*Luna*

Being able to block out certain memories would be the stuff dreams were made of. But getting fed new ones that you never remembered doing is chaotic. My mind was now spinning and couldn't slow down.

I walked with Colin to the room where my parents were sleeping and slightly opened the door, staring at them. The new memories were a little fuzzy at first, which was why it took me a few moments to see that they were really my parents, lying together in the same bed. Chase had me believe they were in a plane crash one time because I was insistent on seeing them for Thanksgiving, but he didn't like the idea. Memories like those kept flashing in my mind. He'd lay his hand on my forehead, and suddenly, I couldn't remember why I was upset or what we spoke about. He learned that trick when we first met, which now I remembered it more clearly.

It was the first moment we saw each other in the hospital. It was all coming back to me, one by one, a sliver of the memories he took away from me.

Furthermore, it had to do with Sarah having my blood. He'd always been a powerful hunter who had many talents, and I was his prey.

He controlled me from that point on, and every time I discovered his trick or tried to leave him in the past-which was ten times that I can count-he'd just laid his hand on my face, altering my mind, then passed me a pill. Chase was cruel to me. He'd erased moments I planned to meet with my mother and sister for tea some afternoons and made me believe they were the ones who canceled our outing. He pretended not to know about my genetics and the possibility of my powers manifesting one day. Not only that, but he was only waiting for Sarah. His goal was...

My already broken heart was shattered. "Amir...?"

He turned around as he was standing at the end of the hallway, and then ambled slowly my way, staring down into my eyes.

"Are you okay, Luna?"

"Ch-Ch-Chase didn't just erase your life," I stuttered, throwing myself into his arms. "He erased who I am, and-"

Max suddenly stood a few inches behind us, his eyes red and glossy, much like mine were. Two dark orbs, like polished ruby's. "Chase altered several people's memories. Mine included." He looked into my eyes and gave me a soft smile. "New memories are coming back to me now. I can't believe I worked with him in the past. Like I said, your babies are powerful."

Amir's grip loosened around me. "Do you want to take a seat in the living room?"

Max's gaze flickered to both of us. I could smell coffee brewing and heard chatter in another part of the cabin. "I need to get this meeting started, so..." He spun on his heel and turned the other way, and then he looked back at me. "We don't know how much longer we have with you, Luna, but we have everyone available on video conference. Don't take too long."

I appeared back into my room and glanced around, making sure no one was lurking around in the corridor. Then I brought myself back into the cabin and took Amir's hand as we walked together into the living room. As I passed by a calendar that was set for October, my stomach sank.

The calendar stated it was the fourth of October, and they were crossing out the dates no one could see me all those weeks. Apparently, I was last spoken to by Faisal and Ahmed on the fifth of August. That was weeks ago, and Chase messed with my mind all that time. He kept taking away every shred of identity I have and smothered my soul into pieces. I couldn't believe how much time had gone by, and all the things I'd missed. Now I understand him-my husband-in our dream when he said he was here, but he couldn't reach out to anyone. That included me.

Appearing through the doorway, Cami and Cassie's jaw dropped open as they rushed to my side, pulling me into a soft embrace. I smiled back and peered my gaze toward the TV to see three people sitting down, gazing at us.

"We don't have much time," Max announced. "We have something important to discuss with everybody."

"I want to see my daughter," I said, staring at everyone.

"Right now, Sarah is asleep. It would be best after we have our meeting, Luna," Max said, nodding with his chin toward the black leather couch.

I took a seat between Cami and Liberty as I glanced around the room. I noticed a tall, slender woman with long dark hair and a beautiful light brown skin complexion. I believe that must be Maria; one-third of Sloan and Zan's trio. Darren and Raul both looked exhausted and weary as they sat on another couch and met my gaze. Both of them gave me a soft smile with a wave of their hand. I waved back. And Mera was sitting at the end of my couch, bawling her eyes out. I didn't know what to make of that.

I shivered and turned my attention back to Max. "Can I ask all of you something?"

Amir cleared his throat as he sat in the back, twirling his thumbs, glaring down. Then he hooked one leg over the other, staying quiet.

"Yes, Luna?" Max murmured.

"Um... So, two months went by. Correct?" Everyone nodded in reply. "And none of you have seen me since August?" Each of their faces frowned as they narrowed their eyes, looking disappointed. "What happened to me?"

"We believe..." Max said, speaking aloud, "that you were moved into a secure part of a different hospital. It's so confined that any Tethered Soul within that facility wouldn't be able to reach anyone in the outside world. There might have been lead in the walls. While you've been unreachable, we've been searching for you. Your essence was not traceable by Amir, Sarah, or even Adnan."

"Adnan?"

"Yes, Adnan. You have Amir's blood running through you, so he tried to find you, too. To detect where you could be," Max explained.

"I don't understand. Every day, I remember doing the same routine. I'd be in the same room, and I'd see the same guards and staff. It couldn't have been two months. It feels like only a week had passed for me."

"I know. And wherever you were at before, you were brought back to Sweden," Max finished, leaning against the wall. "Now that we can reach you again, we can rescue you."

Liberty's hand squeezed mine as she laid her head on my shoulder. "I was so frightened for you. I am so glad I can see you."

Mera hopped up and walked over to me, then gazed at Liberty and me. "How can Liberty see Luna? How is that even possible? She's not a tethered soul."

