I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. Kelley Armstrong owns The Otherworld and all the wonderful information there.
Hi all,
I have decided to start working with Max again after a long hiatus and after trying to revamp him a few times. I will go through all the old original stories, revise and edit the crap out of them and when I am done I will have an adult Max who I can work with. I have been looking forward to working with him in this way for some time but I want to get his past out there first. Hopefully this time will produce the best versions ever.
The reason I took him off last time was that I planned on using him in some original stories to publish in real life. I still do but until I actually get that really going I am making him live here.
Last time I did this the stories were popular and got a lot of good reviews and views. I am not sure what I expect this time but that's ok. Writers should write for themselves as much as the audience. I love and appreciate my audience but I write because I love to do it.
That being said I look forward to doing more on and finally introducing Max as an adult with a husband, Addison and children. I think Max as an adult has unlimited possibilities especially because I get to work with his children as characters and some of Kelley's own characters as older versions as well.
Thanks everyone and Happy New Year!
SuperNatural1985
Please take a look at my one shot Glimpses for a little more of a look into Max's life.
Ch 1 On the Run
I had been hiding here forever. The people I was with had taken off when they sensed the pack near. I couldn't go with them. I didn't want to go with them. They were vile mutts and I was a bit more than scared of them. Instead when the pack came, I hid. I should have gotten out sooner but I was looking for something in the house. Then it was too late. The real culprits got away and I was left here huddled like a scared dog in a cage. There was little chance they would not find me, so I had to be ready.
I took in a deep breath stifling any scared whimper that might come up unbidden and clutched my legs as I felt another crash through the house. It was so loud and forceful it vibrated the floor underneath where I hid. "You're not a very bright werewolf if you've forgotten I can scent you," a rough voice called. I heard him step into the room. Carefully I picked up the tire iron beside me and clutched it for all I was worth, waiting until he found me. He crossed the room to the window that wouldn't open and tried it before turning to the closet.
I held my breath as he walked forward whistling. He clearly wanted me to know he was there. Maybe the pack members were as arrogant as I was always told they were. Finally his footsteps stopped. I got ready to leap at him. The door swung open slowly and the dark haired man with deep brown eyes glowered at me for a second before his face registered confusion. I took that one second to smash him in the head with the tire iron and shoot under his legs, taking off at a dead run. I heard the weapon clang to the floor before the man spoke. "Ow, Cazzo, I'm not going to hurt you, kid," he called. Shit. I had meant to knock him out.
I raced down the hallway and flew down the stairs as the man yelled behind me, "Guys, kid on the stairs." Double crap. As I landed on the bottom step and started for the front door, someone jumped in front of me. He looked a lot like the guy I had bashed. I backed up and turned frantically searching for another exit, but a blonde haired guy, Clay I thought stepped in front of me now.
"We won't hurt you," one of the men said. I looked frantically between them all before I spotted the gun on the side table and dove for it. My fingers were just able to grab the edge of the handle. I hit the floor at a roll. No one stopped me because I think they were as confused as hell as to what I was doing. I was a kid less than half their weight and a few heads shorter than all of them.
"Liars," I growled and backed up until my back was at a wall. I clicked off the safety and the woman, Elena I knew her to be, appeared then, looking at me and the situation. Suddenly the blonde man smashed balled his fist and smashed in the railing directly behind him. It made a huge crashing noise, distracting me. I jumped and turned my head for a fraction of a second, but it was all they needed to grab the gun from me. I backed against the wall, shaking now.
"Nice escape attempt," the woman, Elena, suddenly said. I looked up at her as she strode towards me. I backed up more but was already pressed into the wall tightly. I clawed at it looking for any stress points with my fingers but didn't turn from her.
"I don't think he likes you, darling," Clay said. I looked over to see him come forward. I am sure fear poured from me like the Nile; I desperately wished I was at the Nile at that moment, anywhere but here facing the psychopath of the werewolf world.
"He's just a kid," the man who I had bashed in the head protested, but Elena gave him a look and shut him up. He didn't look happy but he complied. He had a gash at the side of his head and was bleeding though he didn't seem to care.
