MAXINEMy eyes flew open. What were they trying to put in my drink? What drink were they even talking about? There was no way they would try to drug me, right?I relaxed when I heard Cinder say, "It's supposed to help with the pain but I think just this much is enough."I waited until I heard Zel's footsteps. She opened the door and I sat up slowly. In her hand was a wooden cup."Here. Drink this." She said, offering the cup to me. I sniffed it, feeling the warmth of the vapor on my cheeks.It didn't have a scent so I brought the cup to my lips. I took a sip and gagged. "Ew, what is this? It takes like dirt." I replied, holding the cup away from me.Zel grinned. "If you want to get better, you've got to take this. I'm telling you from experience. I hate the stuff but it works literal magic."I scowled before drinking it quickly, refusing to breathe so I couldn't taste it until the very end. After I had downed everything, the taste hit me."Bleh!" I exclaimed, sticking my tongue out in
MAXINEThe morning light filtered through the window, casting a soft glow over the room. My body still ached but I felt a strange sense of calm.Zel was gone when I woke up, and I had a feeling she was off seeking answers about her mother’s deal with the demons.I slowly got out of bed, my muscles protesting with every movement. I wanted to stay in bed but I wanted to offer support to Zel. Surprisingly, I found Cinder in the kitchen, brewing a pot of tea. But, Zel wasn't with her.She glanced up and smiled at me. "How are you feeling?""Sore," I replied, "but I'll manage. Where's Zel?""She went to meditate," Cinder said. "A lot seems to be going through her mind lately. I wonder if you know what it is."I didn't know if it was my place to tell her what the problem was so, I opted to say nothing. She filled a wooden cup with some tea and passed it to me.I took it, enjoying the delicious warmth on my fingers. "She just needs to talk to you. We should join her."Cinder agreed, and toge
MAXINE"Zel!" I screamed, running to her and wrapping my hands around her. I pulled her back, both of us falling backward on our behinds."What do you think you're doing?!" I yelled. "You can't kill yourself."She removed my hands from her and stood to her feet. I did the same. "I wasn't trying to kill myself, Maxine. Far from that. I'm my mother's only biological child." She dropped."What?" I asked in shock."My siblings were all adopted. The only child she gave birth to was Gabriel and I. As we grew older, the family got bigger." Zel explained."Whoa…" It made a lot of sense now. I thought the kids were Cinder's, all with different fathers. I know, it was a derogatory thing to think about Cinder. I had considered adoption but I thought too much about it."This was where he died. He was trying to save me, Mom, Oz, and Raine. He was a wolf. Mom had fallen in love with an Alpha and she had his child. He had rejected her, of course, because he already had a luna." Zel sighed and took a
MAXINE"How?" I asked, walking closer to them. Zel acknowledge me with a nod of thanks. I gave her a small smile."Do you know a way?" Cinder asked.Zel nodded. "I'm going to let you into my memories. It's not going to be much but it might trigger something and bring back your stolen memories." She said.Cinder thought about it for a while. "I don't know. The memories we have about Gabriel are not the same. I'm not sure it will work." She said."I'm only going to show you the memories where you were involved. So, somehow, it's yours too." Zel explained.I nodded. "That makes more sense. How do you plan to do it?""A spell?" Zel let out a nervous grin. "We just need to find the right ingredients to make it." She looked at Cinder for approval."I did say I was going to do everything it takes." She offered a small smile. Zel smiled back."Great! I'll go study about it!" She said, excitedly before rushing off into the house.Cinder and I watched her go. "Thank you," she said to me."I did
MAXINETogether, we walked back to the house. Zel and Cinder held my hand all through the way and I was grateful. It was time to say goodbye to all the kids I had come to love.There was a dinner waiting for me. The kids had managed to wait, keeping their hands to themselves. When they saw me, they all rushed to hug me."Maxi!" They called. That was what they mostly called me.I felt tears well up in my eyes as I wrapped my hand around all of them. Raine and Oz watched, smiles on their face."Raine said you're leaving, is it true?" Chester, the boy who had scared me by saying he changed into an orange cat on the first day I came, asked. He was holding onto my tunic.I nodded my head. "Yes. The reason I came, I've done it. Now, I'm free. I have to go back."He pouted, then hugged me. "I will miss you, Maxi." He said. "So much.""I'll miss you too," I smiled, my heart aching. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to go back to a world where I had responsibilities, where I had to be what
MAXINEThere, on the bed, was another woman and Liam, both of them stark naked and tangled in the sheets. Liam was on top of the woman. She moaned, her hands holding tightly to his back as he pounded into her.He grunted and I froze, watching the scene unfold in front of me. Liam turned his head, wondering who would interrupt him like that. I saw his face shift from anger"Maxine," he called breathlessly. I turned on my heels. "Maxine, wait!" He called after me.I didn't wait. I hurried down the stairs as fast as I could, ignoring everyone and anyone who tried to get my attention. I didn't stop even after I was outside the pack house.I thought, oh my goodness. I'm so stupid. I thought Liam and I had something going on. I thought I could finally find that one person for me. I thought Liam was the one.I was so wrong.I felt wetness on my cheeks. Why was I crying? I swiped at the tears with the back of my hand harshly."Stop crying!" I yelled at myself. He doesn't deserve my tears. I b
MAXINEThe moment I heard Liam's voice at the door, Ella had seen the panic in my face."Go to my room and stay there." She whispered sternly, getting to her feet. She waited until I had entered the room before she walked towards the main door and answered it.I held my breath, waiting patiently to hear her come back into the house. It took a while but I finally heard Liam's car driving away. I exhaled in relief and only came back outside when Ella came to get me."He's gone now." She replied as we walked back to the couch. "What's going on? Why is the Alpha looking for you? And why are you hiding?"I bit my lip, contemplating how to tell her. "I don't know how to put this…" I began.""Start anywhere," she said.So, I started from the beginning. I told her about Liam, about how my father gave me to him, and how our relationship had started. How he only came to me to satisfy his needs.I felt vulnerable coming clean to her about that. I hadn't told anyone about it. It was something I h
LIAMThe sun was setting across the streets as I drove from one place to another, searching for Maxine. Each friend I visited had the same answer: they hadn't seen her. No one had seen her.It was almost like she hadn't truly returned. My frustration grew with each passing second. Everywhere was a dead end. The only lead I had was from Ella, who had seen her briefly.I couldn't shake off the feeling that I needed to find her, to explain myself. The truth was, I missed her more than I cared to admit.Our late-night talks in her apartment, the way she moved around the kitchen while cooking, the sound of her laughter—they had become the highlights of my days. The intimacy we shared, the way she moaned when we were together, it had played on repeat in my mind for weeks.My phone began to ring. I answered it, still driving. "Hello?""Liam," It was Varis, "any luck?"I sighed, "None. It's almost like she's disappeared. There's no trace of her." I replied."Do you want me to send word to the