HIDING FROM THE MATEBOND

5. New Beginnings

Calista

Present Day

“Come on, honey, just one more big bite,” I tried to coax my four-year-old son to take his last spoonful of mashed beans.

Ethan shook his head and giggled as expected. “No, Mama! Playtime!”

Ethan was a fussy eater, something I knew he didn't get from me.

He pushed the spoon away, his tiny hands reaching for his toys scattered on the floor.

I sighed, a soft smile tugging at my lips despite the struggle.

“You can play as much as you want after you finish your lunch,” I tried again, keeping my voice gentle but firm.

Ethan pouted, crossing his arms in defiance. “No lunch! Just play!” His big brown eyes sparkled with mischief, and I couldn’t help but chuckle, even though I knew I needed to be firm.

“You need to eat to grow strong, Ethan. How else will you do that?” I appealed, hoping to tap into his love for that.

Ethan paused, his little face scrunching up in thought. “Strong like an alpha?” he asked, curiosity beginning to replace his stubbornness.

“Exactly, my little alpha,” I nodded, feeling a pang in my chest at the word. I pushed the feeling down, focusing on the present.

“So, just one more bite?”

Ethan hesitated, then nodded slowly.

“Okay, just one then,” he agreed, opening his mouth.

I fed him the last spoonful as relief washed over me. “Good job, baby,” I praised, setting the bowl aside before he jumped out of my arms and I continued packing.

I loved my son. I truly did. He was the only thing I was proud of in the twenty two years I had lived.

What I didn't love was the kind of parent I was. No man’s land was no place to raise a pup, but here I was with mine.

Hiding him behind closed doors. Depriving him of a good upbringing.

I was denying him a pack, and a community, just because I was too scared to face the reality of who I truly was and what I had done. I was determined to make things right though not in the way anyone would expect.

The beauty of it all is I never learned from my past mistakes and I was about to consciously make another big one.

I finished packing the last of our belongings into two worn bags. Kate, my roommate, had promised to drive us to the train station. We were finally leaving No Man’s Land behind, heading back to the one place I swore I would never return.

GreyHound.

Our goodbyes were emotional before Ethan and I had boarded the train. I owed Kate my life. The one before and the new one I had.

I stroked Ethan's red curls as I looked out the train window, the scenery barely capturing my attention. He slept soundly on my lap, totally unaware of the chaos I was going through.

The newspaper advertisement Kate had shown me just a few weeks ago was still folded neatly in my coat pocket, the words “Secretary needed” underlined in bold.

It felt like fate, like the Moon Goddess herself was guiding me back to where it all began, back to the GreyHound Pack. But I wasn’t going back to redeem myself but for Ethan. I was more than content with just becoming another stranger that wanted to join the pack.

I glanced down at Ethan, his innocent face a big contrast to my thoughts. He was my anchor, the one good thing that had come from all the chaos of my life.

Despite my best efforts I wondered if anyone would recognize me. I had changed so much, both inside and out. The person I was before no longer existed and I had rebuilt myself as Arya Black. A new identity, a new life. But could I truly escape my past?

The train slowed as we approached our destination.

This was it. There was no backing out.

“Ethan,sweetie wake up,” I whispered, gently shaking him awake. He had been asleep for most of the journey. His body not familiar with the exhaustion of traveling.

“Are we there yet, Mama?” he asked, his voice still groggy with sleep.

“Almost, baby,” I replied, forcing a smile.

As we stepped off the train, the familiar scent of home hit me. I had missed it. .

Some of the memories from my past that I had tried so hard to bury came rushing back, but I shook them off taking Ethan’s hand as we made our way through the bustling station.

This was a different time and I was a different person.

The interview was scheduled for the next morning in the pack offices. It was the central point for hiring as it was able to accommodate large groups and was the only place where non pack members were allowed to roam around freely.

I had just enough time to find a place to stay for the night before then. The thought of the interview made me nervous.

I had no idea who would be interviewing me, but I hoped it wouldn’t be someone who knew the old me. I wasn't ready yet. I still felt like I was an open book. Like there was a tattoo on my forehead that screamed ‘CALISTA THE CHEATER’ for anyone that looked my way.

The next morning, dressed in my best attempt at looking professional, I walked into the GreyHound Pack offices, Ethan’s hand firmly in mine as I had no one to leave him with. I kept my head down hoping not to draw any unwanted attention as we approached the receptionist. No one would recognize me but I still worried that something could go wrong.

“Hello. Arya Black, I am here for the interview, ” I said, my voice steady.

The receptionist who was pretty young nodded, giving me a friendly smile. She did not look familiar to me but she did not smell strange either. She smelt like pack.

“Of course, just a moment.” She picked up the phone and made a quick call, then looked back at me.

“Alpha Aerion will see you now. You can leave your son with me in the meantime.”

The name hit me like a bucket of ice.

Alpha Aerion.

Why was he in GreyHound and not RedClaw?

He was the last person I expected to be interviewing me. The one person I had hoped to avoid apart from Marcus.

I felt the blood in my face drain and my pulse quicken. My first thought was to take Ethan and run.

But I reminded myself of the decision I had made. This was for Ethan.

There was no backing out now.

“Thank you,” I managed to say. I kissed Ethan’s forehead and asked him to wait for me until I was back.

As I was led down the hallway I gripped my necklace tightly. It was my lifeline.

I was so nervous. I had not expected the position was to work under the Alpha.

As we entered the office, Aerion’s unmistakable presence filled the room.

Mate! My wolf whined but I shoved her down. He wouldn’t feel our bond. He couldn’t.

