MAXINEI tried to cut it quickly but as the cold air hit my face, I heard pounding footsteps. I was pulled away from Zel and we were yanked to our feet.“Well, well, well, look what we have here?” A cold voice filled the room. It sent a chill down my spine.I looked up at the person. He had dark curly hair and equally dark eyes but there was something familiar about him. Maybe it was the way he carried himself or how chiseled his jaw was.He kept his gaze on me. "You're quite a sight for the eyes, Maxine.""How do you know my name?" I asked."Should I call you, Anna or Maxine? I don't know which you prefer. I'm trying to be very kind here and I have your best interest at heart." He replied, walking slowly to me.I froze. How much did this stranger know about me? "Who are you and what do you want with us?" I asked when we were a few feet apart. The guards held me so firmly that I couldn't even budge an inch."My name is Ronan." He said with a smile. "Liam's older brother."My blood tur
MAXINEThe silence felt heavier after Ronan left. He didn't blindfold us and Zel didn't have her wrists tied. The black object around her wrist was enough. The only thing they did was chain her ankle to a spot on the ground.“Zel,” I said. “Are you okay?”We were separated, staring at each other from across the room. There was a long pause, and for a moment, I thought she wouldn’t answer. But then I heard her. "I'm okay."“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice cracking. “I’m so sorry, Zel. I never should have dragged you into this.”“Stop it,” she bit out."I'm sorry," I continued, apologizing."Don't do that," she snapped angrily, looking away."Don't do what?" I asked. She looked back at me."Apologize. Like it's your fault. Do you think I would have felt any better if you had been on your own when this happened? Do you think I would have been able to sleep, knowing that you were in danger?" She asked.I looked down at the cold hard floor. "You wouldn't have known. You would have been safe,
MAXINEThe silence after the door shut was suffocating. I realized with a sickening feeling where we were. We were locked in a metal cage. One so small that we couldn't even stand to our feet. We were like animals.If either of us tried to escape, we would end up hurting the other because of how close we were. My heart pounded in my chest. I was helpless.I sat on the ground, my back pressed against the metal. Zel was beside me, her body slumped in exhaustion. I couldn’t imagine what they had done to her before we were thrown into this hellhole. Whatever it was, it had drained her of any strength she had left.“Zel,” I said, reaching out to touch her arm. “Are you okay?”She blinked slowly. “I’ll... be fine,” she mumbled. “I'm just tired.”I bit my lip, fighting back the tears. "What did they do to you?" I asked."I think it's these," she replied showing me her wrists. "It's making me feel sick."Zel needed rest and this wasn’t the place for it. I needed to get those things off her wr
MAXINEI saw red. I slammed against the bars and bared my teeth at him. "I swear to the goddess, if you touch her, I will kill you. Even if I have to sacrifice my life." I was livid.Ronan took a step back, not out of fear, just amusement. "Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots." But then, his expression switched so quickly that the temperature in the room dropped even further. "I'd love to see you try."I felt fear. Deep-rooted fear. Ronan was a monster.When he saw the fear in my eyes, he straightened and smiled. "It's always a joy to talk to you. I'll see you ladies another time." He turned and left.Even as Zel gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, I realized that I'd never been scared into silence like that in my entire life.***I lost track of time in that cage.The days seemed to blend. They brought us food in what I assumed was once a day. The hours were far too long. I slept and stayed awake until I lost track of night or day. The fear ate up at me.Zel and I clung to each other, our bo
MAXINEIt took everything in me not to lash out at Ronan. From what happened the other time when I punched the guard, I could tell Ronan was strong.And his threat was clear. It hit me like a punch to the gut. I couldn’t possibly let him hurt Zel because of my stubbornness or pride. I didn't want to put her in any more danger than she was already in.So, I nodded slowly. Ronan smiled and nodded towards the tub. “Good. Now, clean up. I'll be waiting for you out front. Remember, don't try anything funny. I have guards waiting outside and if they hear even a peep from you…" he said.He gave me one last look before he turned and left, leaving me alone with the two women. They approached me and I took a step back."Stay away from me," I said, weakly. "Just…"They glanced at each other. "Your clothes…" one of them said quietly."I can do it myself," I said, reaching for the hem of my shirt. My hands shook as I slowly undressed.My clothes fell on the ground around my legs and even tho
