Maxwell’s POV
With every step, Xavier kept pleading with me to go back and try to understand Laura. It was obvious he felt guilty for everything.
But I couldn’t go back. How would that make me look? Like a man with no integrity—someone who depended on his mate for shelter. How could I lead a pack if Laura saw me that way? I had to protect my image.
I had nowhere to go. I thought about returning to my father’s house—but for Xavier’s sake, I couldn’t. My father would be thrilled to have me back, I knew that for sure, especially considering how we parted last time. Even if he hadn’t changed, he’d pretend to have, just to win me over.
Going back might make things worse—and I wanted to avoid that at all costs.
“Maxwell, don’t be stubborn,” Xavier said, stepping in front of me to halt my st
