Out of Line

MAX

Patrick had called me urgently to the pack house.

I should’ve seen it coming.

Today was the day she was coming back. I should’ve known Patrick and Eva would arrange for us to meet. Maybe, deep down, I knew and wanted it.

I’d been longing to see her for too long.

Or perhaps I’d been purposely distracting myself all day. Having a bunch of injured pups to tend to helped.

Before their first shift, young werewolves are more vulnerable and don’t heal as quickly. Their wounds need care to prevent infection.

That doesn’t stop them from constantly fighting, claiming it’s just practice.

Stupidly, I didn’t see it coming. I thought after my last talk with Eva, she’d understand I wanted to be left alone.

She didn’t.

Her scent hit me the moment I stepped into the pack house. I almost turned back, but against my better judgment, I went in.

I walked in on her telling Eva about her boyfriend and how they’d slept together.

My wolf growled in my head, angry that someone else had claimed our mate. My blood boiled with jealousy.

Jealous that I was replaced so easily. Jealous that she’d given herself to someone else. Jealous that she seemed happy with him. Jealous and hurt.

Too hurt, and that’s my only excuse for what happened next.

After she told Eva she needed a gynecologist, she must’ve sensed me. She turned her head towards me.

For a moment, she looked embarrassed, then she lifted her chin, giving me a challenging look I’d never seen before.

“How many times?” I asked coldly.

“Several,” she replied, not pretending to not understand my question.

I could tell she wasn’t lying.

“And now you remembered you need a checkup?” I mocked.

“Max, she is young. She didn’t know she had to go right away.” Eva defended her, shooting me a warning look.

But I wasn’t in the mood to respect her luna authority.

“That’s the thing. She is too young and too careless,” I said, deadpan, then turned my attention back to Estella.

“Get up,” I ordered.

“No.” She chuckled angrily. “You don’t get to boss me around.”

“Like hell I don’t. Get up, Estella.”

“Is this your way of welcoming me back?”

“Yes. Now get the fuck up.”

“Max!” Eva exclaimed, shocked by my behavior.

“Don’t interfere, Eva,” I snapped at her. “You set this up. You share the blame. Estella…”

“No. I am not getting up, and I am not going anywhere with you,” she said stubbornly.

I closed the distance and, grabbing her arm, pulled her up from the couch. The force caused her to collide with my chest, but I didn’t let go.

I started walking out, dragging her behind me while Eva watched in shock.

Even when we were feet away from the hospital, she didn’t stop struggling. Despite her training (which I doubt she continued in Paris), she was no match for a werewolf’s strength.

I led her to the examining room and locked the door behind us. It was unprofessional, yes, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.

“I can sue you for locking the door to examine me, Max,” she said flatly. “And that you are about to do so without my permission.”

“I don’t fucking care. You asked for a doctor. You got one.”

“I asked for a gynecologist.”

“I am responsible for all the women here, and anatomically, there is no difference between you and them. Now go behind the screen and strip so I can examine you.”

I should’ve told her to grab one of the robes I kept for patients.

I didn’t.

She glanced at the locked door, pursed her lips, and did as she was told.

Meanwhile, I wanted to smash everything to pieces just picturing another man touching what was mine. What was supposed to be mine.

He’d touched the same parts of her body I had briefly caressed and even more. He had been inside her. That ~boy~.

Oh, Goddess, it’s all your fucking fault!

She stepped from behind the screen, looking straight into my eyes bravely. If not for the slight trembling and the blush spreading to her neck, one wouldn’t sense her embarrassment.

I kept my eyes on her face, trying not to give anything else away.

I motioned her to the examination bed, where she sat, back straight, crossing her ankles to not expose anything. She wouldn’t have to do that, not yet.

“Put your hands behind your head,” I instructed, and without looking at me, she obeyed.

I walked to her side and started examining her left breast, checking for abnormalities, yet knowing I wouldn’t find any. Estella was young and healthy.

“Pay attention to what I am doing,” I said sternly. “You can perform the same examination on yourself in between visits to your doctor.”

