[Elise’s POV]I wait as Forrest continues to look from me to the bars of his cell and back. It is only when a commotion can be heard that he finally gets up and moves toward me. For a moment, I’m stunned by the fact he isn’t chained like I was, but I don’t waste too much time thinking about it.“Come on,” I huff, scooting closer to the window so that he can reach me. “I think they’ve realized that I’m gone.”I was certain that was the case, after all, if Ezekial was as capable as he claimed, he would be more than aware of what was going on in his domain.“We gotta go.”Nodding, Forrest jumps and wraps a hand around mine. Once he is secure, I start to pull, but realize that he is much heavier than I expected.“What?” I huff, drawing on the rogue strength that is slowly consuming me. “Do you eat more than three meals a day?”“Watch it, pipsqueak,” he growls. “You’re just weak.”Like hell, I was. He was just heavy, but that wasn’t going to stop me from getting him out of there. It was my
[Maverick’s POV]I sit quietly, watching as Jose speaks quietly with a woman who oozes authority and pride. Two days have already passed since our arrival in New Moon, and this woman arrived this morning. According to Jose, she would be the one who was returning mine and Ellie’s memories. Although I was still skeptical, I already settled on going through with this, especially if it would help thaw some of the tension between Serenity and me.“It’s going to be fine,” I say now, patting Serenity’s leg as she sits stiffly beside me. “And once we know more, we can hopefully end things.”“Yeah,” she whispers, though it is clear that she doesn’t really believe me. “Right.”Sighing, I get up and head over to Jose and the woman, drawing both of their attention toward me.“Hello,” I say, deciding it was the polite thing to do to introduce myself. “I’m Maverick, one of the ones you’ll be returning memories to.”“Mmmm.”The woman doesn’t say anymore as she just stares at me with dark eyes that l
[Serenity’s POV]I watch in horror as Maverick buries his head in his hands. They shake as he does so, as does his body, and before I know what I’m doing, I rush forward and grab his wrists.“Maverick!” I call as he repeats the same thing again and again. “What’s wrong? Talk to me!”It’s like he is somewhere else and not even here with me as he continues to ignore me and the world around him.“What did you do?” I demand, turning my gaze toward Gretchen. “What did you do to him?”“I didn’t do anything.” She responds. “Whatever inner battle he is having has to do with him and only him.”Fighting the urge to punch her, I turn my attention back to Maverick and pull at his wrists as hard as I can until finally, he lifts his gaze toward mine.“Maverick,” I whisper, taking in his sweat-covered skin and pale face. “You’re here.”“Serenity,” he murmurs, like he isn’t quite sure if I’m real. “You’re… Let go!”Eyes widening, I watch Maverick yank his wrists from my grasp.“Don’t,” he says, givin
[Serenity’s POV]I don’t know how long I sit there, holding Maverick as he processes what he has remembered and deals with the demons that haunt him. I don’t mind it in the slightest; instead, I’m relieved that he is so open to allowing me to share in his suffering for him. And when he finally pulls away and looks at me, I lean forward and kiss his lips, then press my forehead against his.“Feel better?” I ask, meeting his gaze.“Somewhat,” he admits. “But there is still a lot to process.”“I’m sure.”I was certain that it must be so overwhelming to have years of memories rush back to you at once and to even have one that was so damn painful. I could only wish that I could take away some of the pain he was feeling, but I couldn’t. That pain was something that he would have to live with, but I would always be here to bring him back from the darkness if he began to tumble into it.“Can I ask a question?” I say slowly, not wanting to take away from his processing, but along with the memo
[Serenity’s POV]I stare in disbelief as the seriousness of the situation hits me. We had a lead. We had an actual lead toward where to find the one who started all of this, but it wasn’t without a sacrifice.“Where is Aunt Elise?” I ask quietly. “Why wasn’t she with him?”“That,” Uncle William begins, his expression falling as hurt appears in his eyes. “The boy hasn’t fully said.”“Then make him!” I snap, moving forward and moving around the three men who stand in the middle of my room.As I move, I can hear protests, but I don’t stop; I continue to move until I find Forrest sitting in the living room, looking lost and confused. However, when he hears my approach, his gaze turns toward me, and hope flashes in his eyes.“You,” he says, jumping up and grabbing me. “You can…”He doesn’t get to finish his words before a snarl rips through the air and hands grab me, pulling me into a strong chest.“Don’t touch her,” Maverick growls, his voice dripping with venom.For a moment, Forrest doe
[Maverick’s POV]I stare down at Rosco as his face goes redder and redder with rage. Although I knew even giving my age would piss him off due to my relationship with his daughter, I didn’t want to hide anything either. Hiding things was what caused him to dislike me so much, so it was time to turn over a new leaf.“And since that is clear, should we should work on coming up with a plan to defeat Ezekial, don’t you think?”Growing quiet, I wait as everyone stares at me like I’ve grown a second head, but when Ellie’s lips twitch into a small smile and she nods, I know that she is on the same wave length as me.“I think that would be best, Samuel.”“Samuel?” Jose repeats, frowning. “Who is Samuel?”“Me,” I respond. “My name before waking up in Emerald Moon was Samuel. However, I would prefer for everyone to continue calling me Maverick, as Samuel died long ago.”As I speak, Serenity reaches out and wraps her hand around mine, causing her father to grow angrier, but she doesn’t back down
