Remember Us, Remember Me

LIANA

“The full moon. That’s why he’s done this!” I snap, and Zeke’s head drops down again.

“I’m so sorry, Liana, I wanted it to be organic. I never should have let you go, but ~this~ was your father’s idea!”

I stand up, starting to pace angrily. “What the hell do you mean, ‘organic’?!”

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair as he stands, effectively releasing even more of his scent into the air.

“Liana…I like you, okay? You may not believe it, but I don’t sleep around. It’s always been you, only you. I liked you enough to want you forever…but I let others’ opinions get into my head. All those idiots who said you were overweight and unattractive; I let them persuade me. But I know that was wrong! I never stopped liking you, even those times when I ignored you!”

“Oh, shut up!” I bark, and he tries to reach for me, catching my wrist.

“Liana, please. Just try… For the sake of the pack? You can’t feel~ nothing~ for me… You slept with me too. All those times down by the quarry—they were amazing! You know they were… And I’ve been by your side for months. Hell, I got you out of that fucking palace when he was chasing you and ~you~ didn’t want him!” There’s a pleading note in his voice that sickens me. I yank my hand away from him to create distance.

“Don’t! Don’t touch me!”

“Liana, I’m not forcing you. I just want you to remember me! Remember me before all of this! Remember ~us~!”

My wolf growls through me and, to my surprise, Zeke flinches back a little. My lycan is powerful. I could use that…

“Zeke, open the door,” I snarl, and he shakes his head, stepping back. “OPEN THE DOOR!” I shout, but he spins back around.

“I CAN’T! They changed the code to be sure that nothing ~you~ could do would get you out of here!”

I stop pacing immediately, my body wilting with disappointment.

There’s nothing I can do. I’m trapped here.

I drop to the floor and curl up into a small ball so I can sob silently. I don’t know how long I lie there until I cry myself to sleep.

***

I stir from sleep with a pair of thick, warm arms scooping under my body and holding me close to a hot, chiseled chest. I nuzzle in slightly in my sleep-laced state. Hearing a soft groan, I stiffen, and my eyes flutter open. I’m looking up into the sharp features of Zeke’s face, his amber eyes glowing down at me, his black hair hanging just over his eyebrows. I squirm against him with an angry growl, but he shushes me quietly.

“Relax, Princess, I’m putting you to bed. You can’t sleep on the floor all night.”

I don’t fight but remain stiff, keeping my eyes on him as he gently places me down on the bed. Looking down into my eyes, he gently brushes some hair back from my face before standing straight and stepping away.

“I’ll give you space, don’t worry,” he says.

I nod stiffly and roll onto my side so that I can watch him leave.

“It’s not going to matter though, is it?” I mumble and he stops, turning around to look back at me.

“I am sorry Liana. I never wanted to force you into this situation…but…I can’t bring myself to feel regret.” I frown at him. “Having you near me is…nice. I’ve missed you, baby,” he says quietly. Then he shakes his head, ridding himself of a thought before he speaks again. “Get some rest, Princess… No one’s coming in here.” He shuts the door behind him and I’m left alone.

Little does he know that being alone is what I’m afraid of… I want Lucian. I need him; the heat is going to start kicking in tomorrow, and by the following day, the moon will be full—and all hell will break loose…

~“Please find me, Lucian,”~ I say down the link, although I know he can’t hear me. The inner walls of the hideout are lead-filled and there are no outgoing signals of any kind. Knowing my father, he’s already covered my tracks and erased my scent from the grounds. Dread fills me once again, and the tears flow down my cheeks onto the pillow as I tighten myself into a small, coiled-up ball and sob myself to sleep.

***

I wake with the rumble of my stomach, and the smell of freshly killed venison wafts into the room. Stretching out my aching muscles, I am secretly grateful that Zeke put me to bed or I’d be paying a painful price. With a groan, I heave myself up from the bed and skulk to the kitchen area to investigate.

Standing by the stove, Zeke is wearing his boxers and his scent is all over the room, practically suffocating me. But I’m distracted by the sound of meat slapping in the pan, and my attention is drawn to the thick steak he’s cooking. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes trace over me, taking me in. Although I’m fully dressed, he looks through me with an X-ray vision, stripping me with his eyes. He’s not taxing his imagination much, considering he’s already seen me naked.

“Stop that,” I scold mildly, and he snuffs out a laugh before turning back to the stove.

“Good morning to you too,” he says with a chuckle, and despite myself, I smile a little. Thankfully, he isn’t looking at me. I stroll toward the couch and drop down onto it, but regret it when his scent smothers me. I have to hold my breath, trying to adjust. I sigh, resting my head back and trying to keep my breathing small and shallow.

“Hungry?” he asks.

“I could eat,” I murmur back quietly.

He nods, giving me a warm smile, and goes back to cooking. A few minutes later, he brings over two thick-cut, rare steaks with a side of long green beans and broccoli.

It may seem like an odd combination, but with the moon becoming full, I need the raw meat proteins and the nutrients from the greens, so it makes the perfect meal. Grabbing his own plate, he sits on the lone armchair. He has four steaks and a separate bowl full to the brim with vegetables. I chuckle to myself, looking at his loaded plate, and he smiles quizzically at me.

“What?” he asks, amused.

“Nothing,” I laugh again.

“I have to keep my strength up for the full moon, pup; muscles like these are earned,” he teases with a slight flex of his pec muscles—but my smile slips slightly. His reference to the full moon makes my heart twist painfully in my chest.

I am starving, so I force myself to eat. Lucian is supposed to be coming over here today. I pray to the Goddess that he finds me, and I pray even harder that my father doesn’t have some kind of plan, should Lucian come in search of his mate.