by Leela Ash
Max never despised himself as much as he did when he felt like he was begging, but the Council always seemed to make him beg for anything of significance. It was infuriating, and it was part of why he so deeply despised the hierarchy of the pack. He didn’t want to be an alpha. He didn’t want to answer to the Council and their stupid rules. Even if it was some sort of brotherhood, it was one he could do without. He had for this long, why should he start to ascribe to it now?
“You know we only interfere when it is absolutely necessary. And if the human herself has not complained of a nuisance, there is no reason for us to suspect there is a threat. If you were concerned about this fifteen years ago, and nothing has come of it yet, why should we be concerned now? Let the human determine her own affairs. If she finds it important enough to report this shifter to us, then perhaps we will look into it.”
Max growled, enraged by the bureaucratic system that always seemed to thwart him when he needed it the most. But that was typical, wasn’t it? Everybody seemed to betray him as soon as it was the most important for him to have somebody in his corner. He shouldn’t have been surprised. And yet, somehow, he was. Maybe there was some naïve little part of him that still had faith in the shifter ideology. Maybe he really believed that if he tried hard enough, good things would happen and the Council would be on his side for once.
“Thanks for nothing, you assholes. You’re going to see that I’m right about this, and if it’s too late, I hope the consequences destroy that self-assurance.”
He cut himself off before he said anything worse, knowing that words were impossible to take back. Once the damage was done, it was done permanently.
“Watch what you say, Max, no matter how angry you may be. It is your words that determine your worth here, as much as your actions. I understand that things are difficult for you, but please, trust that, in time, they are going to come to pass in a way that is most beneficial to all of us. It may not seem like it, but there is a reason for all things to happen, even on this human plane of existence,” the elder lectured. “Be patient, both with yourself and the human. Even try patience with this Milo fellow. You will be glad you were able to look outside yourself and become the person you truly wish to be. When all is said and done, you should be proud of all of your actions. Do not do things that you will look back on and feel a deep sense of shame and regret about.”
Max prickled. He hated to be lectured, but he was also relieved that the elders were choosing to have some kind of mercy on him. They were using this as a teachable moment rather than an excuse to punish him. It was better than what he probably would have done if he were in their shoes. And so, he simply held his tongue until he was out of the room and then got into his car and cursed, punching the steering wheel hard in exasperation. Milo and the others were planning something. He could feel it in his bones. If they were going to leave it up to him to protect Sadie, he would put his life on the line to do it. His business didn’t mean as much to him as she did. He would be willing to risk a few weeks’ worth of pay if it meant she was safe.
“Oh, hey, Max,” Milo said, approaching him from the parking lot. Max froze and gaped out the window at Milo. He was alone, or at least it appeared that way. “I was just here to tell the Council about you. Everybody here is suspicious of you, Max. We all know you have some no-good reason for being back in town, and we are never going to rest until you’re gone for good.”
“I don’t really understand what the hell your problem with me is. I get that there was some kind of rivalry, but I don’t even want to be the alpha. The job is yours for the taking. Why don’t you guys just leave me alone?” Max asked, glaring at Milo.
“Oh, Max,” Milo said, chuckling and shaking his head slowly. “You are actually pretty naïve, aren’t you?”
Max frowned and waited for Milo to continue. Finally, Milo grinned.
“You know, it really isn’t a good idea to talk about this right here, not with the elders within earshot. But if you really want to know more about what’s going on, then you’re going to meet me behind your shop tomorrow after dark. There will be some answers for you there, but it’s not going to be something you like.”
Milo chuckled to himself as he continued walking toward the door of the Council’s chambers.
“It’s going to be a trip, I can tell you that much.” Milo disappeared inside, and Max had to fight every impulse in his body to follow him and see what he was going to say to the Council. But Milo wasn’t what was important right now. He had to make sure Sadie was safe.
Milo had said he was going to find out more about what was going on if he stepped into his trap, but there was no way he was going to be stupid enough to fall for that. And yet, he couldn’t help but wonder what the man had been talking about. What had been so important about Max that had threatened an entire group of shifters badly enough that they had driven him out of town?
He had a vague understanding, but it was something he was going to have to talk over with the one person he knew he could trust. Terry wouldn’t let him down. And so, Max turned the ignition of his car and headed toward his friend’s apartment. If there was one thing he could count on, it was Terry’s loyalty. Through thick and thin, he would be there, and together, maybe they would be able to sort this mess out once and for all.
He could only hope that whatever was going on with Sadie would be able to wait that long.
17.
Sadie couldn’t help but feel upset by just how quiet things had become without Max around. She missed him a lot, especially knowing that she was just around the corner from his shop half the time. Any time she went out with her mother, they were nearby, and she couldn’t help but think of Max and his handsome, serious face. He wanted so badly to protect her, and yet the two of them were never on the same page. He didn’t care enough about her; he cared more about himself and his stupid store. He would never have the time he needed to be a caring partner.
