Madeline’s POV
I tried so hard to ignore Janet and Savannah, but it was so hard. They refused to leave and they refused to stop insulting me.
I was on the verge of exploding, but I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing how much their words affected me.
“You look pathetic, Madeline,” Savannah growled. “You don’t belong here. You don’t belong at that desk. You don’t belong in this office. You…”
“Enough!” I exclaimed as I stood up abruptly.
I was breathing heavily and I kept clenching my fists.
“Enough,” I repeated, trying to calm down a little. “I’ve been nothing but respectful to both of you ever since I came to this pack. I don’t know why you hate me so much, but I don’t have to put up with this. Leave my office now.”
Janet growled and Savannah snickered.
“Respectful?” Savannah said mockingly. “You call stealing my mate respectful?”
I tightened my jaw and took a deep breath through my nose. I needed to remain calm.
“Leave my office,” I repeated calmly. “Now.”
Janet approached my desk and narrowed her eyes at me.
“Who the fuck do you think you are, Madeline?” she asked. “Are you forgetting who you are speaking to?”
Unfortunately no. I could never forget who I was speaking to. I could never forget the things they said and did to me.
‘Don’t worry, Maddie,’ Skye cried out. ‘Dimitri is on his way. They won’t hurt you again.’
‘What?!’ I asked, trying to hide my surprise. ‘Why did you tell him, Skye?! He is busy! I can deal with them!’
‘Stop it, Madeline,’ she growled at me. ‘You are more important than work. We need to protect you.’
A wave of anger washed over me. I clenched my fists and breathed out slowly.
She had some nerve talking about protecting me. She was putting me in more danger by refusing to shift. She was keeping me in the dark about me and her. She wasn’t protecting me. She was putting me in more danger by forcing me to be without my wolf.
I never expressed how angry I was about that. I pushed it aside because I had other things to worry about.
But I was angry at her. I was so angry and she had no right to talk about protecting me.
‘Protect me?’ I asked her. ‘Like you are doing by refusing to shift?’
‘Maddie…,’ she spoke, but I pushed her back.
I didn’t want to deal with her. I was angry enough and I didn’t need to listen to her excuses.
“I am Luna of this pack!” Janet continued, her voice becoming louder with each word she spoke. “I am your father’s mate! You can’t talk to me like that, you spoiled little brat!”
She started to approach me and I knew what she was going to do. I recognized that look in her eyes immediately. I didn’t back down, though. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of knowing how scared I really was. I stood up straighter and raised my head high. I wasn’t backing down. Not again.
My stance angered her even more. She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the desk. She dug her nails into my skin and narrowed her eyes at me. She started to raise her hand when the door burst open.
The look on Dimitri’s face made me shiver. I knew that he would never hurt me, but even I was afraid of him.
He looked at Janet’s hand on my arm and a feral growl escaped him.
“Let her go,” Dimitri said, his eyes changing color.
Janet’s hold on my arm only tightened.
“We were just talking, Dimitri,” Janet said. “Your precious little mate is safe.”
Dimitri growled and grabbed Janet’s hand, pulling it off my arm. Someone grabbed me and pulled me back immediately. I looked up and saw a very angry Will.
“Dimitri…,” Savannah spoke, but his loud growl interrupted her.
Two warriors ran inside the office and grabbed Savannah. She started screaming and thrashing.
“Dimitri!” she screamed. “Help me!”
She tried to get out of their arms, but they were too strong for her.
“Let me go!” she screamed. “Dimitri!”
Will pulled me behind him and pressed me closer to him. He never stopped growling.
I could hear Savannah screaming until one of the warriors closed the door on their way out. The only sound that was left was Will’s growling.
“What were you about to do, Mother?” Dimitri spoke, his voice a mixture of his and Skol’s. “Where you about to hurt my mate?”
A breath got caught in my throat.
Janet’s eyes widened. She looked at me, but Will stood so she couldn’t see me. I tilted my head so I could see her.
‘Tell him, Madeline!’ Skye shouted. ‘Tell him what she was about to do. Tell him what she did!’
I ignored her and pushed her back.
“Dimitri…,” I called him, but his growl interrupted me.
“I would never hurt her,” Janet said, her voice trembling slightly. “We were only talking.”
Will tightened his hold on me. He started shaking.
“Interesting,” Dimitri said. “Why was your hand raised when I got here, Mother? Why did it look like you were about to hit her?”
I froze. He saw that?
“I wasn’t!” Janet exclaimed, shaking her head. “I would never hit her!”
She was a good liar. She looked offended that he would even suggest that.
“Tell him, Madeline!” Janet shouted, looking back at me. “Tell him that I never hurt you!”
I gulped and tried to take a little breath. I didn’t want to ruin his relationship with her. I didn’t want him to have to choose between her and me. I didn’t want to hurt him.
“She never…,” I spoke, but Dimitri interrupted me.
“I am not talking to her, Mother,” Dimitri growled. “I am talking to you.”
She looked back at him and her eyes widened.
“Try not to lie, Mother,” Dimitri said, his claws elongating. “I will order you if I have to.”
She gulped and shook her head.
“I never…,” she spoke, but Dimitri’s growl interrupted her.
“I told you not to lie to me!” he screamed, making her flinch hard. “I know the truth, but I want to hear it from you!”
My heart stopped beating.
He knew? How did he…
‘I had to, Maddie,’ Skye whispered. ‘I had to.’
My body went numb.
No.
No, no, no, no, no!
