"Why are you treating her like a criminal?"
-----------------
Certainly, Maximillian's timing was impeccable. In return, Julian's could not be worse.
"Julian, what happened?"
Maximillian's voice cracked with urgency as he found the younger man frozen on the floor. Panic bled into his eyes as he saw the crimson stain blooming across Julian's shirtfront.
"Juli..."
Maximillian started, his hand reaching out to yank the shirt open for a closer look. In response, Julian flinched back, his voice tight.
"It's not my blood! I am not injured!"
His words proved to be scant consolation for the alpha, who started conjuring gruesome images in his mind.
"My dear, you..."
Maximillian's words were stuck in his throat. He continued drilling stares into Julian, whose brain was working like a powered-up 10 MW turbine, searching frantically for any reasonable excuse to explain his current situation.
