14. Max

O k, so that was close.

Draven walked out within a split second of me finishing my conversation with the overgrown cucumber, and yet again told me to run. I've run track since I was in high school, so sometimes, I'd prefer to just y'know, fucking walk.

I'm still drenched in the crotch area of my jeans and as great as that was with him a little while ago, I don't feel the need or desire to walk around any longer in it. So, here I am, yet again, in search of my little posse. No phone, no smoke signals... carrier pigeon.

"Yo!"

I yelp, grasping at my chest the moment I turn around after Deck smacks my ass. " Eurgh , Max why the Hell are your jeans wet?" Wiping his hands on his hoodie, he grimaces. I almost want to tell him not to do that... almost.

"I uh…" Shit , I have no other reason. "Water, in the Voodoo house, I got soaked." Yeah, both of us. I'm stuttering and he's looking at me in utter confusion. "Where's Sasha and Ben?"

"By the back exit, they asked me to come find you and luckily you were still here. Let's get back to the house for some chill time before tomorrow." Holding out his hand, I intertwine my fingers with his and smile. "Sasha, was chosen." He grins and I snap my head to him.

"By who?"

"I dunno, she said he told her not to tell. Something about it being a surprise for tomorrow or some shit." Lifting one shoulder we continue walking.

"And Ben?" I continue.

"Just like you, Maxi-Pad." He raises his hand, pinching one of my cheeks as he speaks with pouted lips. "Nobody wants him."

Smacking his hand away, I smirk. "He's too overbearing. I wish he'd just give it up.

"Not a chance."

We've been back at the house for about half an hour, and I've spent the first five minutes trying to convince them that I ran into a pole, which is why my face is red and swollen. After that, I managed to grab a quick shower and wash my hair. Opening my bedroom door, I lean my head out.

"Sasha, get in here!"

Leaving the door open, I pull on a black mini dress and slide my feet back into my Chuck Taylors. Checking my watch, I have about thirty minutes before the carnival closes for the night and I need to meet Lephee by the back gate that he gave me the directions too earlier.

If I hadn't been through worse, I'd be screaming at the pain still radiating from my cheek right now. That motherfucker hits hard so if that's anything to go by, I need to stay away from him the best I can tomorrow.

Sasha's graceful footsteps pad into the room as I sit on the bed scrolling through Google.

"You called?"

"Yeah, can you help me with something?" I ask, still scrolling and not looking up.

"Sure, what's up?" Dropping down onto the bed beside me, she crosses one leg over the other.

"You're French right?"

"Uh, my great, great, great, great grandfather was, yeah."

"That's the same thing, sure." I shrug, finding the sentence I need.

"Well, no it's—"

Turning to face her, I furrow my brows. "What does Petit Mouton mean?"

Searching her brain, she looks to the ceiling in thought. "Petit mou-" she giggles a little before answering. "Little," she taps her lip, "Little Sheep... or something like that."

Little fucking sheep. That asshole. I'm not a sheep. I'll show him.

"Ok, so can you tell me how to say this?" I click the link, holding my phone to her face and she mumbles off the words silently.

"Uh, why do you want to know how to—"

"Can you just tell me?" I stand from the bed, pulling the towel turban from my head and shaking my wet hair loose .

"Also, why are you dressed like that? Are we supposed to be going out or something?"

I turn to face her, eagerly trying to stop the smile on my face but failing miserably. I can't keep anything from her. "So... I met someone and I'm going to theirs for—"

"Max, I really don't think this is a good idea." Shaking her head she stands up, passing my phone back to me. "You met a guy at a carnival and you're—"

"I'm probably going to fuck him," I chuckle. "He keeps talking to me in French and I just think it will be pretty funny to say something like that." I take my phone and place it on the side. Taking hold of her hands, "Will you just help me? I wanna have some fun while I'm here." Dropping my head back I release a lengthy groan. "Before I have to go back to my controlled medical life."

"Who is it?" I can already hear the agreement in her voice, we are more like sisters than anything else and she's never been able to resist anything.

"The big guy—"

"What? Max, come on he's—"

"You know he made me squirt in the Voodoo house?" I whisper, loud enough so only she can here.