“Hey, Sadie, do you have a minute?”
Sadie frowned at the sound of Terry’s voice and she turned just in time to see him rounding the corner, half-jogging. He had been working at Max’s store and apparently wanted to make sure she was never going to be able to forget what she had shared with Max. Why was it that everybody seemed to think they belonged together, when the sad fact of the matter was that they had never worked out and they never would?
“Hey, Terry, what is it?”
Terry hesitated, shifting uncomfortably and looking down at his hands before he answered. This was strange behavior, even for him, and Sadie frowned.
“Is something wrong? Where’s Max?”
She couldn’t even begin to fathom why her concern for Max was the first thing that left her lips, but she couldn’t figure out why else Terry might be approaching her like this.
“That’s the thing,” Terry said, sighing heavily. “I overheard something and I think you should know about it. You know that guy who has been after you all these years, right? Milo? I think something is going on between him and Max. And it’s supposed to get pretty serious.”
“Something going on like what?” Sadie asked. She didn’t have time for games. The thought of Max being in danger nearly drove her crazy. No matter how annoying he was, she still loved him. It was a sad and pathetic type of love, but it was hers and it was real. There was nothing she could do about that.
“I’m not sure exactly. They wanted him to come to the back of the store, tonight. I know they don’t have a very good history together, so I just wanted you to know that the two of them are probably going to blows over whatever happened between the three of you.”
“Nothing happened between the three of us,” Sadie said, shaking her head. “Max and I just…” Sadie trailed off, unable to even finish the thought for herself, let alone aloud to a stranger. What they had shared had been ridiculously intimate and amazing, but that didn’t mean anything to her anymore. It couldn’t. Not when he would never change. He would always be the same asshole he alway
s was.
“Well, regardless, I think you should probably come by the shop. I’m going to be there, and I’ll have some reinforcements, but maybe you would be able to talk some sense into them when nobody else will.”
“I was never able to talk any sense into him, even when we were dating. What makes you think I would have any sway over Max now? He always does whatever the hell he wants to.” Sadie frowned. “It doesn’t matter who he hurts. I don’t really appreciate you intruding on my life with something like this. If he wants to go and get himself into trouble, then maybe you should just let him and stay out of it.”
Sadie was just as surprised by the anger in her voice as Terry seemed to be. She had never said anything bad about Max before, and Terry probably believed that he was coming to a friend and ally who cared about Max in the same way that he seemed to. Terry was the most loyal person Sadie had ever met, human or shifter. And now, she had just left him alone with his concerns.
Still, he knew better than to follow her as she marched away, doing her best not to look back at the ominous storefront. Max might be in there somewhere, but he might not. The place looked eerie and deserted without the lights on, and as much as she wished that there was something she could do to help, the truth was, she had never had any power over what happened to Max. Never any more than she had over what happened to her. The universe was chaotic and awful and strange, and it didn’t want her to be happy. It wanted her to be away from the man she loved, and it wanted the man she loved to be nothing but an unchangeable asshole.
“Honey, what’s wrong?”
Sadie paused at the sound of her mother’s voice. It was strange to hear her seeming so genuinely concerned. Her relationship with her mother had always been a little bit strained, and she found it almost impossible to believe that her mother might have any genuine caring about her at all.
“Oh, I’m just a little bit annoyed. Everybody seems to think I need to worry about what Max is up to. But I don’t. I don’t care anymore.”
“Honey, I think that is the best news I have ever heard. Why don’t we just run along and pamper ourselves for the day?” her mother asked, growing excited by the thought. “That way you don’t have to worry about anything bothering you again. I know how difficult it can be sometimes. It’s better not to let yourself get stressed. It never does the body any good.”
Sadie frowned, and soon, she and her mother were on their way down the street and heading toward their original destination, which was a restaurant on the far side of town. Her mother had the strange impulse to try a little something from every restaurant in Stonybrooke. She had made it her goal to drag her daughter along with her as she crossed this item off her bucket list. It wasn’t that Sadie minded at all. She enjoyed spending some time with her mother, no matter how difficult the relationship happened to be. But it was still sometimes an annoying and heavy demand. Especially after all the difficulties their relationship had experienced in the past.
“I didn’t realize you and Max were officially over,” her mother said, chuckling quietly. “What happened between the two of you, if you don’t mind my asking? I know it had to have been bad. You were both so utterly in love.”
Sadie frowned, looking down at the laminated menu in front of her, her eyes scanning it for choices.
“I never really wanted to talk much about this with you before, mother,” Sadie said quietly. “But he did something incredibly selfish and I found it almost impossible to forgive him. I wanted more than anything to be able to work things out. You know he was my first love. I always want more from my relationships than the men are able or willing to give, I guess.”
“Well, honey, that does not mean you want more than what you deserve. Try to remember that. It can be very hard for everybody to settle into the relationship that truly suits them. But that doesn’t mean you are completely without hope. I hope you realize you are such a wonderful person. You deserve the best.”
