Six years now. It’s now been six whole years as of today. No more fitting the years of heartache on one hand. Today, six years ago, on my birthday, I lost so much. Maverick lost so much. And now, if he doesn’t stop pestering me, he is going to lose a nice set of teeth too. “Why are we here again?” Maverick mutters, walking up behind me and leaning over my shoulder as I read the back of the box in my hand. “It’s my birthday, Maverick.” I mutter, trying to ignore his presence. “You’re an adult, Tater tot. This is a toy store.” He says, stepping up next to me, staring at the building blocks on the shelf. “Then you are aware that as an adult I know how to read, so I know what kind of store I entered when I saw the sign on the door.” I glance at him, my lips pressing together. “Mmm.” He hums. “Could you wait like…over there?” I point to the door and he looks at me, amused. “Not a chance.” “You are in a weird mood today.” I groan, walking away with the toy set in my hand. Any other
*Maverick*My eyes transfix on the huge granite structure sprawling out in front of Tatum as she sits chatting as though there is someone there to listen. The air feels stale as my chest heaves up and down while I look closely at the names. Not the names I call them. No, here they seem so formal, so wrong. “What the fuck—” I mutter, just staring at the smooth headstone forcing my body to remember to breathe.Kiala. Timothy.Mason.Not mom, not dad. Not little dude or Mase. But their formal names, the names everyone else calls them. Not me. But it’s still my family. Not Tatum’s, not anyone else’s, but mine. Yet here she is talking to them like they mean something more to her. Like she has the right to visit them as her own. And she doesn’t. She has no fucking right to pretend like they mean something more to her. I don’t even see her move, yet somehow she is in front of me, drawing my attention as she reaches out and softly touches my bicep. I scan her face, trying to understand, tr
*Tatum* I freeze under his kiss, his soft lips flush with mine as his arms cling to me for life. My heart is racing, beating out of my chest as I try to understand what is happening, if this is actually real? Maverick’s touch grows gentle as he moves to pull away and I panic, grabbing onto his face and pulling it closer to me as I kiss him back. His chest hums, and I try to catch my breath as our lips dance together. Maverick’s hands grip my jacket, pressing my body as close as he can before he rips away, pressing his forehead to mine. His hot breath mingles with mine as we try to breathe, sucking in the cold air that seems to fail to pull us from this little haven we have found. Neither of us speaks as we stay immovable in time. Each passing second, I can feel my thoughts trying to creep in. The ones I can’t bring myself to welcome. The ones that will rip me from this dream. I have wanted this for too long, needed it for years, so for now I relish it. Being in his arms, holding on
*Maverick* “River,” I growl, low in my chest, without taking my eyes off the bathroom door on the other side of the living room. “Is there something you’d like to say to me?” “What did you do to her?” She says, settling in on the arm of the couch facing me. “Why do you assume I did anything?” I scoff. “Maverick, I’m going to fill you in on something you may not know. When a girl literally runs from you and hides in the bathroom, that usually means you are the problem.” I hate how her words make me feel, and I turn to look at her. “And you are sure she was trying to escape me, not someone or something else?” I ask her, arching a curious brow. “She sure as shit wasn’t trying to escape me.” She sighs, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her bent knees. “What did you do?” I clench my jaw, refusing to tell River a damn thing. If Tatum wants her to know she can tell her on her own, I won’t be informing her, though. The last thing I need is River cursing me out for the kiss.
