Authors Note: Hi guys! Hope you didn't freak out too much at the last chapter. Don't worry, I would never kill off my baby. Enjoy another chapter! Thank you for all the votes and comments!
-Saturn
"It looks like it was an anxiety attack," Dr. Button told him. "That, along with the pain medication wearing off, must have put his body through too much work."
Max didn't know who to be angry with. So many people were trying to learn about him all at once that it must have been too much for him. It wasn't good that he kept answering questions when he wasn't feeling good either. Max knew there was something in his mate's past that had caused him to be this way, but he had no idea that it would bring him to such pain. Even if it was a child asking the questions, he shouldn't have answered them.
But Max was also at fault. He could have stopped the questions right when they started happening. He could have told Leah to get the kids out of the room so that they wouldn't press him for more information. He knew what set this whole thing off: it was when Charlie started talking about his past. As soon as he did, Max could hear his heart rate go up. What threw him off was that he kept on talking with such a normal, happy face.
He avoided Max's face when he talked about it. Now Max knew why. Charlie didn't want him to see just how stressed he had been.
He should have made him go back to the infirmary right when he saw him in the kitchen. Max had been selfish in thinking that Charlie could do all of that. Max could have stopped the luncheon at any time. But he loved how happy Charlie seemed, and how much he lit up every time he talked. He loved watching his face as he talked to Ana. Even when Ana was talking about werewolves, Charlie brushed it off with such grace that it shocked him.
And he couldn't help but be curious about Charlie's past too. As soon as he said that he didn't have parents when he was thirteen, Max had gotten this bad feeling of understanding. That was why he had been so closed off to everyone. That's why he was so cautious to tell everyone about his past.
"This is all my fault," Max muttered to himself. He collapsed onto a chair that was by the bed and hid his face in his hands.
"Max," Dr. Button put a hand on his shoulder. "No one could have expected that this was going to happen. No one knew enough about him to know that he was going to have an anxiety attack. I don't even know what you guys were talking about to work him up this much."
"His past," Max told him. "He got emancipated at thirteen. His parents were druggies. That's all he told us." He ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know why that was what made him so anxious, but I could barely even get him to hear me when we were walking back here."
"Hmm," Button furrowed his brows. "It could be a form of childhood trauma then. I was wondering if he had a victim mindset from what he had said about his attacker. It could be that he got it due to his parents."
"Great," Max said. "So, I get to learn this about him all because he almost had a heart attack right in front of me."
"You said he started to calm down when you were hugging him?"
"Yeah," Max answered. "But only a little bit."
"Well, on the bright side, that's a good sign that your bond with him is growing," Button said. "That might have helped him more than you think."
"That doesn't change the fact that this is still all my fault," Max said, the guilt was killing him. "I shouldn't have let everyone meet him all at once."
"It's not your fault, Max," Button said. "We all played a part in this happening, even Charlie."
"I know," he admitted. "I just wish this didn't happen."
"The good news is that he didn't get too hurt, and we caught it on time," Button patted his shoulder. "Now we just need to take preventative measures to make sure it doesn't happen again."
"Is he going to be alright?" he asked the doctor. He needed to hear him say it.
"He should be fine, Max," Dr. Button assured him. "He just needs some sleep. And make sure he doesn't come in contact with too many people at once."
"Already working on it," he had already told everyone through mind link that they couldn't do something like that with Charlie again. That, and that they weren't allowed to ask about his past. They all seemed curious as to what happened, but the only people Max told was his parents. They were planning on stopping by as soon as they could. They had yet another meeting to go to. And Dr. Button had told them that it was not serious enough for them to miss a meeting, as Charlie was already stabilized.
"I will say," Button cut through the silence. "He does recover rather quickly from things. I'm shocked that his vitals went back to normal as soon as they did."
"It's a miracle they did," Max replied. There were so many things that he wished he knew about his mate. He wanted to be the one that he went to, and could tell anything to. He wanted to forever live in that moment where he held him in his arms. Charlie seemed so vulnerable at that moment. He seemed like he was going to melt into him. Max almost wanted to stay there and just lay on the floor with him in his arms. But he knew he had to get him to see Button. Something wasn't right.
When he clutched his heart, that was the moment that he had felt like his world was about to end. He didn't realize just how much he had fallen for the man until he saw him like that.
"So, he was emancipated at thirteen?" Button pondered to himself. "I think I read an article about that years ago."
"He didn't want to talk about it," Max told him. "I could tell he didn't. His heart rate was going up just by mentioning it, and it looked like he was fighting to not think about something. I don't know what he was thinking about. But he kept answering Ana's questions. I should have â"
"Max," the doctor stopped him right there. "You didn't know. It's not a good idea to dwell on the 'should have's' right now."
"I don't think I'm cut out for this mate stuff," Max admitted.
