37. MaeveDraven
37
MAEVE
“ I fell asleep,” I whisper, looking up at the ceiling. The room feels so much brighter than my own. I realise I’m still in Draven’s bedroom. There’s no blackout curtains to protect from the bright spring sunrise.
It’s strange, but kind of nice. It shines some hope, or positivity, or some good shit that’s showing today is going to be a really good day.
I laugh bitterly. “Okay, Maeve, don’t get too cocky, now.”
My chromius doesn’t bother to engage, and it hurts my heart at how distant she is these days. The silence from her is suffocating. I wish she’d stop hiding from the pain and share it with me. Maybe then I wouldn’t feel so… alone.
I roll over in bed, realising I’m alone. A wave of relief washes over me. I relax back into Draven’s bed.
Thank fuck. I’m so grateful that he left, that he didn’t try and stay here with me.
I had no nightmares that I can remember. I’m wondering if that’s because of the sleeping tablet Dr Abbott prescribed me, and Draven encouraged me to take, or if it was just with how safe I felt being here.
I don’t know which one it is—maybe both—but it feels strange not to wake up in a panic.
I get up from the bed, my bladder bursting, and slowly creep out of the room. The quiet of Draven’s place is unsettling compared to my flat—it’s too still. I don’t know if he’s awake, but there’s not even the low hum of his fridge, or any electronics, or anything .
If it didn’t feel so… comforting being here, it would be unnerving.
“Good morning, little angel,” Draven says, his voice smooth and so delicate. The sound startles me and I flinch. I spin around to see him at the entrance to his living room, already fully dressed for the day in another tightly fitted suit. “Did you sleep okay?”
I bite my lip, and nod.
“Feeling better?”
I shrug. “Less raw,” I mutter, unsure if that’s the right way to describe it.
“Good,” he says, smiling warmly. His smile reaches his eyes, and it’s comforting in a way I didn’t expect. “Lucifer came knocking a half hour ago, whinging that he’s dying of starvation.”
“Did you tell him to die quietly?” The joke slips out before I can stop it, and my tummy clenches.
Draven smirks. “I shut the door mid-rant.”
I giggle and shake my head. “You’re terrible.”
But the moment of levity fades, replaced by the lingering shame from yesterday. I feel my cheeks heat up as the knot in my stomach grows. I owe him an apology for turning up here the way I did.
I can’t believe I thought it would be a good idea.
“I’m sorry about—” I start, but he cuts me off with a low growl.
“No,” he says firmly. His voice is soft but commanding, and it silences my guilt. “You needed comfort, and you came to me. That is all I ever want from you, Maeve. Do not feel guilty for that.”
His words are so earnest that they leave me speechless. I wish it were that simple, that I could just accept it.
But instead, I nod slowly, not sure how to process it. My guards were so torn down from therapy, from unloading onto Dr Abbott, that it was just instinctive.
Hadrian picked me up from therapy, and he was quiet in his own way, and I just couldn’t face going home to Ari.
I needed… Draven. That thought unsettles me more than anything else.
“Help yourself to anything in my bathroom or you can go to your flat and use your own things.” He gives me a sheepish smile that is so unlike his usual confident self that it catches me off guard. “I’m really, really grateful you came to me, Maeve.”
“Thank you for being there,” I say softly. The words feel inadequate, but they’re all I have.
“Always, little angel.”
His sincerity cuts deeper than it should.
“Do you want to come over for breakfast? Luc will be there, Ari, too.”
He smiles but shakes his head. It feels more forced this time than genuine. “I’ve got a meeting in a half hour, sadly, but I will come drop by once I’m sorted, okay?”
I nod my head. “Okay, thank you again.”
There’s an awkward tension between us as I leave his flat. He was exactly what I needed, but needing someone… feels dangerous.
I stumble into my flat, greeted by Ari’s music, and shout a quick hello as I head to the bathroom.