A sliver of light slips through the curtain, dancing on Tatum’s smooth cheek. She must be used to the light in her face as she snores peacefully through what I would consider to be a distraction. I’ve seen Tatum sleep in the past, be it falling asleep during a movie or just being exhausted and passing out on the couch, and my sentiment on her sleeping has not changed. It’s not my favorite way to see her. Not that she doesn’t look like an angel, she does. But there is no smile, no sassy lip twitch as she tries to put me in my place and fails. The most beautiful thing about Tatum is her expressive nature. The way her emotions bleed from her eyes and pour from her lips. No, she may look perfect when she is sleeping, but when she is awake, she is less than perfect and I’d take that any day. Muffled clanking floats under the door, and I rise in my sweatpants and shirt as I tiptoe across the room and ease the door open. The hallway is empty as I step out and peek into the kitchen to see
The car idles outside of Tatum’s family home, my knee bouncing as I unlock the door for Tatum to hop out. She pauses and I look over at her, a worried expression dotting her brow as she watches me. Her hand drops from the door handle and she releases a heavy sigh. “Seriously?” she asks, and I arch a brow. “What?” “Are you such a coward you can’t even come in to face them?” an amused smirk takes over her face and I scoff, my hands tightening on the steering wheel before they release and I drop them into my lap. “I have nothing to say to them,” I say softly and she rolls her eyes. “Then don’t talk.” Then she opens the door and tugs her coat around her body as she runs into her house. She is right, my usual go to is just ignoring people. It shouldn’t be that hard except…except that these aren’t just strangers or a friend of Tatum’s. These are the people that know my every fault. Shit, Mara changed my diapers when I was a baby and Nathan used to spare with me in the yard. And Ja
*Tatum*The moment we hit pack grounds a sense of anxiousness settles in my gut, I wring my hands unsure what is going on with me. I should be excited, happy to be back, yet all I can think about is Artemis’ present for me. I heave out a heavy sigh as Maverick pulls into the garage this time, turning off the car. Neither of us moves. Maverick taps his palm on the steering wheel for a moment. “You ready?” he asks, and I press my head to the back of the headrest. I want to tell him no. That it was a hard trip home, mentally taxing, emotionally draining. But I know he already knows all of that. After all, he was my shadow the whole time. “I just need a minute longer.” I close my eyes, relishing the little bubble of safety Maverick and I have. The one I wanted desperately to escape when I first arrived, but now I feel anxious when I’m outside of it.“Okay then,” He says growing quiet, I droop my head toward him lazily, watching him as he fiddles with the car keys in his hand.“Are you o
When I come back out, I sense eyes on me and I look over to catch Rose as she watches me and then offers me a knowing grin. I hate she seems to know exactly where I was and that I was with Artemis. She makes her way over to me, bumping me with her shoulder as she smiles up at me. “You don’t have to feel so guilty.” She teases. “Clem and I both understand that Artemis favors you.” I look forward, watching Clem as she giggles near the cake, laughing with the very man we are discussing. “I hate that you know that, though. This isn’t some competition. It may have started off that way, but now it feels…” I sigh, shaking my head and looking down at my hands. “I don’t know, sorry. I’m out of sorts.”“Rough trip home?” She asks, concerned, and I give her a gentle smile. “Wasn’t home? That was the issue. I love my family. My parents are amazing and my brother is…well he is your typical overprotective older brother.”“That sounds nice.” She says. “So what was so hard about it? You didn’t wan
Hey!! SO this is ending differently than my usual they are happy for 5-10 chapters! why? Becuase I felt their relationship was developed along the way, showing them over that many chapters again would have felt like filler which i promise never to give you. I have also left a few things open for specultion. There is a reason for that. There is potential for a Clem and Kit story, a shorter one but that won't happen until I get the second book in the Rebel Rising series up and completed.Clem and Kit's story would pick up from the moment she is traded to him for Tatum so we would also get alot of Mav and Tatum in their story as they are important characters in their lives. As always, THANK YOU, for hanging in there with me. This was a fun one to write. I will be doing some editing and such and may add more to give us more details about River and Artemis but they also may have a small novella coming if I feel like their story needs to be told from their POV. Basically, everything
Tatum sits sobbing in the bed, her eyes locked on mine as I hold the little screaming bundle in my arms. I look down at my sweet, perfect, and very loud son, Maxwell Mason. Tatum rubs her eyes, her chest heaving up and down, and I can’t help but laugh. I know it’s an awful thing to do, especially considering the circumstances, but I can’t help it. Tatum looks beautiful and exhausted. “Babe, go to sleep.” I insist and she shakes her head no.“Why won’t he sleep?” she blubbers. “I am so tired,”“Tater tot.” I say firmly, “Then go to sleep. I’ve got him. He is okay. He just needs a change and a bottle.”“But I should be able to nurse him,” she sobs, looking at her hands in her lap.“Ah.” I sigh. So that’s the actual issue. Tatum’s milk supply has yet to come in and it is the third week. My poor sweet mate wanted nothing more than to be a mother and be a perfect one. And now that she has a baby, she feels like she isn’t enough because she can’t breastfeed him. “Look at me,” I say, walki
*Maverick*The healer walks around me, a look of concentration on her face before she looks at me and clicks her tongue. My heart falls. Clearly, this physical evaluation is going fucking poorly. And here I thought I was going to be giving the go ahead to make Tate mine tonight. It has been two fucking weeks of not being able to make her mine.No strain on my body, no marking and no fucking sex. Worst fucking rules ever, and here Tatum is all happily complying. I have been a patient man all my life waiting for the day I can fuck my mate whenever I damn well please and yet here I am dying to sink my teeth into her neck and make sure every damn single male in this pack knows she is mine.“Janelle,” I growl at the healer who Artemis sent with us to ensure my healthcare was consistent for optimal healing. She shoots me a glower that says to shut up and wait. “I think your healing has expedited with your new title.” She says, finally standing upright and giving me a satisfied smile. “Your
