Page 18 of M.A.Y.A
Isaiah grinned. “Well, if you asked my mother, I was hell on wheels.” He launched into several stories about growing up in the thick Oregon forest with his parents and slew of cousins and packmates. He told her about going to school and learning the ropes from his father, and his fear of disappointing the people that meant the most to him. Then he listened to her recount the few stories she remembered from her youth. The stories that made her happy.
When dawn broke over the clearing and the first ray of sunlight highlighted the exhaustion on her face as she curled against his shoulder, he made her promises for their future. He’d take her to a movie theater, something that she’d only heard her parents talk about when she was a kid. They’d go camping, and he’d teach her how to roast marshmallows. If she wanted to train and learn how to fight, he’d help her there too.
When Maya finally succumbed to exhaustion, he stood with her cradled in his arms and carried her inside to the bed. Then he stripped off his shirt and slipped under the comforters beside her. Just as he was falling asleep with a hand curled over her hip, he thought about how his life had changed in less than twenty-four hours.
Now he had a mate, and the more he spent time with her, the more he was certain his gut feeling was right.
She was quickly becoming the most important thing in his life, his priority over all other things, and he’d do anything to keep her safe.
ChapterSeven
“We’ll have to administer another sedative to complete the procedure.”
“No, the sedative may skew our results.”
“But sir, she’ll feel the pain.”
“She is no longer human. Whatever feelings will be temporary.”
Gudiya’s scream ripped out of her as she pulled against the restraints, the probes, and the knife that was digging in her open chest cavity. Her voice was muffled by the bite they’d shoved in her mouth. She rose in and out of consciousness as the pain tore her apart. Her voice went hoarse and the scientists cutting her showed no remorse.
“Unit 13 will be our strongest machine yet.”
* * *
Maya bolted upright in bed. She was drenched in sweat and gasping for air. The shrill sound of her control unit pierced the silence, and she slapped at her forearm to shut it off. Stumbling out of bed, she barely made it to the toilet before she heaved and emptied the contents of her stomach. The tiled floor underneath her bare legs chilled her to her bones as she gasped for breath and curled into the fetal position.
There was a crash, the sound of a door slamming against the wall, and heavy footsteps.
“Maya? Maya!”
Then Isaiah’s hands were stroking her hair and rubbing her back. He carefully pulled her into his lap as he sat on the floor against the wall. His warmth chased the chill away, and she burrowed against him even as tears poured down her cheeks. Her body wracked with trembles.
It was as if she was still in captivity, as if she was still tortured every day at the hands of her tormentors. She hated that even though she was safe, she’d never truly be rid of the memories that haunted her.
She needed to stop them from coming after her, from finding her. As protected as she was in Isaiah’s arms, there was a chance that she’d be ripped away from him, and her nightmares would become her reality once more. They’d put her back in that box where she’d never see the sun or the constellations again.
That would never happen if she could destroy the portal.
The thought of being by herself again, alone and exposed, was enough to trigger another rush of tears. She clung to Isaiah’s broad shoulders, even as she heard the soft whine of his wolf and felt the scruff on his jaw brush against her temple.
“You’re okay,” he whispered. “You’re going to be okay.”
Maya pressed her forehead against his neck, as she soothed herself with his heat and his scent. He didn’t move a muscle except to stroke a hand over her back, with his other hand covering her feet to ensure her toes didn’t get cold.
“Come on,” he whispered when her heart rate went back to normal. “Let’s get you back in bed.”
Maya shook her head. “Shower,” she replied. “I need to shower.”
He stood with her in his arms, carrying her bridal style over to the sink. Then he perched her on the vanity before stepping over to the shower stall and turning on the knobs to start the water. Maya could smell the stink and sweat on her, so while he was adjusting the temperature, she grabbed her toothbrush to brush her teeth.
When she finished, the room had filled with steam, and Isaiah was crowding her space again, his hands on the hem of her sleep shirt.
“Arms up,” he said, his voice gruff.
“I can shower by myself.”
With his thumb and forefinger, he tilted her chin up so she could look at him. “I should’ve been here when you slept. I had to get some work done, and I neglected my mate. Let me do this for you.”