Sadie studied her mother from across the table. It was strange to hear her saying such nice things. It had been quite a long journey to get to this road for the two of them. But, somehow, they had managed to find themselves here together, with one thing in common. Their mutual hatred of Max.
And yet, there was a feeling of guilt that was tugging at Sadie’s heart. Terry had told her he was in danger, and instead of turning to help him, just as she knew he would turn to help her, she had turned her back on him and continued on her way. If anything happened to him because of that, she would probably never be able to forgive herself. After all, Max was the only man she had ever truly loved, no matter how selfish and unbelievably cold he could be.
“I appreciate you saying that, mother. And I know it was hard for you when I was a teenager and I was so stubborn. It took all I had not to run away with him.”
“Why do you think I kept those letters from you for all those years,” Sadie’s mother laughed, shaking her head. Suddenly, the light expression on her face turned to fear, and she looked at Sadie, as if frozen. She hadn’t meant to say what she had said. And now, they were both probably going to regret she had ever opened her mouth.
“What letters?” Sadie asked, furrowing her brow in confusion. “You kept letters from me?”
“Well, I didn’t keep them from you on purpose, exactly,” her mother said nervously. “You weren’t even living with me at the time. Technically, they had come to my house and I knew he had always been trouble. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but what do you expect me to do? You know for yourself just what a jerk he is. You were just telling me about it. I don’t see how you could possibly find any value in some measly little letters he probably only sent when he was looking for somebody to sleep with.”
A spark of anger was forming in Sadie’s chest, and she stood up, her hands shaking and clenched into a trembling fist. “I can’t believe you would’ve hidden something like that from me. You knew how much I was hoping to hear from him! All those years I had been beating myself up over what had become of him, even after I found out what a success he had become in the business world. That didn’t mean that you have the right to withhold something like this. Where are the letters now?”
“That isn’t really important, is it?” Sadie’s mother asked, laughing nervously. “Now, please, just sit down. You are making a scene. Nobody here wants to see you yelling at your little mother, do they?”
Sadie was completely disgusted and shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you would ever stoop to this level, mother. I know you are jealous and spiteful, but I didn’t realize you were so vindictive and mean. I need to see those letters. You need to get me those letters as soon as you can, or I am never going to speak to you again.”
Sadie stormed out of the restaurant, letting the door slam shut behind her. She had to get to Max’s store. As soon as she possibly could. Who knew what kind of danger he was going to be in, and when? If she could help him now, maybe it would help them to work through their issues and she wouldn’t have to worry so much. Maybe she really could be happy with the man she loved.
18.
“Apparently, he just thought we were joking about coming here today,” Milo said, cackling. “Isn’t that funny?”
Max glowered at the gang of shifters that was gathered outside his shop. They were hidden in a narrow alleyway that most people didn’t even realize existed until they had seen it for themselves. He was really starting to get pissed off about Milo and his fucked up claim on Sadie. But more than that, he was annoyed at the other pack members for being so willing to follow blindly in the footsteps of a corrupt leader.
“I can’t believe it,” a bulky, unnerving shifter man said. He looked like one of the hybrids Max had heard rumored to be living around Stonybrooke. “This kid looks just like his father. What a piece of shit. He’s going to regret ever leaving his kid around for us to get our hands on.”
Max’s heart tanked painfully in his chest. What did these people know about his family? More importantly, what
in the hell had he done to piss them off so badly that they had done everything they could to make the last sixteen years of his life a living hell?
“I have nothing to do with my parents. I hate them probably just as much as you do, if not worse. They never did anything right by me. I don’t think they even care or know who I am at this point. You wouldn’t be hurting them by hurting me.”
The group of shifters surrounding Max laughed loudly, and Max shifted nervously. He didn’t want to take all of them on, even though he knew that in his wolf form he was very powerful. If he was, in fact, dealing with a hybrid shifter, he would need more than just his quick wits about him to face all of these different men.
Terry was supposed to be there somewhere, bringing some backup, but who knew when that would be? The group had come much earlier than he had anticipated they would, so now he was forced to try and understand why they were there and figure out a way to deal with it that would be in the best interest of both his health and his company.
“It doesn’t matter whether your parents know you. They don’t even have to care about you. What matters to us is snuffing out their pathetic bloodline once and for all. You never should have come back here, you know. You were safe where you were. But coming around here really fucks things up for us. You know?”
“What does it matter where I am?” Max asked. “I mean, if you are territorial about Stonybrooke, I guess I understand that. But it doesn’t really change anything.”
“Actually, it changes a lot more than you know,” Milo said, his dark eyes boring into Max. “You know how it is when the energy shifts and everything starts changing. None of us have the chance to really figure out what’s going on when that happens. It’s pretty disorienting, you know. And there is no way in hell that this is the kind of thing that just happens out of nowhere. There’s something in your blood that changes the energy that we are trying to work with, and it needs to be destroyed.”
