Ryan
We have traveled through an entire desert when we spot Giovani and the minivan standing on a hill. A field of grass blows behind him, and fat tufts of clouds are moving over the skies. Giovani is smoking while wearing that same beige trenchcoat that I swear I will burn down to the ground when he isn't looking.
Amelia lifts her hand from Cuddles's back, waving and shouting at the bear-like man. "Giovani! You found us!"
The man laughs, waves at us, and then the car doors open, letting out Zoya and Billy, and some stranger. Zoya is holding a baby, smiling over at us with a tender gaze. Billy hugs her shoulders, and the stranger, a young girl, is glaring at us with her arms crossed.
I ride closer to Amelia, letting Lizzie take the reins as I lean closer to my girlfriend. "Who is the young girl?"
Amelia shrugs. "I don't know—she must be new, someone they picked up on the road."
Discomfort churns in the pit of my stomach. I don't like n
I am extremely interested in the two children in the future. Maybe the two of them would date each other? Haha.
AmeliaI'm featherbrained. We have been traveling for two weeks, and I think something is wrong with my body. I'm nauseous every morning, with kicks of anguish in my abdomen. Part of me is wondering if maybe a pregnancy between a hybrid and a human is different—perhaps even dangerous.A normal pregnancy wouldn't be taking this toll on my body at such an early stage, but you never know when you're carrying a mini zombie."Ryan…" I mumble. "I'm not… I'm not feeling so good."Giovani and the others are driving the minivan. Ryan is with Lizzie, and Blue is sitting in the minivan with his head out the window. Meanwhile, Cuddles is carrying me on his back.Another wave of dizziness rushes over me, making me let go of the reins and tumble backward. For a moment, I worry I will hit the ground and break my head. I'm about to fall off the saddle, but Cuddles bends forward to send me flying the other way, thus saving me."Amelia!" R
RyanI've suffered another sleepless night. I was afraid something would happen to Amelia while I was snoring next to her, and therefore, I stayed awake. The concern within me wouldn't let me close my eyes.Whatever—rest is for the weak.I'm sitting down on my knees in front of a couch. Amelia is sleeping, tossing and turning in her sweat. We have been living on the coast for three months now, and she isn't getting better. She is barely awake during the day, and my concern only grows with each day.Her fever is so high, and I'm eternally grateful that we don't have to be running while she is in this terrible state.The fishing village we found is ruled by a hybrid captain, who prefers to eat other hybrids rather than humans. His name is Charles—he has said nothing about a surname—and he is enemies with Marcus.Marcus wants to take over Charles' fishing and trade business with other countries, such as Denmark, but Charles is
RyanThere is no goddamn air-condition in this entire building. Electricity runs just fine in the village, but Charles doesn't want to waste it cooling down the rooms inside the hospital."As if we didn't have enough things on our plates already," I mutter to myself and hug the little hybrid, human, whatever closer to my chest. "Not only do we have to deal with matters of the heart, but now we have to survive in this extreme heat too."I peer down at the silent baby as if I foresee him to answer me, and a smile thugs at the corner of my lips.My heart has never been this unsettled, joyous, and broken at the same time. I'm holding little Wyatt in my arms, wondering if he will be content only having his father in the picture.I should head to the library later, see if there are any books about fatherhood.How do I raise a child on my own?Tears are forming in my eyes, but I fight them and struggle to keep my lips under control. It's my
Sequel Maeve, 20 years old My best friend Wyatt is finally returning from his journey. He has been gone for four years, traveling together with his father Ryan and bodyguard Giovani to find laser surgery for his eyes. Wyatt had poor eyesight growing up. He was the bullied child, a skinny kid who followed me around like a lost puppy. Few words came out of his lips, and so I stepped in to defend him every time the other guys our age would pick on him. They used to take his glasses and hold them out of reach from Wyatt, who wasn't exactly tall. Late puberty, I think Ryan described it as, and then he had winked and messed around his son's hair, saying he would catch up with the others in no time. I don't think he did. From the letters we have exchanged for the last couple of years, Wyatt is still a goofy guy who loves food and reading his father's old comic books underneath trees. He is a nerd. "Are you excited?" Zoya, my mother as
My footsteps are unwilling, heart refusing to step inside the building where Ryan, Giovani, and Wyatt live. When the three of them were traveling, my mother was the one dusting their shelves and taking care of their plants. She even filled the fridge with food yesterday. "Thank you so much for taking care of our house." Ryan smiles at my mother with a cup of coffee in his hand. He is leaning against the counter with his back. He looks over at me. "Why don't you join Wyatt and... Uh, your friend in the living room?" Because Angelica is hitting on your son, Ryan—that's why. I forcefully glue a smile to my lips. "Sure, why not?" Ryan looks amused, but I can't for the life of me figure out why. Perhaps he can feel the attraction I feel towards his son? It wouldn't surprise me—Ryan is a wise older man, and he is sharp. "Have fun," Ryan smirks. "Oh, and Maeve?" I spin around, catching his growing smirk. I can see where Wyatt gets his handsom
