MAXINEI was getting painfully used to Ronan.I almost started to look forward to his footsteps outside my door. It was different than the others. He wasn't loud but his steps were confident. He wore boots, almost all the time.I anticipated the door unlocking and the soft shuffle of boots against the stone floor as he slipped inside my room. This time was no different, so I thought. I heard the familiar sounds. But when he stepped inside, I knew something was off.Ronan didn’t greet me with his usual smirk or even a sarcastic comment. His eyes were dull. It didn't have the sharp glint of malice that was usually dancing in his eyes. Instead of the easy swagger, his movements were slower, almost hesitant.I couldn't recognize the man standing before me. This looked like a shadow of him. “Ronan?” I called carefully. I didn’t dare take a step closer. Not until I knew what mood he was in.He didn’t answer right away. His eyes wandered around the room. It was as if he’d never seen it befor
MAXINEI caught myself. I can't be kind to him. I'm going to kill him. "Just rest,” I suggested.He nodded and his body relaxed completely. A few moments later, his breathing evened out. It shocked me. I realized he had fallen asleep on my lap, like a child. This villain had fallen asleep… on my lap.He had let his guard down enough to fall asleep. I sat there, my fingers still gently stroking his hair. My mind was racing. I was between the pity I felt for the man he had been and the anger for the man he had become.He had done so much harm to me, to Zel, to Liam, to so many others. But here he was, vulnerable and broken, exposing his wounds to me in a way that no one else had ever seen. Or would ever see.I looked down at him. His face is peaceful in sleep. It was hard to believe that he was capable of so much pain and suffering. Yet, here he was, seeking comfort from me, his enemy. He was trusting me enough to let his guard down completely.My eyes drifted to my hands that were re
MAXINEThe door creaked softly as I pushed it open. I held my breath in anticipation as I stepped inside. My eyes swept across the room.I stood there frozen in place. This wasn't what I expected. I expected to see a bed, and some bedroom furniture but, this wasn’t a bedroom. It was something else entirely.It was a really large and dimly lit space. In the center, taking most of the space was a bath. It was sunken, in the ground. Steam rose and filled the room in soft and curling waves. They were coming from the water. It was like stepping into another world, one that was thick with warmth and heat.And there, in the center of it all, was Ronan.He was half in the water. His head was resting against the edge of the bath. He closed his eyes as though he was lost in thought. The water lapped gently at his broad shoulders. The steam surrounded his muscular frame. He almost seemed, otherworldlyHis face was relaxed but there was a tension in his body that I hadn’t noticed from him before.
MAXINEHis fingers trailed along my thighs and the feeling sent shivers down my spine.We were crossing a line that I had never thought to cross. But, right now, I couldn’t bring myself to care. All that mattered was the way he made me feel like I was the only one in the world that he could be with.This was a mistake. So many thoughts in my head were screaming for me to stop. My heart belonged to Liam but for some reason, I still wanted Ronan. I wanted to know every part of him.Even the intimate parts.Ronan’s lips were hot against mine and his other hand was tight around my waist like he couldn’t bear to let me go.I was lost in the moment. Every part of me was screaming to go further. I wanted to drown myself in this feeling that threatened to consume us both.But, just as we were about to tip over the edge, something changed. Ronan pulled away.His hands slipped from my waist. He left me feeling cold despite the warmth of the water surrounding us. I blinked up at him, breathless
RONANI stared at the ceiling as I stood in the bathroom. The faint scent of lavender from the bath still hung in the air. It was a reminder of the moment I had just walked away from. I could still feel the ghost of Maxine’s touch on my skin. The way her lips against mine and the way her body had pressed against me, were so soft and inviting.I had almost lost control. I had almost given in.The thought filled me with a bitter taste of something very close to defeat. It would have been so easy to keep going. To have let that moment consume the both of us and forget about the world outside this room. To have let myself forget about the bloodshed and impossible choices I had made to stay alive. I could have buried myself in her care.But I couldn’t. Not when I knew that Liam still had a hold on her heart.I splashed water on my face in the sink. I reached for a towel and grabbed it from the rack, rubbing it across my face and then my body. I did it with a little more force than necessar
MAXINEThe next day, my mind was still wrapped around what had almost happened with Ronan. I sat down on my bed, unable to understand the words written down in the book I was reading. I sighed and shut it closed.That was when I heard the sound of footsteps. I listened closer. They didn't belong to Ronan, and there was more than one of them. I hoped they weren't coming here because I was not in the headspace to see anyone.The sound of the door unlocking proved that they were coming here. I blinked slowly. The door was about to open when it stopped halfway."Ronan has asked us to escort you outside, can we come in, ma'am?" One of the guards asked, raising his voice so I could hear."Um," I responded, placing the book on the bed next to me. "Wait. Let me put some shoes on."I hurried over to where my shoes were laid neatly next to the wardrobe. Finding comfortable ones, I slid my feet into them. I walked towards the door.The guards stood in the doorway, waiting for me. They motioned f
MAXINEHe said nothing. Instead, he let out a breath and closed his eyes. Like me, he was listening to the wind passing by and feeling the sun on his face."Well?" I decided to push for an answer.“This place,” Ronan began, opening his eyes to look around, “it’s one of the few things I’ve managed to keep intact amidst all the chaos in my life. I like to think that it’s a reminder that there’s still beauty in the world. Even if the beauty is buried under layers of darkness.”I looked at him. Was he answering my question or he was just going off? I was trying to read the meaning behind his words. His face was calm and I couldn't read anything off of that. I couldn't understand this man.If he didn't want to answer me directly, I guess I could play that game. "When did you get this place?" I asked instead.I didn't think he would answer. Since he was always evading personal questions, I expected him to evade this one too but then, he said, "After I left the pack when Liam became Alpha, I
MAXINEAfter crying in bed after the walk yesterday, my mind was somewhat clear. I decided to focus on the things I could control.Getting each of us out of this mess.I had spent the rest of the days trying to think up ways I could succeed on my own. Trying to win Ronan's trust was dangerous for me. I could end up falling for my enemy.That was the stupidest of the most stupid moves made in battle. And I wasn't stupid enough to make it. I needed to make a safer plan because this one was going to set me off on fire in the end.I haven't seen Zel since then. I didn't know if she was still alive. I wondered if there was a way to reach out to Liam's allies and ask for help.I was sure that the reason they chose not to attack was because no one had heard from Liam. They probably assumed he was dead. If he was dead, fighting against Ronan would be pointless unless they wanted to take over. And Ronan did have the right to be Alpha.I was still thinking of how I could reach my father, Alpha
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