“Who is not going to be you,” she spat.

“I will give you the numbers of a couple of gynecologists I know, and you can decide.”

“How nice of you,” she sneered.

“Yes, it is,” I retorted dryly as I shifted to her other breast, trying hard not to pay attention to her hardened nipples or accidentally brush my fingers over them.

“I was being sarcastic, Max.”

“I am aware of that.”

I took a step back from her, and she lowered her hands.

“Lay back, put your legs on the stirrups, and bring your bottom to the edge of the bed,” I ordered.

“Or you can hand over those numbers now,” she gritted out.

“I’ll give them to you when I’m done. Now, do what you were told.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly become shy,” I teased.

“Even if I was shy, you, as a doctor, should be making me feel comfortable,” she spat back.

“You want me to put my legs in these damn stirrups? Fine. Here you go. Do what you need to do, and let me get out of here.”

I took a seat on the stool in front of her, wrestling with my inner wolf. Seeing your mate all bare and exposed in front of you is…a challenge.

I had to cling to the thought that someone else had been there before me to keep myself in check—using pain and anger to resist lust.

Not the smartest move, but I was past caring about common sense.

“Scoot your bottom forward,” I instructed.

“Too shy to say ass?” she taunted, her head turned to the side.

My hands moved on their own, gripping her hips and positioning her where she needed to be for the examination. She yelped and shot me an angry look, but I didn’t care.

I put on my gloves and began the vaginal examination. She was tense. Too tense.

“Relax,” I ordered sternly.

“Want to switch places?” she snorted.

“I don’t have a vagina.”

“No balls either,” she muttered, earning a glare from me.

“I’m trying not to hurt you, Estella.”

“You’re not doing a great job, Max.”

“I meant physically. Now, please relax so I can do this damn check.”

She was trying; I could see that. But she was failing. Her face was flushed, and she was squeezing her thighs together every time my fingers got too close for comfort.

Did I feel guilty for putting her in this position? Regrettably, no. But that didn’t mean I wanted to cause her physical pain. I was a doctor first and foremost.

Soon, I realized that her attempts to close her legs were due to a different kind of embarrassment.

She was getting wet.

I fought back a triumphant smile and leaned in for a better look.

I placed one hand on the inside of her thigh, stroking gently, careful not to get too close. She relaxed under my touch, and I think I even heard her sigh softly.

Once she was relaxed enough, I removed my hand and finished the examination, collecting samples for testing.

Everything seemed fine, of course, but as I said before, it never hurts to be sure.

As soon as I rolled away from the examination bed, she sprang up and hid behind the screen.

She dressed quickly, but with the door locked, she couldn’t leave.

“Your results will be ready in two days,” I told her, my back turned to her.

“Whatever,” she scoffed. “I want to leave now.”

I spun around and fixed her with an icy stare.

“It’s funny how you were embarrassed to undress for your doctor, but you had no problem spreading your legs for some random guy, multiple times, as you said.”

“You’re an asshole, Max!” she yelled.

“I forgot to ask. Did he use a condom, or should I run a pregnancy test too?”

“You know what? Yes, he used a condom because he knew he wanted to make love to me and he wanted to protect me. Because he respects me.

“He didn’t make out with me and then walk out like a fucking coward, leaving me feeling inadequate and insecure. I’m tired of waiting for you to grow a pair, Max.

“Deal with it, and don’t blame me. Now unlock the damn door because, I swear, I’m going to bring it down on your stupid head!”

Her words hit me like a cold shower. I felt numb as I rose from my seat and unlocked the door. She dashed out, not looking back. Then it hit me.

What the fuck had I done?

EVA

It was worse than I thought.

When Estella told me about her boyfriend, I struggled to hide my shock.

I guess in the human world, it’s normal for someone to move on after rejection, but knowing what I know, I think it won’t be that easy for Estella.

I should have considered that she was just nineteen, almost twenty, and Max really did break her heart when he rejected her, but I didn’t.

