Max prepared himself to lift me into the air but I quickly stopped him.
“No-wait. what... what happened?” I asked, eyes full of tears. Max paused, grimacing, before settling back down on the ground.
“I promise,” he said, making sure I was looking at him. “Whatever you saw, it wasn’t real.” I sniffled, throat tight and nose clogged with mucus.
“But what about...what happened to that thing?” Max’s upper lip curled back in distaste, twisting around to glare over his shoulder. My blood ran cold, and I scrambled to pull myself up by clutching his shoulders, body vibrating with each heartbeat. I saw he was snarling at a dark stain in the grass where the dirt had turned black and the wilted grass dropped onto the dead-looking mark.
“It’s gone. You don’t have to worry about it anymore.” I rubbed tears away impatiently, lungs constricting as I tried to wrap my brain around everything.
“It…” I swallowed, shaking my head as I pressed a hand against my heart right where it’d pried me open by long clawed fingers. Max hushed me and placed his own large palm on top of mine, warmth spreading across my torso.
So, we sat there for a while as I calmed in Max’s soft grip. I was grateful he was there, relief almost tangible when he’d first showed up. He’d saved my life, right when I thought I’d slip away. I shuddered, leaning farther into his touch.
“What was it?” I asked quietly. Max sighed, rubbing his forehead with the heel of his hand like he was warding off a headache.
“A måre, a daemon.” I frowned, glanced over at the dark smudge again.
“A demon? Those are real?” My mouth went dry and the image of the dark figure with dirty white hair rising from the ground filled my head.
“It’s gone now.” He soothed. “Måres are daemons that sing you to sleep and sit on your chest, causing night terrors and sleep paralysis.” I rubbed at my eyes.
“So all that stuff I saw, it was all in my head?” I asked. “I dreamt it all?” Max nodded, cupping the back of my head. I jumped at the touched, reaching out to clutch at his wrist. I wanted to crawl back into the hole and bury myself. Max just hushed me gently and shifted so I was sitting sideways in his lap and he wrapped his arms around me tightly. I appreciated this, huddling close as my body twitched with perturbation.
“We should head back.” He murmured.
“Wait!” I blurted, surprising myself with the loud exclamation. I squeezed my eyes shut as I gripped Max’s hand tightly with my own sweaty one. “I just wanted to...I…” I sucked in a long breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run away like that, I was just so scared. I lost my only family, my pack, my home. I was terrified that I’d lost you as well.” I didn’t dare meet his gaze. “I have nothing, so when you took care of me I latched onto that kindness and having that taken away wasn’t something I could handle. So I ran.”
“Oh, Luka.” A tear slid down my cheek as Max tilted my face towards him. “It’s alright-”
“No,” I interrupted, voice thick. “It isn’t.”
Max sighed but didn’t argue, instead he brought my head down to rest against his chest. Fingers running through tangled, greasy hair and a warm hand rubbing my back took me by surprise. Max didn’t speak and I couldn’t bring myself to break the quiet as he continued to administer the small touches. I stopped crying quickly, embarrassed at my emotional state.
“When you first arrive here,” Max suddenly said. “I was away with a few friends, hunting and patrolling along our territory.” I looked up, confused on what he was talking about. I didn’t want to interrupt, so instead I rested my head over his heart and listened to his voice. “I didn’t get back for a week, but word had gotten to me about a new addition to the pack. No matter where they’re from, our own pack or a rogue, a new pup is a new pup. There’s potential in someone so young, so we were all excited. We got back late that night, I decided just to take a peek. Lola and I are pretty good friends, her mate’s a good guy. I knew she wouldn’t mind. Let me tell you, you stuck out like a sore thumb.” I scowled, but didn’t interrupt. “I didn’t know what came over me, only that one minute I was standing there over Lola’s pups and the next I had you in the air and I was scenting you. You were so small, so young. I didn’t know what I would do, I’d never heard of a Beta finding their mate in a pup. It terrified me, what Marc would say. I was terrified of what Lola would say.” I giggled, unable to help myself. "So I whisked you away to my room, scared and panicking.
“Just like I thought, the next morning Lola came storming to my room guns blazing, like I’d taken one of her birth pups, and that’s what you were to her. I explained the best I could, tail between my legs.” Max glanced down, smirking at his joke. I grunted, signalling him to continue as I continued to press my face into his collar. “Well, she was far more understanding than I thought she’d be. Helped me talk to Marc about it. He was really cool about it too, made me a deal. TOld me I had one week to get you to eat. If you responded better to me than Lola and Star, then I’d get to...essentially keep you. If not, I had to return you to Lola and I’d have to wait.” I swallowed, knowing he meant wait for me to either get better or to die. “I did my best and I quickly forgot about the deal, only that all I cared about was you not dying. You were getting weaker every day and I was getting no closer to figuring out what was wrong with you. I did my best to just make you comfortable, to hold you and keep you entertained. When you drank that bottle, I nearly cried. I was so relieved I ended up actually crying when I told Lola.” Heat rose from my neck up to the top of my head and I avoided meeting his gaze. “I know I’d have been mortified if I’d been in your shoes, I know why you were so stubborn now.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I finally asked. Max smiled, running the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip.
