FIRST

Approximately 9 days since

CHAPTER 12

It's been approximately 9 days since my ambush and i missed family dinner 2 days ago. my phone was buzzing itself to death and you could practically feel the anxiety of worrying my family oozing off of me. Maximus, sick of my antics, ripped the buzzing device out of my hand and turned it off. I had asked and asked if i could just call and reassure them but he told me it wasn't safe so soon after i had been hurt. Besides my overwhelming worry of my life elsewhere, being with my mate has been blissful. we spend our days around the house where we just enjoy each other's company, not worrying about work or what other people are doing. It's just us in this perfect bubble that can't be broken. There had been a pit in my stomach since i missed dinner and nothing has been able to shake me from it. Maximus was worried when i laid in bed the entire saturday after and now during sunday, i feel queasy like something could go wrong any second.
"Max" i call from my spot seated on the king sized bed
"hmm" he mumbles from the bathroom, brushing his teeth considering we had just woken up.
i suck in a deep breathe, "When are we going to talk about what happened?"
my sensitive hearing hears the toothbrush still in his mouth before gliding across his teeth again. i wait a minute while he finishes. once he's done and comes walking back towards me, he takes a seat next to me on the bed.
"I owe you an explanation don't i?" Max says lowly, eyes trained on the floor
"yes, you told me before to trust you but i can't stay here forever....i need to know" maximus' face whips to mine quickly
"why can't you stay here forever" his gaze darkens
"Because i have a whole life somewhere else, you know this. w-we have had this talk before, i'm meant to go back to my pack soon anyways." i try to reason with my eyes to try and make him understand. life isn't as easy as it has been the past week with just him and i alone.
"max, there's a whole world outside our bubble-" i pull him closer to me. clenching his shirt in my fist, resting my forehead against his. His pout deepens at my words
"madeleine i know-" he starts
"You won't ever be able to fathom how much i wish the world consisted of just us, in this perfect house, no worries or troubles, just me and you like we are now. but i have responsibilities and i've known since i was 5 that my life wasn't going to be all about me" i blow out a breath, my tense shoulders relax like i've taken a weight off my shoulders.
When i look back up at my mate, he, like a child, is still pouting at me with his gorgeous hazel eyes, thick dark eyebrows turned down.
"we can have that, eventually, once we figure everything out. it can be just us" he pleads on. The subject of this conversation is being abandoned and i know exactly what he is doing. i push him back and begin to remove my hands from his body so we can have a real conversation without distractions when he latches onto the hand that was rested on his chest and puts it back.
"Max you can't keep dodging my question. i almost died-" a rough snarl comes up from maximus mouth of the thought of my death. he pulls me a little closer.
"You owe me answers and if i don't get them in the next 5 minutes i swear to god i will leave" I say with a firm tone. ripping away from him and standing up. i can't let him get everything he wants or we won't get anywhere.
"Okay okay okay, i'll answer your questions but you're not going anywhere." Maximus is now also standing, towering over me. an angry tense look on his face.
"good. now lose the pout, your face will stick like that" i try to lighten to mood.
"now, who were those men?" they knew who he was, it seemed personal, why wouldn't he know them?
"Hunters." max grumbles out. a hand rubbing at his eyes in frustration.
"Why were they hunting you?" i begin a pace.
"Because i'm a thousand something werewolf alpha from the first strain of werewolves, i've also happened to be the only person in the history of everything to see the moon goddess in person; i'm kind of a big deal." He sighs out, laying down on his back on the bed.
"how would they even know about you? the only physical record of you is a journal from the 1500s that's kept in our vault" i explain to him. shooting him a look to see if he's actually listening and not dozing off again.
"i'm not sure, they were the reason i almost ran into your car that first night. i was being hunted" he explains.
"How long have you been hunted? and how do you know it's the same group. what if it's like a bounty? yknow whoever gets you gets big bucks" my mind is running with ideas and ideas of how to piece together answers to my own questions.
"I started being hunted by the same organization around....300 years after the next strain came up. they've always had the same insignia. it's kind of like a hand, holding a ball up, the ball has symbols on it. i don't know the language but they came after me when i traveled back to rome temporarily." Maximus explains, the symbol obviously mean something and an organization that old must have a strong belief if they're still hunting the same guy after all these centuries.
"Why did they come after me?" No matter what he answers, this will be my last question. I hate even thinking about this and i know how much he already doesn't want to subject himself to answer my tedious questions.
"Because they found out that you're my mate-" Max stops, grunting in frustration before continuing
"-and finding my mate meant that my punishment is over, i can be killed, this is literally the one thing they've been waiting for. you're never going to be safe with me madeleine" Silence is what ensues afterwards. my heart cracks a little, you can see the defeat in his eyes as he looks at me. apologizing for pulling me into his world.
"how can i never be safe when i only feel safe around you" i whisper to him. grabbing his hand in mine.
"we're going to figure this out and i don't care if we have to kill every single one of those hunters to do it" my eyes stay on as i lean closer.
the electrically charged air crackles between us as our lips meet. this kiss is different from the others we've shared. it's slow and deep, we are pouring our feelings into this one kiss and it's almost too much to bare. Maximus runs his tongue along my bottom lip and i immediately allow access, his tongue mingles with mine as i moan into his mouth, this erupts a growl from maximus's chest, wrapping his thick arms around me. his skin against mine is sending my heart in overdrive. the mate bond grows the longer we kiss. pulling away for air, he immediately runs his lips and tongue along my neck, paying special attention to the spot where my neck and shoulder meet. the spot is sizzling from his touch and endless breathy moans escape my mouth. i also my mouth shut as he continues his assault on my neck. I tug on his brown locks to bring his swollen lips back to mine, this kiss is passionate and full of lust for one another.
"madeleine" max mumbles my name between kisses
"please let me mark you" my mind almost doesn't register what he just said because of his lips distracting my every thought process, but thankfully, once it does, i pull away. breathing heavily.
"Max-" I begin to shake my head, he can't mark me. it's too early. i'm not ready to give him my other half. Then there's the fact that as soon as i wear his mark on my neck. It's only a matter of time before my heat kicks in and that leads to mating- whether i'm ready for it or not.
You all must be wondering, how is she 23 years old and not ready for sex, with her soulmate at that. i can't explain it but something in me wants to be in love with maximus before i give him my everything. i know i have it in me to fall in love with him. he's absolutely the man of my dreams but there's too much to worry about before we can roll around in bed.
My eyes widen as his face hardens in hurt. He's upset with me for not wanting to wear his mark. i can only imagine the thoughts running through his mind at my rejection. before i can even begin to explain why i had said no, he pushes my body away from him, taking the warmth of his hands and body away from mine, leaving me missing him already.
"i'm going to go for a run" He barks out, storming out of the room. once i hear the black door slam on its hinges and the bone crackling before paws hitting the hard ground. i flop my body on the bed in exhaustion. it's only 12pm and i've managed to piss of my mate already.
good fucking job madeleine