Jason cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice steady. "So, what's Howard's next move now that we're... free?"

Conner hesitated, his expression darkening. "You mean now that Patty's gone."

The weight of those words hung between them, and Jason nodded slowly. "Yeah, that."

Conner ran a hand through his hair, clearly deep in thought. "Honestly? I have no idea. But this changes everything, doesn’t it?"

Jason’s gaze sharpened as he watched Maya through the shop window, adjusting the collar of some guy's shirt. "She kissed him, and nothing happened," he said, his tone laced with frustration. He didn’t need to clarify who “she” was.

Conner raised an eyebrow, his voice cautious. "Unlike with you? Jace, are you sure there’s no leftover enthrallment in you? Because... well, you sound kinda jealous."

Jason scoffed, his fingers tightening around his phone. "Don’t be an idiot. I’m here for the job, that’s it. I’m just saying, now that Patty’s not here, Howard might... I don’t know... think the circumstances have changed. Maybe... Never mind. We’ll deal with it when we have to."

But even as he said the words, his eyes were glued to the guy who made Maya laugh, a flare of anger and jealousy twisting in his gut. He knew he was lying to Conner—and to himself.

The truth was, there was still a trace of that enthrallment in him, just enough to make him hyper-aware of the Firstborn. And he knew—without a doubt—that Harper Lang wasn’t the Firstborn. It was Maya Burns. The realization had been gnawing at him for weeks, and the guilt of betraying his Coven, of keeping this secret from Howard, was suffocating.

Conner was right about one thing: the Firstborn was dangerous. A female Firstborn James could completely bewitch other witches, bind them to her will forever. Jason should be reporting this, should be warning his Coven, but something inside him—a part of him he didn’t fully understand—was compelling him to protect her, to keep her hidden from them, from Howard.

His parents would lose their minds if they knew he was turning his back on the Coven like this.

"Just... be careful, okay?" Conner's voice broke through his thoughts, reminding Jason that he was still on the line.

"Yeah," Jason replied, his gaze still fixed on Maya. "You too." With that, he hung up and shoved his phone into his pocket, taking a deep breath before walking back into the shop.

Inside, the guy was rolling his eyes at something Maya said, both of them engrossed in decorating a card. Jason felt a flicker of annoyance as he approached them.

"Turner does stuff like this for you?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light as he eyed the glittery heart stickers Maya was applying to the card.

Maya looked up, blinking as if she’d forgotten about the world outside of her little bubble. "Huh?"

"Sam Turner? You know, all leather and attitude?" The guy—Steve, Jason remembered—waggled his eyebrows at Maya. "Your boyfriend?"

For a split second, Maya seemed completely lost, and then her eyes widened in realization. "Oh, right. Yeah."

Steve snorted. "What? Forgot you had a boyfriend? You player."

Jason shoved his hands into his leather jacket, trying to ignore the twist of emotions in his chest. Turner was dating Maya? How had he missed that?

Maya must have felt his presence because she turned towards him, a bright smile lighting up her face. "Hey, I thought you’d left."

"Just had to take a call," Jason replied, forcing a casual tone.

Steve glanced between them, muttering something about Turner needing to up his game, and then slid the card across the counter to Maya. "So, you’ll have it ready by tomorrow?"

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Will you have a gift for her by tonight? I heard her telling Charity about this golden necklace with her name on it at the Metropolis mall."

Steve groaned. "She stops and looks at it every time we’re there."

"Then that’s your answer," Maya said with a grin. "Get her that necklace, and with this card, everything will be perfect."

"If it is, I’ll tip you!" Steve declared before heading for the door, nodding at Jason as he left.

Jason watched him go, then turned back to Maya. "Classmate?"

"And friend," Maya confirmed, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "His girlfriend is kind of high-maintenance, and he’s completely clueless."

Jason couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips as he moved closer, feeling that undeniable pull between them.

Maya licked her lips, her pupils dilating slightly as if she felt it too.

He’d noticed it before, the way she reacted when he was near, like she was drawn to him even though she didn’t understand why. Howard insisted it was all part of her power, that she was manipulating him without even knowing it. But Jason wasn’t so sure. There was something so... genuine about her, something that made him want to believe she had no idea who she was or what she’d done to him.

"I’ve been thinking about our little arrangement," Jason said, leaning casually against the counter. "Maybe we could set up a standing order for daily, fresh-cut flowers to be delivered to the manor. Different kinds every day. Surprise me."

Maya tilted her head, clearly intrigued. "How many are we talking about?"

