64Felicity POVAs we rode on horseback, the wind whipping through my hair, I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. Molly had warned us that the journey would last hours, and the weight of my baby in my arms felt heavier with each passing hour. But I knew I had to save him, no matter what it took."I don't know if we're going to make it in time," I said to Adrian ."We have to try," he replied determinedly. "Molly said this flower is our only hope."As we got closer to our destination, I could see the worry etched on Kyle's face. "Just stay positive," I said reassuringly. "We're going to find it."Finally, we arrived at the spot where Molly said we could find the flower. It was a small clearing in the woods, surrounded by tall trees and wildflowers."Do you see anything?" I asked as we got off the horses.Adrian scanned the area, his eyes searching for any sign of the plant. "I think I see something over there," he said, pointing to a patch of bushes in the distance.We hurrie
65Maximus POV.As I sat down to pen my letter to Titus, my mind became ensnared with thoughts of Felicity. I couldn't shake her out of my mind, and it almost made me sick. I couldn't help but reminisce about our meeting, how her eyes gleamed with innocence."An innocence you destroyed." Tells me my mind. I hated myself for it.I remember the way her soft, silky hair smelled of roses, and the way her smile lit up her face. It was as if for a moment, nothing else in the world existed other than her and me. My thoughts then drifted to the fight with Zarek. I could feel my heart rate speed up at the memory of our struggle. The adrenaline had been pumping through my veins, and my body had felt alive like never before. I could almost feel the sting of Zarek's punches, the huff of his breath as he tried to overpower me.But, despite the thrill of victory at triumphing over Zarek, my thoughts continued to return to Felicity. I couldn't help but wonder how she was doing, if she thought of m
66Felicity POVI woke up in a cold, damp cell. The walls were covered in moss and the air smelled of mildew and decay. I sat up, wincing at the pain in my chest.Suddenly, the door creaked open and a figure walked in. As the figure came into view, I realized it was a very short old man. He barely reached my shoulder, and I almost laughed when I saw him. He had a wrinkled face and a balding head covered in sparse white hair. Despite his size, he strutted into the cell with a confidence I found unsettling. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice hoarse from disuse.The old man didn't reply. Instead, he approached me and began to examine my wound. His small hands were surprisingly nimble as he prodded my chest, and I winced in pain."You're lucky to be alive," he muttered."Who are you?" I asked, trying to keep the fear out of my voice."I am the owner of these lands. Where you intrusted, I'm Alpha Melezo ."I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Alpha? Was he the leader of this pack?"You m
67Maximus POV.It was a baby, a little boy with black hair and piercing blue eyes. He looked just like... Me ?!"What is this?" I asked, pointing towards the baby.Melezo grinned slyly. "Oh, that? That's your son Maximus."I was shocked, my mind racing as I tried to process what Melezo was saying. Felicity was pregnant? With MY child? How was that possible?Melezo continued, his voice laced with malice. "Congratulations, Maximus. You're a father."I was overwhelmed with emotion, grief and anger and fear all warring within me. I looked at Felicity, then back at the baby, then at Melezo."What do you want?" I growled, feeling a sense of desperation.Melezo smiled again, almost taunting me. "Simple. I want your throne. And I want Felicity by my side."I gritted my teeth, my fists clenching in rage. "Over my dead body," I spat.Melezo merely shrugged, as if my words were meaningless to him. "So be it. We'll settle this once and for all. You and me, Maximus. One on one. Winner takes all."
68Felicity POV.My heart pounded as I watched his face contort with rage and despair. "No, please," I begged. "Don't make him choose. Don't do this to us!"But Melezo was unfazed, his eyes cold and unfeeling. "It's either one or the other, Maximus. Time's running out."Tears streamed down my face as I realized the gravity of the situation. This was it. Our entire lives hung in the balance, and it was Maximus's decision to make."Maximus, please," I whimpered. "I can't lose you or our child."He turned to me, his eyes softening momentarily before hardening once again. "I won't let anything happen to you two," he growled. "I'll choose the throne and find a way to get you both out of here."Melezo stood there with a wicked grin on his face as Maximus seethed with anger. "You dare harm a child and a mother?" Maximus growled.Melezo shrugged. "I'll do whatever it takes to get what I want. And I want Felicity and the throne," he said, eyeing me hungrily.Maximus glared at him. "You're insa
69Maximus POV.I felt my baby's cries echo in my ears, like I was in a nightmare. But I was determined to get us out of this. I could feel the guards trying to grab me, but I refused to give up. But at the last minute, the guard brought our baby up, and my heart started beating again. Melezo just laughed cruelly, as if this was some kind of game to him."See? That's what happens when you cross me," he sneered.I wanted to help my baby, but I was unable to. I stared in horror, my heart pounding in my chest. I was facing an impossible decision; the guard was threatening to take away my family if I didn't comply with Melezo's demands. My hands twitched with the urge to break free from the guard's hold, but I was helpless. I couldn't risk the safety of my family."Fine," i growled. "I choose my family."Melezo smiled victoriously, and the guard released his grip on felicity and the baby. I growled at him. "You'll never get what you want, Melezo. Felicity and our child are not possess
Felicity POV.I sat on the log, my head in my hands, tears streaming down my face.My baby was on the floor next to me . I had lost Maximus forever. He was dead . But then I heard his voice, trembling with emotion, calling my name." Felicity!"I looked up, my eyes widening in shock. There he was, standing before me. Alive."Maximus," I breathed, my hands trembling as I looked up to see him standing before me.He nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm alive," he said, taking a step towards me.I stood up slowly, my eyes fixed on his. "I thought you were dead," I said, my voice choking with emotion.He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. "I'm here," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "And I'm not going anywhere."I felt my own tears spilling down my cheeks as I clung to him. It seemed like a dream, like something out of a fairytale. But here he was, alive and real in my arms."I'm so glad you're okay," I said, my voice thick with emotion.He held me closer, pressing hi
71Felicity POV."Yes, Maximus," I said, smiling at him. "He saved my life.""Did he-" Kyle started to say.But I cut him off, "Maximus saved me, he didn't hurt me."Their relief was palpable and they both let out a sigh. But I knew they still had their reservations about him, especially after everything that had happened.The others were placed there, uncomfortable not understanding anything ."Feli! What happened?" , Kyle asked, her voice sounding full of concern.Maximus cleared his throat, and spoke in a deep, authoritative voice. "I'm sorry for how I treated Felicity. I was wrong. I want to make it up to her and start over. I hope you can all forgive me."Ava and Kyle stared in disbelief. "But...you abused her and treat her poorly," Kyle said.I stepped forward, placing a hand on Maximus's arm. "He's changed, and I believe him," I said firmly.Ava looked torn, chewing on her bottom lip. "I don't know what to think."Maximus remained calm, his jaw set. "I understand that it will t
Epilogue:Eight years later, The room erupted in applause as Maximus announced the newly voted members of League of Justice. I couldn't help but feel proud of him as he confidently named each member.After the ceremony, Ava and Kim approached me, their cheeks were flushed with excitement and their smiles wide."Ava, tell me, how did Maximus do?" I asked, eager to hear their thoughts."He did an amazing job!" Ava answered, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "I'm so proud of him.""I agree," added Kim. "He really isn't a dictator like some people thought he would be. He's smart, he chose to only have 50% of the power as king and left the other 50% to the League of Justice."Maximus really had outdone himself, building a new center for LOJ and bringing all the territories of the other alphas and his own together in one, calling it Bloodwood MaFe. As Ava left to attend to her fiancé Kyle, whom she had been through a lot with but still remained by his side, two years engaged and five ye
109Maximus POV.I stood there, adrenaline pumping through my veins as I stared at Melezo and Felicity lying on the bed. Melezo, the man who had almost killed me, and Felicity, the woman he had taken from me by force.Indeed I was not dead, have you ever seen the main actor die in his own film? No isn't it? So why was I dead? Marcus had the idea that I lie about my death, that I fake it , after the explosion, I had been seriously injured and Marcus had treated me alone , all this , so that i'll be able to kill Melezo, the real one and not a copy as usual. We had stubbornly left the coffin empty, Marcus had taken care of everything, no one had to know for the plan to work well, not even Felicity .I approached closer to the bed and I watched as Felicity's eyes widened in shock at the sight of me, clearly thinking I was dead. I gestured for her to be quiet, not wanting to alert Melezo to my presence just yet.As I moved closer, I could see the fear in Melezo's eyes when he finally rea
108Felicity POV.One week later,We were staying at the Melezo's apartment. He had me called by his guards." What do you want?" I asked my voice frozen like an iceberg. " It's all thanks to you that I spared your friends."I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?""Don't play ignorant with me," he said.I pretended not to know what he was talking about. "What are you saying?""Don't play ignorant with me," he said, his voice low. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Remember when I asked you to be my wife?"I shrugged, pretending not to understand. "I'm sorry, I don't recall. Could you remind me?"He let out a frustrated sigh. "Stop playing games with me. You said no. And despite the death of Maximus," he paused, glancing away for a moment before meeting my eyes once again. "Give me your answer now!."I felt a lump form in my throat and my heart raced in my chest. "Maximus is dead because of you," I said, my voice shaking. "And no matter what you say, my answer is still no."He
107Felicity POV."I can't see anything clearly, everything is blurry," I said in a muffled voice."Can you hear me?" a distant voice asked.I strained to listen, but it was too faint.Suddenly, my mother appeared in front of me. "Mom!" I cried out with relief.She turned around, and as I laid eyes on her, I was overwhelmed by her beauty. She was dressed in a light flowery dress, barefoot, and her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders. "M-mom?" I called out, my voice shaky."You're doing great, just hang in there," a distant voice said.I started running towards my mother.But as I got closer, she said, "Stop walking, don't follow me."My mom whispered.But I couldn't help myself. I wanted to touch her, to feel her presence.Tears streamed down my face as I desperately pleaded, "But I want to touch you, I've missed you so much!"As I ran towards her again, the distant voices became louder and more urgent and my mother faded away."Can you hear us?" They called out.I blinked, and su
106Felicity POV.One week later,As I sat in front of the mirror, Ava carefully applied my make-up, and we chatted about her relationship with my brother Kyle. "I just don't know what to do," she said, her voice heavy with emotion. "I love him so much, but I don't know where I stand with him."I reached out to take her hand. "Ava, Kyle loves you. I'm sure of it. And I'm going to talk to him tonight and make sure he knows he needs to step up."Ava wiped her tears and gave me a small smile. "Thank you, Feli. I don't know how you always manage to make things better."I winked at her. "It's what friends are for."As Ava finished up my make-up, I surveyed myself in the mirror. It was a stunning transformation - she had somehow managed to make me look even more beautiful. My hair was carefully styled, and my dress was magnificent.It was a flowing, white gown, with intricate lace detailing and a stunning train. It made me feel like a queen. As Ava helped me into the dress, I couldn't help
105Maximus POV.As we walked back to our camp in silence, all dismayed by this death, felicity was the most affected, and I had to be there for her. Despite our past differences and our rivalry, Adrian was my comrade.When we arrived at the camp, the others rushed towards us. "What happened?" one of them asked, looking at Adrian's lifeless body."He's gone," Kyle said, his voice heavy. "We need to bury him."There was a moment of stunned silence before everyone sprang into action, gathering supplies and digging a grave. As we lowered Adrian into the ground, I felt a sense of closure, but also a deep sorrow for the loss of someone so young and full of promise. "Rest in peace, Adrian," I whispered, as we said our final goodbyes. I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt wash over me. Adrian had been my enemy, but he had also been a fighter, a warrior just like me. And in that moment, I realized that perhaps if things had been different, he could have been a true ally, a friend maybe.
104Felicity POV.I sat there, feeling helpless and hopeless. I feared that Adrian would never let me go, that I was doomed to be trapped in this forsaken place forever. My heart ached for Maximus, and I could only pray that he was searching for me.Time seemed to drag on endlessly until suddenly, the door burst open with a loud crash. In the doorway stood Maximus wolf, my hero, my love, he quickly detransformed and resumed his human form. My heart leaped with joy at the sight of him, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me.Maximus quickly freed me from the ropes that bound me and removed the gag from my mouth. I threw my arms around him, feeling the weight of everything that had happened to me lift from my shoulders.As we held each other tightly, our lips met in a kiss that was filled with emotion. Desperation, relief, and love all mingled together, and I felt that nothing could come between us.Breaking the kiss, we remained entwined, not wanting to let go of each other. "I love
103Maximus POV.As I opened my eyes little by little, I felt a throbbing headache and realized it was already nighttime. Ava was standing over me, holding my baby and Felicity's in her arms. "What happened?" I asked groggily, feeling confused and disoriented.It all came flooding back to me - Adrian had given me the tainted meat, causing me to feel weak and drowsy.I shot up, suddenly remembering what had happened. "Where's Felicity?" I demanded."That's actually why I woke you up," Ava said hesitantly. "Adrian took her to talk and she hasn't come back yet."I jumped up, feeling the pain in my head intensify."If that bastard had even laid a finger on Felicity, I was going to make him pay." I shouted.My sudden outburst woke everyone up from their sleep. Kyle shot me a murderous look, "I can't believe you woke me up," Kyle glared at me."I had to," I replied, "Something happened with Felicity.""What happened?" Kyle's tone softened as he turned to Ava.As Ava explained the situation
102Felicity POV.Once we were a safe distance away, Adrian started speaking in a hushed tone. "So, I wanted to talk to you about Maximus."I furrowed my brow, not sure where he was going with this. "Okay, what about him?"Adrian's voice dropped even lower, "He's not a good man for you."I stopped walking and turned to face him, "What do you mean?""He's dangerous, he's made enemies, and he's not the right fit for you," Adrian explained.I furrowed my brow, "I appreciate your concern, but I'm capable of making my own choices."Adrian hesitated for a moment before saying, "I understand. I just worry about you.""Thank you, but I've got this," I reassured him.As we continued our walk, Adrian spoke up again, " Feli, I still love , I tried to forget you but I can't!" I stopped walking and turned to face him. "Look, we've already talked about this. I don't share the same feelings for you. I just love him you a big brother, like I love my brother Kyle. You need to understand this once and