Dimitri’s POV
“I think we should wrap this up,” I said as I glanced at the clock. “I need to go back to Maddie.”
Will and I spent the last two hours talking about the Alpha meeting that was going to take place in my pack in just three short days. I felt like I neglected the event completely, but I had a good excuse for it. It wasn’t every day that I found out that my mate was abused my by own mother.
“Sure,” Will said, giving me a small smile. “I can tell that you miss her already.”
I didn’t miss her. I was fucking burning without her and I had to go back. This was the longest we had been apart in the last few days and I felt like my lungs were shutting down. I needed her to breathe.
“I do,” I said as I closed the folder in front of me. “We can continue this tomorrow.”
“I will stay and finish up,” Will said. “Go be with your mate.”
My fingertips felt like they were on fire. I already knew that the only thing that would help was Maddie’s skin. I needed to touch her. I needed to kiss her. I needed to fill my lungs with her sweet scent.
“See you tomorrow,” I said as I stood up and rushed toward the door.
I heard Will chuckling to himself and a small smile spread across my face. I couldn’t wait until he met his mate and got to experience how wonderful the feeling of finally having her was.
I barely noticed anyone or anything as I rushed back to my room. I passed by a few of my warriors so I forced a small smile on my face as they bowed to me.
I couldn’t fucking wait to get back to my room.
My heart was racing as I approached the door. I was so fucking excited and I couldn’t wait to hold her. I was barely breathing by the time I finally grabbed the doorknob.
“Princess,” I let out a relieved sigh as I entered the room.
My heart fucking stopped beating.
She wasn’t there.
My breath got caught in my throat. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t. I could feel my heartbeat in my eyes. I could hear the blood rushing through my veins.
A thousand different scenarios ran through my mind.
Someone took her. My mother and Savannah escaped and took her. Someone else broke into our room and took her away from me. She left. She couldn’t handle what my mother had done to her and she left.
“Madeline!” I exclaimed, my voice quiet and raspy.
I tried to be loud. I tried to scream. I couldn’t, though. The fear was choking me. I’d never been so afraid in my entire life.
If something happened to her…
A noise behind me made me turn so fucking fast that I almost lost my balance.
It was her.
It was my princess.
I cried out in relief as I closed the distance between us and pulled her into my arms. Everything in my body stilled and I could finally think clearly.
She was okay. She was just in the bathroom.
“Dimitri?” she called me worriedly as she wrapped her arms around me.
I still couldn’t speak, though. There was still a huge lump in my throat.
Give me a second, princess. I said through the mind-link as I buried my nose into her neck.
She didn’t respond, but she ran her fingers through my hair and kissed my temple. I relaxed even more and I was finally able to take a deep breath.
She was okay.
I tightened my hold on her and pulled her even closer to me.
“I am sorry, princess,” I mumbled into her neck. “I didn’t see you in the room when I walked in and I thought that something happened to you. I thought that someone had taken you. I thought that you left.”
Just saying those words hurt like hell. I had no idea what would I do if she really wasn’t here. I would probably lose it completely.
“I will never leave, Dimitri,” she said softly as she kissed my temple again. “I am yours and I will never leave you.”
I smiled a little. Hearing her say that cured every ache in my body.
I placed a soft kiss on her neck and ran my hand up her back.
It was at that moment that I noticed that she was only wearing a towel and that her skin was still a bit wet.
A quiet grunt escaped me as my fingers reached the back of her neck. I kissed her neck again and she moaned quietly.
“You are killing me, princess,” I said softly. “You should have waited for me. I really wanted to take a shower with you again.”
Maddie chuckled a little and I raised my head to look at her beautiful face. I couldn’t resist kissing her so I did. I captured her lips with mine, squeezing the back of her neck gently and holding her in place.
“I missed you,” she said quietly as I lowered my lips to her jaw.
I smiled and lifted my head to look at her.
“I missed you too, princess,” I said. “I missed you so fucking much.”
She smiled back at me and caressed my cheek.
“Can I ask you something?” she asked and I nodded immediately.
“Always, Maddie,” I said. “You can always come to me and ask me anything.”
She smiled and pulled me in for a kiss. I grunted and kissed her back, enjoying the feeling of her lips pressed against mine. I really wanted the kiss to last longer, but I also wanted to know what she wanted to ask me.
“Ask me, princess,” I said as I pulled back and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
She was perfect like that. She was wet, she was in a towel, her hair was pulled up in a messy bun and her cheeks were flushed. She was a dream. She was my fucking dream.
“Will you mark me?” she asked and my heart stopped beating.
I couldn’t do anything except stare at her.
Did I hear her well?
Skol stirred and growled in excitement.
Did she really just ask me that?
Maddie smiled a little and pulled me into another kiss. I could barely kiss her back.
“Will you please mark me, Dimitri?” she asked again and I almost passed out with excitement.