"Fifty vases." He threw out a random number.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Fifty?"

"Too little?" he teased, a smirk playing on his lips. "How about a hundred?"

Maya’s mouth opened and closed, her shock evident as she tried to process the order. "A hundred," she finally repeated, her voice cracking slightly.

Jason chuckled softly, unable to resist her charm. She was just too damn cute for her own good.

"I don’t know if we have enough flowers to cover an order that big," she admitted, leaning closer over the counter, their faces just inches apart. She whispered, almost as if afraid someone might overhear, "But I’ll do my best."

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Jason’s grin widened, his gaze locked on hers.

The moonlight barely broke through the dense canopy of the woods as Gale emerged from the shadows, wrapping her fur cloak tightly around her shoulders. She looked at Gabe, standing rigid in the darkness. "I see you don’t have a gun. So, I guess you’re not here to kill me tonight."

Gabe’s voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. "You attacked Maya. You must have known I’d retaliate."

Gale met his gaze, unflinching. "I was trying to protect her, Gabe. She’s James blood. Did you think I’d just sit back and do nothing?"

"You call attacking her protection?" Gabe snapped, his fists clenching.

"I was trying to awaken her dark magic," Gale replied, her tone sharp. "I didn’t realize it was already active."

Gabe looked away, his jaw tight.

Gale sighed, stepping closer. "If you’re here, then you know as well as I do—Austen’s dead."

Gabe’s face twisted with grief, a muscle in his cheek twitching.

Gale gazed up at the sky, her expression softening. "I know you loved him, Gabe."

"And you didn’t?" he shot back, his voice laced with bitterness.

Gale shrugged, her tone icy. "Once, maybe. Until I found out he planned to kill me—and every other witch without James blood. He was going to use our daughter as a tool." Her fists clenched, her eyes blazing with fury. "He bartered her away before she was even born, like some kind of possession, to the highest bidder!" Her voice shook with anger. "She belongs to the Allen Coven, Gabe. By blood oath!"

Gabe flinched, his eyes dropping to the ground. "They don’t know."

"The hell they don’t." Gale sneered, shaking her head in disgust. "They’re here, Gabe. In Harvest Grove. They know."

His eyes closed briefly, the truth sinking in. "I could take her away. Hide her."

"That won’t help," Gale said, her voice softening with a hint of sadness. "It’s too late. They know the Firstborn is here, and they probably already suspect it’s her." Gale studied the man she’d once loved, the man who had raised her daughter. "You’ve protected her, even when I couldn’t. I know you did it out of love for Austen, but I thank you."

Gabe remained silent, his expression unreadable.

"But you know you can’t do this alone," Gale continued, her voice firm. "Maya needs my help."

"You can’t just waltz back in here like you didn’t abandon her," Gabe protested, his voice rough with emotion.

"That’s exactly what I plan to do," Gale said, her chin lifting in defiance. "You can’t protect her from the Coven anymore. It’s too late for that. What she needs now is to learn how to use her abilities to her advantage." Gale’s lips curled into a sly smile. "If she’s anything like her father, she’ll have the natural instinct to manipulate the situation to her benefit."

Gabe frowned, clearly torn, but he couldn’t deny the truth in her words.

Maya needed her mother.

Gale’s smile widened, a spark of determination in her eyes. "Mama’s home."

The Skype connection was grainy, the screen flickering slightly as Conner’s guilt-ridden face appeared. "I feel like I’m betraying Jace," he admitted, his voice heavy with uncertainty. "But something’s off with him. I’m worried... worried he’s been compromised."

Howard’s fingers drummed rhythmically on the desk as he considered the man’s words. "I know Jason still has some enthrallment in him," he replied slowly, his tone measured. "It was strengthened when the Firstborn kissed him again at the high school."

"Then why isn’t he in isolation until it’s completely gone?" Conner asked, his voice tinged with worry.

"Because it’ll fade naturally as long as there’s no more kissing," Howard explained, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Besides, with this connection between Jason and the Firstborn, I might be able to confirm my suspicions about her identity."

"So you’re using him," Conner muttered, his disapproval evident.

Howard’s lips twitched into a small smile. "This is dangerous, Howard," Conner continued, his tone growing more urgent. "A female Firstborn James can completely bewitch—"

"Jason will be fine," Howard interrupted, his voice firm. "The Firstborn is clearly untrained, and that makes her... intriguing. If she can do what she’s done instinctively, imagine what she could accomplish once she’s been taught." His eyes gleamed with ambition. "Jason is being useful, and I know that if his mind were clear, he’d do this freely."

