Mysterious mate to the lycan prince (Addison and Max) novel Chapter 17

**The Crimson Oath — Bryan Foster**
**Chapter 17**

**Max**

“Hey,” Tyler called out to me, his voice light and teasing as he ambled backward on our way to school. “Isn’t it just fantastic that we can stroll to Blackbolt High whenever we please, and the staff can’t say a word to us?”

His words hung in the air, but my mind was elsewhere, still tangled in the thoughts of our conversation from the day before.

“Are you still dwelling on Addison and me?” he asked, halting abruptly, his expression shifting from playful to serious.

“How could I possibly not?” I shot back, incredulity etched across my face.

“Honestly, it’s pointless to ruminate on it right now because you won’t figure it out on your own. We need to tackle this together.”

As a lycan prince, Tyler should have sensed Addison’s wolf, but even when they held hands, he felt nothing. It was perplexing.

“Hey,” he said again, snapping me from my thoughts. “The main reason I suggested we walk to school was so we could take our sweet time along the way. You know how much I relish the freedom we have. I’m honestly surprised you agreed to this so readily.”

I sighed, feeling the weight of my thoughts. “Taking our time like this actually helps me prepare for what I need to do. Today marks my first day of learning to keep my distance, and it’s going to be a challenge.”

“Because you’re drawn to Addison?” he teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

We still had quite a distance to cover before reaching school, and Tyler’s relentless teasing was beginning to wear on my nerves. I tried to ignore him, but his playful jabs were starting to push me to my limits. Even though we were the same height, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of authority over him, being the older brother.

Just then, a familiar scent wafted through the air, and Tyler must have sensed it too, as he abruptly ceased his teasing and shifted to a more serious demeanor. We both turned toward the corner of the road, anticipation building as we awaited the car that would soon come into view.

As it drew closer, it slowed to a stop, and Jeffrey Hawkins emerged, his head bowed as he approached us.

“Prince Max, Prince Tyler, good morning,” he greeted, his voice low and respectful.

“Good morning,” Tyler and I replied in unison, our tones now laced with authority.

“It’s been quite some time since I last saw both of you. I was actually en route to the palace to speak with the King. I’d love to share my reason for going there, as it pertains to Blackbolt High, if you could spare a moment of your valuable time.”

Tyler shot me a glance, his mind link buzzing with excitement at the prospect of wasting even more time with this unexpected development.

“You have two minutes,” I stated firmly, cutting to the chase.

Keeping his head low, Jeffrey recounted the events that had transpired in Murphy’s office, and with each word, my anger simmered just beneath the surface.

“How long ago did this happen?” I seethed, my teeth grinding together. “How dare they treat Addison like that when she’s done nothing wrong?”

The thought of her being defenseless in that office ignited a fire within me, but when Tyler placed a calming hand on my shoulder, I took a deep breath, trying to rein in my emotions.

“I should have guessed Ruby was your daughter,” I said to Jeffrey, feeling a surge of frustration.

“My Prince, you would have known had you attended the annual gatherings at the palace,” he replied, his tone apologetic.

“My brother and I have always had more pressing matters to deal with. What do you intend to do about your daughter’s actions?”

“I have a few ideas in mind. I assure you, she will learn her lesson and will never repeat this mistake. As for Murphy, he deserves more than just a suspension.”

“The final decision rests with the King,” Tyler interjected, his voice steady.

“Of course, My Prince,” Jeffrey acknowledged, the weight of the situation evident in his demeanor.

“Your time is up,” I said, my impatience growing.

“I was just about to leave. Have a pleasant day,” he said, bowing his head before turning back toward his car.

Once the vehicle was out of sight, I couldn’t contain my frustration any longer. I sprinted toward the nearest tree, slamming my body against it with such force that it toppled over.

“Hey, calm down!” Tyler exclaimed, his voice laced with concern.

“No. We need to go,” I insisted, determination fueling my every move.

Without waiting for his response, I took off at a sprint, and Tyler had no choice but to keep up. I was eager to confront Murphy, and I hoped I wouldn’t lose control in the process.

Navigating the hallways with purpose, we reached Murphy’s office door, and I flung it open with a clenched jaw.

Murphy flinched at the sudden intrusion, his instinct to lash out at whoever had barged in quickly dissipated when he realized it was Tyler and me. He scrambled to his feet, his heart racing, a nervous smile plastered on his face.

