I've never been alone. My whole life, I've always had someone around me—whether that's family, my friends, my community, and now Paul and his pack. I think that's ultimately a good thing. Objectively, I know there are people who always feel alone and I've never had to worry about something like that. But now, being on the other side of the country away from everyone and everything I know has got me feeling...terrifyingly amazing. For the first time in my life, I can leave my home and not run into every single person I know within a ten mile radius. It's freeing, it's bittersweet, it's crushing, it's everything I ever dreamed it to be. And when I'm all alone in my dorm, feeling the weight of loneliness seep in, I just focus on that little hub of warmth on the other side waiting for me and I feel a little bit better.

Maya and Paul kept themselves busy over the next couple of weeks leading up to Maya's departure. After their moment in the car, Paul was trying very hard to keep a lid on things so as not to put more pressure on her than there already was.

As such, Paul, in an attempt to pre-emptively distract himself, received deliveries of lumber and supplies almost every other day in anticipation for the renovations he would start on the house as soon as Maya left. Maya joked on more than one occasion that it felt like they were living in a lumber yard, but Paul had just laughed, bent over his plans and revising them at the kitchen table.

Jacob and Becks had been spending more time together in an attempt to kickstart dating. After the last pack dinner, Becks had announced in the group chat that her and Jake were 'taking it slow, but definitely on the path to gf/bf', to which Maya had mixed feelings about. All in all though, she was happy for them because it seemed to make Becks happy. Keye had been less than thrilled and continuously referred to Jacob as King Weak Link.

And, despite the council's request, Becks was still preparing to leave for Northwestern. Jacob was spending as much time with her as he could between rounds and renovating an old run-down garage space in town to turn into his auto shop. This, luckily, gave Maya and Paul more alone time themselves. Any time Jacob would announce his departure, Paul would wait for the door to click shut and whisk Maya away from whatever task she seemed to be preoccupied with—whether she was in the shower, taking a nap, pouring over her class schedule, or reading up on neighborhood hot spots to visit when she got to campus.

But still, she had tried to balance spending time with Paul and her parents as best she could so that she made sure to relish in her last couple of weeks before she felt everything would change and begin to move very quickly. Her mother was constantly dipping in and out of the house on council business and Maya had internally rolled her eyes at this, seeing as she hadn't quite forgiven the council for their overstep with Jacob and Becks.

When her mother did bring up that there was going to be a bonfire planned for her and Becks' send off, Maya politely tried to decline. Rish had looked at her in astonishment—Maya had never been allowed to turn down a community event growing up and now that she was given the choice she never thought she would just say no to something. Maya was surprised by her answer too, but as she helped her mom sort some extra fabric for the quilting club at the kitchen table, she was determined to stand her ground.

"Maya!" Rish cried, "The council wants to send you off with pride. Honestly, after everything they've done for you…" Maya tried to bite her tongue, not wanting to shatter her mother's illusions of the unbearable pressure the council put on imprints. She knew how much her mother's position meant to her.

"Mom, I can't. You know what they said to Becks. It's so fucking gross," she retorted.

"First of all: language," Rish corrected to which Maya rolled her eyes, "Second of all, I think that was all blown way out of proportion. Chief Black is honestly just worried about Becks leaving and Jacob following her. He just wants his son back."

"That's not all that conversation was about and you know it. They did the same thing to me and Paul and I don't want to indulge them when they're on the warpath with imprints having babies," Maya pushed away from the table.

"I think that's a little dramatic. Plus, look at you and Paul now. It's not like the council was wrong for asking you to progress this relationship. It's clearly meant to be."

Sometimes, Maya wondered how her mother who was so instinctively protective and strong and had raised Maya to speak her mind and stand her ground could say these things. She turned to look at her now with a confused look on her face.

"Mom, Paul and I are together because we chose it. We didn't deserve to be pressured into it and neither do Becks and Jacob."

"I know, honey," Rish sighed, folding another square of fabric and setting it in the old laundry bin, "I just think it would be a good idea for you to go. Make peace, and show them that you're still going your own way." Maya considered that for a moment. Showing up to the bonfire invited all kinds of questions and confrontation if she wasn't careful, but she had fared worse. She could do that, "And anyway," Rish continued, "Becks and Jacob have already agreed to go."