“Because, you’re my mate. The one person who’s yours. Always have been and always will be. Lola and Zack are mates because they fell in love and did what came naturally for wolves. Marc and Star are mates because they’ve been together since they were young, always knowing that they would be that way. It’s natural, it’s what’s easiest. People who need someone, people who are going somewhere more, and people that were always a perfect fit. There're dozens of reasons to have a mate. They’re very special. So, when you looked me in the eyes and asked me what they were, it hurt.” Guilt filled my throat, and I tried to swallow the sudden lump there, eyes burning. I opened my mouth to apologize but Max cut me off. “It hurt because I love you.”
Hands scrambling at his shoulders and mouth opened in a gasp, I sat up so fast I made myself dizzy. I stared at Max, surprised and choked up and feeling way too much to know what emotions were really there.
“No one-I don’t-not even Chelsea…” I sobbed and threw my arms around him tightly, wrapping my legs around him. “I love you too.”
I’d never heard those words before, not aimed at me. It was a shock; It seemed unreal, and I couldn’t believe it was real. For a moment I thought maybe I was still dreaming and the demon would come back to slit my throat.
MAx seemed surprised, tipping back slightly before hugging me back as I strangled him in a teary embrace. For once, I didn’t feel embarrassed at my reaction. Instead, I let myself feel for a second even if what I felt was confusing and muddled.
“Shh hey, hey it’s alright.” He laughed. “Why are you crying?” I could tell that my odd outburst amused him, but there was also an underlying sadness in his voice.
“P-please,” I whispered. “Just let me hug you for a minute.” Max chuckled, but didn’t disagree. I rocked me like a baby and I let him, muffling my cried into his shoulder as I made a disgusting mess once again.
“We should really head back now.” He murmured once I’d mostly calmed down. I nodded, rubbing an eye with one hand and gripping a handful of his shirt with the other. I glanced up when he didn’t make a move to stand. Max leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against my forehead.
I froze, staring at him in surprise. To my surprise, Max’s face turned pink, and he quickly looked away. I slumped forwards and smooshed against his shoulder, my body going limp.
“Y-you can’t just-that’s not fair.” I whined in a muffled voice. Max laughed, shifting me so I was practically sitting on his arm as he lifted me up.
“What?” He asked innocently. I grumbled, not really giving him a response as he made his way back to the den.
We traveled in a comfortable quiet, the only sound Max’s footsteps and my gross post-cry sniffles. As we grew closer back, I suddenly grew uncomfortable and sheepishly wiggled in his grip.
“Ah-uh.” I mumbled, gathering his attention. “I can walk.” I peeped. He smiled.
“Alright.” Gently setting me down, he patted my hair before twining our fingers together. I stared down at our hands for a second before smiling up at Max.
We walked into the den, the dim interior and more familiar scents putting me at ease. It was surprising to realize I was glad to be back.
“LUKA!” I jumped, suddenly assaulted with an armful of a sobbing woman.
I stumbled, yelping, as Lola sobbing into my hair.
“I was so worried!” She cried. I patted her back awkwardly, looking at Max for help. He muffled sniggers behind a hand, making me scowl. Lola sniffed, wiping at her eyes with a hankie before grabbing my face and inspecting it closely. “Are you alright? No cuts, no broken bones?” I could help to smile, unused to the unexpected worry and care.
“I-I’m alright. Thank you.” She sighed in relief before grabbing my shoulders sharply and shaking me once.
“Never do that again.” She scolded.
I nodded my head quickly, knees quivering at the sudden change. She backed off quickly when a tall man placed a soft hand on her shoulder.
“Leave the poor boy alone, you coddle too much.” The man’s hair, eyes and skin were all dark. Someone a shade so dark was something I’d never seen before, it was fascinating and rather nice looking. He must have been Zack.
Lola huffed, sniffing. “I wouldn’t need to if my boys stopped being so reckless.” My chest felt rather tight and warm when she said ‘my boys’.
I smiled, fighting off more tears.
“I don’t mind.” I said in a small voice.
Lola smiled, face softening.
“You must be tired and hungry, come along dear.” She led me away, Max following closely behind.
I took his hand once again, feeling better.
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