Dust circles around my nose, forcing me to hold back a sneeze. My boss and owner of the grocery store told me to clean above the shelves, and I agree with him—it's nasty up here. Grimacing, I dip my rag back into the water, then continue scrubbing like the dutiful worker I am. I need the money more than my pride. Therefore, I don't even look up when the popular girls in town walk past my aisle, whispering when they see me. "Why is she working here, of all places?" "Maybe she can't get a proper job, or maybe her parents are poor?" "Probably." I roll my eyes at the gossiping girls and keep on cleaning. It's hard finding work these days, so I'm just grateful not to have to step outside the wall. My mother has trained me in material arts, and I know how to use a crossbow, but the infected scares the crap out of me. So do the mutated animals living outside. Ryan has pet lizards, giant ones, and I'm terrified of them—I let my mother care for
Victor I'm down on my knees, breathing like a steady drum as my father is giving me instructions. My hands are kneading the red carpet beneath me; head slightly bent to show obedience. "I want you to kidnap the human girl." Marcus, my father, is breathing hard while pacing the room. "Maeve is the daughter of Zoya, one name on my death list. If we bring her here, then the rest will come out of their hiding place." I respectfully nod. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted my father's acceptance. He barely talks with me, but today, he has given me a mission—infiltrate the human fishing village, and kidnap this girl. It will be an effortless task. We have men inside already. "I will make you proud, father," I tell him without meeting his eyes. Looking at your elder without permission is disrespectful, and my father is the most outstanding leader I know. "Give me a week, and this girl will be locked up in your cellar as your prisoner." My fath
MaeveBitterness curls around my senses and makes me see red as I glare into the kitchen, not surprised at finding Wyatt together with three women who look ready to attack him."So, how old are you?" A woman asks, definitely above thirty."Eighteen," Wyatt replies."Oh-my-god!" She is using a piece of paper to fan herself. "You don't look your age at all." Her eyes are glued to Wyatt's brawny arms. "Tell me, do you date older women?"Of course, he does—Wyatt would date anyone to piss me off.I drink more alcohol, soothing my thoughts as I try to enjoy the blasting rap music. This party was Angelica's attempt at making Wyatt feel more welcome and make friends. I guess it's working. Women are swarming around him and offering to show him around town."Maeve!"My eyes roll before I turn around, spotting Henrik walking through a herd of people to get to me. He is holding a red plastic cup, and his eyes are puffy and red, proba
Ryan My memory is foggy. The last thing I remember is that uncomfortable hospital bed with my five grandkids crying and holding my hands. Maeve was smiling sadly from a chair in the far back, and Wyatt leaned in to whisper: "I love you, dad." Did I die? I glance down at my hands, oddly aware that I'm not dreaming. My wrinkles are there, but my back pain is gone. How peculiar. What is this place? I've never been here before, yet I feel at ease. And the air is so fresh, like apples, a rainy day, and the ocean breeze combined. Breathing it in is like experiencing a rebirth, and I look ahead, wondering what I might find if I keep walking. Carefully, I walk forward, lifting my head to be blown away by the waterfalls crashing down and landing nowhere. "This place sure is beautiful... Like a dream..." The sky is darker than black, but the flowers on the floor, growing on the walls of the mountain in clutches—they are glowing in these
Maeve We have spent one week in the hybrid village. I haven't recovered entirely yet, and I'm not sure if I ever will. We are giving the magical healing thing one more day before giving up and accepting that I'm blind. The world is scary when everything is dark, but things still feel light even if my vision is gone. Like my feet when I'm around Wyatt. We have talked things out and decided to become a couple. Even though I'm blind, he is still the sexiest man on earth. And me being blind isn't precisely a handicap—now I can freely grope him, squeeze his super-hero muscles, and blame it on being blind. It makes him laugh every time, especially when I was using that excuse when I was licking his abs yesterday. And fuck me. Wyatt seriously has the mightiest abs, like rocks inserted into his body and then draped over with human skin. He is seriously so gorgeous—a sex god sent to earth. Flames sear within me—merely thinking about having Wyatt to mys
Maeve Wyatt gently places me down on a bed. The innkeeper told us to get some rest before she attempts to heal my eyes. She used up most of her stamina, patching up my wounds and stopping the bleeding—it no longer feels like I'm leaking. "I shouldn't have brought you with me," Wyatt says as he crashes down behind me. "It's my fault that Bob and Garett died." His sheer weight got me tumbling into him, and his arm falls over me, holding me in place. It sounds like he is crying. It breaks my heart because I feel at ease with him, safe. He is like a giant teddy bear, but right now, he is vulnerable, and it tears me apart. I suck oxygen into my lungs, fully aware of my heartache. "Hey," I whisper at Wyatt, holding his shaking hand. "It's not your fault that they died—we didn't know Marcus had a bomb, and Bob made his own decision to save me." "I know, I'm just..." He is breathing into my neck with his curly locks brushing against me. It tickles. I