“Forgive me! I had no idea it was you two!” he stammered, his voice trembling with panic.

Tyler scoffed, whispering to me, “Are you so worried about what’s coming that you couldn’t even sense who was walking in? Follow us, now.”

Before Tyler could even close the door, I led the way to a secluded area far from the school, and Murphy hurried after us, glancing around anxiously as if expecting someone to jump out at him.

“Quit stalling. There’s no one around,” I urged him, my voice low but firm.

He nodded, his head bowed, and as soon as we were far enough away, he dropped to his knees before us.

“We just heard everything from Jeffrey, and now you’re about to face the consequences,” I said, clenching my fists, struggling to keep my anger in check.

“I beg you,” Murphy pleaded, his hands trembling as he clasped them together. “I promise this will never happen again!”

“You chose to lie about an innocent student simply because Ruby offered you some money? You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“I assure you, I am deeply ashamed, and I’m already reflecting on how to ensure this never occurs again.”

I shook my head firmly, my resolve unwavering. “Trust me, this will never happen again. Jeffrey is already on his way to the palace. The King will hear about this.”

“Please, I’ll do anything to make amends. Just don’t let the punishment be too severe!”

Tyler scoffed again. “The audacity of you to beg for mercy is astounding.”

“Announce that today’s events for the Warrior Selection Competition have been canceled until further notice,” I commanded Murphy, my voice steady and authoritative.

His eyes widened in shock, sweat forming on his brow as he grasped the extent of what this would entail.

“Please don’t do this to me!” he whimpered.

“How dare you look at me while I’m speaking to you?” I growled, my irritation boiling over.

He quickly averted his gaze, stuttering as he tried to regain his composure. “Forgive me, My Prince.”

“It doesn’t matter what you say. You have no choice in this. Just do as I command.”

Too furious to even pretend to attend class, I turned on my heel and made my way back to Blackbolt High, Tyler trailing behind, attempting to calm me down. He reached out through our mind link, but I shut him out, not wanting to engage in conversation.

As I returned to the school, he followed closely, clearly intent on talking.

When I reached my favorite tree, the tallest one in the area, I leaped into its branches, settling on a sturdy limb as I surveyed my surroundings. My heart was still racing from the earlier confrontation.

All I could think about was Addison—what she must have felt after Murphy’s despicable actions.

“Hey,” Tyler said as he climbed up to join me. “This is the part where you stop shutting me out. Otherwise, everyone will hear what I have to say if I say it out loud.”

“I hope it’s just the two of you and no boys.”

She chuckled at my text, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear.

“There will be no boys. It’s just the two of us,” she replied.

“Good, and keep it that way. Once we figure out what’s going on between us, it’ll be just the two of us out somewhere.”

She pressed her lips together, a smile gracing her face as she typed back, “I’d like that.”

“Then it’s a date.”

As she walked further away, I couldn’t tear my gaze from her, my heart racing with every step she took. If only I could get closer.

“Look at that. I bet she’s blushing hard,” Tyler noted with a chuckle. “Gina’s not making it any easier with all that teasing.”

I might not have been able to approach her, but seeing her smile because of me filled me with a sense of contentment.

“Did you really believe her when she said there’d be no boys?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No. They’ll obviously be hanging around.”

“And you don’t feel threatened at all?”

“No. I have a date with her. I also don’t sense any threats. If there were, Koa wouldn’t be so calm.”

“Keep this up, and someone else will snatch her right from under your nose.”

“Don’t you dare say that,” I warned him, my voice low and fierce.

“Just think about it. You’re here, chilling in this tree with me when you should be out there finding a solution to this problem.”

I sighed, frustration bubbling within me. “I still don’t know where to start.”

“Then shouldn’t we tell someone?”

“Who?”

“Mother.”

“Forget it.”

“Come on, you know she’d jump at the chance to help since we usually get things done without her.”

Despite his best efforts, I remained resolute until he finally decided to drop the subject.

Changing the topic, he asked, “What punishment do you think awaits Murphy? Death?”

“You know how our father can be. That’s always a possibility.”

“And we’re okay with him finding out about Murphy?”

“Since I chose not to break his neck, Murphy’s only getting what he deserves.”

“And you will too if you don’t make things right,” Tyler warned, his tone serious.

“What are you talking about?”