"WHAT?!"

Paul held Maya's face in his hands under the warm glow of their bedroom lights.

"You're sure about this?" he asked quietly. Maya gave him a soft look and then smiled.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Plus Embry and Quil have agreed to run interference. I'll be well surrounded by pack for the whole night," she reassured him. He leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. Maya had been bummed when he told her he couldn't make it to the bonfire because of a last minute client consultation that he had to quickly fly out to Seattle for. He'd only be gone for 48 hours, but the lack of remaining time they had together made the quick trip even more annoying to Maya.

"If you're sure…" he said skeptically. Maya cleared the emotion from her face. What she wanted to tell him was to stay with her and go to this bonfire together as a united front, but she couldn't ask him to do that. It was important to her that they still maintained some time independent of one another and for Paul that was his work.

"I'm sure, I can handle them," she brushed off. Paul smirked and pushed some hair behind her ear.

"You've definitely toughened up. I feel like that's my fault."

"Mmmm, probably, but I was pretty tough before you met me," Maya teased. Paul laughed,

"Oh, right. I forgot," he said. His phone buzzed in his pocket and Maya prickled. "Okay, I gotta go. I love you. I'll be back before you know it," he leaned down and kissed her for a moment and then grabbed his bag and disappeared downstairs. Maya sank down onto their bed and let out a long breath.

"Maya, you ready?" Jacob called up the stairs. Maya groaned.

Here goes nothing.

Jacob drove Maya and Becks to the bonfire in his old Rabbit that he had restored when he was younger. Maya had thought it was a fucking trip as she shoved herself into the tiny backseat and clamped her hand over her mouth as Jacob squeezed his enormous frame into the drivers seat.

Becks settled comfortably into the passenger seat and looked behind her to shoot Maya a look.

"What?" Becks said confused.

"Nothing," Maya giggled, "Are there seatbelts in this thing?" She made eye contact with Jacob in the rear view mirror.

"Har har," he said, "We're driving like ten minutes away. I think we'll be fine."

"Hookay," Maya breathed as she pulled out her phone and typed a quick message to Paul.

Maya: Did you know that Jacob's car doesn't have seatbelts?

Paul: The Rabbit is a relic.

M: Just saying….

P: I think you'll be fine, Jacob is a very good driver.

Maya laughed and Jacob looked at her in the rearview mirror again.

"I hope you're not laughing at my car," he said defensively.

"No, Paul was just saying how good of a driver you are," Maya said, sliding her phone back into the back pocket of her jeans. She'd chosen to dress extra casual tonight for this bonfire, much to her mother's impending dismay she was sure. Maya wore some tight light wash jeans, a black t-shirt and her black doc marten boots. She anxiously twisted the ring on her middle finger around and stared out the window. When they pulled into the clearing and the tribe came into view, Maya took a deep breath. Embry and Quil were waiting, hands in their pockets.

"We're sure about this?" Becks asked, keeping her gaze straightforward out the windshield toward the bonfire. Jacob reached for her hand and she glanced over. He squeezed her hand reassuringly before saying:

"We're sure. Right, Maya?" Jacob asked without taking his eyes off of Becks.

"Uh, yeah," Maya said unconvincingly.

"Great," Jacob said, bringing Becks' hand to his lips before dropping it and popping open his door.

As they all clambered out of the Rabbit, Embry and Quil tilted their heads in acknowledgement of their arrivals. The plan, if there even was a plan at this point, was to not be caught out alone. As Maya crossed the clearing sandwiched between Embry and Quil, Jacob and Becks trailing behind her, she got the unmistakable feeling of being watched. But this was her tribe, and the lingering stares of her elders and Chief Black wouldn't be enough to deter her from indulging in one last night with her community until she returned for the holidays this fall.

Embry and Quil tried to be amicable bodyguards and carried on casual conversation with the people Maya made sure to talk to before tribe announcements, but she could tell they were a little out of practice with socializing outside of their group.

When it came time for announcements, Maya stood off to the side with them. Rish waved from the inner circle sitting next to her father. Maya gave a faint smile and a small wave. To her relief, Chief Black didn't make any digging comments about Becks or Maya leaving for college—but it made sense when she thought about the fact that most of the tribe didn't know the truth about the wolf warriors among them and the existence of the imprint.

