You Have Always Been Mine

Chapter 19 - Destiny calling part 1

The next few days after the wrestling match were… as expected. Word of his ‘foolish audacity’ spread like wildfire, even to the nearest packs.

Max becomes targeted at school, and gets so bad the principal informally 'suspends' him for a while. He is advised to stay home, just until people lose interest and something more juicy comes along. It is unfair, but the alternative would have been to suspend a lot more students and Max has been sent to the infirmary more than enough times that the professors intervened.

The Luna graciously offers to bring and pick Ginny up from school for a few days, just until things eventually die down. It would also give the impression of Max being punished as he remains home, unable to attend his classes too. His wolf finds it insulting that they are being punished after doing something kind and necessary for everyone else, but apparently, it was necessary to appease those salivating to punish his ‘insolence’.

It should bother him, but Max strangely feels detached from it all. His wolf is oddly quiet lately and he wonders if Ardghal is still pissed at him for being denied.

‘Are you okay?’ He asks for what seems to be the twentieth time already. But just like before, his wolf refuses to respond. Max knows he is still there because he can feel the wolf’s presence lurking in the corner of his mind, breathing with him, but Ardghal remains silent.

He has tried apologizing so many times already, even poking fun at the wolf for being too dramatic just to get a reaction, but still no response and he’s starting to worry.

“I brought you dinner from the packhouse…” His mother calls from the other side of his bedroom door. “It’s in the kitchen, if you’re hungry.”

“Thanks, Mom…”

“Are you all right, Max?”

“I’m fine. Please don’t worry about me.”

“Well, it’s kinda hard not to. You have barely eaten in days and you’ve been in your room forever.”

“I’m grounded, remember?”

“I know what really happened, Max,” his mother murmurs, sounding hesitant. “Luna Grace told me. You’re not really being punished, you know. It’s just for appearance’s sake. To bring things back to normal.”

Max sighs. The shunning feels real, though, and what is making him suffer is being kept away from Ginny. It’s so frustrating because Goddess knows what people out there have been saying about him and he can’t even defend himself. What if Ginny believes them? He sacrificed a great deal trying to do the right thing and yet…

“Someone’s here for you, by the way.”

He sighs. “Not really in the mood for visitors, Mom—”

“Not even for me?”

He freezes. Ginny? That was Ginny’s voice! He bolts to the door in a flash and nearly unhinges it as he opens it wide, unable to believe his eyes. She’s there. She’s really there.

Ginny smiles shyly, looking around. “Nice cottage you have here. Very cozy and—”

Max grabs her for a bear hug before he could stop himself, missing her so much he almost crushes her bones. She yelps in surprise and cries out when the embrace starts to hurt. He releases her instantly.

“Sorry! Sorry!” He chuckles, scratching the back of his head. “I got too excited…”

His mom, Lettie, shakes her head with a small smile and tells them she will make them both something to drink in the kitchen. Max leads Ginny to the living room, almost tripping in his excitement having her in his place.

‘Shesh, calm down, you i***t!’ He berates himself. ‘You’re acting like a lovesick teenager and it’s gonna freak her out!’

“Sorry about the hug,” he mumbles as Ginny sits down on the couch. “Have been cooped up here so long, the walls were starting to talk back. I would have done the same to anyone who came to visit me.”

Ginny grins. “Even Beta Collins and Gamma Lowell?”

He groans. “Okay, maybe not anyone…”

“They’re the ones who convinced Dad to ground you for a bit. Overheard them during dinner before Dad left,” Ginny tells him in a low, solemn voice. “Mom told me and Lettie what you did, Max. She said you have been very… considerate.”

Considerate. The word feels a little off and rather leaves a lot to be desired, but given the circumstances, it might be the best he’ll ever get. No matter that he did the honorable thing during the arm wrestling match, he still poses a real threat to the Alpha’s position now and his family knows that. If he can challenge the current alpha and win, he can do the same to the alpha’s heir sooner or later.

Is that why they sent Ginny today? Is she the sacrificial lamb? The thought suddenly leaves a foul taste in his mouth.

“Why are you really here, Ginny?”