Hinges creaked as the door opened.
Max poked his head through the gap. He took in the scene and cursed. “What’s going on?” he asked, stalking inside.
“Please help me, Max, she won’t let me leave,” whined Ursula, feigning terror. “Please do something. She’s crazy.”
I snickered. Like he’d fall for that act or ever side with her over one of the legion.
Max looked at me, his face blank. “Paige, let her go.”
The fuck?
A wheezing sound left Ursula, and I realised I’d tightened my grip on her throat. Oops.
“Come on, just let her go,” he said, a soothing edge to his voice … like I needed to be talked down from a major meltdown or something.
People often accused me of having a Berserk button. Which was not true. But yes, I had a temper. And yes, if someone went too far, I did tumble all over their shit. But it was downright insulting that he’d think I’d lost it—Ursula would be unconscious if that was the case. I could easily take her down. He should know that.
“You can’t keep her here against her will,” he said.
Well of course I could. It was only fair, since she’d tried to hold me here when I’d tried to leave.
Exasperation swiftly crossed his face. “Dammit, Paige.”
He said that to me a lot. In that very tone. Far too often, really. Because Max here, well, he had control issues. I didn’t always fall in line with what he wanted. And apparently, what he most wanted right then was for his itty, bitty she-vamp to be safe.
I pouted at her. “Well would you look at that, Ursula, it seems like he’s a little protective of you. Isn’t that sweet? Hey Max, while you’re here tainting my air, maybe you could spell out that I had nothing to do with why you two are no longer together.”
“He can’t say that,” she said. “Not without lying.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, because he was looking shifty all of a sudden. “Did you use me as an excuse as to why you wouldn’t commit to her or something?”
He frowned, his head drawing back slightly. “What? No.”
“So if you didn’t mention me at all—”
“Oh, he mentioned you,” Ursula cut in, glaring at him. But then, as if remembering she was supposed to be playing the terrified damsel, she morphed her glare into a mask of fright. “Please, Max, do something. Help me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Such a diva.”
He took a careful step toward me. “Come on, Paige, let her go.”
He was seriously not only buying her crap but pretty much jumping to her defence? He really believed I had so little control that I might snap her neck?
Irritation flared through me yet again. And I could think of the perfect way to get it all out of my system. Namely, knocking him on his ass.
I flicked up my eyebrow. “You want her, come get her.”
CHAPTER TWO
(Max)
Did I know that Paige hadn’t truly lost her temper? Of course I did. But if I’d sided with her, Ursula would have attacked her in a fury. Then Paige would have beaten the shit out of her—something Paige would have later regretted due to it being Alora and Evan’s Binding celebration. I didn’t want that.
Plus, Ursula didn’t truly deserve to get her ass handed to her. She was wrong to direct her anger and hurt at Paige, but she did have a right to that anger. It was my fault she was hurting, so I’d deal with the consequences and, in doing so, stop Paige from doing something she’d later regret. That meant switching her irritation from Ursula to me—something I’d clearly succeeded in doing. A little too well, by the looks of it.
I’d noticed Ursula follow Paige, so I’d figured there would be a confrontation of some kind. When neither exited the restroom, I’d suspected some shit was going down. Paige would not engage in a public smackdown during her friend’s celebration. But play with Ursula just a little in a contained environment? Yeah, she’d do that if for no other reason than she’d be pissed at Ursula for pulling this shit during the party.
“Beating her ass would do nothing for me—she’ll be too easy to take down,” Paige added. “But you? Yeah, I’d get a kick out of duelling with you.”
I didn’t doubt it, but I hadn’t expected her to issue such a challenge. I’d figured she’d toss Ursula aside and then verbally rip me another ass hole. Paige and I had duelled many times in the arena, but that was different. That had been about improving our combat skills. It hadn’t been about hurting each other. “You know I’d never lay a finger on you in anger.”
Something flashed on Paige’s face. Something … vulnerable. But then she lifted her chin a notch. “Then I guess I’ll be keeping your dainty princess with me a little longer.”