Afterwards, her mother beelined it to her and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Hi mom," Maya said kindly.

"Oh thank you so much for coming tonight. Are you dressing down because Paul's not here?" Rish asked with a little too much judgement in her voice. Maya pulled back and gave her a worn stare.

"Mom," she bemoaned.

"Okay, well, it's just that these little gatherings are meant to be a moment to present and I can see now the casualness of Sam's group is starting to wear off on you," Rish looked over her shoulder and Embry and Quil who just smiled with arms crossed across their broad chests.

"Mom, where is this coming from? You're being weird," Maya called her out. Rish tutted and wrapped her arm around her shoulder, leading her away from the bonfire. Embry and Quil took automatic steps to follow them but Rish looked over her shoulder.

"I'll bring her back, I promise. Honestly, you'd think 18 years of raising her without incident would prove that I can have you on my own for 10 minutes," Rish quipped. This stopped Quil and Embry who looked to each other and then to Maya for confirmation. Maya rolled her eyes and nodded.

"It's fine. I'll be right back," she conceded and her mother trilled pulling her along through the clearing. Maya was so engrossed in the neverending questions that Rish threw at her that she didn't even realize where they were heading until she heard the familiar, booming voice say,

"Maya Sun, thank you for coming this evening," Chief Black said. Maya's head snapped up and it took all of her energy not to allow a grimace to grip her face.

"Chief Black," she managed tersely. Chief Black chuckled that warm, hearty laugh. Rish had steered them away from most of the people in the clearing to a secluded spot just inside the treeline.

"I hear my son has been staying with you," he stated.

"He has. He needed a more comfortable place to stay where he didn't feel pressured," Maya returned, crossing her arms in front of her now.

"Well, I appreciate you and Paul looking after him at the very least. You two make a great team," Chief Black said. Maya arched an eyebrow at him.

"Thank you," she said with a hint of confusion in her voice. Rish squeezed her shoulder.

"See?" she whispered.

"I know myself and the council are appreciative of you and Paul taking the imprint seriously and progressing the relationship, even if you still are leaving this fall," he nodded to the ring Paul had given her for her birthday. Maya automatically covered it.

"We're in a relationship because we chose it. The council should really get out of the business of pressuring literal teenagers to have their son's babies if you have any hope of garnering our respect in the future," Maya seethed. Rish sucked in a sharp breath.

"Maya!" she gasped. Maya kept her eyes locked on Chief Black. He gave her a serene smile.

"You underestimate our influence," he said, nodding over her shoulder. Maya turned her head to see Jacob and Becks in the clearing by the bonfire, locked in embrace, their faces hovering just inches from one another. Maya felt the familiar thrill run through her as she watched Becks looking upon her soul in Jacob. Maya's mouth twitched into a smile before she turned back to Chief Black.

"What you don't understand is that that would exist with or without your influence. I suggest you stay out of pack business, not just for your sake, but for the tribe's sake. You've seen how one of us can disappear. Don't think we won't do it again," Maya threatened this with no real promise. She knew the pack would never desert their tribe, but still, this was enough to prickle Chief Black in a way that set his mouth into a firm frown.

Maya gave her mother a furious look and turned on her heel back toward Embry and Quil who were leaning against Embry's old truck. Her mother chased after her after a brief moment and grabbed her arm. Maya whirled on the spot—screw being discreet at this moment.

"Maya!" Rish said in a hushed whisper looking around at the remaining members of the tribe in the clearing. She was very conscious of the two of them being watched and tried to keep her voice town. With the same vice grip on Maya's arm, she whispered hurriedly, "Maya, you can't say things like that to the Chief of our tribe! I know I raised you better than that!"

"Mom," Maya said, her teeth clenched together, in a voice where anyone could hear if they were listening, "The council, and Chief Black in particular, have been causing issues between imprints for too long. Do you really want me to stay here, not go to Columbia like I've worked for my entire life, and just have babies? Is that what you want for me? After all that talk about how I can do anything?"

"Maya, bring your voice down," her mother warned, not answering the question.

