Chapter 17 Max
MAX
Jackson threw his cards down on the table as Max reached forward to scoop up his winnings.
“You’re such an asshole!”
Max smirked. “Don’t be a sore loser,” he taunted.
“You’re not even playing for cash, why do you care?” David asked. He’d been standing behind Jackson, watching the game, and it was his facial expressions that had allowed Max to pull off the rare victory.
When he spoke, Jackson jumped several inches into the air. He rounded on David with a scowl. “How long have you been standing there?”
“The whole time,” David said.
Jackson twisted his head back around and glared at Max. “You fucking cheater.”
Max laughed and gathered the cards so that he could shuffle them. He tried to do the shuffle trick that Jackson always used, lining the two stacks of the deck up against each other on the table, but when he tried to shuffle them, the two stacks just bumped into each other.
“Let me do it,” Jackson said, snatching the cards away from him. “One more-”
Jackson was interrupted by the sound of the fire alarm going off. Everyone kicked into action, getting into their gear and onto the engine, and a minute later they were on the road.
Max wasn’t supposed to be working, but he’d offered to do half a shift for Elvira out of guilt so that she could go have a spa day with her sister, who was visiting from New York.
Jackson had tried to finagle his own deal, but Max had told him to fuck off.
He didn’t feel that guilty. They hadn’t had any call-outs the night he was gone, so it wasn’t like his presence had been missed.
“False alarm!” David suddenly announced. The sirens turned off and the engine slowed to a normal speed.
Max relaxed, the hyper-focused state of alertness that calls brought out in him receding. The closest thing Max could compare it to was taking off a good pair of noise-canceling headphones.
“Nice,” Jackson said, slouching back and slapping Max on his arm.
They headed back to the station and got out of gear.
“I’m going to work out. Will you spot me?” David requested, putting his helmet back on the shelf.
“Sure.” Max finished putting away his own stuff. “Just let me get something to drink.”
After spotting David for his workout, Max sat down and played some more cards with Jackson. A little after five, Elvira came to take over the rest of her shift.
“Hot date?” Elvira asked, looking him up and down as he prepared to leave.
“What?” Max licked his lips, looking down at himself. He was wearing his usual jeans, boots, and bomber jacket.
“You did your hair,” Elvira commented.
“No I didn’t,” Max said, running his hand through it. He’d put a little product in it, maybe, but that was it.
“If you say so.” Elvira left, giving him another knowing look.
Max walked out to his truck, tugging on a pair of mittens to keep his fingers from freezing on the steering wheel.
Contrary to what Elvira thought, he did not have a date.
Warren was coming to the house for his session with Harland, however, and if Max happened to be there when he arrived… well, that was just a coincidence.
“Just be normal,” Max muttered to himself, feeling nervous at the idea of seeing Warren again.
Things were just so complicated.
He wondered how Warren and Marcus’s date had gone. Marcus was a cool guy, so it would make sense if Warren fell for him, but Max didn’t want him and Harland to be left out in the cold.
Could they be left out in the cold?
It had been almost a week since he and Warren had sucked each other off in the Goodwill changing room. Max had asked Harland how long it took for a human turning into an omega to start craving their alpha, but Harland hadn’t been able to give a satisfactory answer.
Surely a whole week meant that they were in the clear?
That would be a good thing, Max reasoned. If Warren was not in danger of becoming an omega, they could just date him the normal way.
Pulling up the driveway of Harland’s mansion, Max parked his truck in the garage and waited for the garage door to finish closing before going into the house.
The door into the house itself would only unlock once the big garage doors had closed, at least when Harland was home and there was daylight.
“Honey, I’m home!” Max called as soon as the door was open and he could barge inside.
“In the parlor,” Harland replied, sounding distracted.
Max tugged off his mittens and left them on the table by the door before making his way to see what Harland was up to. He checked his phone and noted that they still had about half an hour before the driver was due to arrive with Warren.
He found Harland in the living room with his assistant, Sandra.
Harland was in the armchair by the fireplace, sitting in front of a roaring fire, looking over a thick stack of documents.
