Beta''s Runaway Bride: 12 - Xiomara


    “He’s home, please tell Alpha Nikos not to worry. I’ve tended to his wounds, cleaned him up, and


    made sure he’s okay,” I tell Luna Mia over the cell phone she lent me to keep in touch with her. “He


    didn’t want the Alpha seeing how hurt he was.”


    “Oh, thank Goddess! Niko has been trying to contact him through the mind link, but the silver might


    have blocked it,” she says, relieved and breathing out a long sigh. “Thank you, Xiomara; is it okay if we


    “Please do! We’re having something to eat right now, but I think he’d appreciate it,” I say, turning my


    gaze to Maxim who nods at me. “See youter, Luna Mia.”


    I kill the call and put the cell phone down on the counter before walking over to Maximying down on


    the couch. This morning with him was torture; being naked with him in the shower did all sorts to me,


    but luckily I reined my lust in.


    He trusted me enough to be naked with me, trusted me enough to let me wash him down then


    embraced me afterward. I don’t know what’s happening between us right now, but the silence is


    growing so loud and my stomach is in knots.


    My eyes flit to where he’sying deep in thought, his one arm behind his head while the other rests on


    his stomach. He hasn’t really spoken to me, either, not after we embraced in the shower. Things just


    feel awkward now.


    Do I mention how he makes me feel or leave it be?


    “I don’t require a babysitter, Xiomara,” he suddenly says, his eyes still glued to the ck TV screen.


    “You don’t need to sit here and keep mepany if you’d much rather be somece else.”


    I bite back a retort but respond anyway. “What makes you think I don’t want to be here with you?” I only


    realize after I said those words that it has a double meaning because he looks back up at me with


    narrowed eyes.


    “You’re fidgeting in your seat and won’t even look my way or attempt a conversation. If I bore you-”


    “But you’re not doing any of that either,” I shrug. “Or are you expecting me to keep this conversation


    going while youy there?”


    Whatever I just said seems to be amusing to him because he chuckles and shakes his head. “Touche,


    Bambi,” he says, calling me that stupid nickname again.


    “Why do you call me that? I’m in no way timid like a deer, nor am I fragile like one,” I ask, genuinely


    curious as to why he would liken me to that character.


    Maxim smiles at my question. “Because of your eyes,” is all he says, and doesn’t borate further.


    Even if I wanted to ask him what he meant, I am unable to because there’s a knock on the front door,


    and the massive presence that is Alpha Nikos stalks inside.


    I don’t want to show how much he terrifies me, so I simply get to my feet and offer both him and Luna


    Mia a smile. Alpha Nikos frowns at me before turning to his Beta who is now sitting up.


    “You fucking scared me, asshole,” he says, surprising me by embracing his Beta, then he drops into a


    conversation in anothernguage.


    I think it might be Greek, but all it tells me is that the Alpha wanted privacy. Luna Miaes over to me


    and wraps her arms around me. “Hey, are you okay?” she asks.


    “I am. Would you like something to drink?” I say, hoping she gets my double meaning and thankfully


    she does. We walk to the kitchen and she joins me next to the coffee machine.


    “What happened?” she asks in a low voice. “From what Ghost and Descry told us, Maxim was badly


    wounded but refused medical attention; he just wanted to be home.”


    This is news to me; I just assumed he didn’t want Alpha Nikos to know he was badly hurt. Did he


    want toe home even while seriously wounded? What exactly does that mean?


    “I’m the one who tended to him after finding him downstairs. What he went through… the damage, it


    was terrible,” I say, shaking my head as I recall how badly he was hurt when I found him.


    Luna Mia’s eyes grow slightly. “You cleaned up Maxim and tended to his wounds?” she asks and when


    I nod, she beams at me. “Wow, Xiomara, that’s amazing! Thank you for saving him!”


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    I cringe under her appreciation, but that doesn’t stop the smile creeping onto my lips. “I was just doing


    what… anyone else in the pack would have done,” I say and if Luna Mia didn’t believe my words, she


    said nothing.


    After finishing up our coffees, we head back into the living room where the two men are still in deep


    discussion but it seems to be wrapping up. Alpha Nikos ps Maxim on the back and gets to his


    feet before turning to me.


    My heart leaps into my throat when he walks towards me, but I remember Maxim’s words thest time


    Alpha Nikos terrified me.


    “You’re mine, he won’t touch you.”


    I hear those words whispered to me in Maxim’s voice and don’t allow myself to feel scared in the


    presence of this Alpha… even if I am literally shaking.


    “Xiomara, I don’t believe we’ve been formally acquainted. I’m Nikos,” he starts. “Maxim tells me you


    saved his lifest night, and for saving one of the most important people to me, I am eternally grateful


    to you.”


    My mouth opens and closes like a fish and I can feel my eyes widening to dinner te size. Did this


    Alpha just thank me?!


    “I… I was just doing what anyone else in this pack would have done,” I repeat my lie and hope he


    doesn’t catch on. “Maxim saved my life before, so…”


    “Be that as it may, you’re not even part of the pack and yet you saved the life of the Alpha’s second in


    turned to Maxim. “We’ll be off, but remember what I’ve said.”


