CHAPTER 483: NO MORE REASON TO PROTEST

"I have to admit, I’m not sure what to say to that." Andrew said. "I...I have some hold ups about marking you." Andrew told him. He hesitated as he felt Maxwell tense in his arms. "It’s...not because of you, Maxy." Andrew spoke. "I think if I was a regular alpha I would have bitten you ages ago." Andrew admitted.

"You would have?" Maxwell sounded shocked hearing that. Andrew closed his eyes and sighed. He was an idiot. He should have told him this. Why hadn’t he?

"I don’t think I need to explain that I have some hold ups because of who my father is." Andrew said. Maxwell exhaled sharply.

"After fucking yesterday, it’s on fucking sight with that man. I’ll kill him myself. Your grandfather too. Especially if he had anything to do with your kidnapping. I’ll just buy a gun with a silencer and take him out myself." Maxwell meant it.

Andrew wanted to laugh it off, but he was so serious.

"Can you even shoot?" Andrew asked and Maxwell scoffed.

"Can I even shoot?" He asked and Andrew chuckled.

"I had to ask. I’ve never seen you practise." Andrew muttered and Maxwell sighed.

"I’ll take you to the range at my parents place at some point." Maxwell said and that made Andrew remember what he’d discussed with Kim in the car.

"Can you put a pin in talking about your parent’s place? I want to continue the first half of our conversation, but we also need to speak about something I just remembered." Andrew told him and Maxwell, finally, let Andrew move away from him enough that they could be nose to nose.

Maxwell’s face was a mess. He was leaking from his eyes, tears streaming down his face. It was a bit unfair that he looked so damn pretty when he cried, but that was a Maxwell privilege that Andrew was never going to get. He should just admire it while he could.

"Okay...I’ll ask about that after." Maxwell said, staring into Andrew’s eyes. Andrew swallowed before dropping his gaze. He wasn’t able to say this part while looking into his eyes.

"I...I was upset. I was more than upset, I was angry. Pissed that that man had taken away something else from me. The right to claim you as mine and just mine. You would have to live with the worry, the fear that I could run away to someone else. All the time. We couldn’t be a fucking normal bonded pair because of that fucking asshole and his dna that runs through my veins."

"That’s it?" Maxwell asked plainly and Andrew flinched.

"That’s not it, Maxy. There was more to it than that, but that was...part of the core." Andrew mumbled, sensing that Maxwell was getting angry. Maxwell’s hands left his shoulders to grab his face, squeezing his cheeks as he forced Andrew to meet his gaze. His blue eyes were afire with emotion.

"You held out on me because you were fucking worried that I would worry that someone would steal you away from me? Do you have no fucking faith in me?" Maxwell asked and Andrew gasped.

"What? No!" Andrew cried and Maxwell snarled.

"If that’s the case, you should not have made choices that are fucking important to both of us without talking to me! I have faith in you! I have faith in me, Andrew, but I would feel a hell of a lot better marked then unmarked! You’re my fucking mate, Andrew! My fucking fated pair! You know that, right?" Maxwell wasn’t shouting, but his words were a damn sledgehammer to any protests or any defenses that he could have had.

Andrew sat there, dumbstruck as Maxwell told him that.

"What?" Andrew croaked and Maxwell let out a wet laugh.

"You damn fucking handsome idiot. You’re so smart sometimes, and so dumb when it comes to yourself. How else would my smell soothe you? Did you see Richard doing the same fucking thing with someone else’s scent?" Andrew was fumbling for an answer.

"Uh, well, I thought that was because he was an omega and there were more drugs at his disposal." Andrew said dumbly and Maxwell laughed, shaking his head.

"Yes, but no, you idiot. It isn’t just because you’re devoted to me either. I know you are, but it’s deeper than that. I knew it the fucking moment I met your eyes when I opened my door for that fucking casserole." Maxwell said and Andrew didn’t have words to say.

He was shocked.

He had a fated pair? He hadn’t even considered that a possibility. That was just...that was a pipe dream, he thought. Especially for true alphas.

"Were you waiting for me to realise this?" Andrew asked and Maxwell nodded, his smile watery.

"Yeah, you idiot." Maxwell said and Andrew felt his arms go lax.

"I never would have thought it." Andrew admitted and watched as Maxwell’s expression crumbled. "Not because I didn’t think you were important enough or any bullshit thing like that. I...I didn’t think true alphas could have fated pairs." Andrew said, his voice rough. He then grabbed onto Maxwell, shaking off his hands on his face and pulled him against him tightly, letting out a shaky breath. "You’ve known that long?" Andrew asked softly and Maxwell nodded. His arms slid around his neck again, holding onto him.

