Max was here. I could smell him. I could smell him from miles away and he was in this very pack house, on the floor above me.
He was on the alpha floor.
I wanted so bad to barge in there and slap him senseless for coming here and not for his child. He doesn't have to come here for me but his son. He has a son for goddess sake!
He had it so bad with uncle Deacon that he promised to be a better father. He wasn't better, he was absent. Zero effort.
Not a call. Not a text. How was his wolf ok with this? Not seeing his own pup?
Xander barged in to my apartment, startling Dorothy and I. Adrastos was sleeping soundly in his bassinet, the only thing that would wake him up was hunger. He could even sleep through a dirty diaper. Luckily, we had strong senses so we knew immediately when he did the number 2.
"Sabrina, come with me." Xander says. Turning around and leaving no room to ask questions. I immediately shot up and ran after him. We walked in to his apartment and the first thing I noticed was the broken coffee table and Jill holding an angry Elliot back who was growling and shooting daggers and Maximus.
As soon as I walked in, Max turned his eyes to me and it dawned on me why he was here. He wanted an alpha Luna and Xander's sister was perfect. A lycan female with alpha blood. How bloody perfect.
He was ready to start making babies and forget about Adrastos.
Well, not on my watch.
A girl looking to be around my age was seated on the two seater couch with a tear stained face.
"Max here wants to take my sister as his chosen mate. My father over there wants to kill Max because he went about it the wrong way but I want to kill him for even thinking he can come to my pack and ask this of me." Xander says. He was fuming.
"Then my sister over there, is crying because she doesn't want to go. Max says he will take it as an act of cancelling our allegiance." Xander said.
My eyes were focused solely on Xander's sister. At her age, all she wanted to do is meet her mate. Not to be forced to mate with someone that isn't hers.
"Many years ago, my father and uncle Deacon's fathers came together to form an allegiance. To bring them together, my mother, Deacon's little sister, was promised to my father but they soon realized they were mates so it worked out well for them. In this case, my sister is not Max's mate but he wants to reenact the same practice." Xander said and I looked at Max who was also looking at me.
"I don't see why she has to be here. Her family wasn't involved before, why involve her now?" Max asks in a bored tone.
He was doing anything and everything to hurt me. It was clear as day.
"She's here because she was invited here. You on the other hand, arrived unannounced." Xander said.
"Fine." Max said.
"I told you at the council meeting that you won't ever father any more children. You think I was lying or speaking out of anger?"I Asked him. He didn't answer me.
"The moon goddess came to me and comforted me. She vowed to never let you father another child after abandoning your first. Rejecting a gift from her." I say to him.
"Every wolf serves a purpose in our world and by you rejecting our son, you're changing the course of his life. You were supposed to help raise him and show him the things I as a mother could not." I say to him. He looks at me, to see if I'm lying but I wasn't.
"You not being able to father more children is your punishment. That was a promise the moon made to me." I said to him. Jill looked at me.
"How did you communicate with the moon goddess?" She asked.
"She's a goddess to many of you but she's a grandmother to me. Well sort of. My nana is her sister. My family and i each carry gifts bestowed upon us by the moon goddess including my son. This makes me half a celestial being and half of this world." I say to her and Elliot forgets about his anger and really looks at me.
He was looking at me differently. Like I was a god of some sort.
"So you can just summon her and she appears?" Jill asks me and I chuckle at that.
"I wish. She shows up when she feels it is necessary. Like when Max abandoned us, she made me that promise." I said to Jill but looking at Max.
"So Max, you can go pack to pack trying to find the new mother of your children but that won't bring children in to this world. It will not only emasculate you, but the entire pack. An alpha that can't produce
an heir? You'll be challenged day by day." I say to him and he growls.
"You also made the decision to shack up with Xander here and let him play dad." Max retorts and I chuckled.
"You want Xander to be punished for doing your job? The moon goddess must chop off his manhood because he stepped up where you couldn't? Wow!" I respond back to him.
"You can leave now Max. You have our final answer. Thank you for abandoning your Luna. Another packs loss is another's treasure." Elliot said and my mouth flew open.
5 seconds ago, this man would've torn me limb from limb and now I was Red Creeks treasure? The actual fuck?!
I decided to walk out then and back to apartment. I felt Max following me so when I walked through my door I signalled for Dorothy to go in to the nursery.
He walked in after me and slammed the door.
"You broke my heart, now you want to break my door?" I sass him.
"Well if your heart could be mended, so could this door." Max retorts back.
"What do you want? I know you're not here to see Adrastos Forrest, so what is it now?" I ask him. Emphasis on Forrest.
"I need you to change that last name." Max said and I laughed.
"Are you sure? Otherwise Green Forrest pack won't have a Forrest after you." I say to him and he growls.
