Stupid witch. This is the last thing we need right now. "Yes you were promised Kermit, dead or alive." Heavy emphasis on the dead. Arabella herself laid out the terms.

Her gaze heavily focuses on me, bright emerald orbs darkening by the second. She knows what I'm insinuating. "Maya said she would try to keep him alive. To make him submit to her before she brought him to me."

"YES! Maya said that! MAYA, agreed to those terms. I made no such agreement and seeing as my mate was kidnapped for 48 days and tortured, I think I have more right to kill Kermit than you." I sneer and take a step around my desk. My focus completely on the woman in front of me. She's beautiful, but underneath her gorgeous face, is a heart of stone. "So what, you lost your love. I not only had to deal with the pain of Maya dying, but feeling her being tortured every day for 48 days. She was marked by another wolf and you DID NOTHING! YOU SAID YOU WOULD WATCH OVER HER! YOU SAID YOU WOULD KEEP AN EYE ON HER! I SENT KRIS TO FIND YOU SO YOU COULD AT LEAST TELL US WHERE SHE WAS AT AND YOU WERE GONE!"

Her chest rises and falls, electricity coursing through her fingertips coming out as sparks in the end. She's more than tempted to use her magic and my taunting words that I have no intention of stopping aren't helping my case. "Don't test me wolf."

"I will test you all damn day. We needed your help and because there was no benefit to you, you stood aside like a fucking selfish, coward."

"Son –

My father tries to prevent me from speaking anymore. There's no doubt that in a one on one fight, the witch has the upper hand. Long range attacks are their specialty after all, and we have to get right up on our opponents before we are capable of inflicting damage. But at this point I don't care, "Someone who stands by and does nothing, someone who watches something bad happening to other people and does nothing about it, in my opinion is just as bad as the abusers." I don't know how I got so close to this female but we are mere inches away from one another. "You are just as bad as Kermit."

At this point, I'm choking. Not directly by her hand but she's using her magic. My body makes contact with the wall with a loud thud. It's such a strange feeling being choked by practically nothing, I can feel the pressure being applied but nothing is touching it. Magic is weird. "You listen to me and you listen good Josh." My wolf growls at the disrespect, we are an Alpha. "You think I'm a coward? You think I'm selfish?" I nod slowly while trying to regain the air back into my lungs, it feels as if I'm breathing through a straw at the moment. "Let me tell you something Alpha, the moment I found out she was missing I tried to find her. Why the hell do you think I wasn't there when you sent your wolf to find me?" My struggle eases slightly, but her grip doesn't let up. Her green eyes flickering to a light purple almost lavender, she's getting angrier by the second. Before I can speak or try to speak she takes a step closer, almost in kicking range. "Kermit is working with a powerful witch or wizard, one that had the ability to prevent me from finding her or Kermit or Thomas."

"So you care?" I muster out to which her grip on me tightens. Bitch.

"I care to get Kermit. The only way to do that is to have that feisty little she-wolf."

I can't help the smirk that plays on my lips, my father clearly confused as to why I'm smiling while I'm turning a slight shade of purple I'm sure. Arabella won't kill me and my father knows that, sure she can defend herself against a few wolves but an entire pack? Not a chance. Killing an Alpha will kill her. "You're lying." My challenging words do little to calm her down.

Before she has a chance to respond the door is thrown open, my mate standing there. No not standing, hunching. Her chest heaves up and down with her heavy intake and exhales of breath. A growl escaping from those beautiful lips, her fingers in a position to elongate her claws. I can't tell if it's Amber or if this is Maya. Maya's blonde hair blows behind her as she tackles Arabella to the floor of my office. I drop to the hardwood floor and cough several times, focusing solely on my breathing for a few seconds before launching myself at my mate to pull her off. My father is already struggling with Arabella, though once the witch gets a good look at my mate – more specifically her scars that litter her beautiful body, the fire in her eyes dull. She can't tell me she doesn't care, every single bit of her body language and her actions say otherwise.

I take my place in front of my mate, cupping her face and forcing her to look into my eyes. "I'm right here baby girl. I'm safe." I place her nose in the crook of my neck, and the moment she starts sniffing like crazy, I know it's Amber. "You okay, Amber?"

'That's not Amber.'

My eyes widen dramatically from Jax's revelation before a gargantuan grin replaces my flat lined lips. Maya rescued me. She shakes her head and I feel her fingers run delicately over my throat, I'm assuming looking for injuries. It takes everything inside of me to not cry. I want to tell her that I'm fine, but I know my girl she's going to want to look at it herself. Stubborn woman, who I am hopelessly in love with. When I see her shoulders relax, I pull her into my chest and stroke her hair. Craning my neck to get a glimpse of Arabella, she's got a bruise forming on her cheek. "You got a little something on your chin." Nodding at my father to release her hands, he does as I ask and with a snap of her fingers the bruise is gone.

