RUN DOE RUN

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"Ava, love." He tries to reply, stumbling to get the words out, but I ignore him, placing my hands on the bed, eyes locked, my focus like lasers, burning into his irises.

"Do. Not. Ava. Love. Me. Liam. Just fucking give me a straight answer." I respond, my voice cool and steady. Watching his face closely, I see his strong jaw slowly ticking, lips pursed, and eyes filled with what looks like shame before they lower.

Shaking his head, hands clenching and unclenching, he starts to speak then pauses, leaning his head against the headboard, his back resting on the pillows and posture sagging. "Ava, it's complicated, love."

"Then uncomplicate it, give it to me straight, Liam. No bullshit." I respond, crossing my arms over my chest and waiting for his response.

As Liam closes his eyes, I watch his thick lashes that I used to think were so pretty, feathering his cheeks. Inhaling deeply, he reopens them, his chocolate orbs now flecked with amber. "You were supposed to be mine, Ava. My Mate." He growls, breathing heavy, then frowns, attempting to compose himself and control his wolf, who seems to be attempting to take over, "Sorry, Ava. What I meant to say is that, originally, you were meant to be claimed by me. It had been arranged from the time my father became alpha, and every summer up until your 13th, you would come to the Ranch with your parents, and we would spend time together. We," he eyes glazing over, recalling a memory and time I don't remember, he continues, "we were good together, Ava. You were like sunshine, so inquisitive, so vibrant. You were, and are, a natural-born leader. We were going to lead this pack together."

Now it's my turn to frown. I knew when I met Liam that he seemed familiar, but apart from seeing him in Griffin's memory standing behind the boys that were tormenting him, I can't for the life of me recall ever coming to the Ranch, let alone spending time with him.

Seeing my confusion, Liam, now calmer, offers me a gentle smile. "All of your memories, Ava, of your time on the Ranch, your time with the clan, with me, was taken away after your 13th birthday and after the moment you met Griffin for the first time."

WTF? "Taken away, what do you mean Liam, how can a memory, memories as in multiple, be taken away?"

Sitting forward, eyes soft, he motions for me to lie down on the bed.

My eyebrow lifts in question. I'm only seconds away from jumping off the bed and heading for the door. Liam sighs, "Trust me, Ava, you'll want to lie down for this."

"Why?" Yeah, you need to give me more than 'trust me', buddy!

"Because it'll be easier this way, trust me."

Remaining in position, I raise an eyebrow at him.

"I promise you, Ava, I'm not going to do anything to you. That's not why I'm here."

Rolling my eyes and throwing caution to the wind, I turn and lie down next to him, head on the pillow. "Close your eyes, Ava." He advises, so I follow his instructions with a humph, lower my lids and wait.

"Now try to remember your 11th Christmas. Tell me what you see." Thinking back, memories hazy, I'm hit by a sudden stabbing pain in my head and cry out, overwhelmed by the sudden urge to vomit.

"See, I told you, lying down is easier, isn't it?" Liam chuckles as I sit up and smack him.

"You could have warned me." I sulk as he continues to laugh beside me, suddenly sobering,

"Aye, but then you wouldn't have pushed and experienced what you just did. Ava, that Christmas was the first time I kissed you, and the thing that caused your pain was the mind blocker that was planted on you."

Tilting my head, the gears clicking in my mind, "So you're telling me that someone planted a blocker on my memories from my childhood?"

"Not all your memories, just the ones of the Ranch and the ones of us." He replies, sadness in his eyes.

"But why Liam, why would someone want to take my memories away, and how, who?"

"It was a decision made by the Alpha, my father, and your parents, Ava. They thought it would be best after Griffin demanded you be his." Raising his hand to run through his hair, he sighs again when he sees my mouth fall open. "You and I, we were close, Ava, but when you met him, Griffin, he was all you would talk about. The sad boy you met at the ash tree."

"So, what, you all thought it would be best to wipe everything then, take everything away. For what, what reason?" I ask in confusion, my voice becoming louder as my temper starts to rise, the ache in my head from before starting to bubble and fester at my temples.

"You were obsessed lass, the both of you were, it was unhealthy, and your parents were concerned. You wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, and you were too young to be bonded, so they also underwent the same process, Ava, but for them, it was only for your last visit."

The missing photos. My parents must have removed all images of my time at the Ranch from the albums.

"It broke their heart to see their little girl fade over, over HIM," Liam growls the last words, his wolf appearing then withdrawing as Liam shakes his head. "After Griffin had made the deal with my father, everyone, including Griffin, thought it would be for the best for your remaining 5 years to be lived out in peace with your family, knowing that you would be reacquainted with Griffin on your 18th birthday."

Remembering my father's reaction in the car from my therapy session, his anger, his irrational behavior, I finally understand. But then I also remember my mother, who was trying hard to calm my father, recalling the sound of resignation in her voice. It all makes sense now. They were members of this community. Why wouldn't they have known? Unless my parent's memories were also taken. Turning to Liam, I nod. I believe him.

"How?" I repeat, mind running through a thousand different scenarios but not coming up with a single viable way.

"Us wolves Ava, we're not the only supernatural creatures roaming the earth. The clan consulted a woman gifted in the art of the mind, a Cailleach, but you might call her a witch. Her coven assists our clan from time to time, and we, in return, assist them."

Witches, wolves, what next, vampires? Oh, God! "So, she did some spells, and then what, everything was gone?"

Nodding, Liam runs his hand through his beard, curling it between his fingers. "Aye lass, just like that."

"Okay, so we knew each other before, we kissed, and that made you think you had, what, rights to me, or something?"

