Chapter 44 Chapter 44
“I need to go. Maxwell’s in trouble,” she said, but he stopped her.
“Would you leave me for that demon?” he frowned deeply. “He’s so mean to you all the time. Why would you be worried about him?”
She didn’t have an answer to that question, shrugging her shoulders. “Maxwell isn’t all bad, he really isn’t.”
“You’re lying to yourself! Let me stay with you in his stead—I can make you happy.”
She looked up at him, and his embrace became a little tighter. Biting her lip, she sent him a conflicted glance. “Maxwell, I don’t know if I…”
“Hush. I’ll get rid of him for you, then you will be free. You just need to trust me,” he said and smiled cheerfully. She parted her lips, losing herself in his chocolate eyes, but a persistent voice in her mind told her she couldn’t do this.
She wasn’t the kind of person who betrayed others and would not turn her back on the demon. Maxwell and Valerie needed to work as a team. Otherwise, they would never get rid of the bond.
“Why are you hesitating? I’m the only one who can make him disappear from your life. I can take his place,” Maxwell continued, brushing a black strand of hair behind her ear with a gentle touch. “He is nothing but a burden to you. Don’t you wish for him to vanish?”
His words triggered a strong sense of desperation, reminding her of everything she had lost after being chained to the demon. Most of all, she wished to lead a normal life, to be happy, and not worry about supernatural creatures.
She swallowed, tears burning in her eyes. His embrace was warm and comforting; it would be so easy to just say yes.
“I would never wish for someone to vanish, even if that someone is a demon. I told you Maxwell isn’t all bad,” Valerie said honestly and met his gaze head-on, her face showing a serious frown. “There has to be another way.”
“But Valerie. He’s dangerous. How many times did he threaten to kill you? You can’t just forget about that.”
“I… I know,” she breathed conflictedly, remembering the cruel things Maxwell had told her in the past.
“Do you know what happened to the last person who summoned me?” Maxwell asked, smirking evilly at her before he moved his thumb horizontally over his neck. “I killed him, dragging it out to make it as painful as possible. And that’s exactly what is going to happen to you. As soon as I’m rid of the bond, I will drag you to hell myself.”
She took a shaky breath and tried to forget, but those words had been burned into her memory. It was hard to stay calm as she recalled Maxwell’s smoldering glare, his enraged voice.
In a twisted and fucked up way, all this reminded her of her ex, and he wasn’t someone she liked to think about. Uriel had threatened her all the time, and a part of her confidence had been lost because of him, leaving her more insecure than before.
She had begun to trust Maxwell during the past days and weeks, letting her guard down around him, but now she had to ask herself if this had been a mistake. Wasn’t he too similar to Uriel?
Wasn’t he just as mean and rude to her, putting her down whenever he could? Valerie felt torn apart as memories of their arguments flickered through her mind.
Maxwell had often said mean things to her. He was prideful and arrogant, easy to anger, and rather violent. What he’d done to the vampire not long ago still made her shiver—she hated violence, and he never hesitated to use it.
However, there had been moments when Maxwell had been kind to her, even if it hadn’t happened often. She remembered his attempts to cheer her up and how he had prepared her favorite dish for her.
That had been unexpectedly nice of him. If she thought about it, he had never physically harmed her, and lately, his remarks towards her were more teasing than insulting. She had been wrong when comparing him to Uriel… they were not the same. Not at all.
“Valerie?” Maxwell’s soft voice distracted her from her thoughts and caused her to glance at his face. He was still frowning in worry, holding on to her hands. Silky strands of blond hair framed his cheeks, looking a little messier than before, but in a cute way. “Have you made your decision?” he asked.
She widened her eyes, but her words got stuck in her throat. What was she supposed to tell him? He seemed nice and kinder than the demon, but was a stranger. First impressions didn’t say all that much about the true character of a person… Agony hit her so unexpectedly that she nearly lost her balance. Gritting her teeth, she clutched her shoulder.
It felt like it had been bitten by something. Gasping, she was overwhelmed by the pain. What was happening to Maxwell? He had to be in terrible danger, possibly attacked by a vicious demon. She had to do something to help him.
Without warning, the door was thrown open, banging against the wall. Her head snapped around, her eyes meeting Maxwell’s. She was shocked when she saw him. His clothes were torn, half his sleeve was missing, and he was bleeding badly.
It was a wonder he was still able to stand. Since the pain in her limbs was dulling, she assumed his demonic power allowed him to heal faster than a human. Blood splatters covered part of his face; he had even lost his silver chain. Maxwell’s scarlet eyes darkened when they took in the scene before him. Clutching his side with one hand, he entered the room, his shoulders heaving.
“Valerie, get away from him now,” he snarled.
“Don’t order her around,” Maxwell said. “Learn your place, lowly demon.”
The light around Maxwell’s body bent and flickered as he got angrier. It was a terrifying sight, prompting Valerie to take a step back. She didn’t see Maxwell’s sly smirk at her apparent fear, too focused on Maxwell to notice anything else.
Maxwell hugged her tightly and shot the demon a challenging look, riling him up even more. Something sinister glinted in his brown eyes, but he put a sugary smile on his face when Valerie looked at him.