MAXINEI wasn't prepared for the knock on my door. I was getting dressed for the day when I heard the footsteps thundering towards my door. The guards had barely given me time to slip a sweater over my thin shirt before they rushed me out.Their faces were serious and their hands gripping my arms a little too tightly. I tried asking them what was going on and where they were taking me but all they said was that I was needed urgently. They said that Ronan needed me.My heart raced in my chest. The last time Ronan needed me, he was hurt. Was he hurt again? I followed them feeling worry sink into my stomach. Something terrible had happened. It was still happening.When we reached the room, there were two smells battling each other. I smelt antiseptics and the bitter scent that made my eyes water. It was Wolfsbane. Was Ronan poisoned?My eyes immediately found him in the business of the infirmary. He was standing and he looked perfectly normal.“What's wrong?” I asked, still fearing the w
MAXINEI stared at him, letting his words settle over me. He lifted his brow at me in question. I swallowed and nodded slowly. He was right. I couldn’t let fear rule me. I needed to be strong.I closed my eyes again and took a deeper breath. I pushed past the fear and focused. I let the world fall away around me and searched for the artifact's power. At first, there was nothing. Everything was dark.But then, I saw myself somewhere really white. Warmth filled my body as I kept walking. Soon, trees grew all around me until I was in the middle of a clearing in the forest. A shirtless man was sitting on a rock, tending to a fire. He was the artifact, I was sure.I was in my mind’s eye. I walked towards the figure. “Have a seat,” he said, without turning to look at me.“I don't have time for that. Liam is dying. I need your help.” I said, my voice sounding very desperate. I couldn't lose Liam.He turned to me and again, I sucked in a breath. I couldn't get over the fact that he was facele
MAXINEI was falling into darkness.Before I hit the ground, strong arms wrapped themselves around me, holding me up. It was Ronan.“Easy,” he whispered, his voice close to my ear. “I’ve got you. Just hold on.”I leaned into him. I rested my head against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. His arms tightened around me. I felt a strange sense of comfort. I let out a shaky breath, closing my eyes for a moment. I let myself rest in his arms.“Maxine, stay with me,” Ronan urged. “Don’t you dare pass out on me?”I tried to smile, but it felt a little too much. I was out of energy. “I’m okay,” I said even though I wasn’t sure if it was true.I felt so tired and drained. It was like every ounce of energy had been sucked out of me. But Liam was breathing easier now. He was better. The color was returning to his skin. He was going to make it. I had done it. We had done it.I felt my legs go weak again. My body sagged against Ronan’s chest. He caught me, lifting me effortles
MAXINEThe scent of freshly baked bread filled my nostrils. I blinked awake, against the sunlight coming in through the open curtains. For a moment, I was confused. Where was I? My room didn't have a big window.I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I realized I was in a room I didn’t recognize. It wasn’t my room. The bed was larger and the scent was different. But, it scented strongly of Ronan. I turned my head and saw a tray sitting beside me.There was lots of food— slices of warm bread, butter, eggs, a bowl of fresh fruits, a cup of coffee, and a glass of juice. My stomach growled. It reminded me of how long it had been since I last ate.And then, I noticed him. Ronan was standing by the door. He was leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest, watching me with a small smile.“Morning,” he said.“Morning,” I replied carefully, still trying to remember what had happened. The last thing I remembered was Liam. Channeling the artifact's energy and healing him till it drain
LIAMWhen I came to, the first thing I felt was the cold metal against my wrist. It was tight, biting into my skin. I blinked my eyes open, trying to focus my vision. The ceiling above me was unfamiliar. I tried to move but something held me back.I looked down and saw the chain. It stretched from a cuff around my wrist to a hook in the wall behind the bed. Where was I? The last thing I remembered was being in the dark cell.I tried to sit up, and pain shot through my chest and spread to my limbs. I winced, biting back a groan. My mouth was dry. How long had I been out?The sound of a chair scraping against the floor caught my attention. I turned my head and saw Varis, slumped in a chair a few feet away. He was dozing, his head resting against the wall. His arms were crossed over his chest. He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes.I shifted again, the chains making sounds and Varis’s eyes flew open. He blinked and then focused on me.“You’re awake,” he said. His voice so
MAXINEI made a mistake.I realized it with a sinking feeling as the days passed in a blur. It was like each one blended into the next like water. The first day, I told myself Ronan would come back. He would open the door, walk through it and there would be some explanation. He would tell me it was a misunderstanding or just a test of my loyalty.But as the hours passed, no one came. The walls of the room began to seem closer than they were. Suddenly my room was closed. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the door. I was mentally begging it to open.But it never did, no Ronan, no guards either. There was no sound of footsteps, nothing but the sound of my breath and the sound of my heartbeat in my ears.I couldn’t help but replay the moment in my head, over and over again. Ronan had looked at me with so much disappointment on his face. His eyes had hardened. They were never like that with me. And the way he turned away from me despite how I called? It still sent shivers down my ba
MAXINEI felt fear and relief. Ronan wanted to see me. Was this my chance to explain and make things right?I nodded and followed the guard down the hallway. We reached a door and I knew that I hadn't been there before. The guard knocked once before opening it. I stepped inside and my heart raced against my chest.It was an office. Ronan was sitting behind the desk. The look on his face was unreadable but it was cold. He didn’t look up as I entered. His eyes were fixed on some papers in front of him.I stood there waiting, my hands clasped in front of me. I wanted to say something to break the silence, but the words wouldn’t come. I swallowed hard. What did he want from me now?I didn’t ask, I didn’t dare. I just stood there, waiting for whatever came next. Finally, he looked up. There was no kindness in his gaze. “I have a job for you,” he said coldly. “You’re going to finish what you started. You’re going to help me flush out the rest of the rebels.”My heart sank. I knew what he wa
MAXINEIt started to rain.The rain fell lightly at first, with just a few drops hitting the ground. I barely noticed, my mind was laser-focused on the path ahead. I kept running through the plan Ronan had laid out for me. I led them down paths and through narrow streets until we reached the clearing where the safe house was supposed to be.I paused, turning back to them. “We’re here,” I said.Jahrek nodded, gesturing for the others to follow him. “Alright, let’s get inside before anyone sees us,” he said.But as they stepped forward, the sound of boots crunching on the ground rose to the air. The rebels froze, their eyes widening. I watched as soldiers emerged from the shadows. Their weapons were drawn, surrounding them. It was a trap. And they had walked right into it.Panic spread through the group. “Maxine!” Jahrek shouted, looking at me with shock. “What’s happening? What have you done?”I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I just stood there, watching as the rebels were rounded up. The
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