Maya woke up with a smile on her face. Today was her 18th birthday, and she could hardly wait to start her day. The sun peeked through her curtains, painting her room with golden light.
"Maya! Breakfast is ready!" her mom called from downstairs.
Maya jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed in her training clothes - dark pants and a comfortable shirt. She tied her long brown hair into a tight ponytail and rushed downstairs.
In the kitchen, her parents and younger sister Serena waited with big smiles.
"Happy birthday!" they shouted together.
Mom placed a plate of Maya's favorite breakfast in front of her - pancakes with berries picked from the forest. Dad handed her a small wooden box.
"This belonged to your grandmother," he said, his eyes shining with pride. "She was one of our pack's strongest warriors."
Maya opened the box with shaky hands. Inside was a beautiful silver bracelet with a wolf charm. She gasped and slipped it onto her wrist.
"It's perfect," she whispered.
Serena bounced in her seat. "Now you're officially grown up! Will you find your mate soon?"
Maya made a face. "I'm not worried about finding a mate. I want to be a warrior first."
Dad nodded with understanding. "You'll be the best warrior this pack has seen in years."
After breakfast, Maya raced to the training grounds. Today was special - not just because of her birthday, but because warriors who turned 18 got to train with the elite fighters.
The training grounds were a large clearing surrounded by tall pine trees. Other young wolves were already practicing fighting moves, some in human form and others as wolves.
"Maya!" A familiar voice called out.
Caleb, her best friend since childhood, jogged toward her with a wrapped package. His sandy blonde hair flopped over his forehead as he grinned.
"Happy birthday!" He handed her the gift. "Open it!"
Maya tore off the paper and found a beautiful leather armband with the pack symbol carved into it.
"Caleb, this is amazing!" She hugged him tight.
"Only the best for my favorite wolf," he said, his cheeks turning pink. "Ready for elite training?"
"Born ready," Maya replied with a confident smile.
They joined the other trainees in the center of the grounds. The head warrior, a stern-faced woman named Helen, lined them up.
"Today we'll test your fighting skills," Helen announced. "Maya, since it's your birthday, you'll go first."
Maya's heart beat faster as she stepped forward. This was her chance to show everyone what she could do. She had trained for years for moments like this.
"Who wants to challenge our birthday girl?" Helen asked.
Several hands shot up, but Helen picked a tall boy named Rex. He was strong but slow - Maya had watched him train before.
Rex grinned. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."
Maya's eyes narrowed. "Don't bother."
When Helen gave the signal, Rex lunged forward. Maya waited until the last second, then spun away. Rex stumbled past her. Before he could recover, Maya swept her leg under his feet, sending him crashing to the ground.
The other trainees cheered. Maya helped Rex up with a smile.
"Good move," he admitted.
Helen nodded with approval. "Well done, Maya. Your speed is impressive."
After training, Maya and Caleb walked toward the pack's main grounds, where there would be a small celebration for her birthday. Many pack members stopped to wish her well.
"You were amazing today," Caleb said, bumping his shoulder against hers. "I bet you'll be named a full warrior before anyone else in our group."
Maya smiled but before she could answer, she heard crying. She stopped, her wolf senses picking up the sound clearly.
"Do you hear that?" she asked Caleb.
They followed the sound behind a storage building. A small boy about Serena's age sat on the ground, tears streaming down his face. Two older boys stood over him, laughing.
"What's going on here?" Maya demanded, stepping forward.
The older boys turned. One of them, a stocky kid named Peter, smirked.
"None of your business, Maya. We're just teaching Tim here about pack order."
Tim looked up with fear in his eyes. His shirt was torn and dirt smudged his face.
Hot anger flashed through Maya. "Two against one isn't pack order. It's being a bully."
"What are you going to do about it?" the other boy challenged.
Maya stepped closer, her eyes flashing with anger. "I'll show you exactly what I'll do about it."
The boys must have seen something dangerous in her expression because they backed up.
"Whatever. The runt isn't worth our time anyway," Peter muttered. They slunk away, shooting dirty looks over their shoulders.
Maya knelt beside Tim and helped him up. "Are you okay?"
He nodded, wiping away tears. "They do that a lot. They say I'm too weak to be in this pack."
"That's not true," Maya said firmly. "Strong wolves protect others, they don't hurt them."
Tim gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Maya. Everyone says you'll be the best warrior in the pack someday."
Maya walked him home, making sure he was safe. By the time she and Caleb reached the main grounds, her parents had set up a small party with food and drinks. Many pack members gathered to celebrate.
"There's our birthday girl!" Mom called out, waving.
Maya joined the celebration, enjoying the attention and gifts. Several of the pack elders came to wish her well, which was a great honor.
As the sun began to set, Alpha Marcus himself arrived with his wife, Luna Evelyn. Everyone bowed their heads in respect.
"Maya," Alpha Marcus said in his deep voice. "I hear you showed exceptional skill in training today."
"Thank you, Alpha," Maya replied, surprised he knew about her training session.
Luna Evelyn smiled warmly. "Happy birthday, dear. Eighteen is a special age for our kind."
"Indeed," Alpha Marcus agreed. "The age when many find their mate bonds."
Maya shifted uncomfortably. "I'm focused on becoming a warrior right now, Alpha."
Alpha Marcus exchanged a strange look with his wife. "Sometimes fate has other plans for us. Speaking of which, my son Liam will be returning from his journey tomorrow."
Maya tried not to make a face. Everyone knew about Liam, the alpha's son. He was strong but used his strength to push others around. Maya had stood up to him several times before he left for his training journey six months ago.
"That's... good news," Maya said, not meaning it.
As Alpha Marcus moved on to speak with her parents, Caleb whispered, "Great, the pack's biggest bully is coming back."
"I can handle Liam," Maya said confidently.
The celebration continued until night fell. As Maya was helping clean up, Luna Evelyn approached her again.
"Maya, dear, could I speak with you privately?"
Curious, Maya followed the alpha's wife away from the crowd.
Luna Evelyn's kind face turned serious. "I wanted to warn you about something. Now that you're eighteen, things may change quickly for you."
"What do you mean?" Maya asked.
"When young wolves turn eighteen, mate bonds can form unexpectedly. When my son returns tomorrow..." Luna Evelyn hesitated.
Maya's stomach dropped. "What about your son?"
Before Luna could answer, they heard Alpha Marcus calling for his wife.
"I must go," Luna said. "Just... be prepared for anything tomorrow."
As Luna hurried away, Maya stood frozen. What was Luna trying to tell her? Why mention Liam? A chill ran down Maya's spine despite the warm evening.
The silver bracelet on her wrist suddenly felt heavy. Tomorrow, Liam would return to the pack. The same Liam who had made others miserable with his bullying. The same Liam whose arrogant smile made Maya's blood boil.
But now, something in Luna's warning made Maya feel uneasy. What did Luna mean about being prepared? What was going to happen tomorrow?
As the moon rose high in the night sky, Maya couldn't shake the feeling that her life was about to change forever.