I was torn.

As a friend, I couldn’t help but be happy for her. That Laurent guy seemed pretty nice, and from the pictures, they made a cute couple.

Estella was beaming in every photo. I couldn’t really blame her for wanting to be happy.

Will Max ever make her smile like that? Or make her that happy? After his recent display of affection, I highly doubt it.

I can’t believe he dragged her out like that! I swear, this man is heading for disaster. Maybe he was going feral or something. This wasn’t like him. It couldn’t be.

ESTELLA

I can’t believe him! Seriously.

I was still seething when I stormed out of the pack’s hospital. Are all men this stupid, or is it just him?

Excuse me. He’s not mine because he said we couldn’t be together over a year ago. So, what right does he have to act like this?

It’s not like I betrayed him or anything. We weren’t even together, and he was the one who said he wanted me to live my life, right? Well, I’ve been doing just that. What the hell is his problem?

That examination…

I swear I wasn’t this nervous, even during my first time with Laurent. I was truly comfortable with him. Like you are when you know you’ll be treated with respect.

I thought I’d be all self-conscious and shy around Laurent, but I wasn’t. I guess it’s because he was so chill about everything. And the way he looks at me, like I’m the most beautiful girl in the world, that definitely helps. I know you’re probably wondering, so I’ll just say it—our first time was surprisingly good.

Sure, it hurt a little, and there was some blood, but it wasn’t a bad experience. The second time was even better. It was nothing like what happened with Max in that examination room.

I still can’t wrap my head around what happened in there.

I’ve never seen Max act like that, not towards me or anyone else. I remember him tearing a rogue apart to save my ass years ago, but that was a life-or-death situation.

This wasn’t.

He was cold, angry, and hurt, even though he had no right to be any of those things. He treated me like a child, even though I’m a grown-ass woman.

When he told me to undress for the exam, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

Maybe it was his serious tone that made me feel so self-conscious. I don’t know.

But I fumbled with my clothes for what felt like forever before I finally got them off.

The only thing that made me hurry was the fear that he might come behind the screen and do it himself.

Once I was naked, something shifted. I saw the robes on the shelf behind me, but I didn’t put one on.

He wanted to see me naked? Fine.

But it wasn’t fine, not really. And don’t even get me started on the exam itself.

It was... well... it was... God, I hate that his touch still affects me, even in such an uncomfortable situation.

He started with my breasts, asking me to lift my arms so he could check for lumps.

He was professional about it, touching me gently but firmly. I was blushing so hard I’m sure he noticed, but he didn’t say anything. He saved his words for later.

The worst part was when he told me to lie on the exam table for the vaginal check.

I won’t go into details, but let’s just say that when I imagined Max touching me intimately, this was not what I had in mind.

But, as embarrassing as it is to admit, I was turned on during the whole thing.

I’ve never been able to convince myself that I’m over him, but I thought that after sleeping with Laurent, my feelings for Max would fade over time.

But Max still has the power to make me shiver with pleasure and almost lose my mind when he touches me. Of course, he has a knack for ruining things, so this didn’t end well.

I’m not saying he forced himself on me. He was professional, and even though he was angry, he didn’t hurt me. But that doesn’t make it okay. It doesn’t make anything okay.

How dare he accuse me of sleeping with someone else when he’s been fucking random girls for years because, as he put it, he has needs?

I have needs too, and he rejected me and...

God, I get so angry every time I think about how unfair he was to me.

Anyway, after that, I walked all the way to my uncle’s house.

It took a while, but it gave me time to calm down enough to pretend that I’d had a great time with my friends. Which I did, until Max fucked it all up. Again.

We had dinner together, I gave them their gifts, and then they sent me to my room to rest.

“We have plenty of time before your trip.”

Oh, I didn’t tell you. I’m going to Greece again to visit Stelios and Ellie.

I’ll tell you more about them later. Right now, I need to talk about Max.

I took a shower and collapsed on my bed.

Around midnight, I heard a low howl. I sleepily tried to figure out where it was coming from and realized it was coming from under my window.

