Perfidious (Behind Smoke And Mirrors-Book 1)

26| Maya

I felt heat travelling up my whole body and there was only one thing on my mind - to kill. I felt strong arms wrapped around me and the familiar sparks on my cheek indicated that my mate was trying to calm me down.

"It's going to be OK, baby! Just look at me," His familiar voice was soothing and it made me forget all about this ache for revenge.

I closed my eyes and the only voice I allowed to enter my mind was his, my mate's. I felt myself getting calmer and the red I saw before slowly receded, making my breaths even. When I opened my eyes his loving face was in front of me and his eyes alone offered me warmth and safety. He was my home.

"I...I'm so sorry...I don't know what came over me."

I looked around the room and I expected stares of pity, or fear but there was understanding, and most importantly there was no judgement. I felt truly grateful towards these people. They didn't even know me yet they treated me with love and accepted me without a question.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart! You should've seen Maddox before. My furniture had to be replaced a couple of times.."

"Mom, not the time!"

I heard Maddox groan as he buried his face in my neck, mumbling something like I'm not losing her ever again!

I hugged him back and feeling his love towards me, an emotion I never felt this intense before, and made our surroundings disappear. It was just Maddox and me, revelling in this unmistakable connection between us. I didn't know how long we stood there, couldn't have been longer than a couple of minutes. A clearing of throats brought us out of our little world. We reluctantly pulled away from each other but our eyes stayed glued on the other.

"Right.. where were we? Oh, yes.. missing sibling and prisoner to join the party, " I saw Maddox's eyes change from his warm, loving ones that he reserved for me alone, to cold and calculated, the ones he reserved when he meant business.

"Why don't you make yourself useful, Ty?" He looked sideways at Tyrone and if I were him I would scurry to get that prisoner just to be out of his sight

Maddox took my hand gently and laced our fingers together. We walked to his office, hand in hand, followed by the others.

"So, Seb, tell me everything from the beginning!"

Maddox looked at Seb while he was making himself comfortable in his chair and pulled me into his lap. His arms were wrapped around my waist and his nose was near my neck, inhaling my scent every so often.

I felt a tiny bit embarrassed in front of the others but Maddox didn't seem to have any issue with PDA. I guess I just had to get used to it because truthfully, I loved every minute of it. The fact that someone would love me unconditionally and proudly made me let go of my views on public display of affection. I welcomed the warmth that came with it, the butterflies and the tingles that started in my toes and raced all over my body.

"Your Highness..."

"I might be your king one day but I'm also your friend. Let's just forget that title, " My mate was amazing and his every act bore witness to that statement.

"Right, well... Maddox...I'm sure you remember when you asked two of our guys to keep an eye on Maya when...," He looked at me, unsure of what or how to say it so I nodded at him with a smile for him to continue. "...when Fia went missing over a year ago. Maya was... fine, considering the circumstances. She repeatedly went to the forest, to the same place where .. the Redcaps abducted your mate. I guess she thought she could find her."

Thinking about Maya, returning to look for me with hope in her heart was crushing. I couldn't even imagine what she went through when day after day she came up with nothing.

"After a while, it was a bit concerning. She stopped seeing her friends, she was obsessed with Fia not being dead and she was determined to prove it, " I had to keep it together. I couldn't lose control because that wouldn't solve anything. I was truly heartbroken over the fact that my sister was suffering the way she did. There was nothing worse than having your hope taken away from you, day by the day it was diminished until there was nothing left. And if you didn't have hope then what was there to grasp onto?

"She befriended a warlock who claimed to be a psychic for the humans not to suspect anything. He promised her the answers she so desperately sought. Erick, the warlock told her things only she would know and she was hooked. However, he only told her enough for her to question whether there is some truth in the supernatural."

"What do you mean, Seb? What happened to her?"

"She got involved with a bad batch of witches. They were, well, still are caught practising forbidden magic, and Maya managed to piss them off. They were planning something with some shifters but Maya warned them. Then she had to flee. She had someone cast a spell on her so she wouldn't be tracked and she ended up in Scotland a couple of months ago, following up on a trail of your kidnappers, Fia."

"A trail? I remember the Wives of wisdom mentioning something about someone being after me. What was his name?"

"It's Ecthelion, the leader of the Finfolk."

"What?" I looked at my mate furrowing my brows. "How do you know?"

"We were supposed to discuss everything after we had some time to rest. When Tatiana..."

"Don't. Mention. That. Witch," I felt my anger rise. That witch didn't deserve even the mention of her name for what she did to my mate. MY MATE! If she would be standing in front of me I wouldn't hesitate to decapitate her over and over again. She got off lucky if you asked me.

What the hell was happening to me? Why did I feel so possessive? Why do I feel this anger? I felt Maddox pull me closer and he kept apologizing. I felt bad for it wasn't his fault, entirely.

"I'm sorry, Mad! I overreacted just now. I don't know what's gotten into me but she had it coming! Anyway, you were saying?"

Maddox turned to the others in the room but not before he leaned into my ears and whispered - I love you, only you - which made me giddy as I gazed up at his bronze features.

"When I was taken and held captive Samael told me an interesting story. He told me about your parents, Fia and how they were attacked by Ecthelion. The Finman wanted your mother to become his wife, even after she found her destined. He had no respect for the mate bond and you know how that ended."

"Yeah, with the slaughter of my people. So what does that have to do with me?"

"He wants to claim you as his. According to what I know, you being the oldest, the healer genes from your Naiad side are the strongest. But that's never going to happen because I'm going to rip his heart out if he even just looks your way!"

If someone would be possessive over me before, I wouldn't take that, but when Maddox turned into this ... this dominating Alpha male, my heart started to beat rapidly and instead of feeling irritated I felt like I finally belonged. I was given a soulmate who would do just about anything for me, including killing a guy. And I would do the same for him, without a doubt. I thought I knew what love was before but this extraordinary feeling coursing through me was new to me. If this wasn't love, then what was?

"Wait, so he hired the Redcaps, except they were supposed to keep me alive," With a slight shake of my head, I turned to Maddox.

"Yes, and he is still under the impression that you are dead. So I guess that he went after Maya. I mean, who knows that you're alive?"

"The only people who know about me are in this room."

"Good, let's keep it that way. In the meantime, we need to put together a team to head over to Scotland where Maya was last seen. Seb, I would like you there. You're my best tracker!"
"You don't even have to ask! What are we going to do about Ecthelion?"

"Nothing, for now. Unless he gets wind of Fia, she is safe here with me. We'll find Maya first then we deal with the Finman. He can't do much damage if he is in the dark.."

"I wouldn't bet on it," I looked in the direction of that sultry voice and locked eyes with the most beautiful woman, shackled and dirty. This must be the prisoner.