[Serenity’s POV]I stare at Uncle Jose in disbelief as his brilliant plan settles around us.Sneak in.Did he really just say that he wanted us to sneak into a blood bank and steal human blood? Was he out of his mind? Didn’t he fear getting caught and then…“What?” Uncle Jose asks, looking around at what I’m certain are mirrored looks of shock. “What’s wrong?”“You’ve gone off the deep end.” My father huffs. “There is no way in hell that we are going to steal blood from a blood bank. I’m sure that Emerald Moon’s doctor will be able to get his hand on blood.”“Aw,” Uncle Jose huffs. “You’re no fun.”“We’re trying to save the world, not land ourselves in jail.” Uncle William points out.“If you want to do that, you can do it yourself.” My father adds.“Fine,” Uncle Jose huffs, his excitement over his idea fading from his eyes. “We will do it the boring way.”“Great,” my father snaps. “I’ll go and call Tristan then.”“Great,” Uncle Jose claps. “Then I will retire to my office for a drink
[Maverick’s POV]I stare into Serenity’s eyes while she slowly thrusts her hips, causing delicious sensations to rush through me, driving me wild, and making a side of me that has long since laid dormant come forward, urging me to take the woman in front of me as she wants.“It’s too soon,” I husk, pulling her against me and holding her in place. “I want…”“Maverick.” Serenity’s voice is strong as she speaks, and it causes my heart to go crazy. “Listen to me,” she continues. “You keep saying that it is too soon, that you want to do this and that, but tomorrow currently isn’t promised. I know that maybe I was a little hasty before you had your memories returned because I was so worried, but that isn’t the case now.”“But…”“Let me finish,” she sighs, and I’m certain that she probably feels like a villain attempting to take the innocence of a maiden. “I want you. I want to be with you. I want to belong to you entirely so that if anything does happen, goddess forbid, I won’t regret a thi
[Serenity’s POV]“Do you think Uncle William is okay?”I stare up into Maverick’s dark eyes while his arms tighten around me, pulling me closer to try to comfort the anxiety that I’m feeling.Two days had already passed since Uncle William went back to Crystal Fang, and even though there was no word on how he was, there was also no word that something happened, which in the end was a good sign, but I just couldn’t seem to calm down no matter how many times I told myself that everything was going to be okay.Was this feeling of foreboding only because of Uncle William, or did it also include the battle that we would be heading out for tomorrow?Of course, I have full faith in my pack, my family, and my family’s packs, but I was still nervous because the thought of losing even a single person was eating away at me, especially since I was the reason all of this was happening.“Hey,” Maverick murmurs, gently grabbing my chin and making me look at him. “Listen to me.”“Mmmmm.”Where he tou
[William’s POV]I stare at Lydia, my gaze narrowing as I take in what it is that she is saying. I wasn’t sure if she thought that I was so easy to fool or if she really went crazy, but I wasn’t in the mood to deal with her shit.“You know there is no way that is impossible.” I say, ignoring my anger over her even suggesting such a ridiculous thing. “If you’re worried about not having anywhere to go once you leave here, you don’t have to worry about that. I will continue to support you as I promised, but you will no longer be able to stay beside me as you have until this point.”“You can’t be serious.” Lydia says, her eyes widening. “You’re going to send me away even though you know that I’m pregnant?”“You’re not pregnant.” I snap. “I took all precautions to ensure that didn’t happen.”“Nothing is a hundred percent.” She points out. “If you don’t believe me, then shall I have an examination?”“Have it,” I shrug. “Even if you are pregnant, I wasn’t the one who did it. Now, if you’re do
[William’s POV]I give Serenity and Maverick a final look before turning and peeking at Elise, who is curled up in bed with the blanket wrapped so tightly around her you would think she considers it the only thing protecting her from what is happening around her.“Why does this feel like goodbye?” Serenity asks, drawing my attention back to her. “I don’t like it.”“Don’t worry,” I chuckle, ruffling her hair. “I promise that I’ll be back, after all…”After all, wherever Elise is is where I will be. There was no way that I was going to let her out of my sight now that she was here with me. Of course, I knew that our relationship could never be what it once was given our current standing, but I could still be her support as she navigated the trenches of whatever life she decided to lead.“Now,” I continue, gently shutting the bedroom door behind me. “You and Maverick should take advantage of the time you have left before we leave.”“Okay,” she says quietly, but from her gaze, I know that