LIAMThey came for me one day. I didn't know whether it was morning or night until I was dragged up the ladder and towards Ronan's mansion. My mind raced with thoughts of Maxine.Were they taking me to her? Would I finally be able to see her again? How much had she changed? Had they tortured her? Most importantly, was she okay?They led me into the back of the mansion. The metal chains rattled as I was yanked down the corridor. My wrists were bleeding from where the cuffs bit into my skin. The blood there was black, poisoned by wolfsbane.The hallway seemed to stretch on forever. Every step forward dragged me deeper and deeper into the pit of despair that Ronan had created in my mind. My mind was chaotic. I was thinking about Maxine and my pack.I was forced into a large room that smelled of sweat and blood. And something far worse. I stopped moving as I tried to understand what it was I was seeing. The room was filled with makeshift cages and restraints.The icing on the cake was th
MAXINEHe was going to kiss me.The moment Ronan’s hand touched my chin, lifting my face to meet his. I felt disgusted. His touch was firm but not harsh. It was like he was testing the waters. He was pushing boundaries he already knew I didn’t want to be crossed. His eyes were cold and calculating and they looked into mine. He was searching for resistance.I didn’t give him the satisfaction. I kept my expression as unreadable as I could manage. I wasn’t going to let him see how much he was affecting me. Not if I could help it.Ronan’s lips twisted into a smirk. He leaned in closer and for a terrifying moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. Instead, he stopped, his breath warm against my skin."You’re playing along well,” he murmured. “But don’t forget that this is only the beginning. You’re mine now, Maxine. Mine."I wanted to scream and push him away, but I knew better. There was so much at stake. So I clenched my fists at my side and kept my voice steady. “I understand.”His eye
LIAMI’d lost track of time, trapped in this hellhole. The days blurred together and I couldn't tell day from night. Each one was more torturous than the last.With every second passing, my worry only grew more and more. My mind replayed over and over the sight of my pack members being tortured. I hated myself for not being able to protect them. I could still even hear their screams.After a while, I heard the wooden door to what I now called my cell creak open. A few figures stepped inside. I couldn't see their faces until they moved closer. The bulb came on, the light revealing their faces.Varis and Kris. My Betas.Relief should’ve washed over me, but something was wrong. They didn’t meet my eyes. They barely looked at me at all. Instead, they stood there, like strangers.“Varis,” I called, my voice hoarse. “Kris, what’s going on? Why are you here? Did Ronan see you?”Varis finally looked at me. There was no warmth in his gaze. Nothing that reminded me of my friend. There was a col
MAXINEI got a job working at the pack hospital again. This time, I signed up to be a real medical practitioner. I was going to become a midwife. There were a few familiar faces at the hospital and lots of new ones.Still, I was grateful to Ronan for giving them this opportunity again.That evening, I walked back into my apartment. The dead herbs were still in a box on the floor in the kitchen. I wondered if I would go back. I used to pick herbs and sell them to women who wanted to get pregnant.It felt like eons ago. Times were simpler. Back then, I saved lives not help take them. That was a time when I didn’t have blood on my hands.I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. I wanted my simple life again. It was simple but everything made sense. I didn't have to try to untangle myself from this mess that was my reality.A knock on the door brought me back. Zel was back from work. She worked as a bartender a little while from our apartment. Zel had gotten the job. After the manag
MAXINEI nodded, not trusting myself to speak without crying. Ella was right. I needed to let myself grieve. The love I once had for Ronan still occupied my heart.Lindsey reached out and held my hand. "We’re here for you, Maxine."I squeezed her hand, grateful for their support. They were right. I didn’t have to go through this alone. I had them.Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.***Going back to my old life felt like stepping into a strange place. There was the feeling of losing something. My apartment felt like a place from a faraway memory. Zel was gone and I was feeling so sad.I was back from saying goodbye. I unlocked the door and stepped inside. The space was just as I’d left it. There was still dust over everything. At least, I had something to do with my time.I took a deep breath. I hadn't lost everything. I was still okay.I began to clean up slowly. Lindsey stopped by to help me out and together, we covered a lot. As I was cleaning, I heard a knock on the door.“Are you
MAXINEI wanted to believe her that everything would be okay but deep down, I felt guilt and grief. This was my fault. I pulled back from her and wiped my eyes. I gave her a shaky smile. “It doesn’t feel like it.”She cupped my cheek. “Everything isn't always as it seems, my dear. But, I can tell you one thing I know for sure.” She said.“What's that?”“It's not your fault. I'm sure you don't know where to go from here, what to do, or where you belong. You want to come with me, you want to continue your life back at the place where you and Zel liked and you want to go back to how things were in this pack.” Cinder explained.“But, I see you staying here. This is where your strength lies, where hope lives, where you have friends and support.” She lowered her eyes and winked. “It's where you have a future.”“And, we'll always be here for you to fall back on, regardless of what happens. We're your home away from home.” The Luna Queen said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “I'm very proud.
