FRAGILE

Chapter 24: Two Steps Backwards

"Finally," she spat, her voice dripping with disdain. "You remember what you are, don't you?"

Levi pressed his forehead to the cold, hard floor, the smooth surface a sharp contrast to the comfort he had just abandoned. His body trembled slightly, his muscles tense with fear. This was his fault. He had forgotten, allowed himself to believe, even for a moment, that he was anything other than property.

"You're pathetic," Vanessa continued, stepping closer, her heels clicking ominously on the wooden floor. "The boss would be better off without you."

Her heel connected with his side before he could react, the sharp pain spreading through his ribs like wildfire. Levi bit down hard on his lip, determined not to make a sound. Pain is normal. Pain is expected. Thomas's voice echoed in his mind, reinforcing what he had already learned through years of punishment.

But Vanessa wasn't done. She stepped over his prone body, planting her heel between his shoulder blades and pressing down hard. Levi's lip began to bleed as he dug his teeth into the tender flesh, trying to suppress the whimper that threatened to escape. He could feel the stiletto heel digging into his skin, and the familiar sting of blood seeping from reopened wounds on his chest filled the air.

Levi's mind reeled. He could sense his wolf pushing against the barriers in his mind, desperate to take control, but Levi forced it back down. No. He couldn't allow his wolf to surface, not now. Disobedience would only lead to more punishment. He couldn't—wouldn't—risk it.

"Stupid mutt," Vanessa growled, pressing down harder. "You can't even follow simple instructions."

She ground her heel into Levi's back, twisting it cruelly, and Levi gasped, his breath coming in shallow, pained bursts. His chest ached as the cuts reopened fully, the blood staining the floor beneath him. There would be punishment for that too, he realized. His unworthy blood had tainted the pristine floors.

Just as Levi thought he might break, the door flew open with a thunderous crash, and a deep, feral growl filled the room. The sound was low and dangerous, rumbling through the air like an approaching storm.

Maximus.

Vanessa's foot was torn off Levi's back with such force that she barely had time to react before she was slammed into the wall. The crack of her body hitting the stone reverberated through the room, but Levi didn't dare move. He lay motionless on the floor, too afraid to even lift his head as the tension in the room became palpable.

Maximus stood over Vanessa, his chest heaving, eyes completely black with rage. His wolf was dangerously close to the surface, and Levi could feel the raw power radiating from him like a tangible force. It was terrifying.

Vanessa scrambled to her feet, her face twisted in a mix of fear and defiance. "I—I was just watching him like you asked, boss," she stammered, her voice shaking. "He attacked me first. I was just defending myself."

Maximus's growl deepened, cutting her off. His gaze flicked toward Levi, who remained pressed to the floor, unmoving. His heart ached at the sight of his mate, so fragile and terrified.

"He is mine," Maximus growled, his voice low and lethal. "And you will pay for what you've done to him."

Vanessa's expression flickered, her eyes shifting between Levi and Maximus. "You can't be serious," she hissed. "I'm the rightful Luna, not some pathetic little—"

Her words were cut off by a snarl that shook the room. Maximus's hand shot out, slamming into the wall beside her head. "I should kill you for daring to touch him," he snarled, his voice barely human.

Vanessa's eyes widened in fear, but there was still a spark of defiance in her gaze. "I am the Luna," she spat, her voice trembling. "Not him. Not that useless mutt."

Maximus's hand tightened, but then his eyes flicked toward Levi, still lying on the floor, broken and trembling. His wolf roared inside him, desperate to tear Vanessa apart, but something stopped him. Levi.

He couldn't kill her—not in front of his mate. Levi had already seen too much, been through too much. The last thing Maximus wanted was to make Levi more afraid of him.

With a snarl, Maximus wrenched Vanessa away from the wall, dragging her out of the room. He kicked the door shut behind him and handed her off to Saxon, his Beta. "Deal with her," he growled, not trusting himself to stay calm.

Saxon nodded, his expression hard, and he hauled Vanessa down the hallway, her protests quickly silenced by the firm grip on her arm.

But Maximus's mind was already back in the room with Levi. He had seen the way his mate's body had gone limp, his eyes dull and vacant. The training, the conditioning—it had taken hold again.

Maximus reentered the room, shutting the door softly behind him. He knelt down beside Levi, his heart heavy as he took in the sight of his trembling mate. "Levi," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Come back to me."

But Levi didn't move. He lay there, his body unresponsive, his mind trapped in the prison Thomas had built for him. Maximus reached out, gently touching Levi's back, but there was no reaction.

Maximus's heart broke. He could see how deep the scars went—not just on Levi's body, but on his soul. The conditioning, the abuse—it had broken him so thoroughly that even now, when he was free, Levi couldn't escape it.

But Maximus wasn't giving up. He would help Levi heal, no matter how long it took. And he would make sure no one—no one—ever hurt his mate again.

Gently, Maximus gathered Levi into his arms, cradling him against his chest. He pressed a soft kiss to his mate's hair and whispered, "You're safe now. You're mine, and no one will ever hurt you again."

Levi didn't respond, his body still limp in Maximus's arms. His body finally gave out his mind to fractured to handle thinking and breathing at the same time. He was lost and ashamed; scared and unsure. His Master told him he was good - he knew he wasn't. He was worthless, an omega meant to be owned, but Maximus would keep whispering those words, keep holding him close until Levi finally believed that he was good. That he was more than that, especially to the man desperately trying to hold him together.