Maya immediately stepped between them, her hands up, her voice trembling.
"Please, Alpha Logan… don’t. Just breathe, okay? Please."
Logan’s nostrils flared. His fists clenched like he was ready to throw Elder James through the goddamn wall. But Maya’s voice? It reined him in, just barely.
Elder James scoffed and stared at her like she’d grown a second head. “Why the hell are you defending him like you've known him forever?”
Maya swallowed hard. Her lips parted, but no words came. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as her gaze shifted between both men.
Before she could even think of an answer, a voice cut through the tension like a knife.
“Dad.”
The three of them turned toward the doorway.
Gaia.
She stood there, her arms folded, trying to look composed but failing. Her eyes were wide,
