Leonardo

"You shouldn't have had so much to drink, Max," I grumbled, irritated by his intoxication and my aversion to driving, “You used to be the one refraining from alcohol."

He chuckled quietly, "That girl's fucking with my mind, Leo," he groaned, exhaling a plume of smoke, his confusion mirroring mine however I didn’t let it be evident much like he wouldn’t have if he hadn’t been so fucking drunk,  "Something's fucked up. Really fucked up.”

Indeed, it was the matebond that had brought us to this state. Every fibre of my being was drawn to Maya, and I knew my brother's struggle was no less than mine.

"So, what's the plan now?" I asked, "Reject her to ease your conscience?"

"That won't just ease my conscience, but hers too," he shook his head, changing the car's music, “I don’t want her to not suffer. It's not the way to bring justice to our mom."

He had a point, and for some reason, it bothered me a little. Perhaps, deep down, I also wanted to escape these fucked-up emotions the matebond had stirred within both of us. The connection I felt…every time I touched her, every time she shivered and her beautiful eyes landed on us— it all felt too good— like a guilty pleasure, capable of leading us to commit the gravest of sins.

She wasn't meant to be our pleasure…..

She was supposed to be that eyesore we had to eliminate at any cost. But, god knew, she never felt like it—she didn’t look like it. There was something unusual about her, like a siren luring fishermen who would forget their pursuit for her allure.

"You know, Leo, when Maya looks at me with those tear-filled eyes, so innocent, dying to understand why we're doing this to her, with questions flowing down her cheeks," Maximus hissed, "It fucking breaks a part of me. I hate feeling weak despite knowing our true intentions. She has some kind of power over me, and it makes me want to run away. To push her away hurts even more. Fuck this! I think I'm going insane."

That was the problem.

She made us want to forget our mission, the hunt. And if we did, we'd be destroyed. Living with the fact that we had the chance but didn't avenge our mother's death would be unbearable.

"You're not going insane," A bitter chuckle escaped my lips, “It's that fucking matebond. But, don't lose it in front of her. She doesn't need to know our weaknesses."

"She's too naive," he said, bitterness lacing his tone, “She would never understand, and maybe it'd be impossible for her to believe that we have any weakness towards her. Even if she hears it from our own mouths, even after those marks on her fade, although I don't think they'll fade anytime soon. The more we put her through, the longer it'll take for those marks to fade away. And we don't know if they'll ever fade from her memories."

"But we don't want her memories to fade, Max," I said, maintaining my composure, “She needs to remember every bit we put her through to be completely broken. Otherwise, how do you expect her to take her own life?"

"You're right," he sighed. "I've completely lost my mind."

"That's why I tell you not to drink. You fucking know what alcohol does to us," I muttered, speeding the car. 

My thoughts were always unpredictable, much like now because I wanted to drive over random people. But because of Maya, every time I was around her, I knew every exact fucking thing going on in my mind, and that was unsettling.

Fuck! That girl was driving me insane as well.

"So what do we do after getting home? Fuck her?" Max asked, glancing at me.

"Not today. You won't be able to hold back; I can already see that."

"You think I'd end up showing that I care?" He sounded pissed.

"Well, do you actually care, Max?!"

"Even if I refuse it, it won't make the lie the truth, would it?" He bit back. "And even if you deny it, that wouldn't prove that you don't because we both know that we fucking do!"

He was totally losing it tonight. God, this shit was annoying.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, emitting a sigh. His words were confusing me as much as I wanted to hold it in. Even without the effects of alcohol, he was making me feel as he was feeling right now.

"Even if we do, it shouldn't fucking matter," I took a turn, driving towards the pack house. "You know what we have to do and have planned. Don't let a girl stir awake the emotions we've buried. To avenge Mom's death, we have to be heartless. We can't allow ourselves to seek pleasure from the feelings we have for her. In fact, we shouldn't feel anything at all! She needs to die—that's what we've decided. So, get a hold of yourself and forget that she's our mate. She's nothing but a pawn. That's all she should ever be to us."

"Do you think I'm enjoying the fact that she's left everything in my mind at sevens and sixes? I'm equally pissed off as you."

"Yes, I know you don't want this. That's why I tried to stop you from drinking, but you wouldn't listen. Now bear it!" We arrived at the pack house.

I parked the car and got out.

This was the only thing I hated about Maximus—he could hide his emotions in front of everyone, and he could act, but when he'd lose it, he'd lose it bad. I could only hope he wouldn't ruin things with a sudden rush of emotions.

As we walked into the pack house, instead of taking the lift to our floor, he pressed the button for the first floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked him, cocking an eyebrow.

"I won't be able to see her face tonight. It's better if I stay in one of the spare rooms," he said, rubbing his forehead and dragging his hand down his mouth. "We can catch up on things tomorrow."

The lift door opened.

"Don't worry, I won't fuck things up," he patted my back before walking away, and the door closed again.

Unable to complain, as what he did was the right thing, I stepped out as the lift reached our floor.

Soon, her scent hit my nose, instantly making me regret my decision. Since last night, our floor solely smelled of her—heavenly. I hated to admit it.

Should I have stayed back for tonight?

Fuck! It was too late already.

Suppressing my desires, I walked into the room with my usual cold facade, and an unexpected sight welcomed me.

She was asleep, but on the floor, over the carpet at the foot of the bed.

Did she think we'd punish her if she slept on the bed? It wasn't like I minded the fact that she thought of us as more cruel than we truly were, but I couldn't deny that it caused a small sting.

I should just let her sleep on the floor, shouldn't I?

Yeah...I should—

My body responded before my mind could, and I found myself walking over to her, picking up her tiny figure in my arms. She stirred in her sleep, thankfully not waking up. If she had, I might have had to drop her. Instead, Maya snuggled into my arm, her face pressed against my chest, right against my heart that unknowingly quickened, and her hands clutched onto my shirt.

She was really tiny. Small and fragile.

I gazed at her for a solid few minutes, holding her in my arms, before finally placing her on the bed. I pulled the duvet over her body, and she mewled in her sleep, finding warmth. She must have been cold from the floor.

Why did she sleep on the floor anyway? Neither Maximus nor I mentioned anything about the bed.

Stupid. Totally stupid.

Wait... What was I even thinking? Why was I concerned about her comfort?

Shit! I must have lost it, just like Max.

My eyes involuntarily glanced at Maya's angelic sleeping figure, and once again, my heartbeat quickened.

It's too soon to start doubting our intentions.

Without thinking, I turned around and stormed out of the room.

Guess I'd have to take a spare room to sleep as well….