Maya: Promised, #1

By Nanáh Zoti

Maya Pyjeve thought she would be safe in São Paulo. A successful photographer, she knows she is challenging the teachings of her people and the will of the gods by trying to choose her own path. Maya thinks she is doing well, but then the goddess Selene decides to place a mysterious stranger in her path, with intense honey-colored eyes who seems determined to torment her.

Apollo Ujk, the alpha of his people, does not expect to find his lifelong mate on a nighttime hunt in São Paulo. He could not have received a better present. Unfortunately, his companion does not feel the same.

To vanquish their enemies, the two will have to learn to put their differences aside and join forces, or watch their world end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Nov 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781071576410

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Copyright © 2020 by Nanáh Zoti All rights reserved. This e-book or any part of it may not be reproduced or used in any way without the express written permission of the author or publisher, except for the use of brief citations in a review of the e-book. First edition, 2020.

ASIN: B085XHQSFR

Synopsis

Maya Pyjeve thought she would be safe in São Paulo. A successful photographer, she knew she was challenging the teachings of her people and the will of the gods by trying to follow her own path. Maya thought she was doing fine, until the goddess Selene decided to play a trick on her and put a mysterious stranger in her path, someone with intense brown eyes who seemed bent on tormenting her.

Apollo Ujk, the alpha of his people, didn’t expect to find his lifelong promised one while on a nighttime hunt through São Paulo; he could not have received a better present. Unfortunately, his companion did not feel the same way.

To overcome their enemies, the two will have to learn to put their differences aside and join forces, or see the world as they know it perish.

Author’s Note

Anyone who read Maya when the book was still called Promised, will notice the difference, and anyone who has recently read the book on wattpad and luvbook, will also see the difference.

It has been six years since I sat down to write the first chapter, and finally the book is how I want it to be.

Enjoy!

Prologue

In those days, devotion to the gods was recompensed with prosperity.

There were kingdoms that worshipped Cronus, the god of agriculture, whose harvests were successful. Others made offerings to Ares, the god of war, or Dionysus, the god of wine. But Arcadia was dedicated to Zeus.

The king of Arcadia had built a temple in the heart of the city, and it was there that he offered gifts and made sacrifices to the gods. Children were burned alive, poor women were mutilated, and prisoners had their organs cut off, all right there on the altar.

Oracles were sent to alert King Lycaon about Zeus’ dissatisfaction with this paramount cruelty, but the king of Arcadia would not listen to any advice.

So Zeus left Olympus, determined to give the king one last chance, and went to Arcadia to visit the temple that had been built for him. Some inhabitants, who continued to follow the correct path of the gods, saw in their dreams that the great lord of the heavens was going to visit them and tried to alert King Lycaon, but once again he ignored all advice. And then Zeus arrived. Disguised as a peasant, he asked the king for hospitality, but the king remembered what his people had said and distrusted this man who walked and talked like a noble.

The days passed, parties were thrown for the man, there were visits to the temple, and many virgins were given to the peasant as gifts, but he never revealed his true identity.

The king grew increasingly impatient as the time of the humble peasant’s time to depart grew nearer, so in a last effort he ordered a great banquet to be prepared. The best chefs were hired, the best seasonings used, and many servants spent hours polishing the best utensils of silver and gold, while others decorated the banquet hall.

On the night of the banquet, as the plates were being served, the peasant’s expression became grim, and he got angrier and angrier with every minute that passed, because the king’s own children were being served to him as food. When the main course arrived it was the queen herself who put the dish down in front of him.

Are you sure this is what you want to serve me? the peasant asked, and the king laughed.

Help yourself, noble gentleman!

Are you prepared for what will happen as soon as I pick up this silverware?

Help yourself, noble gentleman! the king said for the second time, and nodding his head sorrowfully, Zeus showed his true self, right there in front of everyone.

Woman, do you know what is on the plate you put in front of me?! he asked the queen, who had kneeled down with many others in the banquet hall.

Meat from our best stag, great Zeus, she responded fearfully.

