My Sword Between The Alpha's Lips
Chapter 18: Maxim’s Pov: Invitation

Chapter 18: Maxim’s Pov: Invitation

The next day, the other pack wolves visited Tonya’s house to congratulate Maxim on shifting into his wolf form. However, they couldn’t feel Maxim’s animalistic side when they arrived.

"Chief, is there something wrong?" Alia, one of Tonya’s friends, asked with concern over her face.

Tonya smiled. "It seems like I miscalculated Maxim’s original birthday," she lied, covering up the truth.

"Aww, that’s alright. Maybe he will shift any day now," Alia stated, giving a pitied look, which Tonya didn’t like.

"Thank you, Maxim will be okay," Tonya replied flatly with a smile. "So, is there anything you need?" she asked, diverting the topic away from Maxim.

"Ah, yes. We are wondering if we have extra money? I need to buy some food for the family. We got short this month," Alia explained shyly, scratching the back of her head.

Tonya’s lips formed into a thin line. She wanted to decline since they were struggling too, but since she was the Chieftain, a part of her wanted to help.

"I’ll see what I can do," Tonya turned away from Alia and walked into the small, dimly lit kitchen, where a large wooden chest sat in the corner.

The chest held the pack’s communal funds, a responsibility that weighed heavily on Tonya’s shoulders.

Tonya knelt down and opened it, the creak of the hinges filling the silence. Inside were a few small bags of coins, the result of careful budgeting and the pack’s little earnings from odd jobs and trades with the nearby packs.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Maxim asked upon seeing his mother sitting on the kitchen floor.

Tonya snapped back in surprise. "Oh, nothing," she stated, shaking her head.

"Don’t tell me they ask for more money?" Maxim frowned, sitting next to Tonya. "You should tell them to budget better."

Tonya sighed deeply. "Our funds are dwindling... and the pack had barely enough resources to get by, but I still can’t refuse Alia," she explained.

Maxim turned to the side and rolled her eyes. "Alright, I won’t force you to do anything, Mom."

"Wait, Are you alright now?" Tonya asked. She had been worried since last night and barely slept, thinking about Maxim’s decision.

"Of course!" Maxim grinned and gave a thumbs-up before heading back to his room.

Maxim immediately went to his window to see what was going on.

After a few minutes, Tonya returned with a few coins. "It isn’t much, but that will have to do," she said, forcing a smile as she faced Alia.

"Thank you. It will help us a lot," Alia said, a grin on her face.

"Here," Tonya said, handing over the coins. "It should help you get what you need for now. Please budget them better; I can’t give more."

"Chief, I don’t know what we would do without you," Alia said, grabbing Tonya’s hand and squeezing it tight before leaving, ignoring what Tonya had said.

As Alia left, Tonya’s smile faded. She watched the other wolves exchange whispers as they walked away from her house. She knew what they were thinking.

A Chieftain’s son who couldn’t shift was unheard of.

"Extorting me money for gossip, huh," Tonya sighed, shaking her head. She knew Alia had gone there to get information about Maxim’s shift and to use the money issue as a cover-up.

Tonya closed the door, leaned against it, and closed her eyes momentarily. A wave of frustration and fear washed over her. "I hate this..." she said.

On the other hand, Maxim went through his bag. He still hadn’t given his parents the money he had earned, as he had forgotten about it.

"This will do," Maxim whispered, counting how much he would give while keeping some for himself. He also took the other items he had bought that he failed to provide.

Maxim went out of his door and saw Tonya rubbing her eyes, showing signs of stress.

"Mom..." Maxim called, hiding the money behind him.

Tonya looked at his son and smiled softly. "Hmm? What is it?" she asked.

Maxim pursed his lips and went before Tonya. He grabbed her hand and placed the money and medicine he had bought in it. "Also, I purchased this for you," he said, showing a pink butterfly clip.

Tonya felt an overwhelming joy in her heart at Maxim’s gift. "Thank you, Maxim."

"You’re welcome, mom," Maxim replied, hugging his mother slightly.