"Stop telling people that! I don't know if what you're saying is true or not but I will not have you tarnish my name like that." Max said.
"So you can humiliate me in front of the pack, the council and my family but I'm supposed to be quiet about your shortcomings? Don't patronize me." I say to Max.
"You made your bed alpha Maximus. Now lay in it!" I say walking to my door. I opened the door to tell him to get out but came face to face with uncle Deacon.
He stepped in, with his eyes on his son.
"You're both here, good. It's time for a little chat." Uncle Deacon says. Its going to be a long day.
Uncle Deacon sat down on one couch and motioned for Max and I to sit down too. We sat on opposite sides of uncle Deacon.
"Max, you pulled away from Sabrina. So you start first. Tell her why you left her and be completely honest." Uncle Deacon said.
Shuuu no beating around the Bush and exchanging pleasantries.
No asking how the little man is. No asking for a little strong something for this conversation.
No. We get straight to the point here.
"Why should I do that? We are over. There's no going back." Max says.
"No there isn't. Not after the stunt you pulled with the new law but that kid still belongs to the both of you and I did not raise you to be a deadbeat father." Uncle Deacon said.
"And Sabrina, you let Max finish. You will get your turn. Same with you Max when it is Sabrina's turn, you keep your mouth shut." Uncle Deacon says and I nod my head yes.
We all look at Max, waiting for him to lay it on me thick.
"I left Sabrina because I did not respect her. She expects things to magically happen. A happy ending without any problems. She finds reasons to complain about her gifts and how they're such a curse. Life is so tough for Sabrina when she didn't have to work for any of those gifts. She was born with them. Everyone has problems and hers might seem bigger but that's because they are hers. Some of us have to work even harder for everything that we have. You run away from problems instead of facing them head on and I understand being young plays a part in that kind of decision making but that can't be your way of life for every failed relationship. I get it, I took on another woman but you had every right to make her kneel to you but you didn't." Max said to me.
He let out a sigh.
"You need to remember I was raised the lycan way. My father slept with different women every other day. That was my point of reference but I tried to stay true to you. Until your family hurt my pack. You don't want to take responsibility for any of that. While you were away to who knows where, my warriors were falling one by one. When you had the power to end all of those men, you could've done that from the start. None of my pack members needed to die because your uncle had a vendetta against your family." He says and I have to blink a few times to fight back the tears.
"You're a spoilt girl. You've been given everything in your life. You turn a certain age and surprise, white wolf with magical powers and crazy strength. Your mother can come back to the living if she wants. Some of us don't have that luxury. It is war after war because of you! You're the bringer of death more than anything and I helped you to make more of you. There's a mini you that's even stronger because he's a lycan, who will bring even more death. Why would I want to be part of that? I've played along
long enough. I will not let you or that baby anywhere near my pack. Whether I father another child or not. My help ends here, with that baby." Max says and this time, the tears fall freely on my face.
Honesty hurts. It is painful.
The truth is really not nice to hear. It is heartbreaking. So heartbreaking.
"Well that was a mouthful but thank you for sharing Max. Sabrina?" Uncle Deacon said and I could feel their stares. I looked up and looked at Max.
"I'm sorry I was such a burden to you. I'm so sorry I made you feel like you had to treat me like glass. Like I could never take care of myself. I didn't want you to feel that way. I had no idea but had you voiced your feelings, I would've known. As partners, we tell each other everything. I don't know what hurts the most, the fact that you feel that way about me or the fact that you couldn't tell me about how you feel." I say.
You could hear the hurt in my voice clearly.
"What I'm not sorry about, is my gifts. They come with a burden, you could never carry. I say that because if you couldn't handle me, then you could never wield such power. You are incapable of controlling it. When you spent the whole day planning the war, I went to the moon and spent 10 years in training. I was tested emotionally and physically. If you think I'd come back perfect, then you're not for me. Your problems are smaller than mine because they are not mine! You don't prioritize them like I do mine so don't blame me for that." I said. I stand up and walk around the apartment.
"I dimmed my light so you could be the man. Yes, you didnt ask me to do that but you've never been with a woman like me. I have some crazy strength. It is either intimidating or empowering and I never know how people truly feel until it's too late. I'm disappointed you're one of them because you've known me all my life. I felt safe with you. I let you in and you spit in my face. " I say and I chuckle as I think of where Max and I started.
"I was a good woman to you and I don't care what you say to that. I let you be the man even when we both know who carried the muscle here. Was it not you that stopped me from giving myself away to the people coming to fight our pack?! You told me the pack had my back! And when I found out that my family was behind the attacks, what did I do?" I ask looking at Max.
The weather took a turn and the clouds turned gray. It looked like a storm was coming and I knew that was my doing but they didn't need to know that.
