Madeline’s POV
I finally managed to calm down a little.
Dimitri kept kissing every part of my body he could reach. He kept telling me how much he loved me. Being in his arms felt like I was floating on clouds and I never wanted to leave.
Dimitri raised my head, caressed my cheek, and pressed his warm lips against mine.
“Your dad wants to see you, princess,” he said after he stopped kissing me. “He is outside our bedroom.”
I gulped and looked at the door.
“Hear him out, love, please,” Dimitri said as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “He is very upset.”
I looked back at Dimitri and nodded. He placed another soft kiss on my lips and neck. I stood up and took a deep breath.
I watched as Dimitri walked to our bedroom door and opened it.
Mike was pacing in front of our room. His hair was a mess and he looked like he had been crying. He looked at me as soon as Dimitri stepped aside.
“Oh, my baby,” Mike exclaimed as he rushed inside.
He hugged me tightly and sobbed.
“I am so sorry, my little girl,” he mumbled through his sobs. “I am so sorry for everything.”
I hugged him back and looked at Dimitri over his shoulder. He was smiling at me and my heart skipped a beat.
“She will get punished, baby,” Mike continued. “I promise. I will punish her myself.”
I patted his back gently.
“It’s okay, Mike,” I said, trying to comfort him a little. “She can’t hurt me again.”
Mike raised his head and looked at me. He caressed my cheek and shook his head.
“It’s not okay,” he said, his voice breaking. “Nothing is okay, my baby. Nothing you had to go through because of me is okay.”
I furrowed my eyebrows and Mike sobbed again.
“If I hadn’t left you and your mom, she wouldn’t have been able to hurt you,” Mike said, caressing my cheek again. “I am so sorry, baby. I am so sorry. Everything is my fault.”
He pulled me back into his arms and hugged me tightly. I looked at Dimitri and my heart clenched.
“I met Dimitri because of you,” I said, keeping my eyes on my mate. “If I hadn’t moved here, I would never have met him. I have only you to thank for that.”
Mike looked at me again and shook his head.
“You would have found your way to him even without me,” he said, his voice trembling. “You are so strong and so amazing and I had nothing to do with that. It was all you and your mother.”
He placed a kiss on my forehead and sobbed again.
“I can only be ashamed of the things I did,” he said quietly. “I can only be ashamed of my actions.”
I sighed and stepped away from him. I took his hand in mine and pulled him to the couch on the other side of Dimitri and mine’s bedroom. I made him sit down and I sat next to him, keeping his hand in mine the entire time.
“You made mistakes, but what happened with Janet wasn’t your fault,” I said and he looked at me. “It was only hers. She decided to do that, not you.”
I took a deep breath and released it slowly.
“It was destined for me to come to his pack,” I continued. “Janet would probably do the same thing no matter who brought me here.”
Mike gulped and caressed my cheek.
“She said that she did it because you look like your mom, honey,” Mike mumbled quietly. “If I wasn’t her mate she would never…”
Mike stopped talking and shook his head.
I squeezed his hand tighter and gave him a small smile.
“It wasn’t your fault, Mike,” I said. “I am not blaming you for what she did.”
Mike pulled me into a hug again. He rubbed my back and kissed my temple.
“I am blaming myself,” he mumbled. “I should have seen the signs. I should have noticed that something was going on.”
I looked at Dimitri and gulped. I didn’t want him to hear these things. She was his mom, no matter what.
Dimitri approached us and sat next to me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. Mike let me go and wiped his cheeks.
“We both should have seen the signs,” Dimitri said. “I am blaming myself as well, Mike. I should have noticed that my mate was being abused. I should have seen it sooner. I should have questioned a lot.”
“Dimitri…,” I spoke, but he interrupted me.
“Both of us fucked up, Mike,” Dimitri continued, ignoring me completely. “But there is no use in crying over that. We need to make sure that no one ever hurts her again. We have to change for the better, not cry about what should have been.”
Mike smiled a little. I could tell that he was very proud of Dimitri.
“You are right,” Mike said, reaching out and taking Dimitri’s hand in his. “We have to make sure that no one hurts her ever again.”
Dimitri nodded and squeezed Mike’s hand tighter.
“I am so fucking happy that you are my daughter’s mate,” Mike continued. “You are an amazing man and I am so proud of you.”
I smiled and leaned my head on Dimitri’s shoulder. I was so happy he was my mate too. I couldn’t have asked for a better one.
“Just please don’t be as stupid as I was, Dimitri,” Mike said. “Don’t hurt my little girl.”
Dimitri’s arm around me tightened.
“Never, Mike,” he said. “I love her more than anything in this world. I will never hurt her. I would rather die.”
My heart clenched painfully just thinking about him being gone. He was a part of me and I didn’t want to exist without him.
Dimitri turned to me and kissed my forehead.
I love you. I mind-linked him.
I love you too, my princess. He said softly and I couldn’t help but smile.
I never wanted anything to change and I hoped it never would.
