Being cooped up in one place was never Maxi’s style. She preferred being out in the open, always moving, always working on sothing. But for the past few days, she had been stuck inside like so grounded princess.
Issac, on the other hand, was the only one who got to leave. It didn’t sit well with her. Maxi was great at blending in—there was no way so ssy Fae could catch her—but Issac wouldn’t take any chances.
"You’re my mate. I don’t think I could forgive myself if sothing happened to you," Issac would say.
The old Maxi would’ve rolled her eyes and called his protective streak bullshit, but now she could sense his panic and fear through their bond. She knew he wasn’t exaggerating, so she gave in. If there was one thing Maxi had learned since becoming Issac’s mate, it was compromise.
Maxi had always worked alone. Her life had been solitary for as long as she could rember, with Aldric being her only close connection. But things were different now. She had responsibility, not just to herself but to Issac. Her actions could hurt him, and she couldn’t bear to cause him pain.
So, here she was, staying indoors like an obedient mate. The bright side? Issac made sure she had anything and everything she wanted to eat, and Oma and Kayla occasionally kept her company. At that mont, she and Kayla were playing a card ga to pass the ti.
Midway through the ga, Maxi shifted in her seat, feeling a sudden pressure in her stomach. Without warning, she let out a loud fart. It was impulsive, and she imdiately glanced at Kayla to gauge her reaction.
Kayla froze, her eyes wide as the foul sll hit her. For a mont, neither of them said anything. Maxi felt a stab of guilt. She hadn’t ant to do that, at least not right in Kayla’s face.
"I’m sorry. It must’ve been that awful breakfast we ate."
Neither Issac nor Oma had been around to make breakfast that morning, and Kayla, as it turned out, was a terrible cook. Maxi wasn’t much better herself—"manageable" would be a generous description. She’d spent most of her life surviving on whatever animals she would catch in the wild, and when she wasn’t out there, she had food at Aldric’s palace eat from. Cooking wasn’t exactly her forte.
That morning, however, she’d tried sothing new. A recipe of sorts, if you could even call it that—just a random mix of ingredients that sohow turned into an edible al.
"Strangely edible," as Kayla had put it. With no Issac or Oma around, they had eaten the entire al, which probably explained why Maxi now felt gassy.
Kayla, still recovering from the sll, shook her head. "Oh, you don’t need to apologize," she said, her voice oddly casual.
"What?" Maxi was confused.
Without missing a beat, Kayla lifted her leg and let out a loud, echoing fart.
"Ahh," Kayla sighed, throwing her head back with satisfaction. "That feels good. You have no idea how long I’ve been holding that in."
Maxi’s nose twitched, and her face contorted as the stench hit her. Unlike her own fart, which she found relatively mild, Kayla’s slled like rotten eggs. The urge to gag overtook her, and she fought to keep her breakfast down.
Kayla, seeing her reaction, burst into laughter. "How’s that for one? You should’ve known—I’m the Queen of Farts!" She was laughing so hard she barely got the words out.
Big mistake.
Maxi’s face hardened. She wasn’t one to back down from a challenge, and Kayla had just thrown down the gauntlet.
"Fine. I accept," Maxi said, her voice deadly serious.
"What?" Kayla’s eyes widened, then narrowed as well, her competitive spirit kicking in. "Bring it on."
The two of them sat on the long couch, cards forgotten between them. Maxi was the first to strike. With a vengeful gleam in her eyes, she raised her leg and released a long, thunderous fart that echoed throughout the room. It was so powerful that it seed to rumble on and on until it finally stuttered to a stop.
Kayla tried to maintain her composure, but when the sll hit her, she retched and turned away, pinching her nose.
"What in the Fae do you store in that stomach of yours?" she cried, waving her hand in front of her face in a futile attempt to clear the air.
Maxi laughed, her victory sweet. This was revenge, and it felt good. She delighted in Kayla’s tornt.
