***Auri’s POV***
At some point, Max picked me up from the ground. He carried me into the house and held me in his arms as I cried. I buried my face in his chest. All this time I had fought. I had tried to survive. Only to watch my mate, my Logan, walk away from me. I knew it was a possibility. That he had moved on and what did I expect? I literally asked him to. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
Everything I was feeling was just my own heart though. I didn’t smell my mate. Didn’t hear him in my mind. The slight shock I would feel when touching him went away after the first few timess. I was cut off from everything that made me a werewolf. I honestly couldn’t imagine myself removing these shackles. After what I had been through, I questioned whether I was even a werewolf anymore. If I deserved Kai anymore. Weeks into my torture I decided I wasn’t. Decided that I would never take these silver reminders off. It burrowed deep in my subconscious that now
“Come on Auri, you’re faster than this!” I was drenched in sweat and breathing heavy. Morgan was chastising me. Growling, I rushed forward, swinging quickly with the two wood swords in my hands. Morgan easily blocked them with his one, but I spun around and brought my foot up, a kick aimed at his side. He blocked it too but it did push him a little. Smiling, I flipped the sword in my hand and hit Morgan in the stomach with the butt of the blade. But the sweet feeling didn’t last long as his hand grabbed my wrist as he was doubled over. He pulled me towards him and threw me down. I growled, feeling the side of his sword against my cheek. “You got lucky. You’re still too slow.” Morgan got off me and I jumped up. “I’m not a vampire, Morgan. I’m not ever going to be as fast as you.” I downed some water on the table. “You’re wrong. You train yourself, you can absolutely be as fast. But you think too much.” “I have to think! Think of where y
“Auri! Dinner is ready!” Max called down from the bottom floor. I was curled up in the window seat of my room. I hadn’t gone downstairs. Morgan even had to come up to say goodbye. He had given me some books in brail and said that if I didn’t want to talk to him, I didn’t have to. But he had left hours ago. Now it was just Max and I. There was a knock on my door but I ignored it. Running my fingers over the words. It had taken some time to adjust but I was back to reading at my normal speed. This book was impossibly fantasy. Getting just about every race incorrect. A far away place, with make believe problems and make believe solutions. The door opened slowly and Max stood in the door. “Auri, you need to eat.” I refused to acknowledge him. Mostly to stop the blush from creeping its way back onto my face. “Now Auri. I won’t ask again.” This time I glared at him. I slammed my book shut and put it on the seat. Swinging my legs off and jump
I screamed as Max launched me into the pool. I hit the water and quickly swam up, gasping for breath. I heard him jump in after and then it became too quiet. I started swimming towards the edge when Max came up under my legs, launching me again into the middle of the pool. I laughed as I hit the water.“Max!” I yelled as I broke the surface again.He was laughing and started to swim over to me.“Some of us have to breathe!”I felt his arms snake around my waist and pulled me close. I wrapped my legs around him and he turned, pushing me up against the wall of the pool.“Is this why vampires don’t date werewolves? You have to breathe?” Max’s lips crashed against mine in a passionate fever. His body was pressed against mine, leaving no room for even the water to settle between us. I kissed him back, my hands grabbing his wet hair. Pulling it back,
“No Auri.” Morgan’s voice was firm.“This isn’t just you though. If its a year or two, I can train. Be better. I can…”Morgan stood up and I felt him loom over me, the old vampire presence starting to emanate from him. “I said no and that’s final.”Tears sprung to my eyes, feeling angry and frustrated. “Why not! This is more my fight than it is yours! Why would you deny me that chance?”“Because I’m not losing you again Auri!” Morgan yelled. He was walking away from me.“Do you think I can’t do it?”“No, I don’t think you can!” He turned from where he was walking and yelled at me.Stunned, I stepped back. Max was behind me and his arms held my shaking shoulders.“I think you will die at the hands of him. I think he will whistle and you will die beca
“I’m headed out, thank you for the dinner!” Morgan grabbed his suitcase and now clean laundry. “Sure Papa!” I gave him a small wave. “Call if you need anything.” Max added. We were sitting on the couch after Morgan had done a little reading for me while we waited for his clothes to dry. I got up, confirming that the door was locked. After that, I headed up the stairs. “I’m gonna go to bed. I’m really tired after that.” I stood in front of my door before deciding it would be okay to sleep in there tonight, not wanting to disturb Max. He came up behind me though and put his hand on the door. “Where do you think you are going?” I turned around, aware he had me caged against the door and no way to escape. I smiled. “I figured I would sleep in my room. I didn’t want to bother you tonight.” “Why would you ever bother me Auri? Other than get me hot and bothered.” He leaned into my ear, growling the last sentence.
I heard the whirl of the machines first. Taking deep breaths, the smell of bleach and antiseptic hit my nose and physically recoiled from the smell. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to remember where I was, what was I doing. Max, kissing me. Morgan finding out. Then the rush came. Morgan almost killing Max. Taking away Morgan’s attention. Max taking me to a hospital of some sort. Then Micah. The machines started to beep faster and I remember his touch, his words. He took it away, he managed to take everything I had left. Reaching up, I touched my hair that now was just below my jaw. Burying my face in my hands, I cried.“Well, took you long enough to wake up. Been out for two days.”I growled.“Now see here pup! We don’t normally serve your kind here, so you better be happy we didn’t just toss you out. The only reason your here is because Max looked like he was going to collapse and you’re Morgan’s daughter.”
“MOM!” I screamed as I woke up. It was raining and thundering. Drenched in sweated, I hugged myself, rocking back and forth. I had dreamt about the hunters, when they had taken us away. I screamed when they had taken her away. Taking deep breaths, the emotion was overwhelming. I was being crushed by it. Drowning it in. Being set on fire. Everything was on fire. I choked out sobs. My heart was breaking apart, piece by piece. Frantically, I pressed my finger into my cut on my hand. I felt nothing. No pain. I screamed again and curled up into a ball. Hours passed as I cried, as I was washed with memories. Max’s sweet touches and kisses, his words of love. All of it made my skin sting. Morgan’s attack, his abandonment felt like I was set adrift in the sea, alone during a storm. Logan’s goodbye was a sword in the heart. My head hurt but if I closed my eyes, Micah was leaning over me. Touching me, whispering in my ear that he had stolen everything from me. Finally exacting his rev
“You’ve lost your DAMN mind.”I laughed, the wind whipping through my short hair. I was currently on top of an SUV as we wove through traffic on the highway. Ahead of us was a caravan of SUVs as well.“You know, even a blind person can see they are getting away!” I yelled over the sound of the wind.Danger grunted. “Fuck off Astra.”I laughed but it was cut short as the car lurched forward and I had to grab onto the rails. I could hear his laughter but he wove quicker between the traffic. The group of cars suddenly got off the highway and I braced myself as Danger crossed three lanes of traffic to follow. It was a more rural area and he stepped on the gas as he closed the distance between the cars.I was vibrating with excitement. I let go and stood up on the car, balancing myself. Then, with a swift crouch, I launched myself off the top of the car and landed on the last SUV in the caravan. I made a pretty