Madelineâs POV
âI canât answer that,â Oliver sighed, shaking his head at Dimitri.
I could feel anger rising inside my mate and I did my best to stop it.
âWhat can you answer, Oliver?â Dimitri asked angrily. âWe donât know anything about her powers!â
Oliver looked at me and nodded.
âWe know whatâs written in the books,â Oliver said. âI wasnât able to find anything about our issue, my King. I canât tell you why she could hear Kendrickâs thoughts.â
I shivered when I remembered it. I really didnât want to hear something like that again.
âHow is that possible, Oliver?â Dimitri asked, narrowing his eyes. âYou are a healer, arenât you? You need to find a solution.â
Oliver opened his mouth to speak, but I interrupted him.
âItâs okay, Oliver,â I said, giving him a small smile. âYou did your best. Thank you for trying.â
âMadelineâ¦,â Dimitri said but stopped talking when I gave him a stern look.
âThere arenât many books left from the Kingdoms, Dimitri,â I said. âYou know that. Oliver did his best.â
Dimitri raised an eyebrow at me. I could see that he wasnât happy with me. I didnât care. Oliver did his best. The powers I had were unusual. We couldnât expect Oliver to have all the answers.
âSo what are we supposed to do?â Mike asked and I could hear worry in his voice.
âWe are supposed to take care of her and make sure that she is safe,â Oliver said, drawing my attention back to him.
He looked from Mike to me.
âYou need to let us know about any changes you notice,â he said. âYou need to let us know if you can hear Kendrickâs thoughts while you are with Dimitri.â
âYou need to let us know what he thinks,â Will added. âThere has to be a reason why you could hear his and Janetâs thoughts. It wasnât a coincidence.â
I nodded and looked back at Dimitri. He was glaring at everyone and he looked like he was going to explode. It was getting harder and harder for me to control his anger.
âI know you want answers immediately, but it just canât be done,â I said as I reached out and took his hand in mine. âThe powers I have are complicated. We need time to figure them out.â
Dimitri tightened his jaw and took a deep breath.
âI want you safe,â he said. âI want to know exactly what you can do and I want to know exactly what it all means so I can protect you.â
I smiled and caressed his cheek.
âYou already did,â I said softly. âI have more security than any other person alive. I would be surprised if someone managed to hurt me.â
I chuckled and Dimitri growled.
âTry not to worry so much, my love,â I said softly. âI am safe. Nothing is going to happen to me.â
Dimitri pulled me closer and kissed my temple.
âIf you would be willing to leave herâ¦,â Oliver spoke, but Dimitriâs loud growl interrupted him.
âNo!â Dimitri yelled and I felt anger boiling inside him. âI am not leaving her!â
He wrapped his arms around me and I felt him shaking.
âYou didnât let me finish, Alpha,â Oliver said calmly. âYour Beta and Mike would be with her. If you are not there, maybe she could figure out who is trying to take your throne.â
Dimitri took a deep breath and released it slowly.
âI am not risking anything,â he said. âI will find out who the bastard is, but I wonât put my mate in danger to do it.â
âShe wouldnât be in danger, Alpha,â Oliver said. âYour Beta and her fatherâ¦â
âWould be there, yes,â Dimitri interrupted him. âI trust them both, but itâs not just about that. Itâs not easy for Maddie to read minds. Itâs exhausting and her head starts hurting. I donât want her in pain. I will find another way.â
I smiled and caressed his cheek. I loved him with my entire heart. Dimitri looked at me and leaned in to place a soft kiss on my cheek.
âI am not using her for this,â he said, stroking my hair gently. âI will find another way.â
I cupped his cheek and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
âI am willing to help, Dimitri,â I said. âIf I can find something and it can help avoidâ¦â
âNo,â he said sternly. âWhat if they figure out what you can do? What if they somehow find out who you are? I donât want you exposed. I donât want them to know. They canât fucking know.â
I glanced at Will.
Can you help me? I mind-linked him.
He sighed and furrowed his brows.
I agree with him, Maddie. He said. Butâ¦
He stopped talking and took a deep breath.
âLunch with the Lunas,â Will said, making Dimitri look at him. âAli and Ellie will be there with her. Maybe one of the Lunas knows something.â
Of course! Why didnât I think of that?
âI didnât say she could go to that,â Dimitri said, growling quietly.
I sighed and made him look back at me.
âWe are in the middle of a very important event,â I said. âYou canât keep me away from everything, Dimitri. Itâs going to look suspicious.â
Dimitri tightened his jaw.
âShe is right, Dimitri,â Will said. âI understand that you want to keep her safe, but you canât lock her up and keep her away from everything and everyone. She is a Queen. She has duties. It will look suspicious if she doesnât fulfill them.â
I could feel fear rising in Dimitri. I placed my hand on his back and rubbed it gently.
Nothing will happen to me. I mind-linked him. I am safe, my love. You are keeping me safe.
He looked at me and wrapped his arm around my waist.
âFine,â he mumbled. âShe can go to lunch with the Lunas.â
I gave him a small smile and he leaned his forehead against mine.
âWill you be okay with so many people around you, Mads?â Mike asked, making me look at him. âWill you be able to handle it?â
Dimitriâs head fell on my shoulder and I placed a hand on his head, holding him close. I gave a small smile to Mike.
âI will be okay,â I said. âI found a way to keep their thoughts away. At least for a little while.â
Mikeâs eyes widened a little. âHow?â
âItâs hard for me to explain,â I said. âIâm trying to imagine a wall around my mind. It helps.â
Mike smiled at me.
âThatâs great, Maddie,â Oliver said. âYou need to make sure that you are okay. You canât let it overwhelm you.â
I gave him a small nod.
âAli and Ellie will make sure that everything is okay,â Will said. âI will tell them what to do ifâ¦â
âMaddie?â Skye called me and I stopped listening to Will. âI want to shift tonight.â
My heart skipped a beat. I wasnât sure if I wasâ¦
âYou are ready,â Skye said sternly. âYou have to stop denying who you are, Madeline. You have to stop pushing me away.â
I gulped and tried to take a deep breath.
I wasnât ready. I wasnât sure if I would ever be ready.