Bark Or Bite

Chapter 26

I wake up around six with Maximus by my side. He is still asleep. His lips are parted slightly and very soft snores emit his lips. His copper hair is extra wild and scattered across the pillow. It stands out against the white pillowcase. His torso hangs out of the comforter.

I stand from the bed to gather things to go shower. I open and close the door without waking Maximus.

When I get back in the room, he is already awake and dressed.

"I took a shower downstairs. Your parents were already gone." He dries his hair with a towel.

"It's fine. I'm sorry if I woke you."

"No, you didn't." He combs his hair down, although it doesn't help much.

"Good."

"I'm thinking we should go look out around the borders. They're trying to get away from my pack, not trying to cross onto anyone else's." He puts his comb in my top dresser drawer and closes it.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Are you and I going alone?"

"No. Kol and Malachai will meet us on the west border. Derek and Sam are already patrolling the east. They won't escape all of us and security." He grabs his keys.

"Ready?"

* * *

Maximus and I pull up next to Kol's car off in the brush somewhere near the cliffs. He gets out and I follow. We shift together before going out into the woods.

"Kol and Malachai are up ahead. They caught scent about an hour ago. He said it smells like they all stayed together."

I follow Maximus through the woods until we come upon Kol and Malachai. They tell Maximus that the group of runaways can't be too far. The cliffs drop a couple miles from where we are and they won't leave the territory. Leaving would officially make them rogues, and rogues are fair game.

"Hannah and I will go this way. You both go the opposite. If we can surround them we can talk to them all at once. I don't want to chase them."

Maximus leads me away. The other boys go opposite.

We run for what feels like minutes before we come across the group of young rogues. Apparently they aren't too great at hiding. Malachai and Kol find them a little after we do. They block the path behind them so that they're forced to listen to Maximus. He holds his head high when he speaks.

Who are you? He asks.

Maximus, sir, we're not trying to cause any trouble. We just need to leave. Please, let us go. The biggest of the young wolves speaks.

You know I can't do that. If I let you go, you will be killed.

What happens to us after we leave your pack is our problem. We will deal with it on our own.

Maximus stops talking for a moment and thinks about his decision. He shifts back into human form and waits for the rogues too also.

The young wolves watch intently as Maximus becomes slightly more vulnerable. I notice the shift in the atmosphere almost a little too late. The largest of the rogues lunges at Maximus, teeth bared, aiming for his neck. I lunge for him and collide with the smaller wolf mid air. We fall together and the other two rogues try to help their "leader". Before they can reach Maximus, Kol and Malachai take them down. They push their necks into the dirt and force a surrender from the rogues. Maximus stands in the middle of everything, as calm as he can be.

I check to make sure he's okay as Malachai and Kol round up all three of the wolves. Maximus is so calm that it's almost unsettling.

"Are you okay?" I ask him anyway.