"Oh, yes, you are," Button laughed a bit. "You were just fated with one interesting mate. The Moon Goddess likes doing that every once in a while. Especially to Alpha's. It's her way of testing the pack as well as the leader."
"This is an awful test."
"Yeah, a lot of times they are," he agreed. "But you don't get stronger if you don't have at least some challenges in life."
"This isn't even one challenge," he buried his face in his hands again. "This is at least three in one: there's getting him to want me; somehow getting him to understand what we all are and be okay with it; and then trying to convince the pack to accept him as their next Luna! It's not even one at a time! I have to somehow get all of this done all at once!"
"That does sound like a difficult challenge for you," Dr. Button agreed. "But I've known you from when you were an infant on up, Max. You can do anything you set your mind to. And you have quite a stubborn streak as well." He went to check on Charlie's vitals. "I also think it's going to be a little easier to get everyone on your side."
"What do you mean?"
"Charlie seems to have an aura about him that makes people care," he explained. "The rest of the pack will love him as soon as they meet him."
"It's not as simple as that," Max said. He knew that his mate had an aura about him, and his scent always seemed to help calm people down, but there was more to it than just getting them to like him. They had to be confident that he would make a great Luna. And that was going to be the tricky part of this all.
"It's going to be an interesting ride," Button said. "But, don't worry about that now, Max. Just try to get some rest for tonight."
Max nodded. He looked over to Charlie again. The man looked peaceful as he slept. Max wished he could climb in next to him and just lie with him. He had a feeling that it was the only way he was going to get a decent night's rest. As he thought about that, his mind recalled everything that happened that day. It was such a busy day full of busy people. He was sure that Tyler and all of them were wondering what he was doing. It wasn't like him to be staying away from everyone like this. But he didn't want to leave Charlie alone, especially not now.
"I wish the bond was stronger," he almost whispered to himself. "I almost calmed him down, but it got worse as I brought him here."
"There's nothing you can do about that right now either," Button said. "The mate bond only happens when both parties want each other and fully accept each other. Considering the information that you've told me, there's already much progress on it. He'll accept it soon enough."
But he wanted to be bonded right then. He wanted to know the secrets that lay underneath those mysterious grassy eyes. He wanted to make Charlie his. He already had to wait three tortuous years of watching everyone else find love but him. Why did he have to wait longer?
And what had happened to Charlie that made him like this? He was sure not even his closest friends knew. But he had to find out. He had to know something about the man.
"You said you saw something about the emancipation in a newspaper?" Max asked the doctor. He had been keeping himself busy in the room through cleaning and rearranging his instruments.
"I'm sure you could look it up if you're really curious," the doctor said. "The computers right over there," he motioned over to the corner of the room. On the counter there was a small little computer with nothing but a stool by it.
Max went over and quickly typed it up. He didn't really want to pry into his past, but he needed to know what had happened. Maybe there was something he could use that would actually help him. Sure enough, it was the top article in the query.
The article showed a much younger Charlie smiling nicely at the camera. He wore a three-piece suit. It looked adorable on him. He looked professional, and it fit nice on him. But his boyish charm was what killed it for him. How anyone had taken him seriously was beyond Max's imagination.
He read over it quickly. The parents were actually in prison for child negligence as well as the abuse of methamphetamine. Charlie had gone to the library and read up on the law books of the town. It was in Sun City, a place not far from here, but still outside their territory. If Max remembered correctly, it should have been in their neighbor pack's area. Which explained why he had never heard of it before.
"So, what do you plan to do now, Mr. Fairchild?" a video showed an interview that they had with the kid right after he came out of the court. He was smiling and waving at everyone. It seemed that he didn't really change that much from then and now.
"I'm going to be a lawyer," Charlie told the journalist. He had such confidence in his voice, it was admirable. "So that I can help more kids like me."
The scene then cut to the reporter saying that Charlie had been accepted into a charter school in Gila City, the town that Max had found him in. When Max tried to look up any other information about Charlie after that, there wasn't too much. He didn't have any social media, and there were no articles that followed up on him.
So, he wanted to be a lawyer? How did that get changed to having a pet rescue? Why was he working to the bone at a small restaurant?
"Try looking into his parents," he turned around to see his dad had finally come to visit. His voice was low so as to not disturb Charlie who was still sleeping. That's when he noticed that he had three people hunched over his shoulder, looking at the tiny computer screen. Both of his parents along with Dr. Button, were hooked to the screen.
He obliged and looked up the parents. He found their names in the first article that he found about it. Ted and Karlee Fairchild were bankers. They seemed well off until they started taking meth. He saw a picture of their marriage, which they had shared to their social media a long time ago. They looked so different from the mug shots that the police had posted of them. From being well kept and proper to sunken in faces and sores all over them. Karlee had the same curly blonde hair that Charlie had. They were both blond, but it was Charlie's mom that had his green eyes.
"That's not something that any child should ever go through," his mom said. She shook her head in disgust. "They gave up everything for a drug. And their own child was left on the line because of it."
"That at least shines some light on the situation," Dr. Button said. "I don't specialize in psychology, but he does seem to show signs of abuse, and not just from his coworker."
"That's just horrible," his mom said.
Max didn't really know what to say. He could only imagine what Charlie had gone through, but this information only left him with more questions. They had enough information about when he was thirteen and before, but what happened behind the scenes of social media and the news? And what had happened when he left Sun City?
He wasn't going to push it. Charlie's health was also on the line now. And Max could wait a year more to learn about this if it meant that his mate could heal and get better. For now, he was going to protect him.
"That's all they have of them," Max said. He shut off the computer. His father looked just as curious as he did. Both of them loved diving into mysteries, especially one as unique as this one.
"We'll see what he wants to tell us in the time that he's here," his dad said. He looked over to Charlie with a fatherly concern. "As much as he talks, he never says a word about himself or his past."
"I wonder if this has happened before," his mom mumbled to herself. It was enough for his dad to hear though. He looked to Dr. Button.
"Request his medical records," he told the doctor. "We need to know if he has any other medical issues in his history."
"Already requested," Button said. "The hospital is taking a bit of time, but it should be sent to me by morning."
"I suppose we'll wait until then," his dad nodded to his wife. "We should get some rest. There's no point in all of us staying here while he's asleep."
"I'm going to stay here a little longer," Max said. His father didn't question him thankfully. Instead, the man just nodded and they all said their goodnights.
"Oh, before I forget," he stopped before he walked out the door. "There's a meeting tomorrow. I want you and your counsel to be there."
"You got it," Max said. He was slightly worried, but there had been too many things that had happened. So, he just pushed the thought aside and decided that he would think about that when he got to it.
That was a whole other mess he didn't want to get into.
Max wound up staying the night in that chair by his bed. Charlie might not have been able to fully feel the bond they shared as mates, but he knew that he felt at least a little more relaxed around him. And that was enough for Max to stay. Even a little thing like that might be able to help him.
He wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep. All he knew was when he woke up, the bed was empty. He jumped out of his seat, his mind in a panic. He would have searched the entire house if he had not caught onto his scent immediately. It trailed to the bathroom. When he realized that, he collapsed back into the chair, relieved that nothing had gone wrong again. He was starting to get insanely paranoid about this human.
Charlie came out a minute or two later. When he saw Max awake and looking at him, his eyes finally changed from their usual happy sparkle that he used to hide his emotions. They showed so much that Max couldn't even pick up on all of them. Most of it was sadness and guilt. Those poor green eyes looked like they were about to cry right then and there. Max didn't want that.
"Don't apologize," he spoke before the blond could open up his mouth. He motioned back to the bed to try and get him off his feet. He listened to him for once and laid down on the bed.
"It's a bad habit," he gave him a small smile.
"Charlie, you didn't do anything wrong. Don't blame yourself for everything that goes wrong in your life. There are just some things in life that you can't control."
"Sorry," he said. Max was going to rant at him about not saying that when he heard him chuckle. "I had to. Your face was priceless."
"I'm glad you're feeling well enough to tease me," Max sighed.
"You look tired," Charlie said. "I hope I didn't wake you up."
"You don't need to worry about me," he told him. "How are you feeling?"
"A lot better," the blond said. "I guess I needed more sleep or something."
"Dr. Button said that your medication was starting to wear off too," Max told him. "I'm glad that you're feeling better. You had all of us worried."
Charlie's face turned into a guilty one. It broke his heart seeing him like this. Without thinking, Max grabbed the skinny man and put him on his lap. He hugged him and buried his nose into the crook of his neck.
Maybe it was the fact that they were both exhausted and not thinking straight. If they were, Max probably wouldn't have grabbed him in the first place. But he needed to feel him in his arms again. He needed to have him melt into his arms like the first time he held him like that. Like earlier that night.
And that's just what happened. Charlie sighed and just relaxed into him. His arms even went around his neck. It was the first time Max had seen Charlie with his guard down like this. In the dim light that came from the bathroom, they held each other. Max was loving the effect he had on his mate. The fact that the blond could finally show at least a little vulnerability made him incredibly happy.
"Mine," he didn't know why he said it. He shouldn't have said it. But his wilder side had already been on edge since everything that happened. He didn't want to be possessive, but the man didn't help when he acted like this. Max couldn't complain, though. He was more than enjoying himself.
Charlie just chuckled and tightened his grip around his neck. They were both too tired to talk more after that, so they both enjoyed the silence and each other's company.
He never realized just how much he loved him; how much he needed him, until that moment. Max truly loved him more than he had loved anyone or anything. He would do anything for this beautiful person that he was blessed to call his mate.
Charlie was his.