“No way,” I muttered to myself as I got up and went to the balcony.

I couldn’t believe it when I saw Max’s wolf looking up at me with puppy dog eyes. I shook my head, annoyed, and stomped down to the garden.

I stood there, glaring at him. He didn’t come any closer, but he whimpered a little.

Seeing a huge wolf that could easily rip you apart acting all shy and whimpering would be cute and funny if I wasn’t so pissed at him.

“You’re bringing your wolf into this? Really?” I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

He lowered his head and started to walk towards a tree. I knew what he was about to do and yelled, “Don’t you dare shift.”

He stopped and turned back around.

“I don’t want to see you naked,” I said.

That wasn’t entirely true. As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized that a small part of me (the traitorous part) wouldn’t mind at all.

“You know it’s cowardly to use your wolf to try to get my forgiveness, right?”

He nodded slightly, not looking up at me. I sighed and stepped closer to him, running my hand through his soft fur. He leaned into my touch.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” I murmured. “I’m not doing this for you.”

He came closer and started nuzzling my stomach with his snout, making me giggle. I didn’t want to, I swear, but I’m ticklish.

He kept doing it until I told him to stop. I hugged him around his neck.

“I don’t know how much more I can forgive, Max,” I whispered into his ear. “Don’t push me too far, please.”

He tugged at my shirt (which was technically his, since I never stopped wearing it) and led me to a tree. I sat down on the soft grass, and he laid his head in my lap.

I buried my fingers in his fur again, finding a strange comfort in the action.

“You were the one who let me go,” I said, my voice steady. “I wanted to be with you, but you said we couldn’t. You couldn’t.

“I don’t get why you acted like a jealous boyfriend after you sent me away. What did you expect? I’m not fifteen or even eighteen anymore.”

I took a moment to gather my thoughts before I went on.

“Laurent,” I began, and I felt him flinch and growl softly. “Laurent is good to me. He looks after me. If you truly love me, you should at least be glad that I found someone decent.

“You didn’t want to be with me because I was too young. Laurent is much closer to my age, and he makes me laugh. I won’t feel guilty for being with him.

“If you wanted to be in his place, you shouldn’t have pushed me away.”

I paused again, suddenly feeling worn out.

“If you’re not ready for us, then let me go,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Please.”

Then I closed off.

MAX

Every word she said cut me to the core.

Even if I was in my human form, I wouldn’t be able to argue with anything she said because she was right. This was all my fault, and today, I crossed a line I shouldn’t have.

I’m more of a hypocrite than I ever thought I was.

Throughout her speech, she never stopped stroking my beastly head, and it was the only thing that gave me some comfort, even though my wolf didn’t understand.

Every time she said her boyfriend’s name, he would flinch and growl and fight me for control.

But, since I didn’t want to create more chaos, I kept him restrained. I only needed his body, not his mind.

When Estella stopped talking, the night fell silent, except for our heartbeats and the soft rustling of leaves. After a while, I felt her hand slide away from me and her body tilt slightly.

She was asleep.

Carefully, I lifted my head from her lap and stood up.

I shifted.

I was completely naked but didn’t think anyone would see me at this late hour, and honestly, I didn’t really care.

I gently picked her up in my arms, and she snuggled into my chest, making me smile briefly before I started walking toward her uncle’s house.

Luckily, she had left the front door slightly open, so I could slip in easily, closing it behind me.

I carried her to her room and tried to lay her on the bed, but she clung to me, groaning softly. When I managed to untangle her arms from my neck, I realized that I was the one who didn’t want to let go.

I sat there, stroking her hair while she slept.

~“I don’t know how many more things I can forgive, Max. Don’t push me too far, please.”~

Out of everything she said, this was the one that stayed with me.

I leaned down and gently kissed her lips, trying not to wake her.

“Max?” she mumbled, but her eyes remained closed.

“I’m sorry, darling. I’m so fucking sorry,” I whispered back, and then I climbed out of her window.