The Mate That Wasn't Mine novel Chapter 92

Chapter 92

Chapter 92

MAXIM POV

Sitting around a table full of Warden, Generals and the Alpha himself, its starting to feel a little claustrophobic. Basically, everyone pissing me off with snide looks and unsubtle comments.

Tess was so shocked I slammed those idiots heads into the table. She has no idea the restraint it took not to murder them outright.

We were meant to be together today. That’s what we said before everyone else got involved.

Yet I’m sat at this long, boring as fuck table with Remy, surrounded by competing Wardens whilst my nervous mate is stuck with Princess Hazel.

My skin itches, fingertips tapping the table. A craving for Tess that neither my wolf or I can stand for much longer gnaws. There is a fierce pull, aching away at me the longer we spend apart.

Hazel’s bright blue eyes probably just unsettled me. She isn’t herself right now. I don’t recognise her quick, unusual actions.

Maybe I am being harsh. She’s a woman processing the death of both parents. Not to mention everything else they put her through the past couple of months.

Nou still listening?/ Remy checks in after Goddess knows how many hours of discussion. Like I need to hear about the plans for archiving Hale’s possessions.

/Course I am. Simply riveting./ The decades of service are going to fly by. No wonder Warden Marshall is such a dry bastard.

Although he has managed to miss every minute of this boring event so far. Even Remy’s eyes are glazing over. Next topic starts, my fingers rap the table a little harder.

/Then you tell me, how do we plan next years training schedules for the first years. Then we don’t have to listen to this old goat any longer/

/Any fucking way the person you pick to run it pleases./

/Not helpful Maxim/

/Actually, I’m being very fucking helpful. You need to cherry pick the topics that matter. Get involved in them. Everything else you have a flock of greasy

Wardens to take care of shit for you./

The bell rings. It is time for me to meet Tess. I won’t be delayed a moment longer.

“Excuse me gentlemen,” I remarked sourly, standing up from the bench. I don’t care if the cluster of gray and white clad men exchange glances. The sun is descending and I have hours to make up.

It’s been a long fucking day and I want Tess. I want my hands on her, to know she’s real. All mine, that her sweet smiles are heading my way and i get to try and make her laugh. Then I want to make her unravel.

Because I need it too. All today’s talk of planning and the future is good, but all I want is to be back in our room.

My wolf demands her orange scent and soulful brown eyes.

I stride on down to the scent–tracing area. She isn’t there.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and exhale. Panic/cannotnget the better of me. It is bizarre how finding myself in peril doesn’t quite knock the wind out of me, but Tess not being here has me skittish as a kitten.

Fuck, speaking of kittens I forgot to grab Pawful.

The bells are still ringing. I look back at the packhouse. If I dive into Hazel’s room and grab that fleabag that will be something to make Tess smile,

Chapter 92

Looking around, checking the air for her non–existent scent I give it a go. Sprinting as fast as I can I bolt up the royal towers steps.

Quickly uttering. “Your Highness, Hazel, It’s Maxim,” I knock then twist open her bedroom door.

I find the cat. I also find the tufted princess stood in the centre of the room with a collection of pills shaking in her delicate hand.

“You’re just in time,” she whipers. “What do you think I should do? Tess isn’t here to ask. Or sample.”

“Where is she?” And what the hell does she mean by sample?

“Oh it was hours ago now. She had a fight then left.”

My body is firing bolts of panic. Where the fuck is my mate?

“What happened?”

“She had a fight with a girl. Manra, Monra? Think they knew each other from home.”

“Malva? Black hair, green eyes?”

“That’s the one. Anyway Tess hit her. Out of nowhere. Slammed the poor girls face down into a desk, there was blood flying out of her nose! Poor girl was very shaken up. But then she helped me make these. And fill in a little bit about your mates life. Very sad. Explains a lot about her…being drawn to

rebels.”

My eyebrows raise and I have to swallow back a painful amount of rage. And hurt too. I didn’t think Hazel had this side to her.

Forcing myself to sound close to composed. “Hazel…why didn’t you tell me, or anyone Tess left? That she had been in a fight?”

She blinks, her eyes wide and blue. A pout playing on her lips. They used to look innocent. Daring you to swear, to be a little rough around the edges and shock her. Not anymore, now she’s world–weary. Dangerously switched onto reality.

She doesn’t want me. That is not what this is. There’s no desperte lust or want in those cold blue eyes. She just wants someone else to hurt as badly as her. She’s so lost she is lashing out.

“Well Maxim, maybe I need to start thinking about me?” she whispers, her fingers closing around the dozen or so pills. “My father has gone. I should be…happy? But I just want to forget. I want to forget everything. The whole pack saw my dignity shredded. Knowing what Donlon did to my mother. I want to just…wipe it clean.”

“No. You’re not thinking clearly. Remy trusted you to translate not/start up your own little factory.”

