Mute One

SIX-A LITTLE BIT OF FUN

MAXIMUS

SHE LEFT!

"I see that Nealis, thank you."

SHE LEFT US BECAUSE OF YOU!

"I know."

HOW CAN YOU JUST STAND AND FEEL NOTHING?!

"I do feel...something."

THEN GO AFTER HER!

"She doesn't want to be here."

SHE DID! SHE WAS WILLING TO BE LUNA! GO AFTER HER!

"Stop yelling."

I'M UPSET!  He howled.

"I hear that."

GO AFTER HER!

"MAXIMUS KANE!" I heard my sister scream, storming into my office.

"What?!"

"Where is she?"

"Who?"

"Your Mate!"

"Oh,Royalty. She left." I shrugged.

"She left? And you're okay with that?!"

That was when Nealis decided to unleash all of the pain he'd been feeling. It came crashing down on me like an enormous tidal wave of agony. My heart clenched and I dropped to my knees, howling. No, I wasn't okay with that. But I didn't want a Mate at all. I stood, managing the pain and looked at my sister. "If you...love her..so much..you go after...her." She scowled and left, giving me time to think.

I could finally go on without her for a little while.

~*~*~
TWELVE DAYS LATER

I sat on my bed,throwing darts at the target on my wall when my sister, yet again, bursted through my door. "Don't you ever knock?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"I brought her back."

"Why? I don't want her."

She scoffed. "I thought you were done being stupid."

"Whatever."

"If you don't want her then why don't you just Reject her?"

"Nealis won't let me."

"At least one of you is smart. Did you feel a bit of sadness in the time she was gone?"

"No."

Liar

"You're unbelievable, Max. You don't deserve a Mate like Royalty."

"Don't you think I know that?!" I yelled. "That's why I'm being this way! If she Rejects me then she'll go on with her life and marry a man she could actually love...not me,Mel, not me. I know I don't deserve her. That's why I have to let her go."

"You're throwing her away because you think you aren't good enough? And how much better will you be without a Luna?!"

"I'll have a Luna."

"What?"

"Brittany."

"Are you kidding me?! She is not worthy nor fit to be Luna! Not to mention you already have one chosen for you!"

"Listen-"

"It comes down to sèx,doesn't it?"

"What?! No!"

"Oh,yes it does! You're sick!" She shouted, leaving my room. I wasn't sick. I rubbed my eyes and thought back to the letter Royalty had written to me. She was strong and no doubt the perfect Luna. It blew my mind that she survived stage four lung cancer when she was a baby. But she was mute because of something her mother had said and of the fact she didn't support her after. That made Nealis growl.

"How could someone do that to their child?"

Could it be that her mother never wanted her in the first place?

Oh,God. I had to apologize to her. She's been through so much and I was just making things worse for her. I got up, determined, and headed down stairs when the sound of angelic giggling caught me. It was Royalty. I followed the sound to the kitchen where she was sitting and giggling at...Isaac?

"Okay watch this." He said, winking. Nealis growled, but I pushed him down, watching my little brother take three oranges and juggle them much to Royalty's delight. She was beaming and it made Nealis and I somewhat...sad. I wish we could make her smile like that.

And even though I didn't want to, some part me said, "Yeah. Me too."

~*~*~

ROYALTY

I giggled as Isaac juggled three oranges, smiling at me. I had never been able to juggle, but my papa had. He always juggled apples and eggs. "Throw in another orange." He told me. I nodded and took another orange from the fruit bowl, tossing it just right into Isaac's hand. "Nice throw, Mama." He said, winking. I watched in awe as he juggled all four oranges effortlessly.

"Boooooo." I heard someone say from the door. I turned to see Maximus shaking his head. "That's not how you do it, little brother."

"I didn't know was a right and wrong way to juggle,big brother."

"I'll show you." He said, taking four eggs out of the refrigerator and juggling them with ease. Isaac looked and me and rolled his eyes, but what he did next completely surprised me. He took four eggs and launched them at his big brother's face!

"Like that?" He ask, innocently.

"Why you little-" He took another and threw it, hitting Maximus square between the eyes. "I'm gonna get you for this!"

"What's the big bad wolf gonna do about it, huh?" Isaac taunted.

"Pipe it down you two." Melanie snapped and turned to me. "See what I have to deal with?" I nodded and looked at the two wolves making faces at each other like five year olds. I giggled and ate an apple, trying not to laugh. This was a side of Maximus I had never seen before. It was light and playful.

I liked it.

He seemed free from burdens and the, thought to be, permanent scowl etched on his face was gone. It had completely disappeared, making him look happy and young. I realized that this was the real Maximus. The one I'd been seeing was just a cover to make him look tough.

It was a mask.

And from that moment on I was determined to take off each mask that Maximus had attached to his face. I was staying with him no matter what. Because that wasn't the real Maximus.

This was.

Hello Lovelies,

Honestly, this was my absolute favorite chapter to write. I know that it's a little shorter than the others, but it's funny. I'm not sure if I'll upload another chapter today or not, but if I do you'll know. Thanks so much for reading and I hope you've enjoyed it