Beta's Runaway Bride: 10 - Dual POV

Maxim

Three weeks in and we've finally decided to infiltrate the insurgent Rogue pack. Ghost and Descry

are out circling the perimeter, while I'm checking my weapons knowing that shifting won't help in

this case even if my wolf is powerful.

To take these fuckers down, I need to think like a hunter. This pack has decimated two new ones

integrating with ours, so it's my duty to remove them. They're Mikhail loyalists and our direct

enemy, so we have to be on our toes.

Throughout this, I have to force myself not to think about my last night with Xiomara. She fit me

perfectly, both her pussy and her mouth. I didn’t want to stop; I wanted to get lost in her, wanted to

fucking give myself to her and tell her we can stop the bullshit.

But then a look of shame filled her as she swallowed me down and she bolted before I could tell her

I wanted this and so much more. I knew she wouldn't listen to me, not when she felt ashamed of

what I made her feel

And now all I can see is that look in her eyes and the scent of lavender haunts me.

What if she’s gone by the time I get home and we never sort this out between us? What if her father

has collected her and another bride stood waiting for me? I know she wants her freedom and I hate

to keep it from her, but I want her more than she wants that freedom.

No other woman would do; not a fucking chance.

/“Only one guard out front during this supposed big meeting, they're getting brave,”/ Ghost calls

over the mind link with a laugh. /"We can proceed, Beta Maxim,"/

Only one guard? That cannot be a good sign, especially with these big Rogue names attending.

/“Anything from your side, Descry?”/ I ask when I realize he's been a bit too quiet.

/“Nothing here. I can't listen in on the meeting, though; either witchcraft or silver, but neither makes

sense.”/ He answers and a sliver of unease coils in my stomach. Descry has never been uncertain

about things... /“Silver would harm the fuckers too, so it can't be that.”/

“Maxim, hey, Maxim!” I call, slightly shaking him and tapping his cheek. “What happened? Why

didn't you go to the pack doctors?!”

He tries to open his eyes but they close again. “Can“t..cant let Niko see... see me like..." he trails off,

breathing in between his words with a high-pitched wheezing. Even if that sentence isn’t completed,

I get what he's trying to tell me.

I've cleaned the wounds of warriors back home plenty of times, so Ill be able to tend to him once I

know what's wrong. He doesn’t want Alpha Nikolaos to see him like this, so I'll fix him up as best I

can.

“Okay, but I need to tend to your wounds then,” I say and tentatively attempt to pull him to his feet.

“You'll need to help me out here, Maxim. Let's get you to your bedroom so I can help.”

Maxim groans as he sits forward, the wheezing in his lungs getting worse, but he manages to stand

up. “Lean against me,” I say and put his arms around my shoulders before we take slow steps up to

his bedroom.

“Xio...mara...” he murmurs, the way he's saying my name feels like splinters in my heart. “I... I came

back... I need to... need to say-"

“Shh, save your strength, we can talk later,” I say as I continue with him up the stairs. As much as I

want to talk with him, I can't right now.

I have never struggled to carry something in my life, and Maxim is literally deadweight against me

as I stumble up these stairs. He may not be bulky like the Alpha, but he definitely has the weight

and muscle of a powerful Beta

When we eventually get to his bedroom, I lay him down on the bed and rummage through his

bathroom in search of the first aid kit. My hands won't stop their incessant shaking when I find the

kit, so I take a deep breath and try to keep myself calm.

I can't afford to make a mistake when Maxim's life is on the line. He tended to me when those men

tried to sexually assault me, I needed to look after him as well.

Grabbing the kit and running out, I get to work by cutting away his clothing to get a better view of

the damage and my heart cracks when I remove his shirt. Pieces of flesh look like it's been torn away

by sharp teeth, I see silver shrapnel sticking out of his skin and notice how purple they've turned

from the poison in his blood.

I glance up at his face and see the same shrapnel there, alluding to a silver shrapnel bomb

exploding close to him. What mission was he on to get hurt this badly?! It looks like he's been to

war and back!

Swallowing down tears and the heavy emotion clogging my throat, I remove every item of his

clothing, pick up the tweezers and get to work with removing the pieces of silver stuck in his body.

The fact that this man I've had sexy dreams about is naked in front of me does nothing for me right

now. I wonder if the other Gammas look this bad or is it only Maxim? They can't look worse than

him, surely!

Hours. It took me hours to remove the silver shrapnel and bullets, wash and tend to the open

wounds, and stitch up the gashes all over his back and chest. He doesn't make a noise the entire

time, so I know his wolf must have him under heavy sleep so his body can heal.

I haven't seen him in three weeks, only for him to come back like this. If I doubted my decision to

leave, the way I am feeling now explains everything. I don’t want to leave Maxim... I don’t want to

leave this place, but I know it's too late.

Gianna and I have gotten closer, too. Gods, we've all gotten closer over the past few weeks. I've

made friends here who feel like sisters but I'll be forced to leave when my Pappa comes to get me.

It makes me sick to my stomach.

I'm only satisfied with my work when I can see his smaller wounds slowly healing and hear the

wheezing ease off in his lungs. His face is no longer scrunched up in pain and he once again looks

peaceful.

Naked and covered in bandages, but peaceful nonetheless.

Birds are chirping outside the window by the time I clean the last of the tools and I know that I need

to shower to get this blood off of me. But I am dead on my feet...

I sink to the floor next to the bed, unable to keep my eyes open any longer. Maxim should be out

for a few hours, so I can rest here and disappear before he even knows I cleaned him up and tended

to his wounds.