Tonya counted the money, and her eyes widened. "Wait... Maxim, this is too much! How? I-I can’t accept this!" she exclaimed, giving the money back to him.

"Don’t worry about it, mom. Make sure to save some since I don’t know when I can send money again," Maxim replied, pushing the money towards Tonya.

Tonya’s eyes welled up with tears. "Thank you," she whispered. Then she looked at the pink butterfly clip in her hand.

The delicate gift starkly contrasted the harsh realities they faced daily, a small piece of beauty amid their struggles.

"You didn’t have to, Maxim," Tonya whispered, her voice breaking slightly. She turned the clip over in her fingers, admiring its simple yet elegant design. "But I’m so grateful."

Maxim smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I know it’s not much, but I thought it might cheer you up," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "You’ve been doing so much for everyone... I just wanted to do something for you."

Tonya pulled him into a tight hug, holding him close. "You’re a good son, Maxim. Never doubt that," she murmured into his shoulder. "No matter what happens, I’m proud of you."

Maxim felt a lump form in his throat at her words. He was about to say something, but the moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. Tonya reluctantly released him and wiped her eyes, regaining her composure.

"I’ll get it," Maxim offered, stepping toward the door. He opened it to find Jon, one of the Scout wolves in the pack, standing there with a playful expression.

"Good morning, Maxim," Jon greeted, a smirk on his lips.

"What do you want, Jon?" Maxim asked. He could feel that Jon was planning something terrible.

"What’s with the serious look, Maxim? I’m just here to greet you! Oh... wait! I heard you didn’t shift last night," Jon walked closer to Maxim and whispered his last sentence.

"Do you have any problem with me, Jon?" Maxim asked, his eyes squinting.

"No, no, is it bad to visit a friend?" Jon raised both hands as if he was surrendering.

Maxim scoffed. Since childhood, he has never liked Jon because of his self-centred ego and he wasn’t his friend.

Growing up, Jon became one of the Scouts and a skilful one, which made him an essential member of the pack.

Maxim initially didn’t mind it and was delighted by the news of Jon’s achievement, mainly surviving the killing spree of the DarkMoon pack. However, Jon kept pestering him for the reason he didn’t know.

"I’m here to invite you for a picnic," Jon continued, his smirk widening.

At the same time, Tonya appeared and looked at Jon. "Oh, Jon! Is there something you need?" she asked curiously.

"Good morning, Chieftain. I’m here to ask Maxim to hang out with us for a picnic. It’s been years since we’ve seen him," Jon explained softly, showing his good side to Tonya.

"That’s great!" Tonya exclaimed. "Maxim, you should go. It’s better for you."

Maxim gritted his teeth. He wanted to reject Jon’s invitation since he knew he was up to no good, but he couldn’t say it out loud in front of his mother.

"Yes, it’s better for you, Maxim. Have fun with friends," Jon grinned widely, gesturing for Maxim to follow.

Behind Jon were three of his friends, who were also members of the Scouts but new members. They were all grinning with evilness in their eyes.

Maxim sighed and faced Tonya. "I’ll be back soon," he stated, slightly pushing her inside the house.

"Okay, I’ll prepare your favourite tea when you come back," Tonya said, waving back as he watched Jon’s group leave with Maxim behind them.

Maxim knew something wasn’t right about this sudden invitation.

’Jon is always a troublemaker, and his friends are no better,’ Maxim thought as he couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were up to something, but with his mother watching, he had no choice but to play along for now.

The group walked towards the dense forest at the edge of the village, where only some people went. As they moved further away from the village’s safety, the trees grew thicker, and the path became less clear.

Maxim noticed that Jon kept glancing back at him, a sly smile on his face.

"So, Maxim," Jon began, breaking the silence, "How does it feel, being the only one in the pack who hasn’t shifted? Must be tough, huh?"

Maxim’s jaw tightened, but he kept his face neutral. "I’m fine, Jon. I’m not worried about it," he replied evenly, trying to keep his tone calm.