"I'd hate to not look presentable in front of royalty." I start to roll my eyes, she's such a bitch. "Oh I'm not being a smart ass. Once you take both Thomas' and Kermit's land you'll have more than any Alpha, and not just on this continent." Didn't know that, not that I care. I'd really rather not be seen as royalty, or whatever the shit she said. When her gaze falls from me to my mate, she smiles and not just an arrogant one either. "Maya."

Gulping, I shake my head. "She – She may not remember you. Her mind basically shut down, closed herself off from any emotional attachments she has made. She's practically become numb to pain, physical or emotional."

'Amber says, mate is standing right in front of us'

Dang it. My fingers run vicariously through her hair, with her chest pressed against mine, I can feel the purr her wolf is emitting, no matter how much she stifles it. "Good thing, we never had any emotional attachments. But, I can fix that little memory problem. Just say the word."

As soon as she finishes speaking, my mate struggles in my grasp. "Baby girl, it's okay." Fear is more than evident in her orbs and I want nothing more than to take that away. "Hey, hey it's just me." My hands cup her cheeks, while I pepper light kisses across her face. Then a thought occurs to me, "Why don't you want to remember baby girl?" My mate gulps and stares into my eyes, looking for a sense of safety to which I give her immediately.

'Amber says it'll hurt her.'

"Because it'll hurt?" Slowly her head moves up and down, "Oh Maya." Leading her to the couch that my father just fixed since the girls knocked it over, I set her down on the leather cushion. "Yes, I won't lie to you and say it won't hurt because it will. You'll remember everything, not just from when you were taken but from when you were younger." Her head falls, chin touching her chest. I hate that she's so afraid, "But you're also forgetting mate, all the good things that will come along with remembering. Like meeting me for example, or when you were reunited with Riley." My thumb caresses her cheek bone in a loving manner.

"Oh for Goddess sakes." My gaze flickers towards Arabella who is stalking our direction. I stand protectively in front of my mate. "Oh please, your mate is more of a danger than you are." She quips while scoffing. "Step aside. Let me speak to her."

Leaning over, my lips are centimeters away from her ears. "If you do something without her permission I will kill you." My words are laced with a promise. I don't care what it takes, my mate has hurt enough to last several people, several lifetimes. From the short amount of time I've known Arabella, I knew one thing about her and that was the way she lived her life. Act first, think later. A child's motto to be honest, so the entire time my gaze was focused on her hands to make sure she wouldn't try giving Maya, her memory back. I know that whenever I talk to her about her ability to see, I'll have to see the images again. As soon as my head rests against hers, I'll see videos and pictures of her past and that's something I'll have to figure out how to handle. Who knows, maybe Maya will give Arabella the clear and I won't have to witness her being tortured.

Ignoring my comment entirely, she stares at my mate. Her emerald orbs tracing over every single bit of her flesh, does she see what I see? A beautiful and incredibly strong woman. A few scars, yes but beautiful nonetheless. "You remember me. Don't you?" I'm about to say there's no way, but when my mate tilts her head to the side to think on it, a glimmer of hope sparks within me. Then of course, I'm jealous because how is it she remembers Arabella but not me. "I told you she doesn't have a close emotional connection with me." Arabella speaks as if she could read my mind but doesn't take her eyes off my mate. "I'm at least familiar to her." Her hand darts out and when I'm about to grab her wrist, I notice no electric charge running through her fingertips. She won't hurt her, she's saved her before, she won't hurt her. Words that I keep repeating to myself. Her fingertips trace over the many scars adorning my mate's face now, starting with the biggest one first.

My father watches in amazement and absolute awe at Arabella. He's always had a fascination for witches and wizards. I'm not quite sure what the big deal about them is though. My dad loves them because they're a mystery, there's not a lot of information on them. I do know that hardly ever is there a hybrid – a wolf and witch breed – and if that's happens, more often than not their witch or wizard side kills off their wolf before too long. Honestly, that's why I think Arabella is so hell bent on revenge. Yes, I think Arabella is a hybrid, or was. A witch and a werewolf, the man that was killed at the hands of Kermit was her mate and she's wanting to return the favor to the man responsible. All of this is pure speculation, "You need to remember Maya. You have to remember, to cope with what happened and move on." Her finger runs across Maya's jaw line. Her words weren't comforting and certainly didn't hold the tone of someone being nice. A complete contrast to the way she caresses her face.

Without hesitation, my mate lifts her right arm and pushes up the large sleeves of my shirt she's wearing. Her fingers touch each line carved into her bicep, each day she was there, rubbing the raised skin, I urge myself to not look away because she's communicating with us. In her own way, so I help. "Every day he marked her, Kermit cut into her skin for every day she was down there."