He had changed, grown into his role as Alpha. The boyish softness had disappeared, replaced by hard lines and power.

A flood of memories hit me. The night we had shared four years ago that was followed by the public rejection that had eventually sealed my fate. Something I had buried deep under the layers of shame and denial. I had never given myself the chance to think about him.

He looked up from his desk, his piercing gaze locking onto mine and my body was suddenly on high alert.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes, recognition? Curiosity? I had no idea.

Could he see the real me beneath all the lies?

I forced myself to stay calm. I couldn’t let him see through me and let him know who I really was.

I was Arya Black, a mother looking for a fresh start. Nothing more.

“Please, have a seat,” Aerion said, his voice smooth but commanding. I made myself comfortable despite the jitters.

“Thank you,” I replied, hoping my voice was as neutral as possible.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Aerion’s eyes never left me scrutinizing every inch of me. Did he know? Could he tell?

Finally, he spoke. “You seem familiar. Have we met before?”

My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly shook my head. “No, Alpha. I don’t believe we have.”

He leaned back in his chair, still watching me with that questioning stare.

“Is that so?” he murmured, his tone suggesting he wasn’t convinced.

My palms were sweating too much, and my clothes felt a bit too tight.

There was so much tension in the room, and for a second, I thought my carefully constructed facade could fall apart.

I couldn’t afford to get discovered this early so I held my ground meeting his gaze with as much confidence as I could muster.

"Very well,” Aerion finally said, breaking the silence.

“Let’s begin the interview.”

And just like that, the memories of the past that I had tried so hard to run from were staring me in the face.

I forced myself to concentrate as Aerion started the interview, fighting back against the anxiety.

I answered his questions but not too well. I needed to fail the interview. There was no way I was going to work for him or with him. I could sense his gaze on me the entire time, as though he was attempting to peel back all my layers.

“You have an impressive resume, Miss Black,” Aerion remarked, his tone neutral, but there was a hint of something else beneath the surface. Curiosity, suspicion perhaps?

“Tell me, why do you want to work here, in this pack?”

“Why GreyHound? Why now?”

I had expected the question, from a potential boss and not Aerion.

Why indeed? I had asked myself that same question countless times since deciding to return. But I couldn't reveal the real reason since it involved guilt, remorse, and a desperate need to give my son a better life.

“I’m looking for stability,” I replied carefully, keeping my voice steady. “A place where I can build a future for myself and my son. The GreyHound Pack has a strong reputation, and I believe it’s a place where I can make a meaningful contribution.”

Aerion studied me for a long moment. I held my breath, praying he wouldn’t ask more about my past. But instead, he leaned forward slightly, his expression softening just a fraction.

“And your son,” he said, his voice quieter now. “Are you with his father?”

The unexpected question squeezed my heart. This was the only question I wasn't ready for out of all the ones he could have asked. I paused, searching for the perfect words as my mind raced.

“No,” I answered, my voice barely above a whisper.

Aerion's eyes softened even more, and for a split second, I noticed something surprising in his eyes, sympathy? Was he getting the picture?

However, it vanished as fast as it had appeared, to be replaced by the blank mask he had been wearing the entire interview.

“I see,” he stated simply, before sinking back into his chair. He then added after sometime, “We’ll need to run a background check, of course. Standard procedure.”

There was nothing he would find. I had worked with the best and everything about me was going to check out. I was an orphan and my parents' death checked out as well. Kate was a genius like that.

“Of course, Alpha,” I replied, hoping he couldn’t hear the tremor in my voice.

Aerion nodded, his expression unreadable once more. “You’ll hear from us soon. Thank you for coming in today, Miss Black.”

“Thank you for the opportunity,” I said, bowing my head in respect.

I could feel Aerion's eyes on my back as I turned to go, his gaze was nearly too much for me to handle. I managed to maintain my composure as I left the office, but inside, I was shaking.

My thigh, where the soulmate mark was, burned almost painfully. I had never gotten rid of it.

Once outside his office, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I had made it through the interview, but the real challenge was still ahead.

If I got the job could I really pull this off? Could I hide in plain sight, working for the same man who had rejected me, all while keeping Ethan’s true parentage a secret?

Ethan and I left the administrative building, stepping into the afternoon air. I had promised him an ice cream, needing one myself more than he did.

We walked in silence for a few moments, my thoughts racing. I was so lost in them that I barely noticed when Ethan tugged on my hand, pointing excitedly at a newsstand on the corner.

"Mama, look! Pictures!” he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up at the colorful magazines and newspapers on display.

I followed his gaze, my eyes focused on the first page of the local newspaper, GreyHound Sauce .

My breath caught in my throat as I saw the headline, bold and hard to miss.

Alpha Aerion Announces Engagement to Omega Rose

Below the headline was a photograph of Aerion and Rose, standing close together, smiling for the cameras. Rose was glowing, her hand resting on Aerion’s arm as if she belonged there, as if taunting me.

You have to be kidding me!

What kind of sick joke was this?

Ethan pulled on my hand once more, but I was hardly aware of it. All I could see was that photograph and all the memories from before came flooding in.

“Mama?” Ethan’s voice called out small and confused.

I forced myself to look away from the newspaper and blinked. I couldn’t process the news. Rose and Aerion? How had that even happened?

"Let’s go home honey,” I said, taking Ethan’s hand while leading him away from the stand.

I couldn’t believe it.

The only man who I had ever given my body to, the same man who had branded me for life, was now publicly engaged to the very woman who was responsible for shattering my world before.