*Maddox*
“You motherfucker, you dared to do this?!” Another punch landed on my face accompanied by an enraged growl, and I toppled over as the chair I was sitting in was forcefully flipped.
“No!” Blair cried out, rushing to intervene and prevent Zander from inflicting further harm.
“Leave me, Blair!” he snapped, glaring at his sister.
“Zander, please, listen to me first,” she pleaded desperately, refusing to release her grip on her brother’s hand. Despite his anger, Zander wasn’t forcefully pushing her away, aware she might get hurt.
Zander trembled in fury, snarling, “You fucking bastard. I considered you my best friend. I trusted you as my Beta, and you tried to hit on my sister.”
“No, Zander, you’ve misunderstood,” Blair squealed as he pulled his hand away from her grip and lunged at me. “Zander, please, listen to me,” she begged.
“Let him be, Blair. Today, I’ve discovered how much my supposed best friend trusted me,” I said in a mocking tone, observing Zander’s clenched jaw. Just as he was about to throw another punch, Selena’s voice intervened.
“Stop, Zander. He is Blair’s mate,” Selena yelled.
“What?!”
“What?!”
Zander and I exclaimed simultaneously.
She knew?!
Then I realized Selena was always so close to Blair because Blair trusted her, and Selena had proven it numerous times, such as now, when she had hidden it even from her alpha mate.
“So, you already knew?!” Zander gritted out in fury, glaring at his beloved. “Again!” he snarled, and Selena flinched. “Again, you break my trust by hiding this. When will you stop doing it?! Then you want me to trust you, Selena! How?!” He lashed out at his mate.
“Zander, please, listen to me,” Selena said, but Zander held up a hand, staring at her with a warning expression. “Save it, Selena,” he scowled.
Selena and Blair exchanged a nervous glance before Blair spoke up, “Zander, I was trying to tell you this the whole time while you were beating my mate, but you didn’t hear me once,” Blair complained.
“FUCK!!!” Zander cursed, wiping a hand over his face as he exhaled loudly.
Then, he abruptly turned towards me, glaring. “So, you knew it from the beginning that Blair was your mate and yet you chose Emile as your mate,” he drawled dangerously.
I lowered my head in guilt; he was speaking the truth. I knowingly chose Emile as my mate, and now I was facing the consequences. The Moon Goddess had punished me for not valuing my mate and the sacred mate bond.
“Tell me, you fucker!” Zander shouted. “You rejected my sister and mated with Emile?!”
I shook my head frantically, choking on my words. “No! I didn’t reject Blair.”
“What?!” he exclaimed as his eyes widened, looking at me in disbelief. “I can’t believe you cheated on both Emile and Blair,” he spat out in disgust. “No doubt Emile betrayed. It might be her way of seeking revenge.”
“Stop it, Zander! Just stop it!” I growled in defiance. “I didn’t cheat on anyone. I was loyal to Emile when I was with her, and Blair didn’t know about me being her mate, so she didn’t feel any pain of betrayal because the bond was not complete,” I reasoned.
“Okay, I got it,” he snorted. “So after Emile betrayed you, you sought solace in Blair.”
“Hell, no. I can’t do this to her. I was actually planning to reject her because she deserved a better mate than me,” I stated fiercely, shaking my head.
I could never think of treating my mate this way. I cared deeply for her, which is why I intended to reject her. It was good that she never once attempted to seduce me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to distance myself from her. Whether it’s the mate bond or mere desire, I couldn’t deny the strong pull I always felt towards her. That was precisely why I chose to keep my distance; I somehow knew she was my ultimate destination.
No, I never regretted a single moment spent with her. However, witnessing Zander’s reaction made me feel both regretful and guilty.
“So, you believed it was fair to take advantage of her before rejecting her, is that it?!” He grimaced, and I cringed in response.
“No, Zander,” I snapped, but then I hesitated as I realized the weight of my words. I turned to look at Blair and found myself speechless. Her face betrayed pure pain, her eyes reflecting a fear of rejection. She had expressed her feelings for me numerous times. What was I going to do to her?
“You desired her as well, Maddox,” Micah’s voice echoed in my head. “I desired my mate. Confess to her and accept her. We need her.”
“Z… Zander, please, stop demeaning him. It’s not his fault. I was the one pursuing him. But if he believes I’m not worthy to be his mate, I accept his decision. He… he didn’t do anything to me; I approached him,” she hiccuped, a tear slipping from her innocent eyes.
Micah snarled in defiance within my mind, fighting to take control of my body, to make me regret even considering rejecting our mate and causing her pain.
“I’m no match for him, and he deserves a woman better suited to be his mate. It’s okay if he… if he doesn’t want me,” she sobbed as more silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Collapsing to her knees, she buried her face in her hands.
“Hell, no!” I growled. “That’s not true, princess,” I said as I knelt before her, gently removing her hands from her tear-streaked face. I cupped her pretty face in my large hands as I peered deeply into her wet eyes. “Who said I don’t want you? I want you like I’ve never wanted anyone else. You have no idea how hard it’s been for me to keep my distance from you,” I confessed and didn’t care if Zander killed me later. “You… you’re lying,” her voice broke between sobs.
“Then why do you think I’ve avoided touching you or making eye contact with you all this time? Trust me, princess, when I say I’ve never wanted anyone else but you. But I felt helpless. You were always like a kid to me, and desiring you seemed so wrong on many levels. But now that I know how deeply you love me, I can’t be foolish enough not to confess my feelings and let you slip away,” I said, pulling her into my embrace. She buried her head in my chest, breaking down in tears.
“Will you give me a chance to prove that I’m good enough to be your mate, princess?” I pleaded, biting my lip and gazing at her with desperation.
She lifted her head, her expression appearing puzzled.
“And if you refuse, I’ll keep begging you, my mate. I’ll continue pleading until…” I couldn’t finish my sentence as she silenced me with a scorching kiss.
My entire world brightened when I locked eyes with her glowing gaze, seeing nothing but love for me.