Chapter 73
Felicity
POV.
I had just emerged from a relaxing bath, wrapped in a warm towel, looking for what to wear in my closet to seduce Maximus, when I heard a knock at my door. "Who is it?" I called out, puzzled by the unexpected interruption. "It's Adrian," came the reply, and my heart skipped a beat.
Why would he be coming to see me now, in my vulnerable state?
"Come in," I said, hesitantly, and watched as Adrian stepped into the room. He looked anxious, almost troubled, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding wash over me. "What's wrong, Adrian?" I asked, backing away from him slightly.
He came closer, his eyes fixed on mine, and I swallowed hard. "There's something I've wanted to tell you since the first moment I saw you," he said, his voice low and urgent. I frowned, confused and wary. "What is it?"
Adrian reached out to smooth a lock of hair from my face, and I took another step back. "I... I love you, Felicity," he said, the words coming out in a rush. "I have for a long time."
My heart sank. I had known that some men might be attracted to me, but I had never expected this from Adrian. And the way he was looking at me now, with so much intensity and emotion, made me uncomfortable. "I can't do this, Adrian," I said softly, trying to back away from him again. "My heart belongs to Maximus."
Adrian's face twisted with anger, and he grabbed for me again. "Maximus isn't right for you, Felicity," he said, his voice rising. "I am. I always have been."
I pushed him away, a sense of panic taking over. "Stop it, Adrian," I said, my voice trembling. "Please just go."
But he wasn't listening. He came at me again, pulling me close, and I tried to fight him off. "Let go of me!" I cried, feeling tears prickle at the corners of my eyes.
"I can take care of you, Felicity," Adrian insisted, his breath hot on my face. "And I can take care of your baby too."
His words made my blood run cold. I had never seen this side of Adrian before, and it scared me. "No," I said, shaking my head. "No, you can't."
And then he kissed me, hard and rough, and I felt myself struggling to break free. "Stop," I said, pushing against him. "Please, Adrian, stop."
Suddenly the door burst open. To my horror, it was Maximus who had walked in on us.
I could see the rage in his eyes as he stared at us in disbelief. I tried to explain, but the words wouldn't come out of my mouth.
"What the hell is going on here?" He demanded, and I could see the hurt in his eyes.
"Maximus, it's not what it looks like," I said, slightly panicking.
Adrian chuckled, enjoying seeing my reaction. "Looks like you caught us," he said, smirking.
Maximus's anger was palpable. "How could you do this to me?" he demanded, his voice heavy with fury.
"It's not like that," I protested, trying to explain myself, but nobody was listening.
Adrian didn't care about the situation he put me and Maximus in. "It's none of your business," he said carelessly.
Maximus was livid. "She deserves better than you," he growled at Adrian.
Adrian rose to the challenge. "If you want her, you'll have to fight for her," he said, flexing his fists.
An altercation was inevitable. I hurriedly stepped in, trying to calm both of them down. "Stop it, both of you. This is not what I want," I said, my voice quivering with fear.
Eyeing Adrian, Maximus's rage boiled over. "You're not going to get away with this," he spat out.
Confrontation was the last thing I needed. "Please, can we talk about this later?" I pleaded with them. I couldn't lose anyone in this fight.
As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I had messed up. I had betrayed the trust of my love. Tension filled the air as she glared at me.
"I trusted you, and you went behind my back with him," he yelled, his voice shaking with fury.
I tried to explain, to apologize, but nothing seemed to appease him. He stormed out of the room, leaving me alone with my guilt.
I didn't mean to hurt him. It just happened. It was a f*****g misunderstanding.
But the damage was done, and I wasn't sure how to fix it.
I turned to Adrian in anger, my hand raised and slapped him hard across the cheek. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?" I shouted, my voice shaking with rage. "You wanted to cause trouble between Maximus and me." Adrian rubbed his cheek, a smirk still on his face. "I just wanted to have some fun, I like you" he said, his tone mocking.
I couldn't take it anymore. "You're such a jerk," I spat out, my voice laced with venom. "I can't believe I ever thought you were my friend."
Adrian's face twisted with anger. "You think you're so much better than me," he growled. "You're just like the rest of them, always looking down on me."
I rolled my eyes. "That's not true," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "I just don't like the way you treat people."
Adrian sneered. "What do you know about treating people?" he said. "You're just a little girl who thinks she knows everything."
I felt a surge of anger in my chest. "At least I don't go around causing trouble for no reason," I said, my voice rising. "You're the one who's acting like a child."
Adrian's eyes flashed with fury. "You don't know anything," he said, his voice low. "You have no idea what I've been through."
I shook my head. "I don't care," I said, my voice firm. "You can't just go around hurting people because you're unhappy."
Adrian opened his mouth to say something else, but I cut him off. "Get out," I said, pointing to the door. "I don't want to see you again."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Fine," he spat out. "You'll regret this."
With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I collapsed on my bed, tears streaming down my face. What had I gotten myself into?
A few moments later, I heard raised voices and commotion coming from the common area. I quickly got up and ran out of my room, still wearing only a towel. Maximus was livid. "She deserves better than you," he growled at Adrian.
When I got there, I saw Maximus on top of Adrian, raining blows down on him with his fists. The other members of the pack were trying to pull him off, but he was too strong. "Stop it, Maximus!" I shouted, my voice cracking with fear.
Maximus looked up at me, his eyes blazing with anger. "He deserves this," he growled.
I shook my head, tears still streaming down my face. "No, he doesn't," I said. "Please, stop."
Maximus hesitated for a moment, then got off of Adrian. The other members of the pack helped Adrian up, his face bloody and swollen.
"You're going to pay for this, Adrian," Maximus said, his voice low and dangerous.
Adrian just laughed. "Bring it on," he said, his eyes glinting with malice.
The other members of the pack quickly took Adrian away, while Maximus and I went back to our room. He was furious with me, and I tried to explain what had happened with Adrian, but he didn't believe me. "He forced me, Maximus," I said, my voice trembling. "I didn't want to do it."
Maximus approached me dangerously, his eyes dark with anger. "You should have told me," he growled. "I could have protected you."
I felt tears welling up in my eyes. "I'm sorry," I whispered.
Maximus grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and pulled me close, his mouth crushing mine in a punishing kiss. I didn't push back, just let him take out his anger on me. When he finally pulled away, my lips were bruised and swollen. "Don't ever do something like that again," he said, his voice low and dangerous.
I nodded, tears still streaming down my face. "I won't," I said. "I promise."
My heart was pounding as Maximus kissed me again, his lips bruising mine as he tasted my tears. I wanted to push him away, but I was too afraid. I felt powerless against his raw strength and emotion.
"Maximus, please," I whispered, choking back a sob. "Please don't do this."
But he didn't listen. His lips moved against mine, hard and relentless. He kissed me with a passion that was almost punishing, and I felt my heart break.
Suddenly, Maximus pulled away, his eyes still blazing with rage. "How could you do this to me?" he growled, his voice filled with pain. "Did you not trust me? Did you not know that I would do anything for you?"
I shook my head, feeling my own tears spill down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry," I said, my voice trembling. "I never meant for this to happen."
Maximus stared at me for a moment, his eyes searching mine. Then he sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "I know," he said, his voice softening. "I know you didn't mean it, Felicity. And that's why I can forgive you. Just promise me you won't ever do anything like this again."
I nodded, feeling relieved. "I promise," I said, my voice shaky.
Maximus smiled, and then he pulled me into a hug. "I love you," he said, his voice rough with emotion.
"I love you too," I said, burying my face in his chest.