Conner’s silence was heavy before he cleared his throat, his voice strained. "How do you plan on proceeding once ownership of the Firstborn is secured?"

Howard’s gaze sharpened as he leaned forward. "Now that there’s a vacancy in the Coven, we could bind it with her. If she’s bound to one of us, her power won’t become an addiction as her father’s was to our parents."

Conner’s eyes narrowed. "We promised never to re-bind the Coven if one of ours died."

"We never considered that the Firstborn would be a girl," Howard replied evenly, his expression unreadable. "The James bloodline has been cursed with male heirs for centuries. She’s the first female in a very long time. Our parents didn’t account for that... and neither did we."

Conner looked away, his gaze distant as he processed Howard’s words, a storm of emotions swirling within him.

Angelo leaned back in the driver’s seat, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel as he eyed Maya. "So, is this gonna be a thing?"

Maya blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you and Turner," Angelo clarified, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. "I walked in on you two, and I gotta say, there was some serious UST."

Maya scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don’t be ridiculous."

"But seriously," Angelo persisted, his expression earnest. "You think he could be into you?"

Maya hesitated, biting her bottom lip. "It’s not out of the realm of possibility," she admitted, her voice laced with uncertainty.

Angelo shrugged, his tone light. "Well, you’re not horrendous or anything."

Maya gasped, swatting his shoulder playfully. "Gee, thanks for the confidence boost."

Angelo chuckled, shaking his head. "I’m just saying, Dawson won’t approve."

"Dawson never approves," Maya sighed, leaning back in her seat.

Angelo snorted, amused by her response, but then his expression turned serious. "Just be careful, okay? There’s something off about Turner. And Allen."

Maya’s smile faltered, and she nodded slowly. "If something’s up, I’ll have you to protect me, right?"

Angelo scoffed, his tone teasing. "No way! If you get into trouble with those two, you’re on your own! I warned you, and other than saying 'I told you so,' I’m not getting involved."

Maya shook her head, knowing full well that Angelo would never abandon her if things got rough. They had a bond, a pact that went beyond mere friendship.

"I wouldn’t want you to get hurt anyway," Maya said with a shrug, turning to grab the door handle.

"Hey, I could totally hold my own against them!" Angelo protested, his voice indignant.

"Sure you can, darling," Maya teased as she slipped out of the truck, closing the door behind her.

Angelo leaned out of the passenger window, glaring playfully at her. "I could so totally kick both their asses."

Maya blew him a kiss, laughing as she waved her fingers in mock farewell before heading towards her house. She fished her key out of her bag, glancing back at Angelo as he started the engine and drove off.

Once inside, Maya locked the door behind her and stretched, calling out, "Dad? I’m home!"

Her father’s voice echoed from the living room, an odd note of tension in it. "Honey, can you come in here for a second?"

Maya frowned, sensing something was off. "If this is about me being a little late while still technically grounded, I—"

She froze as she stepped into the living room, her breath catching in her throat.

Her father stood by the fireplace, his body tense despite the forced smile on his face. The smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

And sitting on the sofa, as if she belonged there, was Gale Burns, her mother. The woman who had abandoned her years ago without a word of explanation.

Gale stood slowly, clasping her hands in front of her, her eyes fixed on Maya. "Hello, Maya."

Maya’s bag slipped from her fingers, the sound reverberating through the silent room. Her heart pounded in her chest as a thousand emotions surged within her—fear, anger, confusion.

She felt like a lamb corralled by a wolf, except the wolf was her mother. The mother who had left her to grow up alone, who had attacked her in wolf form, and who was now standing here, acting like everything was fine.

Maya’s hand instinctively went to her neck, her fingers brushing over the faint scars left by Gale’s bite. The memory of that night flashed through her mind, and she took a step back, her eyes wide with fear.

Gale’s gaze softened, and she sighed. "That was my attempt to awaken a part of you I thought was still dormant. A part that you’ll need to protect yourself now that things are in motion."

Maya’s eyes flicked to her father, searching for some kind of explanation, but all she found was the same tense, unreadable expression.

"He knows," Gale said quietly, her voice breaking the silence. "Your father knows everything—about the Coven, about me being a wolf-shifter, and about our little... altercation."

Maya’s heart skipped a beat, her mind struggling to process the flood of information.

"He tried to kill me for it," Gale added, her smile twisted with something that might have been pride.

Maya’s gaze snapped back to her father, shock and betrayal warring within her. "Daddy?" she whispered, her voice trembling.