Dimitri’s POV
My entire body was shaking with anger. I saw fucking red and I wished that I could wrap my hands around that fucker’s neck and squeeze.
Why the fuck was Maddie so scared? What was the fucker thinking about?
Can you and Ellie come to my office? I mind-linked Will as I watched those three bastards walk out.
Is everything okay? Will asked worriedly. Is the meeting already over?
No. I said. Just get here.
I cut our mind-link and focused on Maddie. I pulled her onto my lap and I tightened my arms around her.
“Princess…,” I spoke, but she interrupted me.
“I am so sorry,” she mumbled. “I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I couldn’t listen to that anymore. I didn’t mean to ruin the meeting. I didn’t want to…”
I interrupted her by lifting her head and placing a soft kiss on her lips.
“You didn’t ruin anything, princess,” I said. “You should have told me sooner. You should have told me the moment it happened. I would have ended the meeting immediately.”
I caressed her cheek and kissed the tip of her nose.
“You come first, Madeline,” I added. “You always come first, my love.”
I didn’t give a shit about that meeting. Maddie was scared and I would do absolutely anything to take that fear away.
The door to my office opened and Will and Ellie walked inside. Both of them had worried looks on their faces.
“What happened?” Will asked, looking from me to Maddie.
Are they in front of my office? I asked Will through our mind-link.
Yes. He said.
Close the door and sit down. I told him.
He did as I said and approached my desk. Ellie was already sitting in an armchair and looking at Maddie worriedly.
“What the hell happened?” Will asked as he sat down.
I kissed Maddie’s temple and took a deep breath.
“Maddie could hear Kendrick’s thoughts,” I said quietly.
My office was soundproof, but I still didn’t want to take any chances.
Ellie’s eyes widened. Will gasped quietly.
“What?” Will mumbled. “How? I thought that she couldn’t hear them when she was with you.”
“What was he thinking about?” Ellie asked at the same time.
I looked at Maddie and saw that she closed her eyes and gulped. What the fuck was he thinking about? Was he thinking about hurting her? If the answer to that question was yes, I was going to kill the fucker.
Skol growled and I felt his anger pulsating inside me.
‘Ask Skye,’ I told him. ‘Maddie probably won’t tell me. She will want to protect me.’
‘I’m on it,’ Skol mumbled.
“How is that possible, Maddie?” Will asked. “Is this the first time something like this happened?”
Maddie sighed and shook her head. My entire body froze.
“What?” I mumbled. “It happened before? You could hear his thoughts before?”
Maddie looked at me and shook her head.
“No,” she said quietly. “This was the first time I could hear his thoughts.”
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.
“But you could hear someone else’s while you were with Dimitri?” Ellie asked, making Maddie look at her.
Maddie nodded and my blood started boiling. Why didn’t she tell me? Whose thoughts could she hear while she was with me?
“Whose?” Will asked her.
I was too fucking angry to speak. Maddie glanced at me and took a deep breath.
“Janet’s,” she said quietly.
My mother’s?! When?! Why didn’t she fucking tell me?!
I am so sorry, Dimitri. She mind-linked me and I could hear the fear in her voice. Please don’t be angry. I am sorry.
My heart clenched painfully and I pulled her to my chest. I wasn’t angry at her. I was angry at the whole fucking situation we were in. She was trembling and I instantly wanted to rip my heart out. I scared her.
I am sorry, princess. I said. I am not angry at you, okay? Please don’t be afraid of me.
She wrapped her arms around me and I felt her relax a little.
I am not afraid of you. She said. I just hate it when you are angry.
I kissed her temple and ran my hand down her back.
“When did that happen, Mads?” Will asked, interrupting our moment.
Maddie lifted her head and looked at him.
“When Dimitri and I went to talk to our parents,” she said. “I wanted to talk to Mike and Janet. I wanted to start over. She just started yelling and then Skol took over Dimitri and we left.”
I remembered that day. Skol was fucking pissed. I tightened my jaw and made her look at me.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, trying to remain calm.
She shrugged and furrowed her eyebrows.
“I don’t know,” she said. “A lot has happened since then and I completely forgot about it. I didn’t even remember it until I heard Kendrick’s thoughts and thought it was the first time something like that ever happened.”
“So Kendrick and Janet are exceptions to the rule,” Will mumbled, making me look at him. “I wonder why that is.”
“Did their thoughts have anything in common, Maddie?” Ellie asked.
Maddie flinched a little. She tightened her fists and gulped.
‘Skol?’ I called my wolf. ‘Did she tell you?’
Skol was silent. I didn’t even realize that I couldn’t feel him that well.
‘Skol?’ I called him again after he didn’t respond.
‘Give me a moment to calm down,’ he mumbled. ‘I will kill the fucker.’
He must have pulled away to stop himself from taking over.
‘Yes,’ Skol mumbled. ‘I need a moment.’
What the fuck was he thinking?
Skol growled and I took a deep breath. I really needed to let him calm down a little because he would kill him if he took over. I was impressed by his ability to hold back and think rationally. He knew that killing Kendrick would cause chaos. I was impressed that he could pull away to calm down and control himself like that. He was an animal after all.
‘You’re an animal,’ he said, growling at me. ‘I may be a wolf, but I am also an Alpha. I have more control than you think.’
‘I’m sorry,’ I said, ‘Will you just tell me what Skye told you?’
Skol growled and started talking. The anger I felt toward him grew after every word Skol spoke. It was pulsating inside me and threatening to explode. I was blinded by rage.
