LOGINMax's POVThe bond lulls for a second, the desire pulsating slightly slower, and I catch my breath, slowing my hand so I don't end up raw again. That had been a particularly bad night, and Medus had laughed so hard at me, then refused to heal it for two days as punishment for making him leave his mate.I catch my breath, trying to regain some semblance of control over myself.As my brain still scrambles from what I've seen, I decide I'm going to have to ask them about it tomorrow. Perhaps it was a fantasy of Zahra's? Maybe she's picturing her two mates together as they get her off? Maybe the passion of the threesome has overwhelmed her, and she wants them to go further?I doubt they ever will. I've never met anyone as straight as Lincoln Grey.Then the bond detonates again, the river of desire suddenly surging so fucking high that I gasp.I feel Lincoln thrust back into Zahra, feel her jolt of surprise and pleasure as he thrusts hard in and out. My own hips start to match the rhythm s
Max's POVThe darkness around me thickens, condenses, and then it feels like it loosens its hold on my consciousness. As it does, I become aware of the bond.The sheets cling to my sweat-soaked back, and I can feel the mattress beneath me. A deep, throbbing ache runs through my body, with a sharper pain shooting through my side when I try to shift. Fuck, I'm definitely back in bed, and clearly nowhere near healed.But the bond isn't giving me a fucking second to get my bearings.Fuck, the bond is pulsating with desire and lust, the golden thread engorged like a fucking overflowing river during the spring melt.My body is covered in sweat, and my skin feels like it's been connected to a live wire, hot, tingly and so fucking sensitive. My cock is painfully hard, pre-cum mingling with the sweat soaking through the boxers I'm wearing and running over my balls.I groan. Fuck, I've never felt this turned on before.An image flashes through my mind. Lincoln is sinking into Zahra, and I feel
Max's POVShe takes a small step towards me, then stops when she sees my expression.“I forged her soul with the capacity to endure, Maxwell. I gave her gifts that could grow through the trials she faced. But what others chose to do to her was never mine to command.”There's genuine regret in her voice, but I can't bring myself to feel sorry for her.I look away, my jaw clenched so tightly it hurts. I understand what she's saying. I just don't fucking like it.Whether she chose Zahra's father or not, she knew Zahra would be hurt. She knew the woman I love would have to endure things no one should ever have to live through, and she went ahead with it anyway.“Did she have any choice?” I ask, my voice quieter now.The question seems to trouble Selene more than my anger did. She looks towards the lake for a moment, and I notice her shoulders lower slightly as she considers her answer.“In the way her soul was forged? No. That choice was mine.”“At least you're admitting it.”My words com
Max's POV“Max...” Selene says carefully“Did you know?” I demand. “Did you know what that bastard was doing to her? Because if you created her for all this, if you've been planning her future since before she was born, then where the fuck does all that fit in?”My voice is getting louder, and I can feel Medus shifting beside me, but I can't seem to stop.“Was she supposed to suffer? Was breaking her down somehow meant to make her stronger?”“Maxwell.”There's a sharpness to Selene's voice that makes me fall silent. She doesn't raise it, but the authority behind that single word is enough to remind me exactly who I'm speaking to.For a moment, neither of us moves.
Max's POVI shake my head, unable to believe what I'm hearing.“You have to find another way. There has to be someone else. She shouldn't have to deal with this on top of everything she's already been through.”Selene's expression softens, and when she speaks again, there's none of the authority I'd heard in her voice moments earlier.“I understand why you're frightened for her.”“Frightened?” I let out a short, humourless laugh. “I'm fucking terrified for her.”The admission leaves my throat tight, but I don't bother trying to hide it. I love Zahra. I've already come far too close to losing her, and the thought of someone deliberately putting her in the path of something this dangerous makes me feel physically sick.
Max's POVI stare at her, struggling to comprehend what she's just said.Kill her? Kill the fucking Moon Goddess? I didn't think that was possible.For a moment, I genuinely think I've misheard her, but she continues before I can say anything.“Without my protection, there will be nothing to prevent him from enslaving the supernatural races. Every wolf, every supernatural being will be forced to serve him.”There's genuine disgust in her voice now. Her gaze drifts towards Medus again, and I remember the affection in her expression when she was stroking him earlier. The thought of anyone enslaving him, or any of us, makes my blood run cold.Selene draws a slow breath before continuing.“And once he has established his rule, he intends to e