I wash the best I can, without forcing a shower upon myself today, and then make my way through to my bedroom to get changed. Draven’s not expecting me at work, so I put on some pyjamas, intent on relaxing.
My phone buzzes, and I smile, reading the text from Julian.
Julian
These archives are creepy as fuck when you’re alone.
I’m pretty sure I’m being haunted.
Maeve
Who would waste their time haunting you?
Julian
That’s the worst part. I only feel their presence when I’m sitting in your chair.
Maeve
My chair?
Julian
I like feeling connected to you.
Maeve
That’s obsessive.
What else do you do in that chair?
Julian
Cry about how lonely I am, and my only friend is the unfriendly ghost.
Maeve
I found him perfectly friendly.
Just tell him you’re working, and he’ll leave you alone.
I giggle to myself, having no idea what he’s even on about. His antics are so dramatic—another family trait, I’m sure—but it’s a welcome distraction.
He hasn’t replied before I join Ari in the kitchen, and she’s grinning at me just as Lucifer lets himself in. The easy vibe between them feels... calming. Almost too calm.
“Morning, pretty princess,” Lucifer says with a grin. “How did you sleep?”
I smile at him. “Well enough, now that I’m relying on the drugs again.”
He freezes from where he was reaching for the butter, and I waggle my brows at the expression on his face. “Drugs?”
“Don’t you think they make me more tolerable?” I ask, tilting my head. “Look, I even smiled at you today.”
“I’d rather you did not take drugs,” he says, eyeing Ari’s smirk before turning back to me. His protectiveness makes me want to roll my eyes, but my chromius thinks it’s sweet.
Of course, the only emotion she shares with me in days is related to a man.
“I think I’m missing the joke, and as the funniest man in the room, that’s a direct hit to my ego,” he adds with mock seriousness.
“You’re the only man,” Ari points out.
“If you can even be called a man,” I add with a snort.
Lucifer gasps dramatically, clutching his heart. “Maeve Madelyn Quinn! How dare you !”
“That’s not my middle name,” I say with a snort. “All I’m saying is that, sometimes, your bark is worse than your bite.”
“Yeah, to you ,” he argues. “But to the weak bastards who fear me? I’m, like… I’m, like…” He snarls, glaring at me when I erupt into giggles. He’s searching for the right comparison, and the ridiculousness of it sends me into a fit of giggles. “I’m the most terrifying man in existence. Begone with your hyena giggling.”
Ari and I lose it completely, laughing so hard that tears sting my eyes.
Lucifer huffs, piling his plate higher than usual, a pout firmly on his face as he shovels food into his mouth.
The tension from earlier melts away, replaced by something warmer, something I almost dare to call contentment. I can’t help but smile.
My phone buzzes, and I glance at the message from Julian.
Julian
Don’t mind me. Just dead now, living my best ghostly life.
Maeve
If you were dead, I’d have seen the fireworks.
Don’t tempt me with the idea of a celebration.
Julian
Wow, pretty girl, you’re feeling extra vicious today.
Maeve
I slept well.
It clearly makes me better at my jabs.
Julian
Glad you’ve got some sleep, Maeve.
Did it help?
Maeve
It helped the same way a plaster does.
It’s a temporary fix for a fucked-up mess.
Julian
Maybe.
But, hey, nothing says you can’t enjoy the temporary break.
Maeve
How would you suggest I do that?
Julian
Well, since coming to visit me is off the table…
Find a new hobby.
Watch a new show.
Murder my cousin.
Or my twin.
Maeve
Trust me, Julian, ridding the world of a Graves, one bastard at a time, is on my bucket list.
Julian
You missed my snort.
You also missed me falling off the chair.
It wasn’t a fall, actually.
The ghost pushed me.
But also, none of us are bastards.
Legally.
Maeve
Trust me, I don’t care about the legalities.
Julian
That’s what I like about you.
Maeve
I don’t really care for being liked.
But I’ll take your advice under advisement.