[Serenity’s POV]I sit with Maverick outside of Uncle William’s room, listening quietly to what is being said inside. Although I don’t necessarily think it is such a good idea to overwhelm Aunt Elise with her backstory, I can’t help but hope that maybe, somehow, it will bring her memories back to her. But even if those returned, what would come of Eleanor’s memories before Aunt Elise awoke? Would they somehow be there, or was the Eleanor of the past be gone forever?“What is it?” Maverick asks me, snapping me out of my head. “You’ve got a pretty big crease between your brows.”“I was just thinking,” I say quietly. “What it must feel like to be devoid of everything.”The words leave me before I even realize what I’m saying and to whom, and when I realize what I’m doing, my eyes widen, and I snap my gaze to Maverick, only to find that he is giving me a gentle look.“I’m sorry,” I hiss, feeling like I just shoved my foot into my mouth. “I didn’t…”“It’s fine,” he assures me, his large ha
[William’s POV]Shock rushes through me as Elise works to cover her body, and I realize that she is getting the wrong idea about me. Shit. How could I even think of me ogling her body? Did I look like that much of a damn creepy old man?“No one cares about your body.” I huff, heading to the dresser and grabbing a shirt and shorts. “Don’t get the wrong idea here.”Turning, I toss the clothes at Elise and then wait as sounds of movement reach me.“I didn’t think this needed to be said.” I say now, crossing my arms. “But you’re a student, and I’m your principal. That is all that is going on between us. Understand?”For a moment, Elise doesn’t say anything, and I truly wonder if she is second guessing what I’ve said, but when a hand touches my shoulder, I turn and find that her large eyes are taking me in with so many questions.“What?” I ask now, keeping my expression straight. “What is it?”“I saw,” she says quietly, then stops as if questioning whatever it was that she was claiming. “I
[Elise’s POV]I find myself standing in the middle of a large room that smells of blood and death. Laying in the middle of the floor is a pile of dead bodies, and sitting on his throne of death behind them is the one I am certain is responsible for it. And the minute I accidentally touched one of the dead, I saw what happened and how this man was the one who insisted that it happen. He was the one that told them to fight against one another and the reason that they were like this, but despite that, he wore such a smile on his face like he was an angel.“You’ve returned.” He says to me, his dark eyes glowing with triumph. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away.”His voice is like a beautiful siren’s call that draws me closer despite what I’m seeing. I want to obey this man and do everything that he wants of me. That’s why, when I reach his feet, I bow and wait until his large hand comes to rest on my head so that he can rub my fur.The way his fingers brushed along me felt amazing,
[Elise’s POV]I’m in darkness. It is a suffocating darkness—a painful darkness that consumes me and surrounds me. It’s like being trapped in thorny vines that rip at my body again and again, slowly shredding my skin while it heals over and over.There is a voice in this darkness, my only companion as I move about trying to find something or someone who can help relieve me from this pain and free me from the darkness that has become my entire world.The voice is deep, one that belongs to a man, and when it speaks, everything in me screams to go along with it, but I don’t. I’m not sure why, but I know that I can’t go to that person because if I do then everything will be over. I don’t know why I feel this way, but I do, so instead of obeying it, I continue to move.How long have I been traveling? How many days? How many nights? I don’t know because they all blur together. I only stop long enough to eat and sleep, then I’m up and moving once more toward... I don’t know what. I only know
[Maverick’s POV]Later, I lay in bed while Serenity sleeps soundly beside me. The sun is slowly starting to trickle through the window to our right, but I find myself wishing that it would stop and that this single moment of pure bliss would last forever. However, I’m more than aware that isn’t possible.Sighing, I roll over and kiss Serenity’s forehead, causing her to stir, and when her beautiful eyes open and take me in, I fight the urge to jump her.“Morning.” She yawns, giving me an enchanting smile. “What time is it?”I don’t respond as I take in the lovely creature beside me, and when it all becomes too much, I’m pouncing.“Maverick!” She gasps, but wraps her arms around me. “What’s gotten into you?”“You,” I respond, nipping at her neck. “Just the sight of you drives me absolutely crazy.”“Well, that’s going to be a problem.”I don’t argue with her words, as I realize that she is right. It really was going to be a problem, but it was a problem that I was willing to deal with li
[Maverick’s POV]My tongue glides along Serenity’s clit, cleaning off any juices that linger there and then repeating this action again and again while she makes delicious noises that drive me absolutely crazy. Who knew that I would end up craving this, her noises, her taste, the way her body shivers as I make it feel good, and the energy that thrums between us? It was like nothing I knew; not even the joy of a hunt or battle could make me feel this alive.“Maverick,” she whispers, snapping me out of my head. “I’m going to...”“Cum for me, Serenity,” I murmur, shoving my tongue into her core. “I want to taste you on my lips and tongue.”At my words, her body tenses and then arches as a beautiful moan escapes her parted lips while an intense orgasm begins to rush through her. I have to admit, it is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen, but I wanted to see even more.“Mav-Maverick,” she whimpers while I continue my attack, not caring if she has already cum for the firs