They Took His Inheritance, He Claimed Three Alpha Mates novel · Chapter 37 of 40
Chapter 37: The Door in the Wall
Max did not tell anyone for a whole day.
He carried the line around the lodge all day and told no one.
He changed a pup's wrap, ate Joel's cold toast, and let James teach a week-old pup the words to a rude drinking song.
At dusk the white text came back.
You have until dawn to answer. A door will open in the nursery wall. After dawn it will not.
Max read it standing at the window with the Joel pup asleep on his shoulder.
The river ran below, dark and wide, and the light was going orange on the water.
He thought about the pharmacy.
He thought about the hum of the freezer, the night-shift quiet, the bus home at six, and a one-room flat with a cactus that never died.
That life had been small and safe and entirely his own, and for the first time in his memory it did not feel like his.
"You've been staring at that river for an hour," Raven said from the doorway.
Max turned.
Raven stood with his black book shut in his hand, and behind him stood Joel and James, who had plainly been listening at the corner and had not been quiet about it.
"Rose," Max said. "She's offering a way home."
Nobody spoke.
"By dawn," Max said. "A door in the nursery wall. After that, never."
James opened his mouth and shut it again.
It was the first time Max had seen him do it.
Joel took a step into the room.
"Then go," he said.
His voice was perfectly level.
"Go and see it. If you want to. I won't hold you."
"Joel."
"I mean it. You pulled three drowning boys out of a river with your bare hands. You've paid for everything anyone ever gave you, twice. If there is a door, you walk through it if you want to walk through it."
Keep reading free with an account. Start They Took His Inheritance, He Claimed Three Alpha Mates from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.
← Chapter 36 · All chapters · Chapter 38 →
Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend