Max shifted quickly into his wolf form and took off running. He couldn’t believe what had just happened, and went over it again and again in his mind. How could things have gone from so good to so bad in so short a time? He knew it wasn’t entirely his fault, but Sadie wasn’t completely to blame either. It had simply been a mistake for them to meet up the way they had. And now, they were going to have to deal with the consequences, whether they liked it or not.
What was he going to do now? For a moment, he had truly allowed himself to believe things were going to get better. That maybe, just maybe, he was going to have a chance to make things right with the woman he loved. He had been longing for her and the peace she brought to his life for so long. It had been a huge mistake to rush into it the way they had. He could only blame himself, though. He had already known Sadie wanted nothing to do with him. She had made that abundantly clear.
He was just going to have to go back to his store and focus on what was truly important now. And that was getting through the season and opening up the new headquarters for his outdoor sporting equipment line. No matter how difficult it might be to try and pretend this entire night hadn’t happened, it was something he was going to have to do. Not only for himself, but for Sadie’s peace of mind as well.
It really had not been fair of him to accept her invitation. She had probably just done it out of the feeling of obligation. God knew she probably would have done the same thing to anybody who had offered her a ride. She just had that sort of a giving heart. It just so happened they had a history and she had felt even more obligated to connect with him. Whether it was good for their relationship or detrimental.
Apparently, it had been detrimental. He should’ve known better. What had he been thinking? He was so angry at himself that he couldn’t sit still. The wolf roamed all throughout Stonybrooke deep into the night, to the point that he almost wasn’t sure if he was going to get home in time to actually sleep long enough that he would be rested for work in the morning.
That was something he was just going to have to deal with. And so, Max allowed the wolf to let off some steam that night, before finally returning at the crack of dawn to the apartment that he had rented temporarily as he checked out the real estate market. There were plenty of places available in the richer side of town. It was funny that he could afford them now. But he still felt out of place.
What would a scrappy shifter with no parents be doing mingling amongst the wolf shifter elite? The Royals were set in their ways and had rules about how to conduct everything, from mealtime to everybody’s front and back yards alike. It was a little too much pressure for him. And yet, he wanted to show he had really moved up in the world. There was something to be said for status, even to someone like Max. He had worked hard and accomplished great things, and he wanted his community to know it.
And yet, no amount of acreage would make up for the loneliness he had been feeling ever since he had left Sadie in the first place. There was a hollow void within himself that he could not resolve, no matter how much he accomplished throughout his life. It was only a matter of time before he found himself feeling restless again and would want to leave. This was becoming more and more clear. He should never have come back. This whole venture had been a mistake. In fact, he had half a mind to quit right then and there. He could call the Council and tell them they could shove their permits up their asses and watch him walk away again, just as they had so many years before.
They could have offered him some kind of refuge, maybe. Or a place to stay after his parents had bailed on him. But when had the Council ever been there for him? Why had his life always been so difficult? He never had anybody who was willing to step in. At least, not until he had met Sadie. And now, she didn’t even want to give him the time of day. Not even after sharing what they had shared after all those years. Yes, he was going to move. He’s going to forget all about his business. That would give him the chance to get out of this godforsaken town and get back to his old life again. Maybe he could take Nancy out on a date and things would go better this time. Maybe.
But when he reached out to pick up the phone to give the Council a piece of his mind, something made him hesitate. He had worked his ass off for the past ten years to get his business off the ground. The first five years after leaving Stonybrooke had been terrifying, but once he had managed to get some semblance of a plan for himself, everything had started to fall into place and he was finally happy. At least, as happy as he had ever managed to be without Sadie by his side. He couldn’t just give up on that. Especially when things were so hard with her. No, he would see this through. No matter how much time and agony it might take. It was the least he could do.