"If it was possible, I'd take it all away and we can act like nothing happened. But, it did." My smile falters just slightly, "I'm afraid me taking away her remembrance of where she was could cause more harm than good. Anything could trigger a memory, an unwanted memory no matter how much I try to lock it away." I hate that she's right and she knows she's right. "So, I stand firm in my opinion. Since Kermit will attack in 2 days or so, I say give her back her memory so she can handle Kermit the way he deserves." At his name my mate tenses immediately and I want nothing more than to rip out Arabella's tongue for mentioning the man who kidnapped and tortured her. Not just that, this dumbass witch just told Maya that Kermit was coming. Though, what for is still getting to me. Why does he want Maya now? I have Thomas, for right now their alliance or mutual understanding is null and void. Maybe helping Thomas escape is part of the mutual understanding? Either way, I shove Arabella aside and pull Maya into my chest.

She's shaking, no matter how much she tries to will herself to not shake, it's inevitable. I hate this, this isn't the wolf I know. I still love her, but Maya welcomed Kermit with open arms not so long ago. I remember her saying at one point and time for him to 'bring it bitch', and then she burst into a fit of giggles because she has always wanted to say that. "It's okay baby girl." Shifting my focus to Arabella, I only wish my glare could kill. "Leave."

"I'll be in your kitchen."

"I'll show you the way." My father offers. I'm sure he's already thinking of a million questions to ask her on the way down there.

As soon as the door closes, I press my lips on her temple. "He isn't going to hurt you again. You'll be in the safe room downstairs." Whispered words that I hope bring reassurance, when I notice her trembling less, I realize that it actually worked. "I love you baby girl." And this is how we sit for several minutes, her legs draped over my own, her fists clenching my shirt with my arms wrapped around her body. Since we're alone, I take this time to discuss something with her. "Maya you may not know this, but you have the ability to 'see'." Lifting her head up, she gazes at me and shock coats her features, which causes me to laugh. "Yes you can see the future and you can also pass on memories. Meaning if our heads rest against one another and you hold my temples, I'll be able to see your past." I let her soak up my revelation for a few moments, before a look of realization dawns on her. "Yes, you have had a very difficult past, love. You still have yet to reveal everything to me, and I understand that you don't want to deal with this burden. I understand it will hurt, but I don't think you understand one thing." I stroke some hair behind her ear and kiss those voluptuous lips. "You don't understand that you don't have to go through this alone. It will be painful as hell to relive those moments, not just for you but for me as well. But we can do that, we can relive your past and your fears together. Share this burden with me Maya."

Icy orbs glisten with unshed tears, my thumb is already brushing across the pale skin of her cheek before she can even blink to release them. "I want to do this for you. I want to, more than anything help you and love you and keep you safe. I want you to remember, but none of that means anything if you don't believe it, it means nothing if you keep pushing me out baby girl." She sighs and buries her face in my neck, "I see it you know. I notice flickers of emotion passing through your eyes, trust, safety, and though very slight, love. I know you feel for me, but every time you shake your head to clear your thoughts or gulp, to swallow down your emotions. When you do that, it hurts baby girl. Not just me but you too." My nails gently scratch the skin of her arms, the goosebumps slowly begin to form on her flesh. With my lips resting against her temple, I continue speaking. "I just, I want you to remember who I am. I know that's selfish and I'm so sorry because that's the last thing you need right now but before they come and attack," Gulping, I swallow down the tears and emotions. The exact thing I'm telling her not to do. Oh the irony. Truth is, I have no idea if I'll come out of this alive. I'd like to think so and I'm sure I will, but it's all speculation. "I want to see that look of love in your eyes. I want you to kiss me back with the amount of passion you used to, I want to make love to you over and over again until I have to go –

Before I can finish my sentence, her lips crash against mine. Me being shell shocked by the kiss, I freeze for several seconds before responding. My mind is in a complete frenzy, confusion being the main emotion I'm feeling. She is kissing me, I didn't initiate this and with this amount of passion, I feel like I could cry. "I love you so much Maya." Gently lying her on the couch, I hover over her and continue our lip locked embrace. My free hand runs vicariously through her hair, lightly tugging – not enough to hurt but enough to return the lust she's exuding. Without even thinking about it, I grind into her and to my luck she moans. Oh, how I've missed that fucking sound. Nibbling at her lip, she parts her mouth and I waste no time to push my tongue inside before pulling away, but my lips never leave her skin. I trail kisses down her jawline and to her neck.

This is probably something we shouldn't be doing, but Goddess how I've wanted to do this. I've waited so long to have her underneath me again. Grinding into her once more, my fingers trail to the hem of her shirt. But when she catches my wrist and gently pulls it away, I lift my face out of her neck and give her a sad smile. Tenderly, she releases her grip and brings both hands to my temples. Oh shit, is she about – when she tugs my head against hers, I know what she's doing.

She's sharing the burden.

She's letting me see the past for the first time, she's opening her mind to unload her memories no matter how painful. No matter how unprepared I am for it, I'm doing this for Maya. For my baby girl.