*Maddox*
The moment I laid eyes on Blair training with Lewis, I knew I was in deep trouble. It had already been incredibly challenging for me to resist the mate bond, especially considering I had a chosen mate and had been leading a happy life for all those years. But Blair’s return brought back the agonizing pain of staying away from my destined mate.
Why couldn’t she make things simpler? Why couldn’t she either reject me or accept my rejection? She’s only making this situation harder for both of us. She deserved to find a mate who truly deserved her, someone who was of her own age.
Eleven years ago, when I discovered that she was my mate, she was only eight years old. I was faced with two options: either wait until she turned sixteen and claim her, but I doubted she could handle my dark desires at such a young age, or inform her about our mate bond and overshadow her childhood, only to claim her when she reached the legal age for werewolves, which was sixteen.
However, I chose a third option. I released her from the mate bond and selected Emile as my chosen mate instead. This way, Blair could live a normal life, cherish her childhood, enjoy her teenage years, and flourish in her adulthood. She could date boys her own age and find a mate who truly deserved her, someone who would love her wholeheartedly.
We were not meant for each other, and she had to accept that.
I needed to talk to her, but she was blocking my mind links, refusing to let me reach out to her.
Feeling exhausted, I finally went to her room. Blair opened the door, wearing a silk robe with wet hair as if she had just come out of the shower.
“Maddox?!” she exclaimed in surprise upon seeing me at her door, quickly replacing her surprise with a taunting smile.
“I didn’t realize you would be so desperate after just one touch that you came to meet me in my room,” she taunted.
I let out a sigh of frustration as I entered the room and closed the door behind me. She smirked mischievously, her eyes glinting with desire as she began to untie the sash of her robe.
Fuck!
She didn’t know that she was playing with fire. I couldn’t help but recall how she had tried to seduce me during our training session. It took every ounce of self-control to resist succumbing to the mate bond and kissing her.
I swiftly reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her from opening her robe. As our skin made contact, I could feel Micah stirring within me, growling in response to our fated mate’s presence.
“I’m not here for that, Blair. I came to talk to you,” I stated, my voice tinged with frustration.
She narrowed her eyes at me, quickly tying the sash of her robe.
“Well, don’t bother because I’m not in the mood to talk,” she dismissed, flinging the door open and gesturing for me to leave.
Fuck me!
“Blair, I won’t leave until you listen to me,” I stated with an unwavering firmness, my voice a reflection of the stubbornness that had taken hold of me.
Her gaze remained fixed ahead, cold and distant, a clear indication that my presence was far from welcome.
Her words, when they came, were laced with a frostiness that mirrored the ice in her eyes. “Get out, Maddox. I have to get ready for the Yellow Moon Festival.”
I understood her anger, and I deserved every ounce of it. But I wasn’t about to let her shut me out.
“Blair,” I stated firmly, my tone intimidating, “I’m not leaving until we talk about this.”
Her posture stiffened, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of surprise in her eyes. She turned away, crossing her arms across her chest. It was okay for me as long as she would listen to what I was going to say.
Taking a deep breath, I continued, my voice softer yet determined. “Blair, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. From the moment I met you, I’ve been captivated by you. But when I found out that you were my fated mate, fear took over. I was terrified of burdening you with a life you didn’t sign up for. I didn’t want you tied to a man so much older than you, didn’t want you to miss out on the life you deserve.”
She turned abruptly. Her eyes bore into mine, a mixture of hurt and confusion swirling within their depths.
“Who are you to decide what’s best for me?” she snapped, her voice laced with anger.
I winced inwardly, knowing that my actions had led us to this point. But I needed her to understand, to know the truth behind my decisions.
“You didn’t have the right to take my fated mate away,” her voice quivered, and in her tear-filled eyes, I saw a torrent of pain and longing.
“Princess,” I whispered, my voice a hushed promise, my heart aching in response. Without thinking, I closed the distance between us in two long strides until I was by her side, my arms instinctively reaching out to pull her into an embrace.
Micah surged within me, a primal howl echoing through my mind as the realization dawned that our mate was in my arms, the one we had yearned for. The intensity of the connection was overwhelming, a symphony of emotions crashing against the shores of my consciousness.
Her delicate arms wrapped around me, her touch like a balm to my fractured soul. At that moment, my resolve wavered as the walls I had built to protect both of us threatened to crumble. A tender impulse guided my actions, my thumb brushing gently across her wet cheeks, wiping away the tears that glistened like dewdrops on petals.
“I am sorry, sweetheart,” the words were raw and honest, each syllable heavy with the weight of my feelings. “Though it kills me to say this, I truly believe that you deserve someone who can offer you more than I can.”
Her voice, soft and uncertain, inquired, “Why do you think we don’t deserve to be together?”
Her eyes, the color of warm amber, held a kaleidoscope of emotions, each shade flickering like flames beneath the surface. The vulnerability and innocence in her gaze were both a heartache and a comfort, tugging at the frayed edges of my resolve.
“Because I am older than you, darling,” I admitted, my voice a mixture of tenderness and regret. “And because I know what’s best for you. Just like I used to tell you when you were a child.”
I had always been the one to shield her, to protect her from harm. It was a role that had become ingrained in me, a duty that I couldn’t forsake, even if it meant denying my own desires.
Tears continued to flow down her cheeks, each drop proof of the storm of emotions raging within her.
“What will we do, Maddox?” Her voice wavered, a broken plea that resonated with the depths of her pain. Her grip tightened around me, her head finding a resting place against my chest.
A rush of longing and desire surged within me, and I held her tighter as if my embrace alone could chase away the shadows that clouded her heart.
“I don’t want anyone else but you,” she confessed through sobs, her words piercing the defenses I had so carefully constructed.
“It’s the mate bond, Blair,” I began softly. “It’s messing with your head. You have to think logically, rationally.”
“And besides,” I continued, my words measured and steady, “I can’t do this to Emile. She’s been by my side all these years, and she’s a wonderful mate. I can’t betray her trust.”
Blair pulled away slightly, her wet eyes locking onto mine as if searching for some kind of validation or explanation.
“Is she better than me?” she questioned, her voice barely more than a whisper, a fragile thread holding back a deluge of tears as her gaze, still pained and glassy, not leaving mine. Her lips trembled as she bit down on them to stop herself from sobbing.
“Hell, no!” I responded quickly, my voice firm yet gentle. “Blair, you’re different. You can’t be compared to her. But you have to try and understand as much as I want to be with you, I can’t. I can’t hurt Emile like that.”
Her eyes flared with a mix of surprise and confusion, her lips parting slightly. At that moment, an overwhelming urge surged within me, a powerful longing to close the distance between us, to kiss away her doubts and fears. Micah growled within my mind, fighting to take over me.
I released her gently, putting a deliberate distance between us. Her expression transformed, the confusion giving way to a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty.
“Blair, please,” I pleaded with desperation. “We have to reject each other. It’s the only way. I can’t let this continue.”
She nodded slowly, her lips trembling as she exhaled a shaky breath.
“Okay,” she breathed out.
A sense of relief washed over me, but my chest felt heavier than before.
“We’ll do it the day before the full moon,” I instructed, my voice a mix of pragmatism and empathy. “The mate bond will be weaker then, and hopefully, the pain will be less.”
Her silent nod spoke volumes. I exhaled deeply, feeling something within me broken.
With a heavy heart, I managed to summon a faint smile.
“See you at the festival, princess,” I said softly, and turning away, I left her room.