Chapter 17 #2
“We have your back,” Blade added.
For some reason, it was Dragon’s unusual violet eyes that her gaze settled on. While Steel was the team leader, there was a darkness to Dragon that outshone everyone else’s, making her crave his acceptance.
Their gazes clashed, and after a long moment, he gave a single nod. “Nobody should ever doubt your strength, Maya, least of all you.”
Confidence higher than it had been in almost half her life, Maya hurried toward the front door, pausing long enough to rug up, before starting the walk toward the treehouse.
There was no point in running. No one, especially not her, who was still rebuilding strength in her muscles after being kept in a cage for so long, could outrun Thunder.
Not that she needed to, since she was sure sooner or later he would wind up at the treehouse.
His special place, but one he’d shared with her.
Because he cared.
And it was because he cared that he’d lashed out, lost control.
When she reached the tree where his treehouse was hidden, it took her a long time to climb up to it. Before Thunder had just thrown her over his shoulder and climbed up with her, but this time she did it all on her own, and there was a surge of pride that far outweighed the breathlessness.
Flopping down to lie on her back, Maya let her legs dangle over the side as she waited for Thunder to arrive.
The sun climbed higher in the sky until it beamed down through the trees at her, then slowly began its descent toward the horizon.
A million scattered thoughts tumbled through her mind.
Some good, some not so good, but one thing never changed.
She wanted to take back control of her life, and it started with helping bring down one of her owners.
“It’s cold out, you should be inside,” Thunder said as a way of greeting when he finally arrived, climbing up to join her and sitting at her side. Not close enough to touch, though, and she realized she missed his touch.
There were no words to describe how wonderful the gentle touches were after over a decade of only being hurt.
That gentleness he’d given her was the only reason she felt brave now.
Pushing up so she was sitting instead of lying down, she turned to look at Thunder, who was steadfastly staring out into the forest spread out before them. “Is that all you have to say to me?” she asked.
After a long pause, Thunder sighed, a deep, heavy sound, then raked his fingers through his short hair before reaching over to hook his hands under her armpits and drag her onto his lap.
“No, it’s not. I'm sorry, babydoll. What I said was wrong and insulting. I wasn't lying when I told you that I thought you were strong. You are strong. Stronger than me, because I ran from my feelings instead of facing them. It’s not that I don’t think you can do this, it’s that I don’t want you to do this. Babydoll …”
There was so much pain in that one endearment, and his fingers flexed then grabbed onto her hips, digging in painfully.
Maya relished that pain, though, because Thunder wasn't running anymore, he was here, holding her, opening up to her.
That may have seemed like a small thing, probably was to anyone else, but for her, it made her feel like she was normal again.
That she was more than just a body to be used and abused.
“You have to understand that I stopped loving my parents when I was very young.
I'm not sure if I ever did. I can't remember a time when I saw them as anything but the people ruining my life.
My team is the closest thing to a family I've ever had, and I care about them, I trust them, but I hold a piece of myself back. Maybe waiting for it all to blow up in my face, I don’t know.
But I do know you're the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
I've never felt anything even close to what I feel for you for anyone else. The thought of losing you …”
Pressing herself closer, Maya curled her hands around the back of Thunder’s neck and drew him down, so his face was nestled against her neck. There were no words that she could say to erase those fears, no promises she could make to guarantee her safety.
“My life before I was taken was perfect,” she said softly.
“I knew, of course, that there were bad people in the world, but I didn't really understand it. I do understand that now. I know what evil looks like, smells like, tastes like, and sounds like. I know what it feels like. Each time it touched me it felt like it stole a piece of my soul. I want my life to be perfect again. I mean, I know there’s really no such thing, but here with you … it feels like there is. It feels like life can be perfect again, but not while he’s out there.
Not while we’re all in danger. I want to be a real person again, I want to be in control of my life, to be free, and rebuild all my broken pieces and put them back together.
I need to prove that I'm not the completely broken wreck Master—Dr. Gardner—believes me to be.”
A low growl rumbled through Thunder’s chest, and his teeth nibbled lightly at the skin on her neck. “You are my strong, beautiful, perfect girl.”
“I want to believe that too,” she whispered. “I need your trust, I need your belief in me, I need you beside me so I can do this. I need you to prove to me you weren't lying when you said you thought I was strong, because if you believe it, then I can believe it too.”
“You have all of that, babydoll. All of it,” he repeated as he kissed and nipped a line up her neck and along her jaw before crushing his mouth to hers.
There was nothing but truth in that kiss, and Maya allowed herself to melt into it. When she was in Thunder’s arms, it felt like she could do anything.
“But you're not playing bait,” Thunder said against her lips, and she froze. Her little bubble popped, leaving her feeling cold, angry, hurt, and exposed.
“What?” He’d just told her that he believed in her, that he did see her as strong, apologized and explained himself, now he was … what? Taking it all back?
“Not alone,” Thunder added.
“Alone?”
“Where you go, I go. I'm not letting you fall back into that man’s hands all by yourself. If you want to see if we can lure in Dr. Gardner, we will do it together. A team.”
“A team?” Maya liked the sound of that. For thirteen years, she’d faced everything by herself. Facing one of the monsters from her nightmares with this man by her side felt good, right.
“Me and you, babydoll, always.”
Need rolled through her, and Maya reached out to unzip his jeans without even thinking about it.
Reaching beneath the denim, she pushed aside his boxers and freed his length.
Lifting herself off his lap enough to shove her own jeans down her legs, she lined herself up and sank down, taking him deep in a single move.
The sting of him slipping into her only intensified the pleasure when she began to roll her hips.
“Together, me and you,” she said as Thunder gripped her hips and began to thrust into her with the same frantic need she felt.
“Always.”
“Always,” she echoed as she held onto his shoulders and let him make her body sing, make him bring it to life, because that was exactly what it felt like he was doing.
As his fingers found her bud, and he pushed her closer toward a precipice of pleasure, Maya felt like she was edging closer to finding herself again, figuring out who she was going forward.
And when she reached that edge and went flying over it into a world of ecstasy, Thunder was right there with her, catching her, holding her.
Maybe together they really could end this nightmare once and for all.