The Lycan Kingpin's Captive: A Baby For The Beast novel Chapter 24

Maxim is standing at the door, looking at me with an odd expression. I had just gotten dressed and was about to write in my journal when he opened the door.

I stand up and look at him. “Can I help you?”

He cocks his head to the side. “Is that any way to speak to the person who’s getting you out of this room?”

“What?” I ask with a frown and he simply chuckles.

“Come, Mirabella. I’m sure you’ve missed the back gardens,” he says and walks out, leaving the door open.

I swallow hard and take a step back, remembering how he fooled me last time. It’s the reason I’m in this room right now, the reason Alpha Nikolaos has me locked up.

He walks back and looks at me with an eyebrow cocked. “Are you coming?”

“The last time I followed your instructions, I ended up in here. Why would I follow you now?” I say, then I promptly sit down. “Please, leave me alone.”

Maxim walks in and gets down on his haunches in front of me. I refuse to make eye contact, but his gaze is burning holes into the side of my head, so I relent and look at him.

“Mirabella, you know why I had to trick you,” he starts. “Niko isn’t someone who trusts easily, and with you literally dropping into his lap after Mikhail’s men chased you into his territory…he knew something was up. He knew you were important.”

I sigh. “You could have asked-”

“He did that, remember? You pretended not to know who you were or why they took you. Listen,” he says, taking my hands in his. “If there’s one thing Niko values, it’s the truth. It doesn’t matter how much it sucks or how much it hurts. Niko prefers that over bullshit.”

I look at this Beta with a frown on my face, perplexed that he would come to me with this now. That cold look in his eyes from before is gone, and in its place stood something resembling sincerity.

Why is he telling me this now? “I’ve told Alpha Nikolaos everything I know - even the disgusting things I didn’t want to admit. There’s nothing left in me to dig through, nothing left in me to dissect.” I say, pulling my hand out of his grip.

Maxim sighs. “I know, Mirabella and I am sorry it had to come to this. We had to find out the truth for the sake of the pack. We had to know if you could be trusted or if you’d run off at the first scent of freedom. You failed miserably, but we both understand why you did it.”

“I did it because I thought my being here would endanger more lives. They nearly killed Josef; what if Ariadne was next?!” I exclaim. Maxim’s eyes widen slightly when I say this, then he bites the pad of his thumb.

“You really left because of that?”

I shrug. “Speaking to Josef made me realize that; then I saw the note you left, and it pushed me to do it. At first, I thought it was Mikhail’s handiwork, but he doesn’t do things the sly way with assassins. He makes it known that he was behind it; well, apart from killing my father’s heirs. It solidified that someone else didn’t want me here, so I left.”

Maxim is quiet for a while, staring at me as if I have grown a second head, then he chuckles. “Well, then think of this as my apology for fooling you before. As I’ve said, just be honest with Niko and he’ll treat you well.”

When he says this, he takes my hand and pulls me towards the door while I protest.

But as soon as we went outside, I’m happy he forced me out of my prison cell, because the chilly spring weather woke me right up. I wrap my cardigan around my body, but it doesn’t cover me because of my belly.

I’m about to ask him if we can go back for a coat when he wraps a warm shawl over my shoulders. “Thought this through, see,” he says with a wink before pulling me into the back garden.

We walk in silence while I take in the beautiful garden. The gazebo is littered with an array of different buds and flowers, making it look even more beautiful than before. I place my hand on my heart and let out a sigh. “Wow…”

Maxim laughs. “I knew you’d like it. Ariadne will be out here soon. She wants to have some tea with you again.” He says and my head whips towards him in surprise.

“But Alpha Nikolaos forbade me-”

“He gave the okay when she asked him, don’t worry. And no, I’m not lying. You can ask him when he comes back tomorrow,” Maxim says, rolling his eyes.

Oh. I forgot he’s gone to see my father…he might come back with the news that I have to marry him, too.

I nod uncomfortably, then move to the front of the gazebo to see a brunch layout. I guess she really wants to speak with me, then.

When I sit down, Maxim shoots me an odd look. “When Niko comes back tomorrow, don’t forget what I’ve just told you. He…has a past filled with pain. It would be a pity to see you add to it.”