Julian
Have a nice day, pretty girl.
Remember to check-in before I’m murdered.
Maeve
Trust me, the ghost isn’t the one who will be holding the knife.
Julian
Neither will you.
I’m sure if you asked my demented cousin, he’d bring my head back as a trophy for you.
Maeve
What use would I have for a severed head?
Lucifer’s voice breaks through my conversation with his cousin.
“Who are you talking to, full of smiles, while my heart is broken?” Lucifer wails dramatically, clutching his chest like a damsel in distress.
I roll my eyes, tucking my phone away.
“I’ll die here, alone, unloved, with only my food for company,” he continues.
“I’ll not attend your funeral,” I snark back.
Ari beams at him. “I will. You always get free food at those.”
We dissolve into more giggles, and for a brief moment, everything feels lighter.
It’s kind of nice, having this good day.
I like it. I like the calm. The normalcy. Even the ridiculousness of Lucifer’s theatrics.
Maybe I can enjoy some of the month of May.
Draven
My temper is already flaring by the time I get Torin on the phone. I’ve had to sacrifice breakfast with Maeve to entertain the moody fuck, and he had the gall to turn up to our meeting eight minutes late.
For a man like him, that’s practically a day late.
Cunt.
“It’s about fucking time you’ve returned my call,” I say, giving Torin a dirty look. “Where the fuck have you been?”
The pantheral looks like he hasn’t lost a wink of sleep over making me wait, dressed all nicely in his fitted suit that makes him look like a clown.
“Sorry, I was called away on business, as I warned you before you made your trip,” Torin says, completely unbothered. His laid-back attitude only makes my irritation worse.
Business. It’s always business with him.
He cancelled our meeting over two weeks ago, when I was on the compound, and has been unreachable since.
I was debating getting Lucifer to take a hit out on the fucker just to get him to call me back. But, as luck would have it—for him—Torin finally sent this meeting request last night.
I cross my arms in front of my chest, glowering at him through the computer screen. Patience is not something I have in abundance right now.
“Regardless, I expected an update weeks ago. What have you found out?”
“Well, I tried talking to Julian, but that didn’t go well, so thanks for that,” he says with a shake of his head. His causal demeanour is grating on me. “Fucker tried to black my eye, until Adrian intervened.”
“Embarrassing that you needed someone to intervene for you. You deserved your hit if that’s the case.”
Torin snorts. There’s a flicker of annoyance in his gaze, but he doesn’t take the bait.
“You would think that, wouldn’t you?” He shakes his head again. “I’ve been asking around about your girl.”
“Not my girl.” The denial slips out too fast, too defensive.
She’s relying on me, she’s letting me care for her, protect her. She’s letting me be there for her. I don’t care if that’s all she ever wants from me.
She’s letting me in more than I ever thought she would. It’s enough for me.
I’ll devote my life to her, even without the mate bond.
I don’t need it to prove how much I can take care of her.
I’ll just continue to be her boss, on the sidelines.
“So you claim,” he says. “But I’m not here for your lies, my friend. She’s in some deep shit with this stalker.”
My entire body tenses at his words. “What do you mean?”
“It’s got the Tribunal on lockdown.”
My frown deepens. “Julian hasn’t mentioned anything.”
“Why would he? His girl isn’t your girl,” Torin says pointedly. The pantheral’s smugness has me itching to wipe the look off his face.
I sneer at him. I’d crush him if he were here in person. Alas, he’s a tosser, and he’s stuck on the compound for now instead.
“What kind of lockdown?”
“Anyone who has had interactions with Maeve has been warned that there’s someone taking… justice for any wrongdoings.”
My eyes widen, my blood running cold. “Oh, fucking hell.”
If it wasn’t for the fact that I know Lucifer has not left the pride since he arrived, I’d have guessed it was him enacting these kills for her. Julian doesn’t have the balls, so logic does leave the stalker.
