*It took awhile. Longer than it normally would, but he'd pretend he didn't have that month long brain lapse. With all the shit they'd seen over the years with him working with Kaleva, he'd never seen any type of weres that existed as extinct fucking animals. Not once. Shit didn't make sense.*
*He wouldn't have even thought about it, except that tomorrow was Mara's birthday. He'd forgotten a lot of shit from his past, but not her. She'd soothed his ragged edges, took his worst and tempered it. He'd been a godamned fool, lashing out as soon as he realized that he was beginning to care too damn much. Instead of hating him, she'd given his attitude right back, and he couldn't help but to fall, fucking hard.*
*He'd have given her anything she asked for. In the end, she'd wanted more than his broken self had been able to give, and he'd made sure to kill the dreams she'd had, to get those fucking stars out of her eyes. He couldn't be the man she saw when she looked at him. He'd already failed one family, he wasn't about to fail the woman who didn't know she held his battered heart in her fist.*
*Then he'd woken up and she'd been gone. No explanation, no warning. Truthfully, he couldn't pretend to be surprised, though he honestly hadn't expected it from her. He'd expected her to lash out, to fight him with everything she had. Fights were settled naked and bleeding, against whatever surface they'd slammed into. She'd been one of the few that wasn't afraid of his worst. Hell, she seemed to revel in it. Whatever they'd fought about would be forgotten for awhile, and things would go back to normal.*
*This time, she'd finally walked the fuck away. He hadn't been the same tiger that he was when he'd met her. He'd started getting the tattoos after that, each one commemorating a memory, a look. Something he needed to etch into his skin to get the pain out of his fucking head, and scar him on the outside the way he was on the inside. That way, no one ever expected normal from him. He wouldn't have to ever risk the pain of loss like that again.*
*As much as he wanted to forget, to walk away like she'd done to him, every year, he headed to the dive bar they'd met at. He'd just finished a set and had packed his guitar away, heading to grab a beer before ditching. Then, her voice had captivated him. He hadn't been able to look away, hadn't been able to move as his cock had instantly jerked to life. Every nerve fired to life, and his body hungered for hers in a way he'd never felt before, and hadn't since. Their relationship had been one of those that just destroyed everything in its path, the flames burned so hot. And it'd burned out just as fast as it had flared, or at least it seemed that way for her.*
*Him, here his dumb ass sat, 10 years later, beer in hand as he slumped in one of the corner booths. He'd flown home just for this, because he was a sorry ass excuse for a male, pining the fuck away over the past. As always, he'd stay till midnight, when he'd met her, finish his drink, and leave alone. Tonight though, his mind was troubled, thinking about the mission he'd been on when he'd flown home for this interlude. It hadn't hit him until he'd thought of the things they'd talked about long into the night after they'd been sated and could relax, and they'd confided in each other about their pasts. It made sense.*
Goddamit! *Slamming the beer down, he shook his head. What the fuck kind of skinchangers would purposely fuck with the humans, purposely put themselves out there and risk being killed? Risk exposing themselves and all of their kind? Hissing out a breath, he raked his hands through his hair that had started to grow longer while he was stuck in Columbia. He had to go back. He'd never admit it, but the damned woman still mattered to him, he still ached for her every night. And if this shit could possibly make it to her door? Then he'd stop it. Whatever it took.*
*He'd have given her anything she asked for. In the end, she'd wanted more than his broken self had been able to give, and he'd made sure to kill the dreams she'd had, to get those fucking stars out of her eyes. He couldn't be the man she saw when she looked at him. He'd already failed one family, he wasn't about to fail the woman who didn't know she held his battered heart in her fist.*
*Then he'd woken up and she'd been gone. No explanation, no warning. Truthfully, he couldn't pretend to be surprised, though he honestly hadn't expected it from her. He'd expected her to lash out, to fight him with everything she had. Fights were settled naked and bleeding, against whatever surface they'd slammed into. She'd been one of the few that wasn't afraid of his worst. Hell, she seemed to revel in it. Whatever they'd fought about would be forgotten for awhile, and things would go back to normal.*
*This time, she'd finally walked the fuck away. He hadn't been the same tiger that he was when he'd met her. He'd started getting the tattoos after that, each one commemorating a memory, a look. Something he needed to etch into his skin to get the pain out of his fucking head, and scar him on the outside the way he was on the inside. That way, no one ever expected normal from him. He wouldn't have to ever risk the pain of loss like that again.*
*As much as he wanted to forget, to walk away like she'd done to him, every year, he headed to the dive bar they'd met at. He'd just finished a set and had packed his guitar away, heading to grab a beer before ditching. Then, her voice had captivated him. He hadn't been able to look away, hadn't been able to move as his cock had instantly jerked to life. Every nerve fired to life, and his body hungered for hers in a way he'd never felt before, and hadn't since. Their relationship had been one of those that just destroyed everything in its path, the flames burned so hot. And it'd burned out just as fast as it had flared, or at least it seemed that way for her.*
*Him, here his dumb ass sat, 10 years later, beer in hand as he slumped in one of the corner booths. He'd flown home just for this, because he was a sorry ass excuse for a male, pining the fuck away over the past. As always, he'd stay till midnight, when he'd met her, finish his drink, and leave alone. Tonight though, his mind was troubled, thinking about the mission he'd been on when he'd flown home for this interlude. It hadn't hit him until he'd thought of the things they'd talked about long into the night after they'd been sated and could relax, and they'd confided in each other about their pasts. It made sense.*
Goddamit! *Slamming the beer down, he shook his head. What the fuck kind of skinchangers would purposely fuck with the humans, purposely put themselves out there and risk being killed? Risk exposing themselves and all of their kind? Hissing out a breath, he raked his hands through his hair that had started to grow longer while he was stuck in Columbia. He had to go back. He'd never admit it, but the damned woman still mattered to him, he still ached for her every night. And if this shit could possibly make it to her door? Then he'd stop it. Whatever it took.*