"I’ve even tried to fight it. Look where that ended up?" Maxwell joked and Andrew squeezed him. He released him after, realising he was holding him too tightly.

"Sorry, I-"

"If you apologise for holding me one more fucking time, Andrew, I’m going to put you in a torture device of some kind." Maxwell warned and Andrew nodded. He had to fight a smile at the sharpness in his tone.

"Understood." Andrew muttered as his head reeled from everything he had found out. "You...You’re meant for me?" Andrew asked softly. Maxwell let out a shaky breath.

"Yeah."

"You’re mine?" Andrew asked softly and Maxwell pulled back so that he could press his forehead against Andrew’s. He stared into Andrew’s eyes, his eyes still watery.

"And you’re mine." He said firmly, no hesitation. Andrew closed his eyes as a powerful wave of relief washed through him. Andrew felt his eyes water. He’d been so damn worried. Worried that Maxwell would want someone else. That things would go wrong. Andrew wanted to give Maxwell an out in case...In case things didn’t go well.

"I am so fucking relieved." Andrew admitted. He couldn’t stop the tears as Maxwell stared at him.

"Why?" He asked softly and Andrew let out a wet laugh.

"I was worried that I was going to hold you back. That you were going to be meant for someone else. They were all stupid thoughts, but they were there. Always lurking, always in the back of my mind. Had I known..." Andrew trailed off before he let out another laugh. "I blame Michael. His little booklets said nothing clarifying about it." Andrew complained and Maxwell smiled.

"Didn’t they?" He asked and Andrew shook his head.

"Nothing about true alphas. Trust me, I would have remembered that. It’s one of the main reasons I never wanted to be an alpha. I like the concept that we would only be able to smell each other. I think it’s romantic." Maxwell’s expression softened.

"So why can’t you be happy with knowing that no one else could smell me?" Maxwell asked and Andrew gulped. Why couldn’t he be happy with that? What was wrong with that, knowing that Maxwell would never regret it, knowing that Andrew would be happy with it.

Knowing that his father didn’t have an invisible hand around his throat anymore.

Andrew’s teeth ached.

Andrew opened his mouth, wanting to say something, anything, but found he was speechless.

The longer he remained speechless, the more Maxwell’s smile grew.

"Baby? Why aren’t you saying anything?" Maxwell asked, his voice sweet and Andrew let out a little laugh.

"I...I have no excuse. No reason not to." Andrew admitted. "All the protests I had are gone. I...my teeth ache." Andrew told him and watched as Maxwell’s pupils dilated. His nostrils flared, his mouth falling from a smile into a far more serious expression.

Andrew and Maxwell stared at each other, lost in the moment until Andrew heard the sound of someone knocking on the door.

That seemed to shake both of them out of the moment and Andrew felt his face warm. What the hell was he thinking? Doing that while there were other people in the house? They were coming up on a busy season and everything else in the world was going on?

Getting marked was just as important as a fucking engagement! Why the hell was Andrew considering doing it on their fucking couch?

"You’re a damn temptation." Andrew muttered as he shifted Maxwell off of his lap and onto the couch. Maxwell stared back at him, handing Andrew his glasses so that he could pull them on.

"I’m going to get worse." Maxwell warned. "In fact, I’m thinking I might stop wearing my collar all together." Andrew felt his spine stiffen at his words.

"Max." Andrew warned as he slid his glasses on and another knock sounded on the door. When Andrew looked at Maxwell he had a determined look on his face. Like he was eyeing up something he really, really wanted. He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hands.

"You’re getting a warning. At least I’m being nice." Maxwell told him. "I’ll play dirty, but I’ll be nice about it." Maxwell said with a slow grin. Andrew felt his face warm as he realised he’d just dug his own grave.

He forgot that Maxwell was a damn shark. Andrew had shown a small weakness and now he smelled blood in the water. He was going to get his prey. Andrew just forgot that he was included on the list of prey.

Adjusting his clothes so he didn’t look like he’d just had a rather intimate moment with Maxwell, Andrew headed for the door. He checked the peephole, just to be safe and was glad to find two people he knew on the other side.

Stepping back as he opened the door, he let Kim and Jenny inside.

"Welcome, you two." Andrew said with a warm smile as Kim grinned.

"We’re here to pick up our little angels." Kim said before she took a long, loud sniff. "I hope you two weren’t corrupting them while we were gone." She said, giving a pointed look at Andrew. Andrew flushed.

He was glad he’d sent them downstairs when he had.