Madeline’s POV
“Oh, I am so excited about tonight!” Luna Alice exclaimed. “Do you know who is working with whom?”
I smiled and shook my head.
“I believe they will decide that once the challenge starts,” I said. “That’s a part of it actually. They need to figure out how to work together to find the object hidden in the forest.”
Luna Alice nodded. “Oh, so exciting. I can’t wait to see who will win.”
“I am sure that everyone will want Alpha Theodore’s warrior on their team,” Luna Maria chuckled as she took another sip of her drink.”
Luna Alice nodded. “oh, definitely. “It will be so interesting to see how they will decide.”
I smiled at them and glanced at Dimitri. He was only a few steps away from me. He was talking to Alphas Theodore and Lincoln. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but Dimitri was smiling and I relaxed a little. He was too tense ever since we came to the throne room. He refused to let go of me for the first half an hour. I barely managed to convince him to let me step away so I could talk to the Lunas.
“I am so happy for you, honey,” Luna Maria said as she wrapped an arm around Ali’s shoulders. “Beta Will seems like an amazing man.”
Ali blushed a little and nodded. “He is. I am so incredibly happy I get to call him my mate.”
Will marked Ali last night and I was over the moon happy for both of them. Will was an incredible man and he deserved the best mate and Ali was surely the best. I was convinced that Ali was perfect for him. I was convinced that Will was perfect for Ali. The Goddess really made a perfect match by bonding them together.
“And he is happy he gets to call you his mate,” I said, making Ali look at me. “You are his perfect match. He is incredibly lucky he has you in his life.”
Ali smiled and shook her head.
“How do you know all that?” she asked.
“We talk,” I said, smiling brightly. “The administrative stuff sometimes gets boring and Will loves to share.”
Ali and the Lunas laughed.
“Oh, the only part of being a Luna I hate is the administration,” Luna Laura said, shaking her head. “If I could just pass that along to someone else, I would be so happy.”
“Well, you will get to do that soon, won’t you?” Luna Alice asked, smiling. “How old is your boy now?”
“He is 17,” she said, smiling proudly. “Xavier started training him a year ago. He will take over as soon as he turns 18.”
“Let’s hope he will find his mate soon,” Luna Alice chuckled. “You will get a well-deserved break then.”
Luna Laura smiled and nodded. “I can’t wait, trust me.”
I glanced at Luna Jennifer and saw her staring at her mate with an unreadable expression on her face. I wished that I could read her mind, but Dimitri was here and I couldn’t hear anything.
“Where is your friend, my Queen?” Luna Alice asked, making me look back at them. “Ellie, right?” She is your Beta’s sister?”
I smiled and nodded.
“Yes, she is,” I said. “She is helping with the challenge tonight. She is in charge of the hidden object.”
“I heard that she is an amazing warrior,” Luna Laura said. “She completed Michael’s elite warrior program, didn’t she?”
“She did,” Ali said and I could hear how proud she was. “She really is amazing.”
“And where is Michael tonight?” Luna Alice said, looking around. “I haven’t seen him yet.”
“He is also helping out,” I said, giving her a small smile. “He is out in the forest with our warriors. They will make sure that the contestants follow every rule.”
“Oh,” Luna Alice said, nodding her head. “You thought of everything, didn’t you.”
I smiled and she was just about to say something else when a couple of loud growls interrupted us.
My heart raced and I looked at Dimitri. He was already standing next to me. Everyone moved at the same time.
“What happened?” I asked as he picked me up and rushed out of the throne room.
I watched as Will did the same with Ali. Everyone in the throne room started panicking.
“The rogues are attacking at the border,” Dimitri growled. “There are hundreds of them.”
My heart stopped beating. I wasn’t even aware that we were already in our room. Dimitri put me down and cupped my cheeks.
“You will lock those doors and you won’t let anyone inside,” he said. “Do you understand me, Maddie?”
I grabbed his wrists tightly.
“Ellie is out there,” Will mumbled angrily as he ran inside the room, holding Ali in his arms. “Fuck. We can’t leave them alone.”
Dimitri tightened his jaw and looked at him.
“We don’t have any other choice,” he said. “Everyone we trust is out there.”
“I will keep her safe,” Ali said, hugging Will tightly. “Don’t worry. We will be okay.”
Dimitri looked back at me and gulped.
“Did you understand, Maddie?” he asked. “You will open those doors for me or for Will. No one else.”
I nodded and tightened my hold on him. I wanted to tell him to stay, but I knew he had to go. He had to defend his pack. He had to defend his Kingdom.
“Come back to me,” I mumbled as I felt tears fall down my cheeks.
Dimitri smiled and wiped the tears from my face.
“Always, my princess,” he said softly. “I will always come back to you.”
He leaned in and kissed me softly.
“You are my home,” he said quietly.
You and our pup are my home. He added through the mind-link as he kissed me again. Nothing will stop me from coming back to you.
“I love you,” I told him, my voice trembling.
He smiled and kissed my forehead. I thought that my heart would give out when he moved his hands from my face. I barely managed to force myself to let go of his wrists.
“Will,” he said as he rushed to the door. “We need to hurry.”
Will kissed Ali one more time before he ran out behind Dimitri. Ali took a deep breath as she approached the door. She closed and locked it before turning around to look at me.
“Everything will be okay, Maddie,” she said quietly. “They will be okay.”
I couldn’t stop the tears from falling down my cheeks.
“Oh, Mads,” Ali mumbled as she approached me and pulled me into a hug.
I wrapped my arms around her and buried my nose into her neck. I sobbed quietly and she rubbed my back.
“He will come back to you, Maddie,” Ali said softly. “He is the King. Rogues have nothing on him.”
I knew that. My mate was strong. He was a great warrior. I knew that he would come back home to me. I knew that he would be okay. He had to be okay.
But I just couldn’t stop the tears. They just kept coming against my will. I forced myself to take a deep breath. I released it slowly and gulped.
“I am sorry, Ali,” I mumbled as I let her go. “I don’t know what came over me.”
She sighed and took my hand in hers.
“Why are you apologizing?” she asked, chuckling a little. “Friends are meant to comfort each other. I am always here for you, Mads. You know that.”
I smiled and another tear fell on my cheek. Ali wiped it away.
I took another deep breath and I was just about to tell Ali how grateful I am to have her when a knock on the door made me freeze.
Ali tensed up and looked at the door.
“Maddie?” Luna Maria’s voice made me sigh in relief. “Are you in here?”
I looked at Ali and she bit her lower lip.
“It’s Luna Maria,” I said quietly. “We know her.”
Ali furrowed her brows and looked at the door again.
“Dimitri said not to let anyone in,” she reminded me.
“Maddie?” Luna Maria called me again.
I sighed and shook my head a little.
“We can’t leave her out there,” I mumbled as I approached the door and unlocked it.
“Oh, you are okay,” she sighed in relief as I opened the door.
I glanced behind her and saw that she was alone.
“I was so worried that something happened,” she said. “All the Alphas just ran out screaming something about a rogue attack at the border.”
I opened the door a bit more and stepped aside so she could walk in.
“Where are the other Lunas?” I asked as I closed the door.
I heard a loud thump behind me. I turned around in time to see Ali falling to the floor. I didn’t have time to react before I felt something pinch my neck and everything went dark.
