Dimitri’s POV
My wish came true only a few minutes later.
There was a knock on my door and I knew immediately it was Maddie. I was confused a bit because I was sure she would be gone for at least twenty more minutes.
“Come in,” I said and stood up.
Why was she knocking?
She opened the door and a wave of relief washed over me. I smiled brightly, but my smile disappeared the moment I saw her face.
“What happened princess?” I asked as I walked around my desk.
She rushed toward me and sighed in relief the moment I grabbed her.
My heart was racing like crazy. Did someone do something to her? Was she hurt? Did Seth say something that upset her? Did he do something? Did he try something?
“Mads?” Will called her worriedly. “What happened?”
I ran my fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head,
“I am okay,” she mumbled quietly. “The voices were too much.”
My heart clenched painfully. I needed to find a solution as soon as possible.
“Oh, princess,” I mumbled as I picked her up and walked back to my chair.
I sat down and placed her on my lap. I rubbed her back and she relaxed even more. I buried my nose into her hair and took a deep breath. Her scent soothed me and I was able to clear my mind a little.
I missed her so much and having her in my arms felt amazing. I couldn’t wait to lay next to her tonight. I couldn’t wait to press my entire body against hers.
“Can you hear Dimitri’s thoughts?” Will asked, making her tense up a little.
I looked at him and my eyes widened. I never thought of that.
Maddie looked up at me and furrowed her eyebrows. I thought about the first time I saw her. If she could read my mind, I wanted her to know how I felt the moment my eyes landed on her beautiful face.
“No,” she mumbled quietly and looked at Will. “What does that mean?”
I was confused as well. She could hear everyone’s thoughts except mine.
“I don’t know,” Will shrugged. “I hope that the healer will have the answers.”
“The healer?” Maddie asked with confusion in her voice.
I leaned in and placed a kiss on her jaw. I couldn’t hold back. I needed to feel her soft skin against my lips.
“Ellie suggested we talk to a healer instead of a doctor,” Will explained. “She said that healers could know more about these types of magic.”
Maddie furrowed her eyebrows.
“Who is Ellie?” she asked, making Will smile.
“She is my sister,” Will said. “You will get to meet her soon.”
“She will be your guard, princess,” I said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “She is currently in an elite training program run by Mike. She will be back in a couple of days.”
Maddie looked at me and her eyes widened a little.
“Mike runs a training program?” she asked.
“He does,” I confirmed. “Your dad is an amazing warrior and he came up with a course for elite warriors. Ellie is one of them.”
Maddie furrowed her eyebrows again.
“Why do I need a personal guard?” she asked, making both Will and I sigh at the same time.
“You are a Luna and a Queen,” I explained. “I need to ensure your safety at all times.”
I smiled and caressed her cheek.
“You will love Ellie,” I said. “You two are a lot alike. She is kind and loving. She is one of my best friends and I trust her completely.”
An unknown emotion flashed in Maddie’s eyes. I tried to catch it by focusing on our bond, but it was gone before I could figure it out.
“She is so excited to meet you,” Will said, making Maddie look at him. “She already likes you a lot, Mads.”
I could see the confusion on Maddie’s face.
“Will tells her everything,” I said, trying to explain what Will meant. “Ellie already knows a lot about you and she already likes you.”
Maddie looked back at me and gave me a small nod. I caressed my cheek and used our bond to try to figure out what she was feeling. I came up empty, though.
Will stood up and I looked at him.
“I will go get everything ready for the doctor’s arrival,” Will said. “I will be back later.”
I nodded and watched as he left our office.
As soon as the door behind him closed, I cupped Maddie’s cheeks and kissed her softly. She placed her hands over mine and moaned quietly.
“Goddess, I missed you,” I mumbled against her lips. “I don’t like being apart from you.”
Maddie smiled a little. She kissed me again and I groaned.
“I don’t like it either,” she said quietly.
I caressed her cheek and lifted my head so I could get a better look at her. Something was off.
“What happened at the diner?” I asked.
Something must have happened there. Something made her upset and it wasn’t the voices. Not entirely at least.
She sighed and bit her lower lip.
“Did Seth say something?” I asked as my heart raced. “Did he try something?”
Maddie shook her head immediately.
“No,” she said. “He was a bit sad. He didn’t do anything, but…”
She stopped talking and took a deep breath.
“But?” I asked, trying to stop my voice from trembling.
I needed to contain the anger that was pulsating inside my body. What the fuck did he do to her?
“His thoughts were…,” she said, but stopped talking and took a deep breath.
I tightened my arms around her. What was she going to say?
“The worst part is that I don’t even know if those were his thoughts or if I am just making it all up,” she mumbled quietly. “What if I am crazy? What if I am sick? What if…”
I interrupted her by pressing my lips on hers.
“You are not crazy, princess,” I said quietly. “You are not sick. You can hear other people’s thoughts and we will figure out what it means.”
She took a deep breath and leaned her head on my shoulder. I kissed her temple and wrapped my arms around her.
“What was he thinking, Maddie?” I asked. “I need you to tell me everything.”
I needed to know if she was in danger. I needed to know if his thoughts were violent. I needed to protect her.
She was my whole world and I needed to make sure that she was safe. I barely lived through those thirty-something minutes that she was gone. If something happened to her or if someone took her from me, I would die. I wouldn’t survive that. I needed her to breathe. I needed her to live. I needed her so my heart would continue beating.
