Differences Aside, ✔

Chapter Twenty

The only thing I could hear was my feet against the floor and the ringing in my ears, Natalia, Melissa and Farrah's words causing my brain to go into overdrive. I knew where Maddox would be, in his fathers office, something that had been shown to me yesterday. Thankfully, said office was close to where the main hub of the estate was, so all I had to do was lead myself back to there, and then it would be no problem.

The moment the door came into view, my pace increased. I quickly knocked my fist against the door, my breaths coming out in shallow puffs. 

"Please come back later," I heard an irratable Charles call out,

"Maddox?" I replied quietly, though still loud enough for them to hear, "Please its Elora, I need to talk to you."

I heard the scraping of chairs against the wooden floor of the office before the door quickly opened. Charles gestured his hand into the room as a signal for me to enter, before walking out of the room himself. I didn't bother waiting, quickly running into the room to where Maddox was standing. 

"What's wrong dove?" Maddox asked, his voice stressed.

"I'm sorry, I- I was just walking down the hallway back to our room and I ran into Alpha Odin's daughter Natalia and her two friends, Melissa and Farrah." At there names, Maddox's face fell,

"What did she say to you?" He demanded, leading my shaking frame to a cushioned seat, sitting me down.

I sighed and looked up, "She told me, very clearly might I add, that I needed to stay away from her mate or she would peel my skin away."

Maddox scooted his chair closer nd picked up my hand, "That girl can't lay a hand on you dove, trust me."

"Was it true that you were meant to be married?" I asked, cringing the moment the words slipped from my lips.

Maddox almost looked shell shocked, choosing not to meet my eyes, but stare at my hand instead. "Yes, it is. I've been waiting for you for six years, we were getting concerned that you didn't actually exist. Alpha Odin suggested the idea, and out of fear and the need for a queen, my parents accepted. As soon as I found you, it was called off. I knew that she would pull something like this, I didn't want to invite them, but I had no choice."

I didn't answer,

"They didn't follow the rules did they? That's what's got you so rattled," Maddox inquired softly, folding his fingers in between my own. He didn't need an answer to know that he was right.

"I'm fine," I answered, shaking my head, "You don't need to do anything about it."

Maddox lifted my head, "Is that what you want? I won't kill her or anything... In fact, I won't even talk to her. Just a stern encounter with her father," He said, almost joking.

"No, I'm serious. But Maddox, what if we aren't mates? What if you made a mistake or something..." I trailed off. I had asked Maddox a question before that was very simialar, and I had hoped and prayed that he would just say that he had. But I think that if Maddox gave that answer now, my heart would break. And I already knew that I would never recover.

Maddox let his fingers trail up my arms, each brush of his fingers leaving spots of warmth. "Dove, if we weren't mates, you wouldn't feel that. If we weren't mates, you would hate me right now. If we weren't mates, you wouldn't be falling in love with me."

I gulped, "You're right, I suppose you'll feel everything I do once we've done the- you know?"

He smirked, "I already do, now come on, I want to take you on a date."

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I dressed myself, all Maddox said was to dress warm, which led me to the conclusion that we were going outside. I think I had four, maybe five layers of clothes on right now. All that could be seen was my cream coloured jacket and a white shirt. I had a fluffy, knitted grey beanie on top of my head and a white scarf around my neck. I had black boots and thick socks on as well.