"You're so caught up in your status with the council that you've forgotten that I need your support. I need my mom. You don't even hear what they're saying to me. What they're asking me to do. Let go of me!" Maya's voice was rising and angry tears were forming but she refused to cry, not now.

"Maya, you're acting like a child. Of course I'm here to support you, but you have to believe that the council is only doing what's best for us, for our community," Rish continued. Maya shook her head in disbelief.

"You haven't heard a word I've said have you?" she asked, sadness etching her voice now.

"Maya, stop this right now and come apologize," Rish said tugging on her arm now. Embry and Quil were only a few steps away when Maya wrenched her arm out of her mother's grasp and she gasped out in an upset tone: "Maya!"

"Screw you!" Maya yelled. There was a collective silence that fell over the tribe now as everyone was clearly watching intently. Rish's eyes went wide with fury at her daughter's disrespect.

"Maya Sun, get over here right now," her mother used her most commanding voice she could muster. The voice that used to haunt Maya on the rare occasion that she did get in trouble. Embry had his arm out between them as they stood a few feet from each other now. Maya was sure that he wasn't concerned about Rish lunging forward. Maya took two steps forward, her middle connecting with Embry's outstretched arm as she said, seething:

"No. Not anymore. I matter less than your reputation, so no, I will not come to you anymore. And, when Paul and I do have kids you'll be lucky if you ever get to see them." Rish watched her, her anger mirroring Maya's now and for the first time in a long time, Maya saw her face in her mother's and she faltered. "Just stay away from me," Maya said quieter now before she gave her mother one last look, the angry facade cracking on her mother's face to reveal immense sadness.

Before Maya could completely crumble she turned away and headed back toward Embry's car, with Embry and Quil hot on her heels. When she dropped into the passenger seat, Embry wasted no time hopping into the driver seat and turning over the engine. Quil tucked into the back and puffed out his cheeks in a large exhale.

"Well that went downhill fast," Embry said forlornly.

"Yeah, it's all fun and games until Billy starts throwing around baby making threats," Quil joked. Maya had her arms crossed in front of her chest and as Embry backed out of the clearing, she clearly saw the towering figure of Jacob off to the side with the council fanned out in front of him. He looked furious.

But in this moment, the council was far from Maya's mind. She felt a rip tear through her body from the very public argument she'd just endured with her mother. Rish had always been Maya's greatest advocate, the person who'd push open any door for her daughter, but ever since the imprint, something had changed between them and tonight that had been laid bare. Maya was devastated and what was worse was that she didn't know how she'd be able to fix it before she left for Columbia in less than a week.

The tears came freely now and Maya clamped a hand over her eyes as she tried to stifle sobs. Crying in front of Paul was one thing, but crying in front of Embry and Quil was mortifying. The silence in the cab of the truck was deafening with only Maya's sobs to punctuate the hum of the road beneath the truck. When the car rolled to a stop, Maya knew she was home. Embry's warm hand was on her shoulder and the too hot heat was comforting to her.

"My," Embry said in a low voice just barely above a whisper. Maya kept her eyes squeezed shut with her hand still over them. She felt like she was spiraling and couldn't quite stop it. She heard Embry's door open and suddenly a rush of late summer air pulled over her. The next thing she knew she was pulled from the truck and wrapped in the all too familiar warmth that they radiated. Embry had wrapped her in a tight hug, and Quil had come in behind her.

"There's nothing like a hot wolf sandwich to cheer you up," Quil said in a light tone. Maya couldn't help but laugh, her face buried in the crook of Embry's massive arm as she choked through another sob.

"It's okay, My" Embry soothed. But she didn't know if that was true. She felt like she'd just lost someone that there was no getting back.

When Embry and Quil had gotten her inside, Maya went straight upstairs to bed. She didn't bother undressing, she just collapsed onto Paul's side of the bed, pushing her face into his pillow and letting her swollen eyes shut in the relief that sleep brought. She drifted off to low voices below, but their murmuring only pulled her deeper into sleep.