Hazel isnt listening. with a bland shrug she steps a little closer.

“Tessa seems happy enough. I’m jealous of her not having a clue. Must help you too…with your, our past? You can pick the version of yourself you want to be.” the smile no longer hidden, but teasing, drinking in my anguish.

“Tess knows everything-”

“I’m just saying, reinvention sounds great.”

“The fuck have you been making!” I bellow whilst linking Remy. /Get up here. I’ve lost Tess and Hazel has made homemade memory pills./

“I don’t know! But it’s worth a try!” she shouts, her arms wide open, her stylish dress one fluid piece of snow–white material.

I haven’t got time for this shit. In one stride I’m up in her space, throwing her off guard. I roughly scrape every pill out of her hand before she even has time to protest. She grabs at my shirt angrily, hitting and protesting. “I’ll just make more you know!”

I push her away, her ass landing onto a blue velvet sofa. “Disrespect my mate again and it won’t be memory pills I slip into your food, it will be the ones you don’t wake up from! Get a grip Hazel. The world isn’t going to fix itself for you!”

Chapter 92

“Maxim!” Remy shouts but I don’t care.

Ilturn around, leaving Hazel, crying on the sofa and press the pills into Remy’s hands. “Tess has been missing for hours and she fucking knew the whole time! Making this shit instead. Screw worrying about the rebels. Look at her!”

“Hazel!” Remy exclaims in frustration but his sister is back in her self hating wallow. She screams raggedly. “I want those pills back! I want to forge Pawesome creeps around my legs. Even the cat has had enough.

I snap. “You’re miserable Hazel? Start again. Leave here and start with nothing and see how long it takes for you to realise you’d rather live as an embarassed princess, than endure a lifetime of nothing.”

Both Remy and Hazels mouth drop open in shock. It takes away some of the grandeur from my exit but I reach down, scoop up the fluffy, tortoiseshell monster and slam the door behind me anyway.

Time to find Tess.

With doom–filled thoughts racing through my mind I rush Pawesome back to Block E, checking the scent–tracing stalls again. The silver haired Vigo confirms there has been no sign of Tess.

“I am pleased she is back,” he offers flatly. No snide comment, no judgement. Maybe there is some hope. I just nod in thanks and keep moving.

Pawesome deposited in our room, mewling at me for chicken I simply don’t have. Grabbing my bow and arrow set out of pure fear of the unknown, I return to stalking around the packhouse, up and down the gravel paths. “Maxim!”

I turn to see Kai and Silas. Dressed in their Beta blue shirts, their faces are more stressed than mine. “What?

Kai speaks first, his youthful features beginning to fade. Weary tiredness is starting to sneak into his face. “I know we haven’t spoken properly since we fought, since the cliffs but…can we clear the air?”

Silas adds quickly “We were dicks?”

“You took me to the fucking cliffs to die. Dicks doesn’t quite cut it.”

“You deserve better friends than us.”

“I really fucking do,” I grunt, not meeting either of their games, trying to think of where to look for Tess. They follow me up and down.

“But you’re stuck with us.”

A

“I sincerely hope not,” trying not to give away the fact my ribs are swelling at the idea those two idiots might still be my brothers in arms. I gave up on all that. But hearing they went to get Tess and didn’t scare or hurt her, it means a lot.

“Look I can’t talk-”

“Maxim! Listen to us!” Kai pleads.

“I can’t find Tess anywhere. So you’re forgiven, okay? Fine. We’ll chat and hang out and all that soon. But I need to find her now.” My hands find their way into my hair, unable to keep my stress hidden any longer.

“She walked down through the infantry fields with Warden Marshall a few hours ago. I joked he was going to make her do that shitty log punishment he always made you do,” Silas offers, his huge face crinkled with concern.

“Right. Then get that damn cat in my room some food and I’ll consider that the punishment. I’ve got to go.”

Without even waiting for a response I start running. Everyone else is heading the other way. Sessions over, results to be posted on the packhouse dining room boards tonight. Everyone else is just a different shade of boring. All bland. All the same.

I don’t call her name, I just trust my wolf.

15:43 Wed, 18 Jun

Chapter 92

There is no sweeter relief than seeing her small figure curled up against that damned log of mine. No sign of Marshall. Good

I keep running until she looks up. Her eyes red rimmed with tears, her long coppery hair a swirl of colour, spilling out down her shoulders.

But she’s smiling. The dusky blue sky is behind me, the sun preparing ot set but in this meadow of wildflowers I see perfection.

She stands up just as I skid to a halt and take her silently into my arms. Wrapping her tightly to me, kissing her neck, her cheeks. She squeezes me tight, inhaling my scent just as urgently as I do hers.

“I remember. It’s all come back. Everything. Maxim I remember everything,” her sweet face crumpling up into more tears, pressed against my chest.

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