But Kayla wasn’t one to back down either. Revenge flashed in her eyes, and she was determined to reclaim her title as the Queen of Farts. She raised her leg higher and, with a grunt of effort, let out a booming fart, then another, each one louder and sllier than the last.
"Ew! You stink!" Maxi gasped, turning her face away as the noxious cloud hit her. Kayla was relentless, and Maxi felt like she might actually throw up.
And so, the battle continued. Fart after fart filled the air, each girl trying to outdo the other, completely oblivious to the fact that they were no longer alone.
Issac walked into the room, Oma right behind him. They had been in the middle of a serious conversation, only to freeze in place the mont they stepped inside.
Issac’s nose twitched. Oma’s expression fell first, her eyes widening in horror. "What in the na of the gods...?" she gasped, clutching her nose and looking like she might vomit.
Issac and Oma stared at Maxi and Kayla, who were now frozen in place, mortified at having been caught in such a ridiculous act.
Oma couldn’t take it anymore. She rushed out of the room, muttering about how she had expected more from Maxi, her daughter-in-law.
"I thought the gods had blessed with a responsible daughter-in-law, but I was wrong. You’re both terrors!" she cried as she left.
Maxi turned to Issac, a mischievous grin on her face. "Hello, honey. Do you love the natural perfu we’ve got going on in here?"
Issac’s mouth twitched. He was tempted to laugh but tried his best to maintain a serious expression. On one hand, he didn’t want to encourage this ridiculous behavior, but on the other, his mate was bonding with his sister. What was he supposed to do?
"I... I can’t do this," Issac muttered, turning to follow Oma’s escape route.
As soon as he was gone, Maxi and Kayla looked at each other, then burst into uncontrollable laughter. It had been fun—probably more fun than it should have been—and they were sure they’d try it again if the opportunity arose.
Issac and Oma entered the house just after the chaos of the farting contest had settled. Maxi and Kayla were now seated calmly on the couch, cards neatly stacked on the table, as if nothing had happened. The air, however, still held a faint trace of their earlier antics, but both won tried to act as though everything was completely normal.
Issac’s eyes scanned the room suspiciously, but before he could say anything, he cleared his throat, his expression turning serious.
"We need to leave," he said abruptly.
Maxi imdiately straightened up, sensing the gravity in his tone. "What’s going on?" she asked, her voice sharper now, her carefree attitude vanishing in an instant.
Issac ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tense. "Aldric has challenged Valerie to another death duel"
Maxi’s eyes widened in disbelief. "What?!" she shouted, standing up from the couch.
Her mind raced. This couldn’t be true. What in the world was going on inside Aldric’s head? King Oberon had just been handed the Night Court on a silver platter, and now he was throwing it away for another battle? She couldn’t wrap her head around it.
Fury surged through her.
"Is he insane? The Night Court was his! What is he thinking?"
Issac remained calm, though the weight of the situation was clear in his voice. "We don’t know Aldric’s plan yet. He’s always been unpredictable, but we’ll find out soon enough. For now, we need to return to the castle. The Dark Fae prince is paranoid, and he won’t trust that Valerie’s people won’t sabotage the battle. He’ll want us all there for whatever’s coming."
The room fell into a heavy silence as the weight of his words sank in. They were leaving, and this wasn’t just another mission. There was sothing more dangerous, more volatile brewing. Maxi could feel it in her gut.
Oma and Kayla, realizing what this ant, exchanged somber looks. "We’re not coming with you, are we?" Kayla asked quietly.
Issac shook his head. "No, it’s too dangerous. You’ll return ho, where it’s safe."
The goodbye was harder than Maxi had expected. She had enjoyed their company more than she realized. Kayla had beco a little sister, and Oma, a comforting presence in this crazy world. Now, they had to part ways, and God only knew for how long.
Maxi hugged them both tightly. "Take care of yourselves," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
As they pulled away, a sense of foreboding settled in Maxi’s chest. This war Aldric was starting—whatever it was—it felt different. It felt like sothing that would leave a lasting mark, one that they might never fully recover from.
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