    Maxim nods curtly, a serious look crossing his face and the Alpha and Luna Mia make their way toward


    the door. Luna looks back and gives me an encouraging smile before walking out of the front door.


    Now it’s back to me and Maxim being awkward with one another. Honestly, I have had enough of it


    now, so I get to my feet.


    “I’m going to lie down for a while, I am still quite tired fromst night,” I say and he nods without even


    looking my way.


    Why is it always like this? Why does it feel like we’ve made progress only for us to take ten steps back


    and fade into awkward silence? I’m tired of the whish; maybe going away will be a good thing.


    Then again, I don’t know what punishment awaits me with my father. Right now, my future seems even


    more vague and terrifying than a few months ago.


    When I get to my bedroom, I curl up into a ball under my covers and swallow down the sadness


    threatening to choke me. A lone tear slips down the bridge of my nose and onto the pillow and I scoff.


    I always saw tears as weakness, but right now crying feels therapeutic.


    After a while, knock on my bedroom door has me sitting up, and when it opens, Maxim’s apologetic


    face has me narrowing my eyes. “Hey, I was wondering if we could talk,” he says.


    I draw my legs towards my chest and wrap my arms around them before answering him. “Sure, you


    can sit down on the bed if you’d like.”


    He nods curtly and slowly walks towards my bed but instead of sitting down next to me on the opposite


    side, he walks around to where I’m sitting. Being in close proximity like this always seems to get my


    heart beating way too fast, and right now there’s no exception.


    I can feel his eyes on me and a flush covers my cheeks as I peer up at him. “What did you want to talk


    about?” I ask, or rather, whisper because right now even the act of breathing is difficult for me.


    Even battered and bruised, Maxim is still the most handsome man I have ever been around. His blue


    eyes, once emotionless, now have a cloudy tint to them and for the first time, I wish I knew what was


    on his mind.


    Maxim sighs, then winces. “Before I went away, we sort of left things open-ended between us and I


    would like us to discuss them,” he says, and as thankful as I am for himing out with this, I also


    hate the fact that I have to talk about it now.


    “I thought it was just… sex to you,” I say, leaning my head on my knees. “Wasn’t it?”


    He shakes his head and my heartbeat picks up. “I know I deserve you seeing it that way, but I didn’t


    just think of it as sex,” he says. “Things between us are strange and strained, I know that, but I’d be


    lying if I said I felt nothing for you.”


    I sit up straight and my eyebrows pinch together; am I hearing what I think I’m hearing right now? “It’s…


    not just me that feels it?”


    Maxim chuckles and draws his hand to my cheek, cupping it gently and running his thumb over my


    skin. “You had me right by the heart the second you tried to stab me, Bambi,” he says. “But as selfish


    as I am, I know that I can’t have you when you yearn to be free from me.”


    Wait, no. “Maxim-”


    He ces a finger on my lips and shakes his head. “I saw the look of shame and regret on your face


    and in your eyes afterward; I don’t ever want to see that again. So, I’m letting you go because thest


    thing I want you to feel when you’re with me, is shame.”


    Is that what he thinks it was? I mean, I felt ashamed because of my actions, not because of how he


    made me feel! “Wait, just let me-”


    “I can’t be selfish with you, Xiomara, even though everything in me is telling me to. So I want to ask if I


    can have onest kiss before we go our separate ways, if that’s okay with you?”


    Go our separate ways? Is he that determined to let me go?


    I sigh and nod my head. “Onest kiss before I go,” I say with trepidation in my heart because I know


    this kiss will be the one to set my soul aze. He parts my legs and moves closer, running the pad of


    his thumb over my bottom lip…


    And when he leaned in to capture my mouth in a searing kiss, I knew I wasn’t wrong. He pulls me flush


    against his body; against all logic, I melt into his embrace and drown in his delicious scent.


    I can practically taste his desire with every swipe of his tongue against mine and every groan my kiss is


    eliciting from him. Thest time we kissed, it was out of anger and frustration but this one is bittersweet


    - it’s a farewell neither of us wants.


    He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me onto hisp where I can feel his thick length; even if


    this is only a parting kiss, his cock is betraying his true intentions.


    I wrap my legs around his waist and my hands dove into his soft hair. He groans when I grind down on


    his cock, my own body betraying my true intentions now. With a low growl, he slips his hands down my


    back to my ass, cupping it and bucking right against my pussy.


    Breaking off the kiss, he brands my neck with sharp, curt kisses before working his way to my mouth


    again.


    With every kiss, we’re telling each other what we want, but neither of us can say it out loud. Saying it


    would make it real, and it would feel even worse when I do leave here.


    But how do I tell him that I don’t want to leave? How do I let him know that this is what I want, that my


    freedom is being with him when he’s already made up his mind to let me go?


    With a sudden jolt, he breaks off the kiss again and frowns. I cup his face with both my hands with the


    intention of telling him that I want him for him when his next words shatter the little semnce of


    happiness his kiss gave me.


    “Your father is here.”