MAXINEI didn't feel anything. No pain from a stab whatsoever. I looked between us and that's when Ronan smiled. His lips were close to my ear and he whispered, “I would never hurt you on purpose, love.”I didn't know when I screamed.Ronan collapsed into my arms, taking the both of us down to the ground with him. I tried my best to hold his head up on my lap. My eyes traveled down to the blood pouring down the stab wound in his belly.“Ronan,” I called, tears filling my eyes and rolling down my cheeks. He had stabbed himself.My hand shook as it hovered over the wound. I didn't know what to do. The dagger was in his chest.Ronan had chosen death. Death over a life without me.“Maxine…” he called, his voice unnaturally calm for someone who was dying. He reached up to touch me and I guided his hand to my cheek.“I'm here, I'm here,” I cried. “I'm sorry,” I whispered the last part. My hands shook as I held him. I never wanted this. I didn’t want him to die.Ronan gasped. He looked up
MAXINEI held my breath as Ronan kept his eyes on mine. When he was close enough, he stopped. Neither of us said a word. The battle continued around us but I couldn't get myself to make the first move.He didn't either. I wondered if it was hard for him to see me. I wondered if he thought he could fight me. I also wondered if he thought that he could kill me.I spoke up first. “Ronan,” I called. My voice was sounding more longing than I wanted.I missed him, to be honest. I missed sitting down in the quiet and reading books. Strangely, I missed making his cinnamon coffee.Ronan didn't say anything. Instead, he took a step closer. “You don’t have to do this,” he said.There was no hurt, no anger in his voice, just nothing but kindness. I wished he would yell. I wished he would curse me and call me evil for everything I've done.“Come with me.” He said, softly. I heard it regardless of the noise. “We can fix this, Maxine. We'll leave everything behind together.”It sounded so good. But,
MAXINEHe caught me off guard. It meant that he still cared about me. I didn't focus on that though. “I won’t, I promise,” I replied.We stood there in silence for a while, neither of us knowing what to say. I could feel it though. I could feel it. The unspoken feelings and questions we didn't have the time to ask.Or we didn't dare to ask, I guess.After everything that had happened, I still wasn’t sure where we stood. I said I was okay with him hating me but, I didn't know anymore. The lines between us were confusing now. I didn't know how to fix that.But now wasn’t the time to focus on that. We had a mission and that was a priority. Every other thing could come after. We would cross that bridge later.For some reason, Liam stepped closer and I held my breath. “Regardless of what has happened between us, out there?” He said, “No matter what happens, we’ll get through this together. Do you understand?”I nodded. “Together,” I repeated.Before I could say anything else, Zel appeared
MAXINECinder gave me and Zel a brief of the plans that night when she showed us a bedroom. She and the Luna Queen were sharing the one right next to us. They told us to come to them if we faced any issues.Sleep didn't come easy because my mind was entirely on Ronan. I didn't know how I was going to face him again after betraying his trust. But, I knew I couldn't sit out of this fight.The sun had not even risen when I was woken up by the sound of Liam's voice. He was given instructions and I heard more footsteps around the house than the number of people I had seen the previous day.It meant that Liam was already up and gathering the troops. I could hear him giving commands like it hadn't been two months since he was last in power. He was a natural-born leader. He carried this air of authority around him.He was giving orders, explaining ranks and positions for this fight. Every single detail was important to winning.Zel was still asleep, of course. She wasn't a wolf so she wouldn'
MAXINEI chuckled bitterly. “What about now?” I asked. “Will you take me back now that I have a wolf? Isn't that what you've always wanted?”His eyes widened slightly but he kept himself composed. “That would be unfair to you. It would be wrong. If you want to come back to me, I will take you but the choice is yours now. You have a choice and I see now that I was wrong. I’m so sorry, Maxine. I hope you can forgive me.”Tears welled up in my eyes. I hadn't thought about this but I let the anger roll away from me. He was still family. He was my father. “I forgive you. You're my father, whether you abandon me or not.” I said.“Thank you, Maxine.” He said. He reached for me hesitantly. I would have settled for a handshake but he wrapped his hands around me. For the first time in what I knew was forever, my father hugged me.I didn't know what to feel about that.LIAMAfter Maxine spoke to her father, they returned to the living room. However, she moved toward the far end of the room, away
LIAMDespite everything that was unfolding in front of me, my thoughts were stuck on one thing.Maxine had a wolf.I couldn't wrap my head around it. After everything that had happened to her, it didn’t make sense. I glanced at her. The strange white-haired girl was sitting between us.Maxine was staring out of the window. The white-haired girl squeezed her hand. Maxine turned to look at her and offered her a small smile. That was when she caught me staring. She looked away, taking her eyes back to the window.It left me confused. Was she pissed at me? I was the one who had the right to be mad at her. She had chosen him over me. Well, the distance between us was necessary.I didn't know what I would say or do if I were sitting next to her. Kris took a sharp turn, causing Maxine to grab the handle of the car door. I opened my mouth to say something but I stopped myself. There would be time for questions later.“You alright back there?” Varis asked.“We’re fine,” I said. I didn't know i