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Chapter 223
publish date:
2026-02-26 05:05:54
Latest chapter
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
Marked by fate Chapter 671
Max's POVI push it aside as he reaches down and locks the wheels.“I'm going to help you stand,” he says, straightening and meeting my eyes. “But I need you to let me take your weight, all right? Don't try to be a hero.”“I can stand, Xander.”His eyebrows rise.“Can you?”I open my mouth to argue, but he glances pointedly at the way I'm practically folded over myself, and I close it again.The bastard.“I'm not completely fucking helpless,” I mutter.“I didn't say you were.” His voice softens slightly, and he rests a hand against my shoulder. “But you've been badly injured, Max. You're allowed to need help.”I stare at him.It's such a simple thing to say, and he says it so matter-of-factly, as though the idea of me needing someone isn't remotely unusual.But it is.I'm an Alpha. I'm supposed to be strong, capable, the one people turn to when things go wrong. I'm not supposed to need someone to help me stand up so I can take a fucking piss.Especially not Xander.Not after everythin
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