And that means whoever it is, they’re getting closer.
“There’s eight dead. Most are nobodies, although one was one of Adrian’s mate’s personal guards,” Torin tells me. “Adrian’s kept everything on the down low and reassured those involved.”
Shit.
“Any big species?”
He shakes his head. “Lesser mythicals. He’s being careful, for sure, by not targeting anyone of true importance.”
That’s what I like about Torin. We’re both on the same page when it comes to how useless the vast majority of the world are. If they don’t benefit me, then I don’t really care whether they live or die.
I’m not murderous like Lucifer and Hadrian. I’m just indifferent.
Unless they were to harm my mate.
“So he’s unstable enough to be obsessed with her and to go on these sprees, but not enough to stray too close to being discovered,” I say with a sigh. “He’s smart.”
“Maybe, or maybe he himself is a lesser mythical who can’t take out anyone better.”
I nod, considering the possibilities. “Regardless of what he is, all that matters is he’ll be dead the moment we find him.”
“Well, that’s going to be hard when there’s a new travel ban in place. Anyone wanting to enter or leave needs direct permission from Adrian, and he’s not likely to give it.”
“Fuck me,” I mutter, snarling low in my throat, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. “For a man as fucking useless as him, I shouldn’t be surprised that this is his only solution.”
“He’s not found any evidence at any of the crime scenes, and the only thing linking each person together is Maeve.”
“Have you found out anything else about her?” I ask, anger pouring through my bond with my ursarix.
He knows that we don’t have a target right now, just that we’re unsettled over our mate’s safety.
But the moment we know who is to blame, they’ll pay the fucking price.
Torin’s expression shifts, darkening.
“She was seeing a psychiatrist here, Dr Jones. It’s… things are bad, Drav,” he says with a shake of his head. For once, the cocky tone is gone. Now, he’s serious, and that makes me even more tense. “This woman is psychotic , and she’s spent the last six years working with your mate, getting in her head, doing god knows what.”
I freeze. The rage that surges through me is instant, violent. “What do you mean by psychotic?”
“She’s… okay, I’m not officially in, but there’s a group of people on the Tribunal, and those close to getting on, who are in a group.” He rubs the back of his neck. He looks uncomfortable, nervous, even, and that puts me on edge. “I didn’t know what it was until the initiation, trust me on this.”
I don’t respond. I can’t.
“It’s bad. There’s so much badness involved, and she’s at the head of it, with the scum of the councilmen. They’re…” He trails off.
“Just fucking spit it out,” I demand. My patience is running out.
“They’re working to eradicate certain species, whilst making others stronger, impenetrable… they’re trying to build some kind of army or do something. I don’t fully understand it, but I will.”
“Where does Maeve fit into this?” I ask, my anger at the boiling point, it’s ready to explode.
“I don’t know,” Torin says, frustration creeping into his voice. Good. He should feel just as fucked up as I do. “I just know that a woman this motivated wouldn’t spend six years working on your mate, on a nearly weekly basis, if it wasn’t for something to do with her little project.”
I don’t bother to deny her connection to me again.
“Keep me in the loop,” I demand, my rage overbearing. My ursarix roars in my chest, and the rage we feel threatens to consume me.
The only thing that keeps me hanging on is Maeve. She’s two rooms down, blissfully unaware of this shit. I’ll keep her in the dark for as long as I can.
This darkness should never touch her.
“You’ve got it. Drav?”
“What?”
“Don’t let her out of your sight. Keep her protected.”
The primal urge to tear something apart rushes through me. “Don’t tell me what to do,” I growl.
“There’s something I can’t share with you, but trust me, keep her safe.”
Before I can press him further, the line goes dead.
I let out a roar, my ursarix clawing to be let loose as my next attempt to call him goes unanswered.
Whatever Torin’s stumbled onto, it’s bad. And it involves Maeve.
That makes it personal.
And whoever’s behind it? They’re going to pay. One by one.