Chapter Ten: Too Close
1121 Words
Ayla didn’t go back to the house.
Not right away.
She told herself it was for space. For air. For time to think.
But deep down—
She knew it was because of him.
Maximus leaned casually against one of the trees, watching her like he had all the time in the world. Like he already knew she wasn’t leaving.
“You always run this much?” he asked.
Ayla exhaled, crossing her arms. “Only when people won’t leave me alone.”
“Good thing I’m not planning to.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re very confident for someone who just met me.”
A smirk tugged at his lips. “Doesn’t feel like I just met you.”
The bond pulsed in agreement.
Ayla looked away, jaw tightening. “Yeah. I know.”
Silence settled between them—but not awkward.
Heavy.
Charged.
Different.
Maximus pushed off the tree and stepped closer, slow enough to give her time to move.
She didn’t.
That alone made his expression shift—just slightly.
“Tell me something,” he said.
Ayla hesitated. “Why?”
“Because I asked.”
She huffed softly. “That’s not a reason.”
“It is to me.”
She studied him for a second, then sighed. “Fine. What do you want to know?”
“Why you look like you’re about to fight yourself every five seconds.”
Her breath caught.
Of course he noticed.
“Because I am,” she admitted quietly.
His gaze didn’t soften—but it deepened.
“Over me?” he asked.
“Not everything is about you,” she replied quickly.
“Didn’t say it was.”
He stepped closer again.
Now there was barely any space between them.
Ayla’s pulse spiked.
“You feel it,” he said, his voice lower now. “Same as I do.”
She swallowed. “Yeah.”
“And you don’t like it.”
“It’s not that I don’t like it,” she said carefully. “It’s that it’s complicated.”
“Everything worth having is.”
Her eyes snapped to his. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Then explain it.”
She shook her head immediately. “No.”
“Why?”
“Because,” she said, stepping back slightly, “if I start talking, it doesn’t stop.”
Something about that made his expression shift—less teasing now, more focused.
“Try me,” he said.
Ayla hesitated.
Then, quietly—
“I already have a mate.”
The words hung between them.
Maximus didn’t react the way she expected.
Didn’t step back.
Didn’t shut down.
He just looked at her.
“And?” he said again.
Ayla let out a breath of disbelief. “That doesn’t bother you?”
“Should it?”
“Yes,” she said. “It should.”
He tilted his head slightly, studying her like she was something he hadn’t figured out yet.
“Does he want you?” he asked.
The question hit harder than anything else.
Ayla’s chest tightened.
“…That’s not the point.”
“It is to me.”
She looked away.
That silence—
That was answer enough.
Maximus’s jaw shifted slightly, something darker flickering behind his eyes.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “That’s what I thought.”
⸻
Before she could respond, he stepped closer again.
Too close.
Close enough that she could feel his warmth, his presence surrounding her completely.
Ayla’s breath hitched.
“Maximus—”
“Relax,” he said softly. “If you wanted distance, you would’ve left already.”
She didn’t like how right that was.
Her back was inches from the tree now, her heart racing as he stopped just in front of her.
Not touching.
But close enough to feel everything.
“Why aren’t you running?” he asked quietly.
Ayla’s voice came out softer than she intended. “…I don’t know.”
That wasn’t true.
She did know.
Because for the first time—
She didn’t feel like she was being pushed away.
His hand lifted slowly, giving her time to stop him.
She didn’t.
His fingers brushed lightly against her arm.
And the bond—
Flared.
Ayla inhaled sharply, her body reacting instantly, warmth spreading through her chest in a way that made her head spin.
“See?” he murmured.
Her eyes closed for a second. “This isn’t fair.”
“Nothing about this is fair,” he replied. “Doesn’t mean it’s not real.”
His hand moved slightly, resting more firmly now—not gripping, just there.
Grounding.
Present.
Ayla opened her eyes, meeting his gaze again.
And this time—
She didn’t look away.
“You’re dangerous,” she whispered.
A faint smirk touched his lips. “Only if you let me be.”
Her heart pounded harder.
This was a mistake.
She knew it.
Everything in her told her to step away.
To leave.
To stop this before it became something she couldn’t control.
But her body didn’t move.
Instead—
She leaned in.
Just slightly.
Just enough.
His gaze dropped to her lips for half a second.
Then back to her eyes.
Checking.
Giving her a choice.
And when she didn’t pull away—
That was all he needed.
The space between them disappeared.
The kiss wasn’t rushed.
Wasn’t forced.
It was slow.
Intentional.
Like he was learning her instead of taking from her.
Ayla’s breath caught as everything inside her lit up at once—the bond, her emotions, the feeling of finally being wanted instead of denied.
Her hand lifted without thinking, gripping lightly at his shirt as she leaned into him.
Maximus responded instantly, one hand steadying her at her side, pulling her just slightly closer—not overwhelming, just enough to make her feel it.
All of it.
The connection.
The tension.
The pull.
It was nothing like before.
Not cold.
Not conflicted.
Not hesitant.
It was mutual.
And that made it dangerous.
⸻
When they finally pulled apart, Ayla’s breathing was uneven, her mind spinning as reality started creeping back in.
Her eyes widened slightly.
“…I shouldn’t have done that.”
Maximus didn’t move away.
“If you didn’t want to,” he said quietly, “you wouldn’t have.”
She shook her head, stepping back this time. “You don’t understand—”
“Then help me understand.”
“I can’t,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “Because if I do, this gets worse.”
His gaze stayed on her, steady and unreadable now.
“Too late for that.”
Ayla’s chest tightened.
He wasn’t wrong.
And that terrified her.
- Writer
