Share

Chapter 222

Penulis: Jess Dawson
last update Tanggal publikasi: 2026-02-26 05:04:50

Max's POV

I’m spared the need to say anything else, or for her to interrogate me, as Xander strides into the room.

He doesn’t look at me. He heads straight for the coffee.

“Morning,” he says, leaning against the counter to sip his drink, keeping his distance, like he has ever since…

“Morning, darling,” Alison says, a gentle laugh in her voice. “Too excited to sleep as well?”

He nods. “Something like that… do we know what time she’s expected?”

I shake my head. “She didn’t know. It depends what t
Lanjutkan membaca buku ini secara gratis
Pindai kode untuk mengunduh Aplikasi
Bab Terkunci

Bab terbaru

  • Marked by fate   Chapter 677

    Max's POVThe question sits there for one horrible second before shame washes over me.Goddess, what the fuck is wrong with me?This is Xander.The man who's spent the last several minutes helping me get to the toilet, manoeuvring me into a shower and painstakingly loosening bloodstained fabric from my wounds because he doesn't want to hurt me.Whatever he thinks of me now, whatever anger he has every right to feel, I know what sort of man he is.He wouldn't wish me dead.But guilt has a nasty habit of finding the weakest places in your head and digging its claws in.And apparently, mine has found a particularly fucking ugly one.“Xander…”His name escapes before I've worked out what I intend to say.That I'm sorry he's had to see me like this?That I didn't mean to frighten him?That I'm sorry I left?They all sound bloody inadequate.I watch his face, searching for something familiar, some indication of what he needs from me right now.There was a time when I would have known withou

  • Marked by fate   Chapter 676

    Max's POVWhen he finally speaks again, his voice is considerably quieter.“I knew it was bad, but seeing it like this?”The unfinished question hangs between us.I watch him swallow, his throat working as he looks back at my injuries.And something unpleasant twists inside my chest.He's not asking about the wounds any more, not really.He's trying to make sense of how close I came to dying.I can see it in the way he keeps looking from the bandages to my face, as though he's trying to reconcile the man sitting in front of him with whatever he'd been told about my condition.And I have no fucking idea how to reassure him when I can barely make sense of it myself.His voice had almost disappeared towards the end, and I grimace because I can hear how upset he is beneath his words.The worst part is that I know him well enough to recognise what he's trying to hide.Xander doesn't frighten easily.He gets angry. He gets frustrated. Occasionally, he gets so fucking stubborn that I want to

  • Marked by fate   Chapter 675

    POV“There,” Xander says quietly, interrupting my thoughts. “Think I've got it.”He sounds relieved, although his eyes remain fixed on the dressing as he carefully checks that the fabric has come free. Only when he's satisfied does he look back at me.He eases the scrub top upwards again, and I lift my arms as far as I can manage. The movement pulls unpleasantly through my shoulders and stomach, but with his help, we eventually get the damned thing over my head.By the time it's off, I'm breathing harder than I should be, and my arms feel strangely heavy. I lower them carefully, grateful that I don't have to keep them raised a second longer.He drops it onto the floor outside the shower and turns back towards me.Then he goes very still.I watch the change in his expression, the way his eyes widen slightly before narrowing as he takes in my chest and abdomen.“Goddess, Max.”His voice is barely above a whisper.He takes a breath, but it seems to catch somewhere in his throat. One hand

  • Marked by fate   Chapter 674

    Max's POVWhat the fuck does Medus expect me to think about?Actually, on second thoughts, I probably know the answer to that.Zahra.And he's right. She should be at the forefront of my thoughts, especially after what I overheard earlier.That doesn't make the memories disappear, though.Fuck, how did we get here?Xander's hand remains perfectly still, waiting for an answer, and I realise I've been staring at him for far too long. There's something guarded in his expression now, almost as though he's worried he's overstepped.That hurts in a way I wasn't expecting.There was a time when neither of us had to think twice about touching the other.Now he can't even help me out of a bloodstained hospital top without having to ask whether I'm comfortable with it.“Yeah,” I say, my voice coming out quieter than I intended. “It's fine.”He holds my gaze for another second, and I wonder whether he can see how awkward this is for me.Probably.He's always been far too fucking good at reading

  • Marked by fate   Chapter 673

    Max's POVThen Xander’s shoulders ease a fraction, and he lets out a quiet breath.“Look, Max, I'm not trying to make this harder for you.”I glance up at him.His voice has softened, although he still looks tired and faintly irritated.“I know,” I admit reluctantly.He studies me for another second, as though deciding whether there's anything more worth saying, before giving a small nod and coming back around behind the chair.I hear his hands settle against the handles, and I realise I've been holding my breath.Wonderful.I've managed to upset him before we've even started.He begins manoeuvring me towards the wider cubicle, taking care over the low threshold.The wheels catch slightly as he pushes me inside, and I instinctively brace myself, one hand pressing against my abdomen when the movement pulls at my injuries.“Fuck,” I hiss under my breath.Xander stops so abruptly that the chair gives a tiny jolt beneath me.“Sorry. You all, right?”His voice changes at once, the tension

  • Marked by fate   Chapter 672

    Max's POVXander pushes me through another doorway, and the smell of soap and damp tiles replaces the rather unpleasant aroma of the toilets. There's a long wooden bench running along one wall, a row of hooks above it and several shower cubicles at the far end. The floor is wet in places, and somewhere nearby, a tap is dripping steadily.It's not exactly the luxurious hot shower I'd been fantasising about while running towards Shadow, but right now, I'd probably be grateful for someone tipping a bucket of warm water over my head.Xander stops beside the bench and glances around, taking in the narrow entrances to the individual showers before his eyes settle on a wider cubicle at the end.“Right, that one looks like it'll fit,” he mutters, more to himself than me.He walks over to check, pushing the curtain aside and looking inside before returning to the chair. I watch him moving around the room, his damp hair sticking up slightly at the back and his T-shirt pulling across his shoulde

Bab Lainnya
Jelajahi dan baca novel bagus secara gratis
Akses gratis ke berbagai novel bagus di aplikasi GoodNovel. Unduh buku yang kamu suka dan baca di mana saja & kapan saja.
Baca buku gratis di Aplikasi
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi
DMCA.com Protection Status