Chapter Five

Maximo's arrival was like a storm ripping through the tranquility of Heart and Heath's place.

I don't know how or when it happened, but the calmness of the place was disrupted when he suddenly arrived at the place. The force of his werewolf strength shattered the gate and splintered the wooden door, leaving chaos in his wake.

I ran headed to the living room and saw him on the threshold, his eyes blazed with a fierce golden fire, his rage palpable and uncontainable. I felt a chill race down my spine, my heart pounding in a mixture of fear and dread.

"Maximo!" I called out, looking back at the shred of wood on the ground.

I was in the kitchen, talking to Heath but Maximo's sudden entrance froze me in my tracks.

My heart clenched as I saw his eyes locked onto mine, his anger a tempest that threatened to consume everything in its path.

Instinctively, I take a few steps, my fingers trembling, desperate to intervene before Maximo's fury escalated. But on my third step, Heath moved faster, shielding me with his body, a barrier between me and the storm that was Maximo.

"Stay here, Cza," Heath whispered.

I blink my eyes and try as much as possible to check Maximo only to see the veins on his neck visible and ready to burst.

He can shift any minute from now when not controlled, damn it!

"It didn't take an hour before I left the house and now you are here with another man, huh, Cza Georgianne?" He took a step. "Didn't I tell you last night that you are mine?"

Maximo's possessiveness over me flared, his anger radiating in waves.

"You don't get to say whom she belongs to. She isn't owned by anyone." Heath's voice was calm, an attempt to quell the brewing storm. But Maximo's rage was a force of nature, relentless and unyielding. My heart raced, caught in a maelstrom of emotions when Maximo take larger steps this time, close to us.

I had to do something.

"Maximo, please, why are you so hard to understand?" I implored, my voice shaking.

I step out from Heath's back to stand in between Maximo and him. Maximo's veins are already visible and is ready to attack with his wolf instinct. "Maximo, please..." I continued to beg, wanting to stop him but my words seemed to be lost in the tempest, drowned out by his roiling anger.

Heath's presence was a stabilizing force, but Maximo's rage was a wildfire that threatened to consume us all. The tension was suffocating, the air heavy with unspoken words and unresolved emotions. It was then that Heart appeared, her arrival a brief respite from the escalating chaos.

"What's happening in here?"

I turn to my right where the staircase is and I saw my best friend looking so confused while her brows are formed into thin lines.

"Who do you think you are for saying she's no one's?" Maximo is not giving in and continued on making trouble with Heath.

"No, Maximo, stop it!"

"Cza? What's happening?"

Before Heart could even utter another word, I knew I had to act.

Despite the fear inside, I took more steps forward, reaching out to Maximo, my voice trembling but determined. "Maximo, please, let's go somewhere we can talk."

His gaze was a stormy sea, a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. Reluctantly, he allowed me to guide him away from the confrontation, the tension still crackling in the air like lightning about to strike.

We arrived at our house, the journey was fraught with Maximo's careless driving, his anger seemingly uncontainable.

The tension in the room was palpable, a heavy silence punctuated only by the rapid beating of my heart. Maximo's eyes blazed with a mixture of anger and something else, something that I couldn't quite decipher.

I squared my shoulders, my voice trembling but determined once more.

"You have no right to be angry, Maximo," I said, my voice steady despite the tumult of emotions swirling within me. "You pushed me away, treated me like I was nothing to you. And now, you act like a jealous husband when you never even cared."

Maximo's jaw clenched, his fists tight at his sides. He takes a step close to me until I felt his palm on my nape, pulling me closer to his face. "I don't really care, Lewiston, but you are carrying my last name, and I took you first. You're not meeting any man beside me."

I felt a surge of frustration, his words like a slap in the face. "Heath was just there for me because Heart was asleep! He listened, he understood. And don't you dare turn this around on me!"

How dare he? He doesn't want me to meet anyone because of the bond when in fact, he is straight dating Jasmine, a complete enemy of the pack?!

"And you are saying now that I have your bond, then you know from the start that we are each other's mate! Why are you doing this to me?

I felt a lump form in my throat, tears stinging my eyes, and continued. "Heath is my friend, Maximo. Nothing more."

Maximo's voice was cold, his eyes unwavering. "So, what? You're just going to replace me with him? Go! But make sure that your family has to return all the riches they got from my family."

My voice wavered a mixture of anger and hurt in my words. "You were never there, to begin with, Maximo. I needed you, I tried to reach out to you, but you shut me out. And now you have the audacity to accuse me of having an affair with someone?!"

You are clearly the one doing that! I wanted to add but I held my mouth and purse my lips while wiping the streaming tears.

"You know what? Fuck you. Leave me alone and let's just do whatever we wanna do." I said and was about to turn around but he spoke.

"I don't want you with any man,"

I felt tears spill down my cheeks, my voice breaking as I spoke. "You have no right to say that. You have Jasmine, don't you? A girlfriend, even though we're married. You don't get to act like a jealous husband now."

Maximo's gaze wavered for a moment, a flicker of guilt crossing his features. But his resolve was unyielding, his anger still simmering beneath the surface.

"Why can't you just stay inside? Why do you keep seeking the company of other men?" His words were like a dagger through my heart, each one cutting deeper than the last.

Tears welled in my eyes, my voice trembling with the weight of my emotions. "Maximo, you rejected me. You pushed me away and treated me like I was nothing to you. I'm human too not just a werewolf. I have feelings, with needs. You can't just expect me to stay locked away like a prisoner."

His anger was a tempest that raged on, but my words had ignited a different kind of fire within him. His golden eyes bore into mine, his breath ragged as he struggled to contain his emotions.

"I never asked for this marriage, Cza," he said, his voice softer now but still laced with bitterness. "I never wanted any of this. But now, you're trying to play the victim?"

I took a shaky breath, my voice barely a whisper. "I'm not playing the victim, Maximo. I'm just tired of feeling like I'm nothing to you. I deserve more than this. I deserve to be loved and cherished, not treated like an afterthought."

His gaze held mine, a mixture of frustration and something else, something that mirrored the turmoil within me. I wiped away my tears, my voice steadier now, a quiet determination in my words.

"I'm not asking for much, Maximo. Just a little respect, a little effort—"

"Maximo! There is a report about a rouge attack on the northern part of Rivertide! They are insisting to get Inside our packhouse!" Felix, Maximo's driver, and assistant, intervened in full panic.

He looks at me which made me wipe the tears harshly on my face before clearing my throat.

"Where is the Alpha at the moment?" Maximo asked.

Felix took seconds to answer and heaved a sigh. "He's still on his bed, weak."

"You have to sit on the throne as soon as possible or the rouges will continue to go ballistic."

"Jackson hasn't recovered yet?" Intervened with worry about Maximo's father.

Felix nodded.

We all look at Maximo when his phone rang. He looks at its screen and sighs. "I'll just take Jasmine's call." He looks at his assistant. "Felix, prepare the car. We're going back to the woods."

And just like that, Maximo turned his back st me to answer his girlfriend's call. Felix gave me a slight bow to excuse himself while I only look at Maximo's back a few steps away.

Great.

I really do believe that this bond has really no chance at all.