The Lycan Kingpin's Captive: A Baby For The Beast
Beta's Runaway Bride: 13 - Maxim

A weight bears heavily on my shoulders because I am torn between what I want and what I thinkXiomara wants. The way she kissed me now shows me that she wants this just as bad as I do, so whythe fuck aren't we giving in to this?

Gods, I want this woman.

The way she fits me so perfectly, it's almost as if the Goddess made her just for me. There's no waythis could be wrong, not with the way she makes my dead heart beat with purpose. She feels thesame way about me, so why was she hiding it?

Why feel ashamed for wanting something that feels so right?

But then I finally heard Niko's voice over the mind link and every bit of happiness I felt crumbled atmy feet. Xiomara's father has come to take her away - it's too late for us.

She moves from my lap and gets to her feet as quickly as she can, then she walks to the closetwhere I can hear her heart beating as fast as a hummingbird. That kiss was supposed to be agoodbye, not a welcome home.

With a groan, I stand up and breathe out a sigh that makes me wince. I fucking hate being weak likethis, I'm glad those cunts are dead or I'll be tempted to kill them again.

When Xiomara walks out, she's wearing a pair of trainers and a hoodie but I notice she’s notcarrying anything else. Then again, everything here is what I've bought her, right? She looks at me,her lips a thin line as she nods.

“I'm ready,” she says, and her voice cracks. Her eyes and body language give nothing away, but hervoice betrays her emotions. “Let's go.”

“Xiomara-"

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “It's too late now.”

I sigh again and bite back the pain, then I walk towards her and gesture for her to go first. Seeingher leave will be the hardest thing for me, but it will be a reminder that I let something beautiful slipthrough my fingers.

I'll show her every day and every night how much I want her, if that's what it takes. We can onlygrow from here, and from what I can tell, this will only grow more. I never wanted a bride, instead, Imight have just received a soulmate.

We walk out of the forest and I can hear loud voices coming from the front of the pack house. Nikois standing in front of a tall man with salt and pepper hair wearing a suit and flanked by two othermen. I can immediately tell that this is Xiomara’s father, especially when he turns his head our way.His face goes red, and he rushes over to us. Then he does something that has put him on my shitlist until the day he dies; he rips Xiomara out of my arms and lands a hard slap across her face.“Pappa-!"

“iEres una desgracia!” he hollers, pulling her towards him and attempting to drag her away. “You'regoing back to your mother's homeland! I am done with you and your rebellious ways!"

I snap out of my shock and see red. This man just put his hands on my woman; I don't give a fuck ifhe’s her father. No one touches her and lives.

Rushing after them, I pull her out of his grasp, rear back a fist, and slam it right against his nose. Thesounds of his bones cracking under my fist sends a shiver up my spine and I gear up to land anotherone when I feel a pair of small hands on my biceps.

Xiomara looks up at me and shakes her head. “Let him go, it's okay. It's just a misunderstanding-""He fucking touched you!” I growl, looking at the whimpering man in front of me. “No one gets tohurt you and live.”

"He's my father, Maxim!” she exclaims. I see her red cheek and it makes my blood boil. “He's angrywith me and worked up, but this can all be settled with a few words, okay? Let's speak with himabout our decision and go from there.”

I let go of his lapel, and he falls to the floor, holding his nose. How the fuck is she expecting me tobe calm right now? From a happy fucking revelation in the woods to this. I shouldn't give in soeasily, I should be beating him to a pulp for touching what's mine, but the look in her eyes reels myanger back.

“Fine,” I say, gently grabbing the back of her neck and pulling her to my side before glaring at herfather. “If you had waited just a few fucking seconds before touching her, you would have knownthat my betrothal to your daughter is still in effect. She's mine.”

The fucker at least has the decency to look scared as he takes a step back, looking from hisdaughter to me. “S-still in effect? You are going to marry her?”

I nod. “I am and you just hurt my bride; for that, you shouldn't be spared, but she’s just saved yourlife by vouching for you,” he pales at my words, and I can't help but smirk. “The marriage is still inplace and so are the arrangements between you and Niko.”

Niko walks towards us and places a hand on my shoulder. “I have the papers up in my office. If youwill, Alpha Aldo, we can do this right now.”

This is what Niko spoke to me about earlier; he has the marriage papers, and it's just for us to signthem. I turn to Xiomara and see the shock on her face, because if her father says yes, then we'regetting married right fucking now.

Her father flounders, but nods anyway. “Certainly!” he exclaims, then he turns to me. “I apologize formy rash behavior, Beta Maxim. I hope you can forgive me. And you, Zara, I am sorry for strikingyou.”

Xiomara nods. “The first and the last time, Pappa,” she says, then actually walks towards him andembraces him. They whisper something to each other and her father nods, actually lookingapologetic for once.

She joins me at my side again and then glances up at me. “You knew about the papers, didn’t you?”she asks, but obviously already knows the answer.

I lean forward to kiss the side of her head, attempting to hide my smile but failing. “Let's just say Iwas informed, and knew I had to take action to keep you by my side,” I say. It's not exactly the fulltruth, but it'll do.

As long as I have her now, as long as she willingly says yes to being mine, it will all be worth it.