Madeline’s POV
“Come on, Mads!” Mike yelled. “Left, right, left, right, duck!”
I did everything but ducked. Ellie slammed her body against mine and we fell on the mat. She pinned me down and grinned.
“You need to be faster,” she said and I groaned.
I wanted to be faster, but I was so tired already. I felt like we’d been doing that for hours.
“That was good, Mads,” Mike said. “But Ellie is right. You really need to be faster.”
Ellie let me go and stood up. I decided to stay down.
“Come on, Maddie,” Ellie said, extending her hand to help me get up. “Let’s go again.”
I shook my head. “Nope. I am done for today.”
I was panting hard and I was sweating out of every pore on my body. I couldn’t fight anymore. I wanted to go home, shower, and sleep.
“Maddie, you have to…,” Ellie spoke, but Mike interrupted her.
“It’s okay, Ellie,” Mike said. “We’ve done enough for today. She shifted yesterday and she is tired.”
Ellie looked at Mike and nodded. Mike gave me his hand and I grabbed it.
“You are good, Mads,” Mike said as he pulled me up. “Have you practiced with anyone before?”
I shook my head and looked around for my water bottle. Ellie gave it to me.
“Then you are just talented,” Mike grinned. “Like your father.”
I chuckled and Ellie rolled her eyes at Mike.
“She is good, but she needs to be faster,” Ellie said, giving me a stern look.
I sighed and took another big sip of water.
“She will be with practice,” Mike said as he stroked my hair. “She is already amazing.”
He leaned in and kissed my temple. I looked at him and smiled.
“Okay, if we are done then we should go,” Ellie said. “Dimitri mind-linked me like a thousand times to ask me if we were coming back soon.”
She rolled her eyes and I chuckled. She gave me my hoodie and I put it back on.
“He is worrying too much,” Mike sighed, shaking his head. “Maddie is surrounded by people who would do anything for her. She is safe.”
Mike looked at me and pulled me into a hug.
“You are safe with me, honey,” he said softly. “You know that, right?”
I hugged him back and smiled.
“I know, Mike,” I said and he rubbed my back gently.
“I should have noticed that something was going on with Janet,” Mike said quietly. “I should have protected you, honey. I am so sorry I didn’t.”
I let him go and looked up at him.
“It wasn’t your fault, Mike,” I said, shaking my head. “I told you that. You can’t blame yourself.”
Mike gulped and shook his head a little.
“It’s hard not to, honey,” he said quietly. “I’ve been there with you every damn day. How didn’t I see it happening? How didn’t I hear it?”
I took a deep breath and released it slowly.
“She mostly did it while you were gone,” I said. “You couldn’t have known.”
Mike tightened his jaw and I saw fury in his eyes.
“Have you talked to her since she was imprisoned?” Ellie asked quietly.
Mike looked at her and shook his head. “I don’t want to see her or talk to her.”
I sighed and furrowed my brows a little.
“Maybe you should,” I said, making him look back at me. “She is your mate. You need closure.”
Mike shook his head immediately.
“No,” he said with determination in his voice. “I don’t need anything from her. I need to forget that she ever existed.”
I sighed and glanced at Ellie. That was going to be hard. She was his mate. They were together for years. He loved her. He couldn’t just move on and forget about her.
“Go home to Dimitri, honey,” Mike said as he placed another kiss on my temple. “I am sure that he can’t wait to see you. It’s been almost three hours since you left him.”
I smiled and gave Mike a small nod.
I looked at Ellie and I was just about to tell her that we should go when someone called my name.
“Mads?” I heard Seth’s voice and looked behind me.
He smiled and started approaching me.
“Hi, Seth,” I said, smiling back at him.
He was going to hug me, but Ellie stopped him.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Ellie said warningly. “Alpha is going to be able to smell her on you and that won’t end well, trust me.”
I want him to smell me on her.
Seth’s thought caught me off guard and I had to stop myself from gasping. I was doing such a good job keeping Mike and Ellie’s thoughts away. I kept my focus on the fight and I would force the wall around my brain up every time a small glimpse of their thoughts entered my mind.
Seth’s thoughts felt like he was screaming them. They felt loud and filled with anger and anticipation.
Seth looked at me and I forced myself to keep smiling. I focused on the wall around my mind, trying to imagine it as thicker and taller. I didn’t want to hear his thoughts again.
“You were practicing?” Seth asked and I gave him a small nod.
“Yes, we were,” Ellie said. “We are on our way back to the packhouse.”
Seth glanced at her and I could tell that he was annoyed by her defensiveness.
“I will leave you kids alone,” Mike said as he gave me another short hug. “I have work to do.”
“Bye, Mike,” I said as I gave him a small smile.
He grabbed his stuff and walked away toward his office.
“How about breakfast at the diner?” Seth asked, drawing my attention back at him. “My mom would love to see you.”
I was just about to answer him, but Ellie beat me to it.
“We don’t have time,” she said. “Alpha needs us to come back.”
Seth tightened his jaw and looked at Ellie.
“I was asking Maddie, not you,” he said angrily.
Ellie’s eyes widened and I saw anger flash in them. I needed to take over before they got into a fight.
“Ellie is right, Seth,” I said, keeping a small smile on my face. “I would love to go, but I can’t today. Dimitri wants me to come back. We have a lot to do. The tournament starts tomorrow.”
Seth sighed and I saw sadness in his eyes. My heart clenched. I was a terrible friend. He was so nice to me. He was the only one who accepted me when I first came here.
“Are you sure, Mads?” he asked. “It’s been a long time since we hung out. I miss you.”
I gulped and took a deep breath. The guilt I felt intensified.
“I will talk to Dimitri and ask him if we could have dinner at the diner tonight,” I said. “I would love to hang out with you too.”
Dimitri will never say yes to that, Maddie. Ellie mind-linked me. Seth wants you and Dimitri won’t allow him near you.
I ignored her and kept my focus on Seth. I owed him so much. I couldn’t be rude and forget that he was my friend.
“I am looking forward to that, Mads,” Seth said, smiling brightly. “I will see you tonight.”
I smiled at him and looked at Ellie. I could tell that she wasn’t happy.
“Let’s go, Madeline,” she said, grabbing our stuff and taking my hand in hers.
“Bye, Seth,” I said as she started dragging me away.
“Bye, Mads,” he said. “See you later.”
I smiled at him and looked back at Ellie.
“Madeline?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes,” she said as she opened the door. “I am angry at you.”
I sighed and shook my head at her.
“He is my friend, Ellie,” I said. “I owe him a lot.”
Ellie looked at me and rolled her eyes.
“You owe him nothing, Maddie,” she mumbled. “He wants you for himself and you can’t let him have you.”
I furrowed my brows and I felt sadness and worry wash over me.
Did she really think I would do something like that to Dimitri? Did she really think so little of me?