"Oh Ava, it wasn't like that, never like that. We all thought... On the day of the accident, after your parents were killed, Griffin had decided to let you go. It was 10 years ago, and we hadn't seen you since, but he was still here, doing his job, helping the pack. We all believed he had released your claim, but then you walked into my bar." His eyes gave off a faraway look. "You were as beautiful as I remembered." He smiles, dimples showing. "I thought he had given up his claim, Ava. I swear on my clan. When your parents took you away and then the accident, I believed he'd let you go." Reaching out and touching my arm, he gently squeezes. "And you flirted, there was genuine chemistry between us Ava," his smile turning sheepish as he attempted to capture my gaze, "well on my side there was. Was I wrong?"

It's my turn to be sheepish, my head starting to pound more. Cracking my neck, I bite my lower lip, peering at him through my eyelashes, "You weren't wrong, Liam. But, what I don't understand is why did you continue? You knew at some stage that Griffin had marked me, didn't you?"

"Aye, I figured it out at the festival that he had finally laid claim to you."

Recalling that night, the phone call, and Liam being called away back to the bar, an emergency. It all clicks. "It was Griffin on the phone, wasn't it?"

"Aye, lass." He replies, playing with his scruff.

Nodding. "And after?" I push, trying to understand.

"You didn't complete the bond, Ava. You ran, so I thought..."

Bond? Did he believe that the cabin was the first time Griffin had marked me? Recalling the conversation from earlier about a one-sided bond, I ask, "Liam, what happens to someone that bonds with another who doesn't return it?"

Eyes diverting, a look of pain pinching his features, he sighs, "It can drive a man mad."

10 years, 10 FUCKING years, Griffin has been dealing with this alone. The voices he spoke about, the pain he felt... I should have listened to him, given him the chance to explain.

My guilt from before starts to increase, swallowing deep, I change direction of the conversation back onto Liam, "So you knew he would be dealing with a one-sided bond, and you still pursued me?" Bitch move, I know, but it's easier to direct the blame onto someone else right now. I will deal with my own shitty behavior and guilt soon enough.

"It's our culture that a bond can't be forced Ava, it must be mutual, and if one party doesn't reciprocate, then there's no original claim. It's our way of ensuring our women are safe, and Griffin, his wolf, spat on those rules. He opened the bond without your consent." He growls.

He doesn't know. Liam and the clan have no idea that Griffin created the original bond to save my life when I was 18. FUCK! I'm the bad guy in this story, and they know NOTHING about who he is or what he has been through.

Refusing to take ALL the blame, I throw back at him, "Well, what about Isla?"

Letting my arm go, he moves off the bed and begins pacing, his actions so similar to his mother's that I almost laugh. "Aye, Isla. I don't even know the lass, not well anyway. She has always been apart from us, she lived with her brother for years, and then, she got attacked, and now, she won't even talk, she's..." He trails off, his eyes becoming unfocused, and the colors of his irises begin to swirl.

Head really starting to pound now, I also stand up, my own anger for the girl down the hall begins to surface. "So because she's hurt and quiet, she isn't good enough for you?"

"It's not like that, Ava!" He growls, the amber of his eyes starting to overtake the warm chocolate, as he moves towards me, pausing when he's only a hair's breadth from my face.

Raising my index finger and poking him in his solid chest, my rage overpowering the banging inside my head, I yell. "Then what is it, Liam, what the fuck is she missing that you need?"

"Fire! FUCK Ava, I need fire. I need passion. Not some little girl that needs a lot more than I can give."

"That's rich, so what, if it was me, and I was attacked, would you have given up on me?"

"You're a fighter, Ava. FUCK! Look at you. You've been fighting your mate bond at every fucking step. You haven't let circumstances break you, and yes, my wolf desired that strength."

"You're an ass..." before I can finish that sentence, I scream, the pressure in my head feeling like it's going to explode as I drop to my knees.

"Ava, lass, FUCK! What's happening? Talk to me?" Liam yells, falling beside me and placing his hand on my back.

Pain continues to explode, my vision beginning to fill with black spots, and I can hear Liam talking to someone, another voice in the distance, but the pounding in my head stops me from any coherent thought.

"Ava, love, it's the bond. He's awake and trying to get to you." Liam's panicked voice cuts through the darkness." Let down the wall, love, he can't feel you, and he's... FUCK!"

Taking a deep breath, I begin to lower my wall, I didn't realize it was so strong, and as soon as there's a little break, his voice, his wolf, no, his beast's voice comes flooding through, <Mate, need, hunt, kill.>

<Griffin,> I send through the link, hoping it will calm him, but his voice, oh God, his voice. I think I've finally broken him.

<Mate, you been bad, need to punish!> His voice guttural, deranged, the monster I witnessed in his memories is fully in control.

<Griffin, I, I didn't...> I plead, trying to explain that I didn't know what they would do, but buckle as his anger smashes its way through the bond.

<Kill everyone. They think me a monster, well I'm ready to play!> There's no warmth at all coming from him, no gentleness, no love, nothing: just anger, so much anger, and hate.

<Run, little Doe, because when I catch you...> His beast growls, <Run, Doe. I'm coming for you!>


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Okay, so I know some of you will still NOT like Liam after this chapter... He is a complex character, and I can promise you that there is more to him than what has already been revealed... I do not want to give too much away just yet, but I don't hate him too much.

So my readers... we are now on the downhill slope, riding towards the finish line of book one, so be patient. Most secrets will be revealed in the coming chapters...

I also want to say another THANKYOU to the people leaving votes and comments... If you haven't already figured it out, most readers looking for something new to read will see if it has good reviews or a good vote to view ratio... 

SO PLEASE - if you enjoy this book, VOTE, and comment - I know I have many ghosts out there reading the chapters - this is directed to you...

HAPPY READING



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