"Because --" I began, but Amir spoke up behind me.

"We are expecting." All eyes turned his way and then back at me. Soft gasped were heard around the room.

"Pregnant?" Mera asked, lowering her body to stay eye level with mine.

I nodded. "You can feel them if you want."

"Them?"

Mera's eyes stay locked on mine, and she peered over my shoulder to look at Amir. He lightly nodded back but kept his eyes focused elsewhere. She placed her hand over my belly, followed by Cami, and then Cassie. Both Darren and Raul hopped up to feel the babies. Everyone smiled and gave me a light hug. Then Max told the room we needed to hurry before I was taken from them. He made it sound like they were scared I'd fly away and never come back. He had a point, considering I didn't even realize I was missing for two months.

"Luna?" murmured a masculine voice from the TV. I looked up and saw it was Cyrus in a dark red shirt, sitting in what appeared to be an office of some sort. "Assalmualaikum," he greeted me. "I'm Cyrus Shah. It's a pleasure to finally speak with you." He was very sweet. Definitely a Pakistani gentleman. Throughout the time I'd known Amir, I'd never gotten the chance to speak to him.

"Walaikumassalam," I replied, greeting him back. "Likewise."

"Ciao, Luna," says a dark-haired female with a pleasant smile on her face as she sat outside somewhere. Wherever she was, the sun was out and proud. Exactly where I wanted to be. "It's me. Gabi. I'm Cyrus' partner from Rome." She smiled downward, blushing.

"She just loves telling people about who I am," Cyrus said, appearing next to her in front of us. I laughed in my seat as he kissed her cheek and was brought back to his desk a moment later. "Sorry. My apologies. I enjoy sneaking up on Gabi. Surprising her."

Just like Amir. Well, what he used to do with me.

"I don't know what any of you are doing, but I'm ready to get on with this," said the other female who had light brown hair and a pretty smile on her face. "Hello, it's nice to see you, Luna. I'm Enya. Greek. Aquarius. Loves to eat, read e-books, write poetry, long walks on the beach, and listen to music. Anything with a decent beat to it." I slightly giggled.

"Okay," Max mumbled. His eyes traveled around the room at each of us as we waited for him to begin. "You all know that Luna is pregnant with twins. If you couldn't tell already that they are Pure Twins. Once they are born, they will be the first in history to be born completely pure. Their powers will intensify and grow quickly. They could grow up quickly as well."

"Huh?" I whispered, feeling antsy and a bit scared. "What do you mean?"

"Babies that are born from pure souls who shared a blood oath normally grow quick physically and mentally. However, there have been cases where children of those bloodlines aged slowly. Although, none of them were completely pure, and this is new to us. Amir and Luna's babies are good souls, and they are currently using their strength to protect their mother."

"What are they doing exactly?" Gabi asked from the screen.

"Baby A can shield Luna's mind. It's to help her appear like she has amnesia, especially around Chase. And Baby B is helping Luna regain all her lost memories. Chase really did a number on her." Max peered away from the screen and caught my eyes. "Therefore I believe he is pissed that somehow you have no memories. He's self-pitying himself because you can't remember even an ounce of him. He put so many false memories into your head throughout the years."

Just then, a forged memory came into my mind. Chase made me think we got married on the beach in Florida and had a beautiful wedding. He'd later erased it from my mind, knowing my friends and family would say something to me. He really had it bad for me... even to this day. So creepy.

"What is Chase doing?" asked Enya, scrunching her eyebrows together.

"Chase can manipulate Tethered Souls' thoughts and memories. He basically kept giving Luna a different life, forcing different things into her head, and he can make her forget things just as easy," Max said, gazing around at us.

"So he knew about her when he first met her in the hospital?" Enya inquired. Max looked back at me, then back to her as both Cyrus and Gabi moved closer to their screens.

"He knew about Sarah," Max explained. "For a while there he made us, soldiers he recruited, believe by forcing thoughts into our mind that he was looking out for Luna when he first had her committed. This was before St. Matthew's. And now I can remember it like it just happened yesterday. He wasn't sure if she was a Tethered Soul, but he knew he can manipulate her entire life. Baby B is helping me regain what he had forced into me. He forced many false memories into my head." His eyes began filling in tears.

I jumped up and walked over to him, giving him a soft hug. "It's okay. You weren't yourself, Max. I don't really know you well, but you did nothing. Chase is the enemy here."

"He did this to you because you were the first for him, Luna. So he's obsessed with you and altering your mind." He turned away and glanced down, ashamed for helping Chase in the past.

"Chase is a monster," I said, meaning it.

"Luna-he-he told us about your history of Sam-" Max's voice trembled.

I shushed him with my lips.

"Don't worry about that. In fact-" I spun around and faced everyone. "A fresh memory came into my mind. It turns out that I never saw Sam. I never really saw him. He was planted by Chase after we met, which I can't even remember the date anymore." I let out a pathetic whine from my lips. "He got me to believe that I was seeing my deceased ex-boyfriend. I'm nothing but a pathetic fool."

"No you are not!" Liberty stood to her feet and walked closer toward me. I stared at her and glanced over at Amir as he straightened his back, folding his arms in his lap. "Chase did whatever he could to gain your trust, then exploit Sam's death for his personal gain. He is the one who's a fool. He messed with anyone who ever came into contact with him. You are just as much of a victim."

She was right, but I felt so powerless.