Chapter ?
But as I recounted the story, they leaned in, absorbing every detail.
Then came the questions I’d been half-dreading.
“You’re not . . . human?” Scarlett asked, her voice quiet, as though the words were almost foreign on her tongue.
I gave a half shrug, feeling the weight of the truth settle in. “Apparently not. But I still don’t remember much from my past—just fragments here and there. It’s like trying to grasp fog.”
Mia reached over, squeezing my hand reassuringly. “We’ll help you piece it together.”
Despite the heaviness in my heart, her words kindled a spark of gratitude. I don’t know if I’ll ever uncover every piece of my past, or if I even want to.
Now lying in the dim light, my thoughts grow heavier and more suffocating by the second.
Maxon’s absence gnaws at me, leaving an emptiness that throbs like an open wound.
Time seems to stretch in the fae realm, and although I have only been here briefly, it feels like a lifetime due to the multitude of events that have unfolded.
My thoughts become a relentless tide, consumed by him, every sense sharpened as if to conjure his presence.
I try my best to push it away, but my mind betrays me, replaying the smallest details—his voice, smooth and captivating, echoes through my head like a melody I can’t silence.
His scent lingers faintly on the pillow beside me, drawing a fresh ache to the surface, and the urge to cry presses hard against my chest.
“Maxon, please let me in.”
Every inch of my body yearns to be intertwined with his, to feel his weight pressed against me. The mere thought of his hands exploring my skin sends shivers cascading down my spine, igniting a fire that burns low in my belly.
I squirm against the sheets. The indescribable need that rushes through me is raw and visceral, a primal force that demands to be acknowledged.
Closing my eyes, I focus solely on our bond. I follow the thread that binds us together, determined to reach him. My hair trails behind me as I float through the ominous darkness.
In the depths of my mind, fear gnaws at me, but I grit my teeth, casting it aside and pressing forward.
I clutch the golden thread and gently pull on it, observing how it softly glows and shimmers in the darkness.
A heartbeat, pulsating in the distance, travels down the thread and reverberates within the depths of my core.
Maxon!
I surge forward, following that golden thread, hope pounding in my chest. Suddenly, I’m stopped in my tracks, the impact knocking the wind from me as I collide with an invisible barrier. My fingertips gently glide along the cool surface, trying to find a weak spot.
What the hell?
I can see the thread, our thread. It’s visible in the distance, taunting me with its presence, yet I’m unable to move any closer.
Tears well up in my eyes, stinging and blurring my vision, as I angrily slam my fist against the wall. “Maxon, let me in!”
A flicker of light dances along the thread, and a surge of hope washes over me.
“Maxon!”
The wall trembles under my palms, and I know he can hear me.
The wall begins to give way, and pressure builds behind my eyes.
I take a step forward and the wall trembles as it allows me closer.
Then, out of nowhere, an intense, vibrating pain courses through the bond.
I double over as the pain steals my breath, leaving me gasping for air.
Just as quickly as it fell, the wall reinforces itself, cutting off my access to him.
“No!”
I’m suddenly sucked from the void, and I jerk upright in bed, a light sheen of sweat covering my body. I rub my hand over my chest, a sob working its way up my throat.
What are they doing to him?