Lycaon, what is on the plate you ordered to be served to me? Zeus asked the king, who laughed happily at the visit from his god.

Meat from the unfaithful, great Zeus! He lifted his arms, moving towards the lord of the heavens. They were slaughtered this morning, all of the prisoners in the palace who were going to be burned in your temple were used in this glorious banquet.

Zeus, who had not touched any of the plates that had been served to him, was even more infuriated by the king’s confession, who had gone back to killing innocents in the most dishonorable way possible. And to punish the terribly decay of Lycaon and his children, he passed sentence the king and the princes.

The full moon witnessed the scene of the king and his children prostrating themselves on the floor, screaming in terror when their skin fell off, giving way to thick coats of fur, and then claws grew out of the ends of their fingers and toes. The others eating at Lycaon’s banquet, were also transformed, but it was easy to differentiate the guilty from the innocent.

The innocent were turned into huge wolves with four legs and soft fur, while the guilty were transformed into beasts with bristly hair that walked on two legs and spoke in hissing snake-like voices. The innocent were allowed to continue living in Arcadia in their new forms, while King Lycaon and his children were condemned to wander in darkness, thrown on the mercy of destiny, and abandoned by the gods.

Centuries passed while the curse was passed down from father to son. But Lycaon never forgot the humiliation, and in someplace far away from everyone, he awaits the day when he can return to power and take control from his descendants and the inhabitants of Arcadia.

Chapter 1

Maya Pyjeve

We need to talk.

That simple text message was enough to leave me distracted the entire day. And the gods know that I cannot be distracted right now. After working for years, getting the contract to photograph the campaign of a famous fashion brand, this was the high point of my career. But that damn text message was not letting me do things like I should.

Why that face, sexy? I forced myself to pay attention to Matheus beside me, who placed his empty lunch aside, before leaning forward and taking a drink of water from the bottle that was at his feet.

Remind me to never again let you choose lunch. I squinted my eyes. At 5’10", big muscles and defined abs, my best friend was just a bit obsessed with my food.

I looked around at the tents, equipment, golf carts, chairs and half the team, everyone splayed out somewhere taking a lunch break.

Ibirapuera, with its acres of lush vegetation, flowers and fresh breeze was perfect for the shoot.

Spending the day surrounded by half-nude models, spotlights and haute couture had been my dream for a long time, but today, no matter how hard I tried to concentrate, my head was somewhere else.

I stood up, leaving my own lunch untouched on the chair. 

Okay everyone! I clapped my hands, getting everyone’s attention. Thanks to this guy here, I pointed at Matheus, who stuck his tongue out at me, lunch is over. Come on, I want to take advantage of the natural light. 

Damn it Matheus! Julia sighed, and stood up as well. She was one of the models I had chosen for the campaign. With gorgeous black hair, her white smile contrasted beautifully with her dark skin. The girl was stunning, and even when she wasn’t there she stood out from the others because of her strong personality. Salad again?

I felt my cell phone vibrate in my purse and I grabbed it to see who was calling me while the models kept talking.

Tonight. No matter what.

The second message only left me more preoccupied as the day went on and I took photographs. Lucky for me, photographing had become natural for me a long time ago, so asking for different positions, exploring angles and taking advantage of the light in just the right way did not require much of my concentration.

At the end of the day my entire body was tense, when the lush park, full of trees and life, put me on autopilot. The sound of the insects, the smell of the earth, the stars twinkling in the dark sky... Everything made me remember a time when I was free. And looking at the telephone where there was a second message made me remember that I was no longer quite so free. Pietro was not known for his patience, and I wasn’t the type of person who others would miss if he decided to get rid of me.

With a sigh I gathered my forces, clenched my sweaty hands into a fist, and ignored the chill that went up my spine while my gums tingled. This morning I hadn’t been quite so worried, but at night things were worse, the temptation was greater, so I needed to get out of there.

I think we’ve got everything, people, I said, stretching my neck and looking at everyone standing in front of me. Just a little longer... The photos look great. I’m going to choose the best ones and send them to the client by Monday.

They applauded enthusiastically.

