I personally never really liked/was attracted to any other characters besides Seth. I'll just say you don't have to write a romance if it's not your thing, you could publish short stories on here or just make something purely horny, no romance needed. If some people fall off your project because they wanted romance and you gave them smut, that's their problem. I'm sure you'll find that a lot of people just wanna get to the sexy furry dick or ass or what have you.
While Max being kinda shitty would make me a bit sad since he was a kind (if a little bit bland) supporting character, I respect your decision to use it to drive the plot. In the end just do what makes you feel artistically fulfilled and the people who want what you're serving will find you. Hang in there.