All Chapters of Marked by fate: Chapter 631 - Chapter 640

Xander's POVI lead Zahra through the rest stop towards the toilets and showers at the back of the building. There's a Task Force warrior standing outside each of the male and female doors, so I know they've been swept and cleared for our use. It's a relief knowing we can have ten fucking minutes of privacy without worrying about anyone wandering in on us, and having the warriors nearby means we can relax a little without letting our guard down completely. I don't think any of us have properly relaxed since we left Shadow.I nod at the one outside the female door and push it open, leading Zahra inside.The toilets are lined up on the right, and another door off to the left opens into a locker room, with shower cubicles at the back.“We don't have long, but have a shower. You'll feel better afterwards.” I have to pray it's true. I don't want to lie to her.I put her bag down on the bench in the middle of the room.“Thanks,” she says quietly.She looks so fucking tired standing there, h

Max's POVThe nurse fusses over me, checking my bandages and the lines into my arm before she unclips the restraints across my chest and legs. The fucking restraints that just stopped me from comforting my Goddess-damned mate. If I'd had the strength, I would have ripped them to shreds right then and there.She was right there, crying against me, and I couldn't even put my fucking arms around her. Then she pulled away, and all I could do was watch. The look on her face when she apologised keeps replaying in my head. She actually apologised to me, after everything I've done.I watch closely as Xander talks to Oscar outside the car. I can't hear what they're saying over the nurses' conversations, but Xander looks strained. He looks fucking exhausted, if I'm honest, and a weird sensation starts to build in my chest. I rub at it absently.I haven't seen him look this worn down in a long time. Even from here, I can see the tension in his shoulders and the way he holds himself, like he's ca

Max's POVMy heart feels like it's crumbling into even smaller splinters than before. How can I even begin to fix this?‘Start by apologising,’ Medus urges me, his anxiety skyrocketing as he thinks about his mate believing we want to reject her.He's right. I know he's right. But how the fuck do you apologise for making your mate believe she's so unwanted that you're going to reject her? What words could possibly undo weeks of leaving her to believe that?‘Now. Go to her now.’I'm about to explain that I don't think I can walk when the doctor appears round the side of the car.“Ta-da!” he says far too cheerily, waving his hand like he's revealing something incredible.I take in the small metal chair. I stare at it. It's tiny, narrow, with tiny wheels like a filing cabinet's, not the ones you usually see on a wheelchair.I'm fairly certain I've seen sturdier things abandoned beside supermarket trolley bays. And whatever poor bastard designed this thing clearly wasn't expecting anyone a

Max's POVI try to shift my weight in the chair, hoping to find some position that doesn't feel like it's crushing my fucking hip, but the movement only makes everything worse. My abdomen pulls painfully as I attempt to straighten my back, and the narrow metal armrests dig into my sides, leaving me nowhere to move. I'm so tired now that even holding myself in this awkward position feels like more effort than I can manage.Fuck me, this was a mistake. I should have used the makeshift bedpan like the doctor wanted.I try again, pressing my palms against the armrests to take a little weight off my arse, but my arms are shaking, and the effort sends another horrible pulling sensation through my stomach. A low groan escapes before I can stop it.“Max?”Xander's voice comes from behind me, and I immediately stop moving.“Hmm?”“You all right?”“Yeah, fine,” I mutter, trying to make my voice sound vaguely convincing.There's a pause, and then I hear him sigh.“Bullshit.”I almost smile.Godd

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