Maya woke up the next morning wrapped in serene warmth. She let out a soft hum of breath as she nestled in deeper to the soft familiar warmth. Her brain really did her dirty sometimes. She always knew when she was dreaming because the way Paul smelled to her would be multiplied by a thousand in her dreams when she knew he was away. But Maya was okay with it being a dream—at least this way she could find some comfort from the horrific night she'd had. She nuzzled her face closer to that warmth and inhaled a deep breath letting the soft earth and warm wood smell of him rush through her. She felt the weight of his arms constrict tighter around her, replying to her sleepy soft noises. If she focused hard enough, she could hear the waves churning in the sea down the hill. She focused on memorizing this moment, even if it was just a dream, to keep with her when she left for Columbia, knowing she'd miss Paul everyday more and more.

And then, she heard the front door click shut and the clear clang of pots and pans being pulled from the cupboards down in the kitchen. Maya felt warm lips press to the top of her head. Just a couple more minutes of this, please. Maya begged her sleeping brain, but it was useless. The too real sounds from the kitchen below were pulling her out of her soft sleep and when she opened her eyes she waited for the warmth to evaporate around her. But it didn't. Her eyes drifted up from Paul's naked chest to the softened features of his face closed in obvious sleep. Maya stifled a gasp and felt relief rush through her. For a moment she thought that last night's disastrous bonfire had to have been a dream if Paul was still here. But the pain of it was still fresh and she knew it wasn't.

Maya let herself watch him sleep for just a moment, adding this memory too, before shimmying her body up ever so slightly to press her lips to his in a soft kiss. He let out a little moan of recognition before tightening his arms around her and pressing her body to his chest, locking her in the kiss for a few beats more. When he finally let her pull back and gain breath he smiled gently.

"What are you doing here?" she said barely above a whisper. He brought his hand to her face, running his calloused fingers gently down her soft cheek, still tear stained from the night before.

"Embry called. Told me what happened. I thought it might be a good idea to come back," he said in the kindest voice. Maya immediately devolved into tears and Paul placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her face into the crook of his neck, "It's okay baby. I'm sorry," he soothed. "Take a deep breath," he said in a low soothing voice in her ear. Maya tried to pull fresh air through her lungs but was struggling to calm down again. Paul held her through it, offering reassuring words of comfort that slowly but surely brought Maya back down.

When he sat her up and pulled her face away from his chest, he cupped his hands around her cheeks and held her steady, "I'll go and talk to your mom. This will all blow over," he promised. Maya smiled weakly and shook her head.

"I just want a break from it and I don't want you getting more caught up in it than you already are," Maya said in a rough voice thick with spit from so much crying. She knew she looked a mess, but the look on Paul's face only shone with love and concern.

"My, I know you don't want to leave things this way. Let me help," he said. Maya wrapped her hands around his wrists and gently pulled his hands away from her face. She swallowed and looked at him with what little resolve she had and shook her head.

"Please don't. I can't handle any of this right now and I don't want you in the middle of it," she stopped as a fresh sob threatened to throw her over again.

"Okay, okay," he said gently. "Let's take a shower and we'll table this for now." Paul gave her a warm, neutral look that begged an answer. Maya nodded and they slipped off of the bed toward the shower together.

The final few days before Maya was meant to leave for college were a rollercoaster of emotion. Maya tried her best to focus on her and Paul, but she found her mind wandering and often times Paul would have to get her attention when she lost herself in thought for too long.

"Sorry," she would say, giving him a weak smile and trying to recover whatever part of the conversation she had lost. This would earn her a worried frown from Paul and so the day before she was meant to leave, Maya was not wholly surprised when her father, Tom, showed up on their doorstep.

"Thank you for coming, come on in," Paul said warmly from the doorway. Maya watched, eyes wide as she sat stock still on the couch. Her father entered the living room and gave her a conciliatory smile.

"Hi, sun-bug," he said affectionately. He hadn't called her by her childhood nickname in awhile and just the mention of it made her eyes well. Paul stood back in the hallway by the door with his hands shoved in his jeans pockets watching Maya carefully.

Maya rose slowly from the couch and came around to stand in front of him. When her dad pulled her into a warm hug, she collapsed into it.

"Does mom know you're here?" she asked quietly into his shoulder. He gave a soft noise of confirmation and Maya gripped him tighter. Her dad pulled her back so he could look at her face, already puffy from the impending tears. His face looked stricken as well.

"She'll come around," he promised, "She just needs some time to work through what was said and—"

"Do you agree with her?" Maya couldn't help herself from saying. She knew her father well but she also thought she had known her mother and as things turned out, she didn't.