Maverick stares at me, the haziness finally completely gone as he just observes me silently. I reach out to touch him, my heart pounding. I have been touching him, helping him with the bond the whole time he has been injured and out of it.But now…he is coherent enough to realize I am actually here. He flinches as I come close and my heart aches at his fear, who would have thought he was easier to work within when he was fighting during his treatment than he is right now after a solid 4 days of healing sleep.“Maverick,” I keep my tone light and assuring. Even after explaining to him it will no longer hurt him, he is still hesitant and I understand now just how much the oath was tormenting him. The very sight of me seems to cause him pain and confusion. The fucking oath’s attempt to ruin us is still so damn raw. “Y-you’re sure?” He asks, swallowing roughly and licking his lips “I’m positive.” I nod. “The oath is gone,”“How can you be so sure? I don’t understand,” he mutters, lookin
Maverick tries to reach up to touch me back, his eyes distant but happy, as if he is moving in a fog. My tears run unchecked down my cheeks as I try like hell to calm myself. There is so much happening all at once. In my mind and around me, I feel overwhelmed, completely lost in what to do with all of it. “I need you to keep him from moving.” The healer tells me, touching my shoulder gently. “We have to get his arm bandaged before infection sets in and he loses it.”I lower my head, pressing my cheek to his as he turns into me, a satisfied hum on his lips.“Mav, stay still. You have to stay still, otherwise it will hurt,” I whisper in his ear.“I want to touch you,” he says back, his words sounding slurred as he tries to turn toward me.“No, no,” I rush out, splaying my hand over his chest to still him. My stomach boils when I touch his open wound, but I keep my eyes closed, my face pressed to his as I breathe through it. “You need to heal. ““I don’t want to.” He mutters, and I sigh
*Tatum*I fly out of the car before Jackson even has it in park, sprinting up the heavily decorated stairs as the doors whip open. River throws herself into my arms, holding me as my chest beats and all the terrible thoughts one can imagine flit through my mind. I haven’t been able to catch my breath since she told us to hurry. I can only think the worst. It has to be terrible if she won’t tell me over the phone. “Riv…” my voice quivers as I pull away trying to force her to look at me, but she avoids eye contact. Jackson places his hand on my back to comfort me.“That’s enough waiting. You have to tell her, River. She needs to not be in the dark anymore.” He tells her and she looks over at him, biting her lips. “We found him.” She swallows, rubbing my arms in a soothing manner. “But it’s not good, he is—”I move her aside, rushing into the pack house, my eyes trying to locate where he is. IS he in our old room? Or did it cause him so much hurt that he has now moved to another room?
*Maverick*I know I won’t be able to see Tatum tonight, not without the pain that will overtake me like it does every fucking time she comes to my mind. With the way the oath is going, it is trying to burn her from my memory, punish me for the bond that was divined for me.If I had any other option, I would take it. I have searched for two months alongside Artemis and Milo and at times, even River would pull an all nighter looking for something. Anything that would relieve me of my suffering, and Tatum’s as well. There is nothing, just as there wasn’t two months ago. The only way I can think to end the suffering, truly be rid of the pain, is to end it. No, I’m not the type of man to kill himself. That’s not how I plan to go out. I have respect for the life I was given, the talents I have. What I don’t have respect for are the rogues that started this all. The callous, soulless assholes who only wish to maim and murder for fucking entertainment.Their attack is the one that led me dow
The waves tickle my bare feet, the warmth of the sun seeping into my shoulders as I stand side by side with my mom. I couldn’t NOT bring her with me. I wasn’t in a good enough place to go anywhere alone and with Clem and River both busy living their own lives…well. Mom wanted to be with me. I guess she was worried I would wander off and never come home. But this ending with Maverick feels less…I don’t know. It’s different. My heart is in tatters, but it’s different from the first time. Back then there was an ache, feeling like he didn’t love me, or I wasn’t enough. This time…this time I get it. Maverick loves me, and he loves me as much as I love him. Which is why I have traveled the last two months like he asked me to in his letter. I knew deep down if he thought there was a way out of his oath, a way we could be together, I know he would utilize it. “How are you, my sweet girl?” My mom asks softly and I smile, lifting my chin for the sun to kiss my bare cheeks. “Hmm, I’m good to
It’s bitter out. The cold air is relentless as it whips around, the wisps of little snowflakes blowing in my face as I stare at my parents’ grave. Their grave is massive, no doubt costing thousands, and I tilt my head, wondering how Tatum of all people paid for it. The thought of her creates an ache throughout me, my heart exhausted and battered from all the back and forth for the past two days waiting to see her.I couldn’t bring myself to text her back or even attempt to answer her calls, as I hid like a coward. If I would have answered I would have told her, There is no hiding the truth from her and she deserves to be told in person. I deserve to witness her heartbreaking so I can never forget what I have done to her time and time again. “You’ve been avoiding me,” her sweet voice calls out behind me and my eyes slide shut, relishing how she sounds, the happiness that laces her teasing words. I want to hold on to this, fucking cling to it like a baby clings to its mother, but I’m