Chapter 89 Stranger Things

Chapter 89 Stranger Things
Xander

The doors close behind me with an irritatingly, dull thud, echoing throughout the place.

The castle is quiet, like something is just watching, and waiting for me to notice it. I don’t slow down as I move through the halls, guards nodding in greeting as I pass, but I barely acknowledge them. My mind is still half on the road and on Vanessa.

Something hasn't been right since we left that village, and the way people reacted to that name...

Sabrina.

The word still sits wrong in my chest, and Vanessa…
I exhale slowly, dragging a hand through my hair as I take a turn toward the west wing.

She’s already neck-deep in this. She doesn’t skim the surface of anything and just dives in headfirst not minding the consequences.

My jaw tightens. I should’ve pushed harder to stop her, but I didn’t because part of me knows that stopping Vanessa Collins is like trying to cage a storm, but unfortunately, you don’t. You either just survive it, or you stand in the middle of it and hope it doesn’t tear you apart.

My steps slow as I reach my office door, the pull in my chest shifts subtly but unmistakably - it's the bond.

It flickers with annoyance and amusement fills me at the thought that Vanessa might just be upset about her day not going according to plan.
I push the door open with a smile on my face and step inside. But the scent that first hits me wiped any traces of that smile instantly.

It is faint, but I can't quite place it, my eyes sweep the room automatically; desk, chairs and windows, but there's nothing out of place...until I see movement, and my body goes still before relaxing again when I realize who it is.

Max is sitting in one of the chairs near the far wall, his head is slightly bowed and elbows resting on his knees.
At first glance, his posture looks normal, casual, even, which is typical Max style, but something about it definitely doesn’t sit right this time.

“You planning on greeting me?” I joke, closing the door behind me, “or just sitting there like a statue?”

No response.

I frown taking a few steps closer.

Max lifts his head slowly, the movement too slow for someone like him.
When his eyes meet mine, a low chill runs down my spine and I don't even know why. He almost looks as normal as he does. Almost.

“You look like hell,” I assess. Which is true.

His usually sharp appearance is…off. His clothes are slightly wrinkled, curly brown hair unkempt, and there’s a faint shadow under his bright green eyes that wasn’t there before.

He doesn’t answer me immediately and just continues to watch me, like he’s trying to figure something out, or remember something...or he's probably not even completely here with me right now.

“Max," I snap. my voice is sharp, drawing hus attention.

A beat passes before he speaks. “I’m fine,” he draws out. The words come out flat and long, like he's too blank to even form words properly.

I tilt my head slightly with a frown. “You'll have to really sound convincing enough though.”

His jaw tightens. “I said I’m fine.” There’s irritation coating his voice now, but even that feels forced, like someone trying to imitate emotion instead of actually feeling it.

I study him more closely and notice the stiffness of his frame. Max has never been like this.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, changing the topic.

“I was waiting for you.”

“Why?”

He hesitates. “I needed to talk to you.”

About what? I wonder, the question barely sitting on my tongue.

“You picked a wrong time then,” I say instead.

“You weren’t here.”

“So you let yourself in?”

“I didn’t think you’d mind, you almost never do,” he glares at me. A subtle hint at the old Max, but it's gone just as fast.

"I do all the time." I roll my eyes, even though it was a lie. I don’t mind, normally, I just love to pretend I do, but this time...I think I do.

I lean against the edge of the desk, folding my arms. “What is it that you need to tell me?"

Max’s gaze drifts briefly to the window then back to me. “There’s something happening,” he says.

My eyes narrow slightly. “What kind of something?”

A longer pause this time stretched between us. His fingers twitching slightly where they rest on his knees.

“I don’t know,” he admits. This is not like him.
Max always knows something, even when he doesn’t, he pretends he does just do you can believe something he says. But this kind of uncertainty doesn’t fit him. At all.

I sigh. "Max."

His eyes flicker and something sharp flashes there for a split second, but it's gone just as quickly.

“Did anything happen to you recently?” I ask.

“No," he says, unsure. "At least I don't think anything happened..."

I don’t believe that. People don’t feel off for no reason, especially not wolves like us.

“Max,” I say quietly rubbing my temples slightly.

His eyes lift again. They're more sharp now and focused but still not quite right.

“If you’re hiding something–”

“I’m not," he replies in a beat, and a little too defensive.

I hold his gaze but another flicker through the bind distracts me.
Vanessa.

My focus shifts for just a fraction of a second, and I don’t miss the way Max notices, his head tilts slightly, curious and observant.

“You can feel her currently,” he says. It’s not a question.

“Of course."

His lips twitch, and it's not quite a smile, but something else, and something cold is settles in my guts because the way he’s talking and the way he’s looking at me, it doesn’t feel like my best friend and beta, rather, it feels like a stranger studying me, learning me and cataloguing reactions.

“There’s something coming,” he says finally.

My gaze hardens. "What is?"

The air shifts again when he leans forward slightly, and for the first time since I walked in, I feel it. A trace of something buried under his scent, something that doesn’t belong, and is familiar in the worst way. A smell like burning meat...

My entire body goes still just for a second, then I straighten slowly.

“Goodnight, Max” I blurt.

Max blinks. “What?”

“You heard me,” I say, my voice colder now. “I'll see you tomorrow."

“I came here to warn you–”

“And I’m telling you to leave.”

His jaw tightens and for a moment, I think he’ll argue as always, but then, he stands carefully.
His eyes don’t leave mine as he whispers, “Be careful, Xander."

I don’t respond and just watch him move still in that strange way.

He walks to the door then pauses. I notice the barely noticeable tugging of his lips, a twisted smile on his face. Then he shuts the door.

The moment the door closes, the silence crashes back in and I exhale slowly. My hands curl into fists at my sides at what had just transpired.

That wasn’t Max, not completely at least.
There's something going on with me and I'll make sure to find out just what had happened these past few days.

My jaw tightens as I turn toward the window.
On the outside, the world looks the same to
me, but I have the feeling that it's all before everything goes to hell.