Two years passed with no word from Lizzie. Tom, Kerry and Jeff searched for her for a time, but she was gone. They realized at some point that she did not want to be found.
Oz had not told them about how she had appeared on his doorstep broken and battered. By the time she had arrived, he knew that her power was unlocked. It was also then that he realized she should be kept as far from Kerry and Jeff as possible. They were her mates and the likely key to her demise. So, he kept silent.
Lizzie spent months at Oz's mending physically and learning how to sleep again without seeing either of her mates in her mind. He worked with her on shooting as Jeff had before and even helped her with her fighting techniques. They grew close during those months. When she was ready, Oz told her the information they had from Gabriel. That left her knowing that she really could turn to no one, especially after discovering that Gabriel had lied to her for so long. And when she was done healing and learning, she and Oz both knew that she needed to move on and try to live her life. So, after 6 months, Lizzie left with a promise to keep in touch and a classic car freshly painted blue thanks to the old man.
Her life didn't return to normal from there, though. Lizzie tried working as an attorney again, but ended up drifting towards more and more morose personal injury cases. When she had a few large settlements, she just couldn't take it anymore and she bailed. The next few months had gone by with her hopping motel to motel or friends' houses, trying desperately to stay away from anywhere that she could be found. It was hard until she decided to take a break from it all for a while. The last big check for 3 million was what solidified her decision. That was it, no more cases. She just wanted a quiet life of safety.
Oz had been in contact with her constantly through that time, telling her every tidbit of research they had discovered. Now that she was fully able to defend herself, the information seemed less important though, as if she could avoid the world if she wanted. Even that first heat cycle alone again hadn't proved too dangerous. She had found a small cabin in the woods and bought it turning it into her new home. There her heat seemed lowered, but then again she had spent the last few months acquiring tattoos, which were wardings against a whole lot of beings. Oz had been more than happy to provide her with the patterns, hoping that if nothing could touch her, then nothing would kill her. On the other side of that first cycle, everything seemed like it was going to be okay.
Lizzie started to venture out little by little, although she found plenty to occupy her at the cabin. She even started taking on new legal work after a few more months. It was all able to be done remotely, so she didn't have to think about leaving and could just be there in her own peaceful part of the world.
When her next heat cycle started her second after her ungating, she wasn't even worried. Her cabin was remote and she had tattoos on her body to cover nearly anything that might sense her. As she unpacked the last of the provisions she would need for the month, the quiet was suddenly broken up by her phone. She ran over in time to see Oz's name pop up. A few minutes of the phone call and Lizzie was hopping in the Charger heading towards Oz's house. It would take her a few hours, but Oz had said this was important and she had to come in person.
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"Hey Oz, what's up?" Lizzie said it normally after Oz answered his door.
"Lizzie! So incredible to see you little lady. I'd hug you, but I can smell you from here."
"Sorry, I came as soon as you called, but my heat started yesterday. You said it was important, though." Lizzie smiled at him.
"It is. Me and the boys, we found someone who can help." Oz noted the tattoos that now adorned parts of Lizzie's arms and the large anti-possession tattoo that she now sported on the top of her chest. She looked different than he remembered, harder somehow.
"The boys? Oz, are you hiding something?" Lizzie locked her jaw looking at him.
"Look, you know I've been using every resource to get rid of this curse you have, which includes my best agents."
"Fine, well tell me who can help me and I'll make my way there. First, I need a drink though, and don't worry about my heat I took care of it earlier. It should be tolerable until morning." She shook her head walking past Oz into his house.
When she got to the doorway into Oz's living room she stopped dead in her tracks. Two sets of eyes met hers that she hadn't been faced with in almost 2 years.
"Hey Lizzie." Kerry spoke up smiling. Jeff was silent, casting his gaze down immediately.
"No fucking way Oz, no fucking way." Lizzie turned back to head for the door and Oz's hands seized her arms and then he dropped them immediately feeling his body respond to the touch in a way he was completely uncomfortable with.
"Just wait little lady. They found a lady that might be able to break the curse and you can't go there alone. "
"I can take care of my damn self. I have been training for years now, and I'm fine alone. Give me the name and address and I'll go there." She huffed, pissed off to even be near the two bastards that cursed her.
"You can't go alone. The men you are mated with have to go with you." He looked at her with a level gaze.
"You know very well what they did to me, and you expect me to trust them?" Lizzie was fuming as she looked into his eyes.
"Now you and I both know that was some hoodoo that caused that. Those boys in there love you, and they never would have done that if not under a spell. They have searched for two years to find anything to fix it. So, take your pigheaded self in there and talk it out with them." Oz took on the father tone with her that she hated.
"Fine." One word was all she had as she turned to walk back into Oz's living room and sat across from them. The room was thick with tension as she sat down on his favorite chair.
"It's good to see you Lizzie." Kerry was soft as he spoke. His heart was racing at seeing her again. She looked different in many ways. She had tattoos on her, some of which he recognized from the dungeon in the bunker. She now wore black eyeliner and mascara around her eyes and red lipstick, which made his body respond instantly. The small tank top she had on hugged her and she was much more muscular now than he remembered. He looked into her face and still saw the woman he fell in love with though. His mind flooded with memories.
"I wish I could say the same. When are we leaving?" Lizzie muttered at him, her eyes caught Kerry's and saw the pain and regret painted there.
"Is that it? Two years and we didn't even know you were okay, and you ask when we are leaving." Jeff looked at her with hurt written on his features. His smoldering green eyes reflected pain and not the anger that he used to hide it.
"Yeah Jeff that's it. You assholes raped me and marked me, why the hell would you care if I was okay? So, yea after two years I kind of got over you both and now we should get going so I never have to see either of you again." She was steely in her gaze back at him, not willing to yield anything to him emotionally.