He was wearing a new pair of leather pants – or if not new, then new to Max – and a sweater with a neckline so deep that you could see half his pecs.
It was a remarkably slutty look. Max approved.
“Max, Sandra has some things she needs you to sign.” Harland put the papers he’d been looking at into a folder and tossed it on the table.
Sandra, standing next to the couch with a folder of her own, smiled and hurried over to Max. She handed him a document.
“What is it?” Max asked, accepting it and taking a seat on the couch.
“I’m submitting the paperwork to the alpha council stating that I’m claiming this city as my territory and that you are a member of my pack.”
Sandra handed him another paper.
“And that is to certify to the state that we are mates.”
Max looked down at the official-looking document, all the fields filled out except for the space where Sandra had put a post-it with an instruction to ‘sign here.’
“Are you proposing to me?” Max asked, sitting up straight and looking between Harland and the form. His cheeks hurt from the force of his grin. This was a million times better than getting Harland to admit that they were boyfriends. He felt like kicking his feet he was so happy. “Do I get a ring?”
“Do you want a ring?” Harland asked, stretching his feet out and crossing his ankles. He folded his hands over his chest. Max knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t nearly as nonchalant as he appeared.
This was a big deal.
“Yes.”
Max wanted a ring. Max wanted a wedding – one he could invite his parents and all his friends to.
“Then you can have a ring.”
“Nice,” Max said, taking the pen from Sandra and signing his name on the form. “You’re my husband. No take-backsies.”
“Mate,” Harland corrected. “Not husband.”
“My loving hubby,” Max said, grinning.
“Congratulations,” Sandra piped up, smiling at him.
“Thank you.” Max shot her a beaming grin.
He tried to hand the pen back, but she just looked at him.
“Both documents, please,” she said, still smiling.
“Oh, right.” Max quickly signed the first document she’d handed him. “So, what does this mean? Can you claim a territory, being a vampire?”
Harland shrugged. “If they want to send someone to challenge my status as an alpha, they’re more than welcome to try. Until then, yes. I can.”
Max looked at the form. There was a section where you could have other pack alphas sign their support and recognition of your claim. There were five spots, and the form required at least one. It was currently empty.
“You should ask Marcus to sign this, too.” Max handed both forms back to Sandra. “I’m sure that would help.”
“That won't be necessary,” Harland said, his voice firm.
Max didn’t push. He’d ask Marcus the next time he saw him.
“Now that we’re married, should I take your last name?” he asked. “Max Hill. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
Harland rose up from his chair and walked over to where Max was sitting. He leaned down and kissed him.
“If you want.”
“I’m not used to getting my way this much,” Max said, pulling Harland onto the couch so that he could straddle his lap and deepen the kiss.
“You’re not usually this reasonable.”
Max laughed and groped Harland’s ass, squeezing his leather-clad glutes as they continued to make out.
“I’m… going to leave,” Sandra said, making Max jerk in surprise.
He’d forgotten she was there, even though she’d been standing right next to him.
“Sorry,” he said, trying to push Harland off his lap. He glanced up at her, blushing, but she didn’t look even mildly embarrassed.
Harland, for his part, didn’t look at all bothered. He stayed right where he was and resisted Max’s efforts to move him.
“You can go home, Sandra. Please have all the forms sent out in the morning.”
He gave Max one more kiss – which lasted a good five minutes – and then dismounted. He fixed his shirt, adjusted his bulge and went back to his chair.
Max stared at Harland’s thighs, his strong quads stretching the leather, and considered crawling over to push his head between them and into Harland’s bulge.
“The driver texted,” Harland said, glancing at his phone before putting it away. “Warren will be here soon. Should we go change?”
Max tilted his head. “Change?”
Harland nodded. “We’re seducing him, Max. We need to put our best foot forward. Don’t worry, I’ve picked something out for you.” He rose and headed for the door, jerking his chin for Max to follow.
Curious what Harland had had picked out – hoping it wasn’t something ridiculous – Max got up and trailed him down the hall.
This was going to be interesting.