"No." he said firmly. Maya let out a breath that she had been holding, "I don't think though how either of you handled it went very well though. You leave tomorrow….are you going to at least call her?" his eyes were pleading and for a moment Maya felt the weight of it pull at her resolve. Then she steeled herself.

"No, dad. Not this time. She threw me to the wolves," Maya said without thinking. This earned her a huff of laughter from Paul who shook his head trying to contain an amused smile. "I just need some time. I promise I'll call her when I get to New York."

"Okay," he agreed after a long pause. And then a warmer smile crept over his face, "So, I was promised dinner." Paul clapped his hands together in confirmation,

"Right! Just a few more minutes on the sauce I think. Maya?" Paul asked, nodding toward the kitchen cupboards. Maya beamed up at her father and he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Come help me set the table," she said, grabbing her father's hand and tugging him toward the warm kitchen steeped in the comforting smell of garlic, simmering cream, and sweet basil.

"You've got everything?" Paul asked, as they continued toward her gate at Sea-Tac. His hand was tightly gripping hers and Maya felt how warm and damp her hand was becoming from his large one.

"I think so," Maya tried to confirm confidently. The morning flight on the biplane into Sea-Tac was quiet. But Paul had barely let Maya out of his grip for a second in the past 12 hours. She knew it was just his mounting anxiety from the impending separation but still, it was hard to see his face grow more and more somber, hardening with every passing hour.

"Call me when you land. And I went ahead and had Michaal order you a car for when you arrive so you don't have to take the subway. The car will take you straight to campus and the driver will help you take in your things." Paul said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Paul, I could have taken the train, it would have been fine," Maya said, giving him a soft smile. But Paul was looking straight ahead as they neared her gate. "Thank you." she said after a moment.

Once they arrived at her gate, the flight attendants had already opened the doors to begin boarding. Maya stood in front of Paul and as he looked over her head toward the gate doors, Maya put her hands on either side of his face.

"Paul," she said gently, stepping toward him. His arms automatically wrapped around her and pulled her tightly to him. He gave her a sad smile and Maya swallowed hard, trying to hold it together, "We can do this," she said softly. Paul looked at her for a long second and then nodded. She leaned up on her tiptoes and he closed the gap to press into an unwavering kiss that made her feel dizzy. His broad hands held tightly to her lower back and Maya pressed her palms gently against his too hot cheeks, getting lost in his embrace. When they finally pulled away from one another, Maya felt the clear damp of tears on her cheek. But she wasn't crying. Paul screwed up his face in obvious torment and placed a hand over his eyes quickly trying to subdue himself.

"Hey," Maya said, letting her hands drift to the sides of his neck, "Look at me."

Paul dropped his hand and opened his eyes to look down at Maya, clear tears clinging to his lashes. Maya gave him a sympathetic smile.

"We're going to be okay. You're coming out to see me in less than four weeks. I'm going to call you every day, text you all the time, and if you need to, you can always come out for a weekend trip. This is going to be hard. We know it's going to be hard. But I have to do this," she said.

Paul nodded and kissed her forehead roughly. "I know. It's just a little tough letting a part of your fucking soul fly across the country."

"I know." Maya said.

"Final boarding call for flight 291, Seattle to New York City. Final boarding call."

Maya sucked in a sharp breath at the sudden drop in her stomach and Paul's eyes widened in panic.

"Kiss me again," Maya said quickly and Paul obliged, crushing her in another frantic kiss for a moment more. "I love you." Maya said breathlessly when they pulled apart.

"I love you so much," Paul said, pressing his forehead to hers. They both closed their eyes, settling one last time into the bond of the imprint that tied them tightly together, "Come back to me soon, Maya Sun." he whispered.

Maya opened her eyes and smiled up at him, "I will." She took a few steps back from him and let go of his hand as she hurried toward the waiting flight attendants, scanning her ticket and hurrying down the ramp toward the plane. She turned to look over her shoulder and wave with a painful smile and saw Paul, one fist clenched by his side and the other covering his mouth as he watched her walk away from him. He looked absolutely crushed and as the flight attendants closed the door behind Maya, her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach.