Chapter 23

Make Me Feel Better

Heat. The single word hit him as Max flattened her body against his. For years in Manticore it had only been a rumor passed along by the guards, one of the X-5 females had stopped taking her pills and…Well the point was the females were strictly monitored after that. He'd really thought it was a lie though until they began their breeding program. Those breeding were taken off the pills that suppressed heat, they'd been isolated from everyone else besides from their partners, but the stories he'd heard from the guards had been something else. There were even a bunch of freshly pregnant females here unable to control themselves when heat had hit in the outside world. "Make me feel better Alec" she said wantonly as she ran a finger along his jawbone.

"Uh…Trust me Max, I wish I could but I can't."

He gasped as she cupped him, "Oh I think you can."

He tried to stay focus, "No…No Max," he said backing away from her very slowly, "I'm a big fan of being alive and you'd kill me tomorrow."

"Alec" she smiled, "I swear, if you live through tonight, I won't kill you tomorrow." She started walking towards him again.

There was something about Max in this state that made it hard for him to say no, hard for him to be in control like he was used to; his brain was having a hard time trying to regain control of his body.

"Alec" she whispered before claiming his lips…Sweetly at first, almost as if she knew he'd bolt from the room…Sweet and tempting so he barely noticed their mouths slowly opening, deepening the kiss.

"Mmmm Max"

There was a small teasing laugh from her and he felt her hands disappear under his shirt, feeling his abs, his waist. She kissed him again and the next thing he knew he was looking up at her straddling him on her mattress.

"Fuck me" he cursed at himself, coming back to his senses and flipped her off of him leaving her looking up at him stunned as he stood over her.

Anger and desire returned to her eyes, "I was trying to."

He shook it off, "Look Maxie, you'd hate me and yourself tomorrow."

"No I wouldn't" she promise standing, looking at him in such a way that he had to focus his attention on her table.

"Yes you would, I know you." He garnered his strength and looked at her again, "You're one of my best friends Max and so is Logan."

The word Logan seemed to hit her and she froze, the desire in her eyes weakening. "Logan and I are over." Her voice dead.

"Max we don't know that for sure…" he was about to go on with the same speech everyone gave.

"Over nine months" she shook her head, "I've got to move on." She looked up at him, her hunger returned, "You could help me move on, you could really be my friend and help me. Don't you want to help me Alec?" she said walking over to him.

He felt like a bastard as he said the one word he knew would stop her again, " Logan"

It worked, she froze, "Why do you keep saying his name?"

"Because he's downstairs right now. Do you really wanna fuck me with him in the building?"

There was a weakness and anger in her eyes he'd never really seen before, "Well seeing as how he'd…" She shook her head, the memory of Logan lying on the floor of Crash returned, "…Before I'd even get his clothes off." she sat down at the edge of the mattress.

"Max" he said softly and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I miss him so bad today." she admitted, the anger gone from her eyes, all that remained was pain and weakness.

"Oh Max" he said looking down at her, tears starting to fall from her eyes. Wanting to physically comfort her, but knowing it wasn't smart.

Max's entire body shook. This wasn't supposed to happen; this wasn't supposed to happen during heat. Heat was about sex, it wasn't about feelings, it was the biological need to procreate. Yet here she was with Alec inches away and she was crying about Logan. This was her third time in heat since being out of Manticore, the first happening soon after her escape. She'd stayed in the apartment both previous times, the thought of Logan overpowering even her heat. She'd never even imagined love could be so powerful…It just wasn't powerful to overcome a deadly targeted to his DNA virus.

"I just want him back Alec. I never even had him, but I want him back."

"I'm sorry" he said squatting down in front of her.

She returned his sympathy filled gaze for awhile with her own pain stricken one, it started to change though, his scent overpowering her thoughts. He saw it return, he saw the devouring look she was giving him. He jumped to his feet, "I need reinforcements. Don't leave this room." he ordered as he opened the door and hoped she'd listen.