"I took all of my energy and killed every last one of their warriors. I took that chance knowing very well that my crazy uncle could come for me and not one person would have the strength to stop him. I put your pack first over my life and my son's because they couldn't die over something I could prevent. Yes we had fallen warriors, but do you know what I lost? I lost you. You were my fallen warrior and I had to get used to being pregnant alone without you and mourn our relationship. I was grieving my mother, grieving you and trying to come to terms with being a single parent. I also had to worry about where I'd get my next meal!! I was pregnant you idiot, I couldn't shift and you left me alone to die of hunger. " I say.
I was full out crying now.
"I went hungry and had to try find the energy to deal with you fucking that dead wolf every night! Where the fuck would I find the energy to fight her?! I was carrying your child and using all of my energy to save your child and keep him alive. I was willing to use all of my energy to at least keep him alive long enough till birth. Oh and let's not forget how you got the doctor to not treat me or check if my pregnancy was going well. You think I'm a spoilt little brat? Well you're a good for nothing, ungrateful, ass wipe of an alpha." I say with so much venom.
This prick.
"I saved everyone! Me, not you, not anyone else but me! You are ungrateful and you complain too much. You think killing all of those warriors didn't get to me? They had families but I overlooked that because our pack was dying! I might not be mentally as strong as you but as my partner, that's where you come in. You fall short on strength and I come in. We have to compliment each other but your ego couldn't handle it because in a normal setting, the woman would be the one to handle the emotions and the man would bring in the muscle. Can't believe you!" I say and I sit back down next to uncle Deacon.
"This is something. Max do you have anything to say to that?" Uncle Deacon asks but Max shakes his head no and sulks on the couch.
"Okay. Then I'll say a few words. Max, what you did was cruel and I'm sure your wolf must hate you. Which brings me to you Sabrina." Uncle Deacon says standing up and grabbing Max by the neck.
"Come here Sabrina." He says and I stand up and walk to him.
"Tell Max to allow his wolf control. Tell him now." Uncle Deacon said and my eyes bulge out.
"I can't do that. If he wants to stay away from us, that's on him." I say but uncle Deacon won't let up.
"Sabrina, his wolf is depressed. How do you think I can hold him like this? The strength he's relying on is not his. All our strength is not ours. Our wolves have feelings and his wolf is hurting. Max's wolf wants you and your son." Uncle Deacon says.
'I can't reach his wolf . Your uncle is right. Something is wrong Sabrina.' Athena says to me.
"Fine. I'll do it but only for a little while." I say.
"That's fine with me." He says and Max starts kicking trying to get out of uncle Deacon's grip but nothing. Uncle Deacon looks at me and I realize I'm wasting time.
Max closes his eyes so I won't be able to get to him. I remove uncle Deacon's hold and take over, walking towards a wall, where his back hits the wall with a little force.
"You know, I thought about sleeping with Tristan when he would bring me food. So you could feel my pain. While your son was inside me, I wanted to have another Male inside of me." I say and his eyes snapped open. He released a warning growl but that's the effect I wanted.
"It's so funny how your wolf's name is Xander, just like my new boo. So when I was sleeping with him to get relief from the heat, I would moan his name. I laughed about it the next day with my wolf but I know you won't find it funny. Anyway, you will let Xander take control. He will shift and you will stay at the back of his mind and not interrupt his moment with his pup." I say and let him drop to the floor.
Immediately he starts to shift. Within seconds, Xander was standing in my apartment, as big as can be. Making my apartment seem very small.
"I missed you." I say as I rub his fur and he takes in my scent.
He moves away from me and walks towards the nursery. I quickly walk in front of him and open the door, to let Dorothy out. I walked in first then Max's wolf. He walked to the crib and whined.
If wolf's could cry, this would be the moment. He took in our pups scent every 5 seconds. He knows this won't happen often so he's savoring every moment. Tears fell down my face as I think of how it should've been.
We wouldn't be a broken home if it wasn't for Max. I sat down on the rocking chair and allowed Max's wolf to bond with his pup. Surprisingly, my son didn't cry at all. He was at ease, as if he knew this wolf was his father.
After some time, Max's wolf, Xander, turned to me and nodded. It was time to let Max take over. I stand up and walk up to him,
"I want you to know that you will always be a part of his life. Whenever you're near, just take control until you get to me and I will do the rest. He is your pup, nobody can take that away from you. Not even Max." I say as I hug him, not for comfort but for me.
I led him out of the nursery as Dorothy walked back in.
"You will allow Max to take control. Thank you for coming forth." I say and it takes a minute before he shifts back and Max's naked form lies on my floor.
I went down on my knees but before I could touch him, he looked at me and I gasped.
Max was crying.
"I'm sorry Sabrina. I'm so sorry." He says and goes back to sobbing.