Thank you everyone, it was really awesome working with you. After the jitters had passed, of course. And to celebrate the end of the campaign, in addition to thanking you for all your hard work, the brand is offering VIP tickets and an open bar at Poseidon tonight!

Poseidon was the best dance club in São Paulo, and many there – including me – still hadn’t been to the new hot spot.

This time the applause was accompanied by shouts and whistles.

Thanks to the magic words open bar, things were disassembled quickly and taken away very efficiently.

Only after supervising everything did I feel relief as well.

We’ve finished, Miss Maya, Raimundo said, when the last truck had left.

I’m going to put your name and your wife’s on the guest list at Poseidon, I said, grasping his hand and ignoring the rigidity in my muscles that was worsening with every minute. Please go, you deserve it. We worked hard this week...

His face turned red and he passed his hands over his short hair.

I’m too old for late nights. He shrugged his shoulders. I’m just going to go home, take a shower... eat dinner and spend the rest of the evening with my wife.

If you change your mind, both of your names will be there. I knew he wouldn’t accept, but regardless of his response he was part of the team too and was invited.

Good night, Miss Maya, he said and walked away towards the parking lot.

Good night, Raimundo.

Chapter 2

Maya Pyjeve

The good news is that I managed to get to the car without losing control. The bad news is that as soon as I closed the driver’s side door, I tasted blood.

Transformation is not always a painful process, but when you don’t do it frequently it’s another story. My fangs ripped a passage through my gums, filling my mouth with blood that I swallowed with a groan. When you are what I am, living in a big city is not convenient. There are many drawbacks, and that is why I decided to hide in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, instead of anywhere else.

No one would ever look for me here. 

Unfortunately my hiding place wasn’t free, and if I wanted to remain in the city I would have to continue to be Pietro’s little dog. Running to her master with her tail between her legs any time he called.

I breathed deeply before I started the car, then drove as quickly as I could to Parque Villa-Lobos.

I tried to avoid the worst of the traffic, cutting through neighborhoods until I returned to the main avenues. My eyes kept straying from the road to my cell phone on the passenger’s seat, waiting for the third message, which did not come.  

The cell phone rang when I had parked at the entrance to the park.

Maya, darling. The voice on the other end of the line caused another shiver to run up my spine. It’s already dark and you are still not here to grace me with your company.

Every city has its leader. São Paulo has Pietro, and he is just as pitiless as his territory.

I’m right here in front, Mr. Golveia. I got out of the car, closing the driver’s side door behind me before pushing the alarm button and taking long steps to the horizontal row of turnstiles at the park’s entrance.

Great. The false friendly voice of Pietro disappeared before I heard the beep-beep of the disconnected call.

Whatever had happened was serious enough for him to throw his false politeness to the winds. I clenched my teeth and kept walking, avoiding the few people who were still enjoying the trails in Parque Villa-Lobos at that time.

I still felt the point of my fangs with the tip of my tongue as I approached the entry of the headquarters of Clan Golveia, which was underground beneath the park, and only when I saw the group of men gathered a few meters from the main trail did I slow down and back away from them.

Arriving in the middle of a band of vampires with fangs showing was not a friendly move.

Good evening, gentlemen. I forced a smile as several pairs of red eyes turned to observe me.

The men were dressed in different clothing, but everything was black. Maybe it was something Pietro required, or maybe it was just a bizarre version of on Wednesdays we wear pink. In any case, it wasn’t something I was going to comment on.

Milord awaits you. One of them, the tallest, spoke and those who were around him moved away enough so that I could walk through the dry leaves and approach the vampire who had spoken.

The path through the trees was dark, but I could clearly discern every dry leaf and branch on the ground. The noise of nocturnal animals was non-existent, since the sound of screams farther in front had covered up the other sounds.

The trail opened up into a clearing, where more of them were gathered. There were ten, all dressed in black, except the one who was in the middle wearing a white suit. Looking down, I saw the source of the screams and balled my hands into fists, recognizing by the smell of the damp earth what had been the owner of the body on the ground.

