Almost At The Top- Book Four in the United Series

Chapter Four

Ivan's POV:

It worked. I can't believe it actually worked.

Max is asleep in my arms, her head resting on my shoulder, looking peaceful for the first time in awhile.

I feel like I'm about to fall asleep right next to Max when I once again feel a strong presence in front of me. I look up and see Aphrodite smiling down at me and I smile up at her.

"Thank you, Lady Aphrodite," I thank her. She's the reason I finally got the girl of my dreams.

"Anytime, Ivan. Just let me know if you want the potion to wear off," Aphrodite tells me, then disappears in a cloud of pink mist.

Max stirs in her sleep and I can't help but fall asleep right next to her.

---

I hear an engine coming towards us.

I open my eyes and it's morning. Max is still asleep in my arms, but she seems to be waking up by the loud engine.

I look around and see a medium-sized speed boat racing towards us and brush it off. Probably just some people enjoying the day at the river. I lay my head back on the rocks behind me and realize that Max's eyes are open. She's awake. She looks up and looks around for the noise.

"It's fine. Just a boat," I whisper to her softly. She nods her head and lays her head back on my shoulder. Butterflies fly wildly in my stomach and my heart races when Max wraps her left arm around my shoulders and rests her right hand on my chest.

"Are you okay? Are you nervous?" She asks me softly and I shake my head.

"No, why?" I ask her.

"Your heart's beating really fast," she answers. I shrug my shoulders and look down at her, then softly lift her chin up to look at me.

"Well, you're the reason why," I tell her and softly skim her cheek with my thumb. This time, she doesn't pull away or shove me away from her. I slowly lean in to kiss her and she allows me to, but I freeze as the boat I saw before stops right in front of Max and I. We both jump to our feet and wait a few seconds before a pale, hooded figure jumps out of the boat and onto the patch of land Max and I are on. Twenty more jump out after him. Mogadorians.

Max takes out her black dagger and I unsheathe my Mogadorian sword. The Mogs all smirk at us.

"Come on, Two. Don't you want to be tested?" The first Mog asks Max.

That's one of the top five things I'm concerned about- I'm a Mogadorian, I know what testing means. They want to experiment on her, but I don't know why, and I'm not going to let them.

"Come on, hit me with your legacies. Do it," The Mog taunts Max, then pulls out his blaster. I step in front of Max to keep her safe.

The Mog laughs. "Oh, Ivanick. You really do care for this pathetic Loric girl, don't you?" He sneers at me.

"If she was pathetic you wouldn't need twenty other soldiers to capture her, now would you?" I ask him, glaring at the Mogs behind him. The first Mog glares at me beneath his hood from his trench coat.

"Hand over the Loric or face the consequences," the Mog orders me. I'm about to charge at him when another Mogadorian jumps off of the boat, tall and gruesome with a sea of scars on his face and long, glowing purple scar wrapped around his neck. Setrákus Ra.

"You're being foolish, Ivanick. Give me the girl, " Setrákus Ra orders me. I shake my head at him.

"Never," I reply.