\[Serenity’s POV\]
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 memory of his parents, I was certain he had memories of his pack, his name, and even his position that could help us in defeating Ezekial before he turned all the wolves of the world into humans.
“Go on,” Maverick says, straightening out. “I’m sorry to have wasted so much time.”
Frowning, I slap either of his cheeks and then narrow my gaze.
“You never once wasted time.” I say slowly. “Don’t you ever say something like that.”
“Sorry, sorry,” he chuckles, grabbing my wrists and pulling my hands away. Once they rest in his lap, he slides his own along them until our fingers twine. “I’m sorry to have upset my light.”
For a moment, I don’t speak as I feel my heart skip a beat over what Maverick has called me. I liked it, and it made my insides tingle with happiness knowing that I meant as much to him as the light that chases away his darkness.
“Aside from your parents,” I begin, fighting the urge to jump him. “Did you remember anything else?”
Growing quiet, I wait as he considers my question, and when he nods, I brace myself for whatever it is that he has said.
“All the rogues ate what was believed to be the flesh of the goddess.” He explains. “That was what caused the mania in not only us, but even Ezekial.”
“If that’s the case, why didn’t he turn to one himself?” I ask in confusion. “Why did he stay human and even become immortal?”
“Because he ate human flesh.” He explains. “And he isn’t the only one. There are others out there like him.”
Eyes widening, I take in what he is telling me as a sense of foreboding begins to build in my heart.
More like him. That meant that once we defeated Ezekial, it didn’t mean that we were safe. Or were we? Were they aware of what my blood could do? Goddess, this was so confusing.
“Do you know what happened to the others?" I ask slowly, praying that maybe I was overthinking things. “No.”
“Of course,” I sigh, slumping forward as my head spins.
“Hey,” Maverick murmurs, drawing my gaze to his. “No matter what happens, I will protect you.”
“I trust you,” I say, giving a small smile. “There’s something else that I’m curious about.”
“What’s that?”
Cocking his head to the side, Maverick watches me, waiting patiently for my next question.
“Since you remember everything, you must remember what your name is and even your age. What about your birthday? Did you have…” Gasping, my eyes widen as I realize what I was going to ask.
“Samual,” Maverick responds, though he doesn’t seem to like it. “My name was Samual, and I was twenty-five at the time.”
“Twenty-five,” I gasp, realizing that would mean that Maverick was thirty-one now. “That’s…”
“Does it make you not want me anymore?” He asks, pain flashing in his eyes. “Because the difference in our ages is...”
“No!” I say quickly, shaking my head. “I don’t care if there is a major difference in our ages.”
Smirking, Maverick nods, giving me a look of endearment before his expression falls and annoyance flashes in his dark eyes.
“Your dad isn’t going to be pleased about it.”
“He will survive,” I giggle.
“What else did you remember?”
As I ask the question, I snuggle against Maverick, pressing my ear against his chest so that I can let his strong heartbeat lull the anxiety that still drifts around in me.
“Do you really want to hear my whole life story?” He asks, snaking his arms around me. “It isn’t anything interesting.”
“If it involves you, it is interesting.” I counter.
“Alright, then.”
For the next few hours, I sit quietly as Maverick tells me everything that he has remembered from his childhood to his teenage years and his warrior training. I find that he speaks animatedly about this particular point in his life, making it clear just how much he wanted to fight alongside Ezekial. He really had the heart of a warrior, and that made me a little sad since he could never truly be the warrior he wanted since I turned him human, but despite that, he doesn’t seem to be phased. Or maybe he is, but he was trying to hide it from me. I didn’t know, and I didn’t have the heart to ask.
When he finishes, he grows silent, just holding me as we process everything, and when a knock sounds at Maverick’s door, I know that our time is up.
“We should,” I say quietly. “Probably…”
I don’t finish my words before Maverick’s mouth is finding mine, stopping me from saying the words that neither he nor I want to hear. And even when the knocking grows more insistent, he doesn’t stop. It is only when the door comes crashing forward, spraying dust and splinters around us, that he releases me so I can stare at my father, who stands in the doorway with a look that screams kill.
“What the fuck are the two of you doing?” He growls, storming forward and grabbing Maverick by his collar. “Right under my uncle's roof!”
“Dad!” I gasp, jumping up and stepping between him and Maverick. “Why are you here?”
For a moment, he doesn’t speak as he stares at me like I’ve grown a second head, and when his eyes grow deadly, I know that maybe I didn’t ask the right question.
“What?” He asks, his voice ice cold. “Are you saying that you hoped I would stay away so you could continue whatever the fuck is happening here?”
“That,” I begin, but stop as Uncle William and Uncle Jose rush in and grab either of my father’s arms.
“What the hell are you doing?” He growls as the two men fight him backwards. “Let me go! I’m going to kill this bastard who is trying to take advantage of my baby!”
“You need to calm down,” William huffs, enduring an elbow to the gut from my father. “Better yet, you need to go take a cold shower to cool that hot head of yours.”
“Like hell I do!” He snaps. “Can’t you see that they were…”
“Talking,” Uncle Jose offers, ignoring my swollen lips. “Did you have a nice chat, Serenity?” He continues, turning his gaze toward mine. “Find out anything interesting?”
“Actually,” I begin, wondering if now was the time to discuss this when my father was on a rampage. “We…”
“Remembered how the rogues were created.” Maverick finishes for me.
“That’s great, but how does that help us?” My father huffs. “It isn’t the rogues that are of concern. It is that bastard who stole my daughters blood!”
“Then I suggest you let the boy live so that he can help us figure out how to find him.” Uncle Jose sighs. “So, could you stop showing your ass?”
“Actually,” Uncle William announces. “That was the reason we came here. We have an idea of where he is.”
“Really?” I ask, expectation flaring through me. “How did you find out?”
“The boy who was taken along with El...” He stops speaking, and I don’t miss the pain that flashes in his eyes as he falters in saying Aunt Elise’s name. “The boy turned up at The Academy,” he continues. “He knows where Ezekial’s hideout is. Once we have gathered enough bodies, we are making our move.”