Yes," he said hurriedly.
---
"A pastry shop?" Maya asked, smiling.
"It's time to fill you with sugar," Alex grinned.
"What are you guys getting?" the shop attendant asked.
"I'll just have one cake—" Maya began.
"We'll have two of each of your pastries," Alex interrupted.
Maya turned to him, shaking her head. "What? I can't—"
"Yes, you can. There's so much about yourself you've yet to discover," he said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
---
"Hello, boss."
"What?! I told you not to call unless—"
"I found him."
"Then bring him to me."
"He's with a girl and—"
"Perfect. Follow them. Find out where they both stay. She might be... very useful."
"Okay, boss."
---
"I married an Alpha named Lacroff," Wendy began. "A year later, I got pregnant. He'd been married before, but his wife was killed by coyotes. He had a daughter, Amarock. I raised her like mine, but he was consumed by revenge. He started training Amarock when she was just three…"
Wendy paused and sighed.
"So Maya has a sister?" Jack asked, surprised.
"Had a sister," Olivia corrected.
---
The boss's man walked out with several pastry bags in his hands, loaded them into his car, and sat inside—watching and waiting while eating.
---
Alex held Maya's hand as they exited the shop, their snacks in hand.
"Where are we going with all this?" Maya asked, curious.
"Somewhere I've never taken anyone," Alex replied, climbing onto the bike.
She gave him a look.
"Trust me—you'll love it," he said.
As they drove off, the boss's man tailed them, careful not to be seen.
---
"I gave birth to Maya, and by the time she turned two, her powers had already begun to show," Wendy said.
"Wow," Jack exclaimed.
"He started training her and Amarock together, preparing the children for war. He wanted to take them into a real fight against ten coyotes. We argued—physically. So, I hid Maya. But Amarock was always just three feet away from her dad. She adored him. So he took her... and in the middle of the fight, werewolf hunters showed up. They shot her with three arrows to the chest..."
Wendy sniffed and sighed. "Wolfsbane... She was twelve. Maya was six. He came back broken—and then started training Maya twice as hard."
---
Alex parked the bike. Maya looked around, confused.
"What are we doing in the woods?" she asked.
"Do you trust me?" he replied, extending his hand.
Maya took his hand and followed him into the woods.
"We're going up the hill," he said, leading the way.
One of the boss's men parked nearby, watching for any sign of them.
---
"We were never safe," Wendy continued. "The coyotes kept coming back. I stole this and ran with Maya." She pointed at a box labeled Lacroff.
"This is his talisman. I know he'll come for it. I always wanted a normal life, and I passed that dream to Maya. But I know he'll send people for her. She thinks her father is dead, and I made her believe that—to protect her. I erased her memories of the pain. That's why she still hasn't been able to transform..."
---
Later, Maya and Alex sat on a hilltop. Alex turned to her.
"This is where I come to clear my head and watch the stars."
Maya looked at him. "How long have you lived in Beverly Hills?"
"Not long enough," he replied. "My mom died when I was a baby. I don't even know if my dad is still alive."
"Oh... I'm so sorry."
"It's fine. I always wanted to come to Beverly Hills. And now here I am," Alex said with a soft smile. "Time to fill ourselves with sugar." They started eating pastries.
"This view is beautiful," Maya added.
---
Back at home, Wendy spoke to Jack.
"I need you to keep a close eye on Alex."
Jack raised his hands. "Wait, let me get this straight. You're an Ultima?"