I let out a cross between a sob and a laugh, because that was putting it fucking mildly, andthere… there was the dazzling smile I’d missed. It was gone almost as soon as it appeared, but I clung to it. If we were going to get through this, I needed Max. Needed him to be my rock like he’d been ever since I’d met him.
“We were friends before we started this,” he said, squeezing my hand.
“The best,” I offered.
“We just have to learn to go back to that.” He swallowed, and I wondered if the words were as hard to get out as they were to hear.
No part of me wanted to go back to being friends, but what choice did we have? Alphas orders weren’t something we could ignore.
If I was honest with myself, I was disappointed that Max had so readily accepted this. I’d expected him to put up a fight, to come up with some way to get us out of this while keeping my dad alive. To at least voice an opinion on everything that had happened. And yes, I knew how hypocritical that was considering I’d done none of those things, but in all fairness I was still in shock.
And this wasMax.
I’d never known him to roll over and accept something so easily without so much as a murmur.
Even though I shouldn’t ask, shouldn’t put this on him when there was nothing he could do anyway, I couldn’t help myself.
Meeting his eyes, the brown depths drawing me in like always, I took a steadying breath, let it out slowly, and asked my question. “Are we really going to go along with Xen and Haylen’s decision without even trying to do something to get out of it?”
Max stared back at me, the sudden fire in his eyes and determined set to his jaw so fucking welcome I could’ve cried. “Of course we aren’t.” He tsked softly. “When have you ever known me to blindly accept something without knowing all the facts?” Before I could answer, he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “And that mess back there? Every instinct I have tells me we don’t have the full story.”
“But you never said anything the whole way home.”
His smile when it appeared this time was soft, intimate, the one I knew was just for me. “I was waiting for you to catch up.” Cupping my jaw with both hands, he drew me closer, gaze dropping to my mouth.
My breath hitched, anticipation dancing up my spine like electricity as I waited for his kiss.
It never came, though.
He stopped abruptly, so close his breath ghosted over my lips.
I felt it at the same time he did.
Somethingpulling us both to a stop before our mouths met.
Not painful, exactly, but not pleasant either.
“Fuck.” Max closed his eyes and touched his forehead to mine. “I’d forgot about that.”
So had I.
“I thought maybe it was a loophole since he never mentioned kissing.” Max sat back in his seat with a frustrated huff and ran a hand over his face.
“Maybe we shouldn’t be doing it anyway,” I said grudgingly. “It’ll only make it more difficult to ease back into being friends.”
“I know, but…” Max growled, hands curling into fists again. “I want to.”
“Me too.” I reached for his hand, uncurling his fingers and grasping them with mine. “Maybe it won’t be forever, though? There’s got to be something we can do, right?”
“Yeah.” He squeezed my hand. “You’re right. Sorry.”
“Come on, let’s go inside.” It had been a crazy fucking night, and if we were going to be of any use at work tomorrow, then we needed to try and get at least some sleep. This would all be waiting for us when we woke up.
Reluctantly, I let go of his hand and opened the car door.
The smell of shifter hit me a few seconds later.
“Fuck’s sake.” I didn’t smell anyone else with her, so I took my time getting out, Max’s grumbled, “What’s she doing here?” following me.
