FRAGILE

Chapter 18: Structure and Guidance

Maximus sat by the window, the night stretching endlessly before him, the stars distant and cold in the sky. His mind raced with thoughts of Levi, the fragile boy who had been thrust into his life and who now occupied every corner of his heart. Maximus was an Alpha, a natural leader, used to control and dominance—but this was different. This wasn't about commanding a pack or ruling territory. This was about his mate.

Levi had been broken in ways that Maximus could barely comprehend. His training had stripped him of everything—his identity, his strength, even his ability to connect with his wolf. But Maximus could feel the bond between them. He could sense Levi's wolf, weak and buried deep, but still there, waiting. The Alpha part of him, the most primal, protective side, ached to pull Levi from the darkness and heal him.

He thought back to the conversation with the doctor, to the way Levi had collapsed under the pressure of something as simple as a question about his name. Levi was so fragile, so overwhelmed by even the smallest things, and yet Maximus knew his mate's true strength was still buried somewhere within. But how to bring it out?

Maximus stared out into the dark night, his wolf pacing restlessly inside him. It was becoming clearer by the hour—Levi didn't just need gentle care. He didn't need to be coddled. He needed structure, direction. He needed someone strong enough to give him that. Levi needed him to be the Alpha—not just a protector, but a force that could guide him, dominate when necessary, and help him reconnect with the instincts that had been stripped away.

Maximus clenched his fists, the realization heavy but undeniable. Levi needed him to be firm. Not cruel, but strong, unwavering. Levi's wolf—the part of him that was buried beneath the weight of training and trauma—needed the Alpha in Maximus to pull him out. It wasn't about controlling him; it was about guiding him back to himself. Levi needed to be shown who he really was, and Maximus was the only one who could do that.

With renewed determination, Maximus stood and made his way back to where Levi was resting. The boy was curled up on the bed, his body still trembling slightly from the stress of the day. His eyes were closed, but Maximus could tell he wasn't asleep—his breathing was too shallow, too rapid. Levi was still on edge, still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Maximus sat beside him, reaching out to gently touch Levi's shoulder. "Levi," he murmured, his voice low and firm. Levi's eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at Maximus with that same fragile uncertainty, like he didn't know what to expect.

Maximus's heart clenched, but he kept his voice steady. "I want to help you," he said, his tone calm but authoritative. "But you need to trust me. You need to listen to me. Can you do that?"

Levi blinked, his gaze flickering with confusion, but he nodded slowly. "Yes, sir," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Maximus nodded, satisfied with the response. "Good. There are things you need, Levi. Things your wolf needs. You've been denied those things for too long, but that ends now. You're not a slave anymore. You're an Omega. My Omega."

Levi's breath hitched at the word. Omega. It was something he had been called before, but always with cruelty, always as an insult. But the way Maximus said it—it was different. It was spoken with care, with reverence.

Maximus leaned forward, his presence filling the space around Levi. "Your wolf is weak right now, but he's still there. I can feel him. And he's not broken, Levi. He's just waiting. Waiting for you to let him out. I'm going to help you with that. I'm going to show you how to be an Omega again."

Levi's heart raced in his chest, his body trembling with a mixture of fear and something else—something warm and unfamiliar. His wolf stirred within him, so faint he could barely feel it, but it was there. The presence of Maximus, his Alpha, was doing something. It was waking up a part of him that had been dormant for so long.

"I... I don't know how," Levi whispered, his voice cracking with uncertainty. "I don't know what to do."

Maximus's gaze softened, but his tone remained firm. "You don't need to know," he said. "That's why I'm here. I'm going to guide you, and you're going to trust me. Can you do that, Levi?"

Levi nodded again, the fear still lingering in his eyes but slowly being overtaken by the need for direction—something clear, something that made sense. He had always needed orders, but this felt different. This didn't feel like punishment. This felt like care.

Maximus stood, pulling Levi gently to his feet. "We're going to start small," he said. "Your wolf needs to feel safe. He needs to feel like he's home. That starts with something basic. You're going to nest."

Levi blinked, confused. "Nest?"

Maximus nodded, his hand still on Levi's shoulder. "Yes. It's an instinct for Omegas. It's something your wolf needs, even if you don't understand it yet. You're going to build a nest. A space where you feel safe, where your wolf feels safe."

Levi looked around the room, his eyes wide with uncertainty. "But... I don't know how."

Maximus stepped closer, his presence dominating the room but in a way that soothed Levi's nerves. "I'll show you. Come on." He led Levi toward the bed, grabbing blankets and pillows from the shelves nearby, piling them up on the bed and on the floor. "You don't have to think about it too much. Just follow what feels right."

Levi hesitated, but Maximus's steady gaze gave him the reassurance he needed. Slowly, Levi began arranging the blankets, unsure at first but growing more comfortable with every movement. His hands shook, but as he worked, something in him began to settle. There was a strange comfort in it—creating this space, this nest. His wolf stirred again, just a faint whisper, but it was stronger than before.

Maximus watched him closely, his eyes softening as Levi moved with more confidence. "Good," Maximus said, his voice low and approving. "That's it. Let your wolf guide you."

Levi's hands moved more quickly now, his body responding to some deep instinct he hadn't felt in years. The nest began to take shape, and with each layer of blankets, Levi felt a sense of calm he hadn't experienced in as long as he could remember.

When he was finished, Levi looked up at Maximus, unsure of what came next. Maximus smiled, the warmth in his gaze making Levi's heart flutter.

"Good boy," Maximus said softly, his hand reaching out to ruffle Levi's hair in an affectionate gesture. "Now scent it. Make it yours."

Levi blinked, but Maximus nodded toward the nest. "Scent it, Levi. Roll in it. Let your wolf claim the space. It's yours."

Levi hesitated for only a moment before he did as he was told. He lowered himself onto the pile of blankets, feeling the softness beneath him, and he began to roll, pressing his face and body into the fabric. At first, it felt strange—awkward—but soon something clicked. His wolf responded, rising up just a little more, and Levi felt a surge of warmth and belonging flood through him. This was his. His space. His nest.

Maximus knelt beside him, watching with quiet pride as Levi's wolf began to emerge, piece by fragile piece. "That's it," he murmured. "You're doing so well."

Levi stopped rolling, his body still trembling but in a different way now. He felt... lighter. Like a weight had been lifted off his chest, even if just a little. He looked up at Maximus, unsure of what to say, but Maximus didn't need words. He pulled Levi into his arms, holding him close, his strong hands stroking over Levi's hair and back in a soothing rhythm.

"Cuddle in," Maximus said softly, his voice filled with affection. "You've done enough for now. Let your wolf rest."

Levi, overwhelmed by the warmth and the safety of Maximus's presence, curled into him, his head resting against Maximus's chest. The Alpha's heartbeat was steady, grounding Levi as he let himself relax completely for the first time in years.

Maximus held him close, his strong arms wrapped protectively around his mate, and for the first time, Levi's wolf stirred in full awareness. It was weak, but it was there, responding to the Alpha's presence, the Alpha's care. Levi didn't know how to be an Omega anymore, but Maximus did. And under Maximus's guidance, Levi could feel a part of himself waking up, breaking free from the chains of his past.

In Maximus's arms, Levi's body finally stilled, and for the first time in years, he allowed himself to feel safe.

And that was all his wolf needed to begin to heal.