WyattI approach the hybrid town through the forest with my skin bleeding and pants leaving my body. My exhaustion is rising, and my thoughts are scattered, running wild with worry as I clutch Maeve to my body. She was so close to dying. Shit. I will never let her go again, never look away!"Wyatt..." Maeve chuckles a little. Her head slumps to my shoulder, where she rests with her eyes closed. It's beyond me how she can appear so peaceful after what we have survived. "You can slow down. No one is chasing us, and we are both alive.""But you are-..." I stop talking, confused about the growing smile on Maeve's lips. Why does she seem so entertained? It's annoying not to know!"I'm what?" Her hand strokes over my chest, and she digs her cheek into my naked skin, inhaling my scent. My heart swells. I care about her so much, and she is injured because of me. "Well… I'm alive, Wyatt. I'm grateful for that, and if I'm blind, then so what? At least you ca
WyattWhen I can see again, I crawl on all fours while my heart is aching with the knowledge Maeve is hurt. I'm a hybrid, and my skin is burning. One of my legs is hurting tremendously—nothing important. It will heal in mere minutes, but Maeve won't heal if she is injured.She is a human who might need a hospital—Shit, I shouldn't have taken her with me! I won't forgive myself if she is dead or injured! I'm already responsible for my mother's death, and now maybe I've also murdered Maeve.I'm such a monster!A fucking idiot!Maeve isn't a superhero—why the hell did I bring her here?!"Maeve!" I call her name through the smoke, making my way forward over rocks and debris from the mansion. White fragments are circling in the air like snow, and I cough as I crawl. My heart is beating a mile per minute. "Maeve?!""Fucking shit! That hurt!" Bob swears to the right of me, and I watch him stand up, entirely unscathed as if
WyattMy heart is in pieces, shattered, as I walk into the building where Marcus is supposed to live. I should plan on how to kill him, how to make Marcus suffer as he deserves. Instead, my entire focus is on what I told Maeve yesterday.I told her the thought that has plagued my mind for as long as I can remember—that I can't have children. If I could decide, I would have plenty of children, at least three, but I don't want my lover to die.I wouldn't be able to live with the grief of losing Maeve in childbirth. My father raised me and handled his sadness, but I don't want my life to be a repeat of his tragic one. He had Giovani and me by his side, but his gaze would always turn sad whenever we would pass a lake as if he could imagine my mother being there.Halting in my tracks, I glance over my shoulder, finding Maeve tilting her head at me with a weak smile. She is beautiful, like a gemstone in a place with rocks. Her soul is so pure. I love how
MaeveAs we drive through the woods, past ghostly trees, I hold on to Wyatt as if he is my lifeline. My guy tells us to turn around the car, but Marcus chasing our families and sending his men to kill us must end. I'm tired of running, and I don't want my children to fear him like I've done since I was a child.My mother, Zoya, taught me how to fight at the ripe age of four. It was when we started, and no child should be using guns that early.In the future, I want my children to enjoy their childhood. I want them to play with the other kids instead of teaching them how to use a flamethrower.I look out through the window, squeezing Wyatt's hand. "I hope us murdering Marcus will be easy. I have a bad feeling about visiting him, but we have to end this horror story.""I think it will be easy to get rid of the man," Wyatt replies. "Marcus is old, almost blind if you ask Bob. Victor was his strength, and he is dead."Bob meets my eyes in the re
MaeveMy breasts feel heavy when Wyatt carries me outside of the car. I'm wrapped around him but not able to circle his large torso entirely. He is too broad, too damn powerful, and the awareness makes my clit throb with hot, pulsating need.He is this ridiculously tall mountain of a man, while I'm the lucky woman allowed to touch him. My heart is beating double-time in my chest. I can't wait to fuck him, or get fucked by him, whichever is fine. I was drawn in hours ago, tricked to get turned on, when Wyatt let me touch his enormous pecs much more prominent than my boobs."I'm so hard for you," Wyatt speaks huskily; even his voice sounds like sexual frustration. His breath is warm, evaporating in the frozen air. "I wish you could touch me."Pure ecstasy hits me when I hear his deep, raw voice filled with desire. I can't confirm if his words are valid, but I'm dying to find out. I'm quivering with anticipation as Wyatt explores the surface of my clothes.
WyattHandshakes are special because some people only touch your skin, while others affect your soul.Maeve is sitting next to me in the middle seat of the car. I'm glancing out through the window, pretending Maeve's hand on my thigh doesn't reach deeper than the surface of my jeans. The truth is that she is under my skin, and I can't remove her from there.My eyes briefly glance down at Maeve. She is sleeping peacefully, and with a heavy sigh, I brush her hair with my hand."You're a pain in the ass..." A soft smile touches my face, and with warmth flooding my senses, I hug her to my chest. "But I wouldn't want you ever to change."Maeve snores in response, and I chuckle.When I was younger, I was always smiling and trying to make people like me. I feared being lonely, which surprise-surprise made everyone think I was annoying. Little Wyatt was too horny for attention, and I was bullied for it.As a child, I was small and motherless.