MAXINE“You say that now but what if I can’t be that person for you?” He asked.I took a step closer and reached out to touch his arm. “Then we figure it out together. No more hiding, no more pretending.” I pleaded.He stared at me, his eyes were searching mine for something. Were there answers or maybe forgiveness? I didn’t know. I only knew that I wanted to find it with him.Slowly, he nodded. “I don't know about that but I guess you're right, no more pretending.” He said.He turned to leave, but before he did, he glanced back at me. “I’ll come by later if you want to talk, okay?”“I’d like that,” I replied as he walked out.RONANI stood in front of the wide windows of my office, staring out at the compounds below. The plans with the hospital were finally coming back to life. After months of planning and overseeing renovations, we were ready to reopen.I had too much work to do. There was still so much left to oversee and this reopening was just the beginning. I had to make sure ev
RONANI hoped she was beginning to understand what I was trying to show her. That there was more to me, than just the conflicts and pain.After a while, we made our way back to the entrance where the opening ceremony was about to start. The staff and a few pack members had gathered. I stepped forward about to address them as formality demanded but before I spoke, I glanced at Maxine.“Today marks a new beginning for our pack,” I began, “This hospital is a symbol of our strength and our willingness to move forward. It’s a place of healing, not just for our bodies but for our spirits. A place where we can come together, no matter our differences and work toward a better future.”I paused, looking out at the crowd. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished here. And I’m grateful to every one of you for your dedication and hard work. This is our victory, all of us.”Surprisingly, they began to clap, genuine smiles on their faces. I turned back to Maxine, hoping that maybe, she was beginning t
MAXINEI let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Thanks, Nadia. I'll consider that.” I said.Ella grinned. “And while you’re at it, maybe remember to have a little fun too? You’re allowed to enjoy yourself too, you know.”I chuckled. “I’ll try. Speaking of fun, what have you two been up to?”Ella went into a story about some recent pack drama and Nadia added in a few comments. For a little while, I let myself get lost in the conversation. It was nice to feel normal again, to feel like I wasn’t caught in a storm of emotions. lWith Ella and Nadia, I could just be Maxine. But even as we laughed and talked, I could feel Ronan’s eyes on me, even when he wasn’t there. I could feel Liam’s hurt even from a distance. I knew that this moment of peace was short.But for now, I let myself enjoy the moment. I let myself be grateful for the small things—going outside and meeting my friends again.As we walked down the path, back to the hospital, I realized that I didn’t have to have a
MAXINEShe chuckled. “I’m so happy to be that person,” she said. “So, tell me, what else has been going on?”I hesitated for a moment, wondering where to begin. “There’s been a lot,” I admitted. “Liam’s been brought back here in the mansion and he’s not doing well. He feels betrayed and I don’t know how to fix it. Ronan got his issues.”Zel leaned in closer. “And how are you feeling in all of this?”I let out a breath. “Conflicted,” I confessed. “I’m questioning everything. I feel like I’m constantly being pulled in opposite directions. One minute I think I know where I stand. And then the next, I’m questioning everything.”Zel reached out and squeezed my hand. “It’s okay to feel conflicted. It's like my mother likes to say, nobody truly knows the right things to do. You gotta take it one step at a time.”Zel had this nostalgic look on her face and I immediately felt bad. She was apart from her mother because of me.Still, I nodded, taking her words seriously. “Thanks, Zel. I needed t
MAXINEThe light ball vanished, scattering in the air. “At this point, I think those binds are useless against you,” I said, coming back to sit next to her.She shrugged, “Maybe they were never that strong to begin with or maybe Ronan underestimated me.” She shot me a look. “Either way, I’ve been doing my best to practice in secret. I'm getting stronger.”A thrill of hope went through me. It was like we had discussed, if she could just get a little stronger, Zel might just be able to break us out of this mansion without us having so much as a fight.But now, I was considering how we would get Liam out of this as well. I certainly couldn't just leave him behind. “Do you think you could use it to help us get out of here?” I asked quietly.Zel considered for a moment then nodded slowly. “I think I might be able to give it a shot,” she replied. “But we’d have to be careful. Ronan’s not stupid. He might sense something if we’re too obvious. And, I don't want to be in haste and end up doing
MAXINEWe left the bed and settled down on the ground. Zel and I sat cross-legged on the floor of my room, leaning in close so we could whisper without being overheard by the guards. My heart raced in my chest as we talked, each word spoken in low tones. Our heads were almost touched by our closeness.I could feel the heaviness of what we were about to attempt pressing down on me. But, there was the feeling of anticipation that rushed through my veins. We had to make this work.“So, how does this teleportation thing work?”Zel glanced at the door before she spoke. “Teleportation is tricky,” she said. “It’s not like I can just snap my fingers and we’re out of here. There needs to be a connection between where we are and where we’re going. Do you still have that stress ball?”I remembered the stress ball she had given me the last time I was in her room. I nodded. “Yes, it's in the drawer,” I replied.“Good,” she said, “As I told you before, I need an object that I can attach my magic to
MAXINEZel turned to the door with a smile. As she left, she gave me a small nod. As the door closed and it was locked, I quickly reached into my pocket and felt the smooth surface of a small coin.It was warm to the touch. I could feel the energy of Zel’s magic on it. I curled my fingers around it. We had a plan now, a real one that might work.I sat on the edge of the bed, turning the coin over in my hand. We could get out of this mansion and away from Ronan's rule. If we could just find a way to get to Liam's allies, he might have a fighting chance to take back what belongs to him.Still, I couldn’t help but think about how big of a risk this was. If Ronan found out before we could execute it or if any of his guards suspected, it could end badly for all of us. Ronan would lock us up in a real cell.I took a deep breath and slipped the coin back into my pocket. “One step at a time,” I said to myself. “We can do it, we will do this. We have to.”The guard returned to check on me a fe
MAXINERonan’s eyes darkened. There was a mix of desire and vulnerability in his eyes. He looked like he wasn’t entirely sure if he could trust me. This new shift wasn't something he expected.But he was drawn to it and me. I could see the conflict in his eyes. There was a part of him that wanted to stay guarded and protect himself. He was warring with the part of himself that wanted to believe in this new possibility: this part of me that wanted him.I leaned in even closer, closing the distance between us. My lips were just mere inches away from his. “I’m here, Ronan,” I said quietly, almost pleading. “I’m not going anywhere, not if you don’t want me to.”He hesitated. His breath caught in his throat and his gaze dropped to my lips before they flicked back up to my eyes. “Maxine…” he started but I cut him off, pressing a finger to his lips.“Shh,” I whispered, my heart racing. “Just feel.”And then I leaned in and kissed him. It was soft and slow and I think this was the first tim
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