"What? Nuh-uh, you're lying!"

"The fucker put me in a medieval stock and ate me out from behind." We stare at each other for a few seconds and before I know it, I'm leaning on her as we both burst into fits of laughter. Sasha has never been able to say no to a man who knows exactly what he's doing, so I knew that once I told her what Draven did, I was good to go.

"Ok, ok. I'll help. So, this is how you pronounce it."

I manage to sneak out the house easily enough and for the past twenty minutes I've been walking through the Redwood's, alone, with no coat. The only thing to light my way is the torch and the stupid fucking map Lephee drew me.

I swear to God if this Jiminy Cricket looking motherfucker is not by the gate like he said he would be, to sneak me in... I'll lose my shit. Shining the light at the sign that reads ‘Pitstop' I know I'm in the right place.

"Max!" The whisper-shout comes from behind me. Turning around, I see Ben making his way through the trees.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I whisper back, moving over to him.

"I could ask you the same question, Max. Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Reaching out he takes hold of my upper arm and pulls me toward him.

"Ben, trust me when I tell you this, if you put your hands on me again without me asking... I'll kick your ass." His nails scratch against the freezing skin as I rip it out of his grasp. I have no idea who he thinks he is.

"What are you doing here?" For all his faults where me and him are concerned, Ben has never spoken to me like this before. "Looking to get fucked by one of the Hunters?"

"What is wrong with you lately?"

"Max, come on, you're really gonna ask me that? After everything I've done for you recently?"

"Excuse me?" I snap my head back, the smack in the face I had earlier is nothing compared to that. "You helped pay for my private therapy, so fucking what?" I need to keep my voice quiet, before anyone hears me. The metal behind me clangs, a small screech comes from the unoiled hinges, and I turn around.

"Well, well, you didn't chicken out."

"Oh, thank God," I sigh, meeting Lephee at the gate. He's dressed in a simple black tracksuit. "No, I didn't. "

"Put this on," he hands me a black burlap sack, "over your head."

"What?" I screw up my face, "can't I just walk in with you."

His head snaps up from the rope in his hands and he has to stifle a laugh. "No, you can't just walk in with me."

"Max, will you just come back with me?" Ben asks, taking a few steps toward me. Quicker than I expect, Lephee drags a knife from his pocket and points it toward Ben.

"Listen, dude, " his voice now a little more than a whisper. "When she's here, she belongs to him, the one who marked her. So, I suggest you back the fuck up and go back to where you're staying." He flicks the knife to the side, and I watch a Ben raises his hands in the air.

"Max, you're a fucking idiot." Are the last words he says to me before he turns around and hot foots it out of the situation.

"Jesus, you always have him around you?" Lephee chuckles softly, putting the knife back in its sheath and persisting to tie my wrists together.

"Not always... is this really necessary?"

Taking the black sack from my hands, he drags it down over my head. "Yes, now shut up, steady your breathing and act passed out. I'm putting you over my shoulder."

"Fine," I whisper back. "But keep your hands off my ass." The second he hoists me over his shoulder, I bump up and down limply.

"You don't have to worry about that. It's not worth the loss of my hands." The leaves crunch beneath his feet and the silence of the area makes my brain run away with me.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all I—

"I can hear you thinking. You're tense... just relax, Max. Nothing will happen to you, I promise." The moment the faint words leave his lips and sail into my ears, I relax. I don't know why but I trust what he says. I shouldn't, but I do.

"Since when do you bring prey home, Lephee?" A melancholy yet masculine voice asks.

"Since I need my cock wet Sloth, move."

"Your trailer is on the other side."

Jesus, this guy sounds like he's half asleep.

"Yes, and Grim wants to share her, is there a problem?" Aggression fills the silence in the moment and for a second, I think we might be fucked.

"You two make me sick," the other voice says.

"Thanks." He begins to start trudging through the leaves and gravel. After a few more moments, he stops, lowering me to the ground and tugging off the satchel from my head. "Listen to me, do not make a fucking sound until he walks through that door. Do you understand?" I simply nod. "Good." Undoing the rope, he shoves it into his pocket. "The window is open," Crouching, he cups his hands together beneath me. "Up you go." Hoisting me up and through the window.