"Sarah Campbell," Elena said. She got within ten feet of me and stopped. She crossed her arms and cocked her head to look me over. Sweat dropped into my eyes and I tried to blink it away as I willed courage into my body. There was no courage to be found though.
"I...didn't do it," I cried. My voice came out squeaky and shaky. I tried to defend myself maybe a bit too quickly but I hadn't done what they were accusing me of. I kept my eyes trained on her and watched Clay from the corner of my eye. I needed to keep an eye on the one who could do the most damage. Beyond them I saw the only escape in the house, the busted out window and the front door. I calculated how long it might take me to get there but I didn't think I had a chance in hell of reaching it before one of them caught me. Especially since the two men who looked alike stood behind Clay. I wasn't going anywhere.
"Then why did you run?" Elena asked. I stared at her thinking it really should be obvious to anyone. Maybe, though, it was obvious to anyone who didn't belong to the pack. I looked at the dirty floor for a second composing my answer so it would not sound sarcastic. I had been accused of being sarcastic on many occasions. It had gotten me into plenty of trouble before.
"The pack was after me. When the pack is after you, you run," I said simply. She thought about this for a moment and nodded almost smiling. Clay snorted and then his face grew hard again, his eyes turned cold matching his expression. I shrank from that look involuntarily.
"So what happened?" Elena asked. I looked at her confused as I processed this question and finally my mind went back to Sarah Campbell and the mutts. I wish I had never hooked up with those stupid mutts. I had known better but I didn't have anyone else.
"I...Jake Williston and Oscar Stillman found me and recruited me a year ago. They said they would help me when I changed which I haven't yet and well...I didn't have anyone else so I believed them," I began. I tried to tell a story as close to the truth as possible and the one that would make me look the best as well if I was being honest.
"Where's your father? He supposed to teach you this," Clay pointed out. He looked down at me. They both towered over me. Most people did. I had just turned fourteen, five feet tall and 105 pounds. Just a scrawny pup most would say.
"He took off when I was little. He left me on my own only making sure I knew what I was," I answered shrugging. It was true he did take off but I had learned a lot more than what I was by the time he was done. My father had trained me to be a werewolf soldier and by all accounts I am surprised I didn't turn out as cold blooded as he usually was. The only thing stopping me was my size. I had the skills but not the muscle to prove it. I shook off thoughts of my evil father to concentrate on the moment.
"Irresponsible mutts," Clay murmured. I nodded actually agreeing with him on that point. Most of the mutts I knew were irresponsible and didn't have much brain power. I had stayed with the mutts who got me in trouble because of their protection. They were much stronger than me and would protect me if I used my brain power to help them steal and rob etc.
"What's his name?" Elena asked now curious. I knew she was the one who kept the dossiers so this was not an odd question to ask me. I wondered what she would think when she found out who he was. He was a known pack enemy and one to watch out for.
"Bruce Logan," I said immediately. She scowled and I could guess why. My father was not the take you to the play ground and buy you Christmas presents kind of guy. He was the lock you in a closet to hear you scream kind of guy.
"Been tracking him for a while," Clay growled. I nodded; he was good at escaping and keeping ahead of the pack in general. I often wondered if he had some kind of foresight but I never had the courage to ask. Anything that seemed different in a werewolf was often hidden when dealing with other werewolves unless you wanted them to see it as a weakness.
"Go on," Elena gestured now that we had gotten off topic. I nodded and continued hoping that with trying to tell them a truthful account they would go easier on me.
"Right, I met these guys who took me in and they kind of showed me stuff and they seemed ok at first and then, well. I didn't know what they were doing until I walked in on them...with her," it was enough to turn my stomach to even think of it. I put a hand on my stomach feeling sick again and trying not to picture myself hurling after I had seen the awful sight. The smell pervaded my memory and I almost gagged. "What they did was...God," I said closing my eyes not even having words to describe the horrible incident. My eyes flew open the second I realized I had closed them with enemies nearby. That could have been a fatal move. I needed to be more careful from now on.
"Man eating," Elena said. I nodded hoping the feeling of being sick to my stomach would pass soon. I would never forget those memories though. I reached up and wiped the sweat from my eyes again. Just being in their presence was reducing me to a snivelling little kid.
"She was dead by that point but still it was awful. They said I should get used to it because it was a part of my life, as soon as I changed I would be expected too...I couldn't. I told them that too. They didn't accept this and grabbed me pushing me into her. That's why my scent was on her body," I told them which was the absolute truth. "And on my former comrades," I put in. I was trying to link everything neatly and quickly hoping that by doing this they would believe me and let me go.
"It's a plausible story," Elena said turning to Clay. He regarded me for a moment before walking towards me. I pushed against the wall more trying to slip through it but to no avail. He loomed over me. My heart sped up and started beating out of my chest.
I heard a growl come from someone behind me but it quickly stopped, but given the fact that the man had protested my treatment before I assumed it was him. "Are you telling me the truth?" Clay growled. There was a warning tone in his voice that I instantly picked up on the usual tone from an older and more experienced wolf. I took heed of it.
"Yes, please, it's the truth please believe me," I begged. He pushed close and I turned my head to the side desperate to get away. My cheek ground roughly against the concrete walls within the limited space and instantly the smell of my blood permeated the air.
"Clay," Elena said in her own warning tone. He gave me one last look and then backed away letting me go. I turned quickly to avoid an attack and rubbed my arm. I touched a hand to my cheek and saw blood which I wiped on my shirt. I looked over as Elena dug out a cell phone and walked towards the busted window in the living room. Clay stood by me watching her go. Finally he turned to me glaring, his gaze was full of distrust but also a little indecision. He wasn't used to dealing with mutts this young. I knew I smelled like I had been the attacker but I was still a kid. There had been children murderers in history and being a werewolf made it more likely I could be one.
"Sit," Clay ordered. I slid down the wall crossing my legs and obeying. He dug out some duck tape from his small bag and pulling me forward he quickly grabbed my hands and crossed my wrist. He then taped them thoroughly and tightly. "So you don't think of getting away." Once he was done I tested the bonds and found them tight enough to cut off circulation. I inched away from Clay when he stood back up, being in his presence made me extremely nervous.
I avoided the gazes of the other guys there. No doubt they would think I was a man eating mutt too, so what was the point? No one would ever believe me anyway. I was a kid but I knew why they were taking precautions. If I was a man eater at such a young age there was no hope for my future and they never saw the others mutts. I could be weaving a web of lies. That I was able to see past the situation and understand what they were thinking at all was a miracle for my clouded mind.
Finally Elena walked back in pocketing the phone and looking towards Clay and the men. She gave him a look that was part of some kind of silent communication that I could not interpret. I had always been bad at interrupting looks and such.
"We're taking him back with us," she informed. Clay sighed and cracked his knuckled. Suddenly he reached for me pulled me up by one arm. He dragged me across the floor almost lifting me off the ground as he did so.
"Don't make me regret believing you," he warned. I nodded believing him. They turned me to the front door and marched me out past the two men who were looking at one another. Two cars were in the driveway. I looked around at the crumbling property. Trees surrounded us on all sides and there was a dilapidated barn a few hundred feet away too. I couldn't see it but I had hidden in it enough times to know it should have been my destination and not the closet.
"Make sure he gets back to the hotel, guys," Elena ordered and they let go of me. I was thinking about running into the woods and my chances of escape when someone else took my arm. I watched as Elena and Clay got into one vehicle and then drove off. There was no clean up, not here at least.
"Come on," the man said gently. I nodded and let him walk me to the car and open the door. I got in and leaned back a bit awkwardly with the tape and all. Both men got in and we spun from the driveway, following Clay and Elena.
"My name's Antonio by the way and this is Nick. It's nice to meet you, Max," the man who looked only slightly older said. I caught his gaze in the rear-view-mirror and just looked at him. That was an odd thing to say to a mutt you might be killing soon. Finally I just nodded and looked out the window to avoid more eye contact.
"Nick, grab the knife and get that tape off of him. He's no threat to us. I'll deal with Elena later," he said. I looked back in time to see Nick give Antonio a look. Finally he nodded and grabbed a hunting knife from under the seat. He turned in his seat and gestured for me to scoot forward and turn sideways. No way in hell. I just looked at him and he sighed.
"I don't think he trusts us, dad," Nick said. I looked wide eyed from one man to the other. He couldn't be this guy's dad. Antonio looked to be in his mid-forties and Nick looked to be about thirty five himself, no way.
"We're not going to harm you, but have it your way. It can stay on until we get there," Antonio announced. His eyes caught mine in the mirror, but I looked away instantly. They were as good as their word when we finally got to the hotel. As soon as I looked at it I knew it would be so much better than the cheap and junky places I was used to. The only problem was I had no money to help pay for anything with. I could remedy that easily, though. I was a very good pick pocket.
Nick opened my door for me and then reached down to take my arm. I backed up, not letting him touch me, so he just stepped aside and let me struggle out on my own. I would not take pack help if I could help it anyway. "Max," Nick eventually said when I got out. I turned my head towards him and was distracted for only a second. Antonio grabbed me from behind and I felt the cold metal of the knife. I jumped and, without realizing my hands were free, I turned and sent a knife hand towards his throat. He stood calmly and only stopped my arm when it was inches from him.
"I didn't mean to startle you, but you wouldn't let us do it any other way," he said. I took a step back and growled looking down at my clenched hands. I started to tear the tape away angrily, but he took my wrists in his hands, stopping me. I pulled back and looked up at him. "I've got something that will make this easier than tearing your wrists to pieces if you'll just listen for a moment," he said softly. I looked at him getting lost in his kind gaze. No one had ever looked at me with this much kindness before. It scared me.
I suddenly yanked my wrists away from him and took another step back. He sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair accepting a bottle of liquid that Nick gave him. "Roll up your sleeves and we'll pour this on. It'll help," Nick said. I glanced at him. He was leaning against the car, munching on a chocolate bar. I looked at the food longingly before my gaze went back to Antonio. Finally I rolled up my sleeves and held my wrists out. Gently he took them and poured on the liquid. I flinched at first, thinking it would hurt, but it only felt cool.
When he finally let me go, I pulled at the tape and it came off easily. "See, not so bad," Antonio said. I nodded and accepted the face cloth he handed me to wipe my hands and arms with. Once this was done, Nick took the cloth, threw it back in the car and produced a candy bar handing it to me.
"Thanks," I said astonished and with what I am sure was an odd expression. Why were they being so nice to me? It confused me and threw me off, but I could not be thrown off here. I needed to be on constant alert. They walked me from the parking lot to the lobby and the elevator. All the while I couldn't help my giant eyes roving around and taking in luxuries I hadn't dared to dream of. Swimming pool, hot tubs, marble columns and counter tops and floor. Even the elevator had marble.
As we stepped onto our floor, I saw there were only a few other rooms here so the rooms must be giant. There was only one other human walking down the hallway. He glared at me. He looked like a rich snob to me. So stereotypical. As he walked past, my quick fingers darted out and I managed to snag a few bills from his wallet and shove them in my pocket before anyone saw. I was nothing if not quick.
Antonio POV
I watched as the kid fingered the soft bed spread and looked at the big screen TV and the items all around him. From what little we garnered from rumors and research, he was used to living on the streets and crappy motels. He wasn't used to luxury. He walked across the room, keeping his eye on Nick and me as he did, and looked out the balcony window at the bay and dark city skyline. He pressed a hand against the glass and just watched the water ripple and the lights twinkle. Had no one given him anything in his life? He seemed so fascinated by the simplest things.
I stepped towards him, but he saw my reflection in the window and spun around, watching me. I held up a hand and smiled at him. He kept his expression neutral, so I didn't think he was used to smiles either. It didn't matter to me that Clay wasn't sure if we could trust him. I was fairly certain he was just a scared little boy. "It's Max, right?" I asked. The boy, Max, stiffened and then nodded.
"Max Logan," he said softly. Good, then we were researching the right kid. We heard rumours of Bruce Logan and his son as well as his partner Dustin. Nasty, nasty rumours. He had told us his name when they questioned him, but it wasn't uncommon to lie. I was fairly certain we had the right kid.
"Is there anything you'd like to do? Take a shower or eat or drink," I said, gesturing to the bathroom and then the mini fridge. Max nodded then and bit his lip while I just looked at him. I smiled and stepped forward, but he pushed back, trying to go through the glass so I stopped. He was skittish. I needed to be careful.
"I'd like to take a shower," he said just as softly as he had the first time. He was definitely a more soft spoken kid. It almost seemed as if he did this on purpose because he was afraid of speaking loud. Maybe he thought he would be in trouble if he did?
"Great, well, everything's in the bathroom so take your time. Nick will go and get you some clothes for when you get out," I said. He nodded and eyed me and I eventually got his drift and stepped aside. He kept watching me as he stepped past me and then watched Nick before he stepped into the bathroom and locked the door.
"Freaking kid is scared shitless," Nick said lowly. I nodded and gestured to the door and he got up, walking out. I sat on the bed pulling my laptop over and checking emails as I listened to the shower. Nick came back after ten minutes and he set the clothes on the bed, taking off the tags. "I got the smallest size they had," he said and I nodded. The kid was so tiny they might still be too big. I suddenly wondered if he was really sixteen. He looked more like a thirteen or fourteen year old to me. He was definitely only as big as the smallest fourteen year olds I had seen. Clay was even bigger than that at that age and he was a freaking small kid.
Once I heard the shower turn off I gave him a few minutes before going to the door and knocking. "Max, I've got your clothes. I'm going to set them outside the door and then leave, ok?" I asked. He didn't answer, but I knew he got the drift. I set them outside the door and backed away, going back to the bed. Nick was sitting there munching on carrots and watching the news so I joined him.
A full minute later we heard the door open and then close in seconds. I looked at my son and we both shrugged and went back to watching the news. Max came out a few minutes later dressed in the too big pyjama bottoms and t-shirt but he wasn't complaining. The draw string was pulled tight around his waist so they would stay up at least. Silently he crossed in front of us and got onto the bed. He adopted a stiff position and pulled his legs into himself hugging them with his arms, watching the news with us.
Eventually after a few glances at us, he got up and went to the mini fridge and snack bar, getting food and drinks. He gave us another quick look before settling down again. He was acting like we would tell him he could have something but we would take it away from him right after. I then realized this might have been how he was living before and anger surged through me, but I kept it in. I didn't want to scare him any more than need be.
When the dreary events of the day ended on the news cast, I clicked off the TV and we started gathering wrappers and things for recycling. Max stiffened when I came towards his bed and got up himself to throw things out. Next I gave him a fresh toothbrush I had fished from my bag. He gave it a relieved look and went to the bathroom once again. He wasn't accustomed to new things but he definitely appreciated them. Who knew something like brushing your teeth with a clean toothbrush could make someone so happy. We took a lot for granted in this world I felt.
When he came back out he snuggled down into the covers of the bed he was in before and watched us as we got ready for bed. I decided to share with Nick tonight, knowing he would probably sneak over to Elena's and Clay's room anyway and that Max would probably freak out with me so near. "Good night, boys," I said once the lights were flicked off and we were all settled. Nick said a casual goodnight and flipped over onto his stomach, taking up the majority of the bed. He had been like that since he was a toddler. The smallest little boy taking up over half of a king sized bed.
"Night," Max whispered so softly I almost didn't catch it. I smiled and lay in bed watching some shadows flicker across the ceiling from the water on the bay. Eventually I glanced at Max to see he was still awake and fingering the silky covers, but he was struggling to keep his eyes open. I caught anxiety and worry from him, but it eventually faded as he drifted off, not able to keep on alert anymore. He was so used to sleeping on concrete and dirt hard floors he must have forgotten how a bed could feel and he was powerless to resist the softness and the comfort. Poor kid.
I drifted off shortly after and was only woken a few times by gasps or moans from Max. When I looked over at him in the dark I could tell it must be a bad dream but I let him sleep. I wasn't sure which was worse. Should I continue to let him have bad dreams or should I wake him and risk him terrified at a stranger touching him or speaking to him? He was used to the dreams at least and they didn't seem so bad right now. This continued until morning. A night of very little sleep for me.
When I came from the washroom the next day Max stood fully dressed in the clothes Nick provided that were still too big, jeans and a t-shirt paired with blue chucks. He was looking at the bay again. His hand was on the glass, he seemed mesmerized by the sight. He glanced at the balcony door latch a few times and I resisted the urge to tell him he could go if he wanted. I wanted to see how comfortable he was with us now or what he would figure out on his own.
I saw Nick look at him and open his mouth but I gestured for him to stop. Finally his finger lightly touched the door handle and he tensed, but when no one reprimanded him he curled his fingers around it and tensed once more. Again, nothing happened. Finally he pulled the door open and stepped onto the balcony. He then sent a look back to Nick and I who pretended to be deep in our work. With a small almost non-existent half smile he raced to the balcony edge and looked over, taking a deep breath and enjoying the air.
I smiled when he was out of sight. It was very nice to see the boy look anything but terrified. I hadn't been sure that he could before this. When he smiled he looked like any other child enjoying a trip to the ocean. "You think he might jump?" Nick whispered softly close to my ear and I shook my head but didn't explain. He was too far up and jumping meant suicide. I could see he had a hard life, but he was a fighter and it would not cross his mind to do this right now.
"Hey, Nicky...," Clay started to say as he came in the room a full minute later. He looked around and then towards the window growling. "What the…what is he doing out there...?" Clay growled and stalked to the door. It was not his usual menacing growl but seemed to be laced with some concern, maybe the boy was winning him over after all.
"Clayton," I warned, but he ignored me. Max turned and went wide eyed as the much bigger man stepped through the door and reached for him. He side stepped and scurried inside towards us scrambling onto the bed, positioning himself behind me. That must have meant he had some level of trust in me, I assumed which pleased me immensely. "He was just looking outside, Clay, he's a child, he's curious," I told the irrational blonde haired man.
"I'm not a child," Max cried from behind me, enraged he had been put into this category. To prove this he got up and stepped away from my protection and off the bed, crossing his arms. "I'm not afraid of you," he said. I mentally groaned. This couldn't go anyplace good.
"Oh," Clay said and half smiled with indulgence and none of his usual menace. A look of pure terror darted through Max's eyes before Clay stepped forward. Max leapt away from him and raced towards the door. He was nothing if not quick. I supposed he had to be being so small. The change in Clay amazed me though. Maybe he saw his own son in the boy. Having children had definitely changed the man's perspective.
"Max," I called, getting up, but he grabbed the handle and barrelled out a second before Clay reached the door. I followed quickly to see Max was in no danger of running away as Elena had been walking down the hallway and easily caught onto his arm, holding gently. He looked as if he didn't like her holding him but he seemed to like it more than when one of us did. Maybe he had a general fear of men then?
"Calm down," she instructed him. Max took some deep breaths and turned his gaze behind him, biting his lip. "Clay, leave him alone," Elena ordered. Max visibly relaxed. He must have been afraid she would order him to attack. Did this kid even realize he was a kid? Something inside me told me he had no clue that he was entitled to protection and love.
"We had him nice and calm before you came in storming down the walls, Clay," I admonished and walked towards Max, holding out my hand. He hesitated but as soon as Elena let him go he reached for me and I pulled him into an embrace. It was instinctive. I hadn't even known I would do it. He stayed there for a half second, relaxing and probably enjoying the first comforting touch he had had in a while, before he gasped and pulled back, backing against the wall. He looked as if he couldn't believe he had done that.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, biting his lip and looking like a kicked dog. I inwardly growled. It wasn't right. It just wasn't right.
"It's ok, I like to hug people. Just ask them," I grinned. Elena and Nick nodded and smiled, but Clay only crossed his arms and stared at Max. The kid looked as if he had done something terribly wrong and I was so tempted to just go and hug him again to prove he hadn't but I didn't. I knew I needed to be careful. This wasn't Nicky who acted up as a little boy and just needed a hug. This was a street kid who was more used to kicks than kisses. I had to remember that. I had to balance his skittishness with his obvious need for any kind of good attention.
"Why don't we get some food?" Elena said and we all nodded. I gestured for Max to go. He hesitated a second but complied, following Elena and Nick to the elevator. I caught Clay's shoulder before we got on and while the rest were distracted.
"Go a bit easier on him, Clayton, he's just a kid," I ordered. Technically he was of higher rank in the pack being the Alpha's second, since I retired from the job, but I was older and had helped raise him. He should be listening to me in this instance. Before he could say anything I strode into the elevator, leaving him no choice but to follow.