Contracted to Alpha Maximus - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

ZIA
Before I fell asleep, I thought I heard Maximus saying something to me. “ This is the last time I will allow you to cry over him while you are in my arms. ”
But when I woke up, he was not in bed. I blinked, a little disoriented after what happened last night.
I had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that Aiden was deliberately increasing my pain. He wanted me to see and hear everything.
Bile rose in my mouth, and my heart turned cold as I sat in the bed. Maximus’ scent lingered in the bed, in the air, and on my body, keeping my senses calm.
As I prepped myself to get out of bed and face the new day, the door to the room opened. My head snapped up, my gaze landing on Maximus.
He was dressed in a black suit with a black shirt underneath. The clothes hugged his frame, making him look as hot as ever.
He didn’t look at me and marched to the small sitting area in his big room. My nose scrunched.
We did so much last night and I poured my heart out to him, but instead of acting all in love, he was ignoring me.
Perhaps, I needed to return to hating him.
“ Come here. ” His gruff, cold voice echoed in the room.
“ I still hate you. ” I blurted, a shudder running down my back.
“ I won’t repeat myself, Little one. ” Maximus lifted his gaze and met my narrowed eyes.
My heart missed a beat after seeing the heat in his dark eyes, the lingering desire, and the raw hunger for more. With a jittery stomach, I got down from the bed and strolled to the single seat opposite him.
Maximus’ eyes followed me, lowering to my bare legs, as he parted his thighs and eased into the seat.
My cheeks warmed when I saw the bulge in his pants.
Nervously, I lowered to the seat but his voice stopped me.
“ You love climbing my lap, don’t you? ” He dropped some papers on the small table and fixed his gaze on me.
“ I- - - ”
“ I don’t like waiting. ” Maximus’ face betrayed no emotions as he warned.
I rolled my eyes and crossed the distance between us. His arms spread over the armrest while I sat on his left thigh, my legs dangling between his legs.
I was not even seated properly when he dropped his hand over the small of my back and pulled me closer to his chest.
I stiffened, staring at the wall in front of me instead of him. My heart was beginning to run a marathon.
“ You will reject him at once. ” Maximus’ voice ghosted over the corner of my lips.
I gasped. “ Aiden? ”
My head snapped in his direction and our noses brushed slightly. Maximus’ eyes flashed black before he leaned in and grabbed the papers from the table.
He pushed them towards me, and I took them dumbly. “ what is- - - ”
“ The contract you wanted. ” He answered before I could ask the question.
I didn’t know what I truly felt. If he had offered me this contract yesterday, before the Alphas mocked me, or before we did everything we did last night- - -
I would have been delighted.
But something was unusual between us today.
The air was charged with not only sexual tension but a deeper emotion. My stomach was too warm, and my heart was too heavy.
Still, I flipped the papers and read everything that was written over them.
My face turned redder as I skimmed over the rest. “ what’s the meaning of this rubbish? ”
“ What you wanted. ” Maximus’ warm thumb brushed against the shell of my ear, making me squirm in his lap.
Focus, Zia!
“ You want me to give you a child. In return you will give me a position in your company and marry me if I want that but- - - ”
“ I won’t mark you or force your pack people to give up on their current Alpha. ” Maximus finished what I wanted to say.
My heart skipped a beat. “ what are you trying to do? ”
“ Giving you a new life. ” Maximus shrugged as if he didn’t understand what I was trying to ask.
I attempted to get up from his lap but his hand held me down. When I couldn’t break free, I glared at him. But it was so hard to be angry at my fated mate when the sparks were buzzing under my skin, my head was growing heavy and my clit was throbbing with need.
He was using this bond to make me comply.
My chest burned at the thought.
“ You want me to abandon my people, my whole life, and- - - ”
“ Aiden can manage your Pack. He’s been doing this for some time and he is doing an excellent job. ” Maximus cupped my cheek and pressed his thumb to the corner of my mouth, his gaze following his fingers. “ You can just stay by my side and I will make sure no one hurts you. ”
“ Excellent Job!? Aiden doesn’t even know how to negotiate with neighbor packs and caused a war with Alpha Nathan over something as stupid as a suspicion that Nathan was trying to take over our pack. He is paranoid, impatient, and reckless. Because of him, we lost so many warriors and in the end, he got his happily ever after with Emily. He doesn’t care about anything or anyone! ” I wanted to shout, but his proximity was making it impossible for me to express my fury.
Maximus’ hand paused, and his gaze met my eyes. “ Nathan WAS trying to start a war. Aiden caught his warriors lurking on your border. ”
I smirked and cupped his cheek the same way he did to me. “ he- - - ”
Maximus trailed his thumb over my lips, making me think over my words. Was it okay to tell him the truth?
Damn it!
“ He lied to you. The warriors he claimed he caught were just some rogues, Maximus. ” I revealed and regretted not disclosing this information yesterday.
I could have convinced the Alphas to side with me, but I couldn’t control my emotions when Maximus was so close to me.
“ He lied? ” A vein ticked in Maximus’ jaw.
“ Why don’t you confront him and make sure of it? ” I scoffed, squirming free of his hold.
Maximus’ dark gaze followed me as I fixed my stained nightie over my thighs and dropped the papers on the table.
“ I don’t want your pity. ” I told him truthfully. “ I just want my rightful position. ”
“ You want to use me to get your Alpha position? ” He seemed angry.
“ And your mark. ” I leaned in and narrowed my eyes again. “ I didn’t find you before, but now I have, Maxie. And let me tell you. You belong to me until you reject me. If you do not want to mark me, reject me and if you don’t want to reject me, you must mark me. ”
His eyes turned icy, colder than the whole of Antarctica. My lips trembled with uncertainty.
He was right. I was playing a game I couldn’t possibly win but I had no other option but to keep pushing.
Slowly, Maximus’ gaze slid down my neck and paused at my chest. I followed his line of sight, my chest starting to heave up and down rapidly.
The V-neck of the nightie lowered, exposing my bare boobs to his eyes when I leaned down. I tried to straighten, but his hand shot out and grabbed my throat, keeping me in place.
Maximus licked his bottom lip and met my gaze. “ You want to become Alpha? Okay. ”
Surprise made me step closer to him. His arm brushed against my chest, urging me to clench my thighs.
“ Maximus- - - ”
“ Whatever you want, I can give it to you. ” His eyes traced my neck and stilled on my soft gaze. “ but I can not mark you, Little one. ”
Pain spread in my chest and I whispered against his lips. “ Why? ”
“ I am cursed. ” He stated without hesitation.
I froze. “ what? ”
“ I am cursed. And I can not tell you in what way. Just know that I can not mark you. ” He answered, and rose, towering over my petite frame.
I craned my neck, shock rendering me speechless. “ Maximus- - - ”
“ Put your conditions on the damn papers and sign them. I am sending everyone back today and you are staying with me. ” He said before I could ask anything, gave my neck a small, harmless squeeze, and left.
I was left confused and anxious.
Maximus was cursed?
And I was bound by a prophecy.
Was it really a coincidence?