Maya, darling. Pietro, with his white hair, wrinkled skin and curved back, was the oldest of them. He smiled as soon as he saw me.

Mr. Golveia. I nodded by way of greeting, ignoring one of Pietro’s guards as he bent down and ripped the head off the man on the ground with a wet sound, before throwing it at my feet.

Do you know him? he asked, pointing to the head at my feet. I swallowed dryly before bending over to look at what remained of the dark-haired man with yellow eyes.

No, sir, I looked back at Pietro, not showing any reaction. I could not show anything. Vampires sniff out fear, as if it were some type of exotic aphrodisiac that they enjoyed.

Are you sure? I nodded. Despite having some things in common, I really did not know the deceased. Well, darling. Pietro took a handkerchief out of the pocket of the white suit he was wearing and wiped his hands. That was the urgent matter that I wanted to discuss with you. He forced a smile, but I couldn’t help but shudder when I saw his red-stained teeth.

Pietro had not just killed the man; he had dismembered and then fed off of him.

My city is infested with wolves, Maya. I swallowed again as he crossed his arms. Do you have any idea why this might be?

If he, the leader didn’t know, then how on earth would I know?

Chapter 3

Maya Pyjeve

Pietro walked towards me staring, so I returned the favor, with my chin up and expression neutral.

No, I answered, returning his look until he assented, satisfied.

I asked for one of my guards to find out about inconvenient visitors. He put the handkerchief away, now bloodied, before smiling at me. As if I would believe in his friendliness for one second, plus if I stretched my leg out I would touch a decapitated head with the top of my tennis shoe. And they assure me that the wolves are not from your former pack.

I assented calmly, although I didn’t feel at all calm.

News flies among wolves, regardless of whether or not they were from my old pack. If they discovered me it would only be a matter of time before they reported me to my former alpha.

But I’m still a bit uncomfortable with the fact that I myself discovered that this band of dogs is here, and that my dear friend said nothing to me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw several of the guards take a few steps towards me until they surrounded me.

I would have contacted you if I had known. I turned my back on them, paying attention again to Pietro.

Your disgusting species is running around here as if they owned the territory and you say you didn’t know? One of the guards said, and I clenched my teeth.

I’m mixed blood, I responded, without looking away from Pietro’s eyes. And since the time I left the pack, I haven’t had any more contact with wolves. Not even my own family, incidentally.

And that is the only reason you are still alive, Maya, Pietro said, interrupting whatever it was the guard was saying to me. You’ve been loyal for ten years, you never caused me problems...

Thanks, I forced a smile and he nodded.

I want them out of here, he said. I forced myself not to roll my eyes. Sending the decapitated head, or maybe just an arm to the wolves would be more apt to chase them away than me, a hybrid just four feet nine inches tall. 

Yes, sir, I answered, like a perfect little exemplary dog. Gods I hated this.

I’ll send Ivo to help you. So many people following you around here, Pietro... Did he have to send my ex to help? Really? Just in case they refuse to do what is right. Pietro turned away, clearly dismissing me, and he walked away with his guards.

I knew I should look at the bright side of things; after all, I came out of this encounter with all my limbs in place. But the fatigue did not let me see that at all.

I knelt down beside the head, carefully touching the man’s dark hair. Somewhere out there someone would be missing him. His girlfriend? Parents? Friends?

Our world was cruel and very few managed to survive. 

May the gods take your soul. I touched his forehead, which was already starting to get cold, then I stood up and walked away without looking back.

I returned to the forest, taking one of the paved trails inside the park, which was now empty. The conversation had lasted a lot longer than I had expected, but this saved me from having to maintain appearances as I ran out of the closed park.

I reached one of the railings that bounded the area, and after looking around to make sure there was no one close by, I flexed my knees and jumped over the nine-foot fence, landing on the sidewalk on the other side.

The area surrounding the park did not see much activity during the day, and at night it looked like a sinister desert, full of shadows and with little illumination, which helped me walk to my car without calling any attention to myself.

I turned off the alarm and got into the car, slamming the door behind me. My cell phone was vibrating on the passenger seat, and picking it up with my cold hands I saw