MISSY

I felt whole again. As soon as I heard Maddox over the link, my heart soared. I ran so fast I got ahead of Liam and Doctor Ron, reaching the cottage and Maddox first.

I didn't let go of Maddox until we'd been walking through the woods, him carrying me, for quite a while. He finally persuaded me to get down; then we ran all the way home. When we got back, we headed straight to the shower. Maddox smelled of a mixture of vampire and blood.

Then we fell into bed. Maddox had zero complaints when I insisted on lying on his chest. Just as he promised, all we did was sleep. Being so close to him again, feeling him, smelling him, brought my whole body peace.

We slept well into the evening. I could have stayed like that forever, but Maddox woke me up, peppering kisses all over my face. At some point, he'd flipped us over. His kisses tickled, making me laugh as my eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," he laughed.

"Mmm, I think it's evening," I said.

"I know. I'm starving, but someone had such a grip on me, I couldn't get out of bed," he joked.

"You aren't leaving me," I feigned a pout. He bent down and kissed me again.

"I would never dare," he mused. "Let's go downstairs and find something to eat together." He smiled down at me, his face relaxed. I'd missed his smile and easygoing attitude. I didn't realize how much more confident I felt when he was around because he was always so sure of himself. I questioned my decisions more without Maddox by my side.

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Fine," I agreed. We climbed out of bed, and Maddox took my hand as we headed downstairs.

When we reached the kitchen, Maddox said, "Sit," pointing to the table. When I gave him a questioning look, he explained, "I've been eating takeout for too long. I want to cook you something." He went to the fridge and started peering inside. I wasn't too sure what was in there because I'd given Sol all the food money to go shopping.

I hopped up on the counter and watched Maddox work. If this was what life with Maddox would be like, I was ready to fully embrace it. I couldn't imagine him any other way—moving around the kitchen shirtless, making us dinner. It was perfect; he was perfect. He was strong and driven. He could fight vampires and then come home and cook dinner. He caught me staring and laughed.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm just happy you're back. This is where you belong," I told him. He came over to me, standing between my legs and resting his warm hands on my thighs.

"I belong with you," he said cheekily. "I can be anywhere as long as I have you with me."

"Then don't let my dad talk you into running off on spy missions for the pack anymore," I scolded. He chuckled.

"I think I've fulfilled my quota for a while, but I do still intend to be a warrior," he said.

I scowled. "Does that mean you plan to go to training tomorrow?"

He shook his head. "Maybe next week. School, yes, but training can wait. I want to spend time with you. We have a lot to catch up on." He had a mischievous glint in his eye, but I was fixated on the school part.

"I don't want to go to school! You just got home!" I argued.

"And I've already missed so much," he said. "Plus, we have all the same classes, so we'll be together all day."

"So? You just got back. It's not that important," I whined.

"It is, though," he said, cupping my face. "We promised your mom we would graduate. I've missed a lot already, and I bet you haven't been a stellar student. We'll have all day together at school, then come home and have all night together. You can help me catch up."

"I dislike your use of factual logic," I told him.

"What if we did something special this weekend?" he asked. I tilted my head, curious. "I need to talk to your dad about logistics, but I want to take you on a date."

"Oh?" I asked. "Where?"

"I have some ideas, but I'm not telling you anything. And we aren't going if you refuse to go to school," he joked.

"Fine," I agreed. "But I warned you if you realize it would have been a much better idea to stay in bed with me all day tomorrow."

"You can rub it in my face," he said, pecking my lips. I grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in for a deeper kiss.

When we got to school, everyone was waiting by my locker. There were lots of hugs and welcomes for Maddox, and Emmett pouted about not being able to flirt with me now that Maddox was back. I couldn't wait for him to find his mate and be obsessed with just one girl. Sol was betting on Julie, but I thought it would be Allie.

On the way to our first class, a jock bumped into me, calling me a name. I ignored him as usual; even though the bullying was recent, I didn't care with Maddox finally back.

Maddox, however, wasn't so quick to forgive. He snapped his head toward the guys and growled. I had to tell him to ignore it and explain that it was normal. He didn't like my placating, resulting in a grumpy mood for much of our first and second periods.

When someone threw a crumpled-up piece of paper at the back of our heads during third period, I had to grab Maddox's arm to stop him from reacting. He gritted his teeth for the rest of the class.

"Maddox," I linked him.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"You have to calm down," I told him. "You can't attack everyone who makes a dumb comment or calls me a stupid name. We'll spend the whole day doing that instead of focusing on school."

"It's bullshit," he retorted. "Who are they to judge you? Assholes."

"I don't really care," I told him. "It doesn't bother me anymore. I have you and all our friends. They're better friends than anyone in this pack I grew up with. Who cares how you all came to be here? Plus, I have my mate, and I'm happy."

"I don't like it," he said. I knew he was angry and feeling territorial, but it would just make the rest of the year harder if he lashed out at them. If we ignored it, it would likely stay minimal because they wouldn't be satisfied with our reaction.

"Can you please try to ignore it," I begged. "For me?"

He slumped in his chair. He looked at me with a hint of defeat. "Fine," he said, nodding. "As long as it doesn't get out of hand."

"Alright," I agreed, smiling at him. I knew school would be an adjustment for him. Sol explained how small their school was in their old pack—only twenty kids in their grade. Plus, he'd just returned from a vampire-hunting mission.

Finally, it was lunchtime, and I was relieved to be with our friends.

MADDOX

As much as I was trying to jump back into everyday life, fulfill my promise to Luna, and keep Missy happy, nothing about being back felt normal. Returning to school like a regular kid with regular dreams after what I'd just been through felt surreal. The transition from a wartime mission—ending with me crushing a Sire's skull—to mundane life was jarring. Every sound was a threat. Every whisper felt like someone the vampires had turned against us. I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't safe. Now Missy was with me, and she wasn't safe either. To make matters worse, Missy was being bullied, and she thought it was normal and should be ignored. A growl escaped me when someone touched her this morning.

"KILL," Tom demanded in my mind, ready for battle. "No one touches mate!"

"No," I told him. "We're at school."

I managed to push him back, but this continued throughout the day. Someone threw crumpled paper at her in class, and it took every ounce of self-control to stay in my seat. If Missy hadn't been there, asking me to let it go and pulling on my arm, I don't know what would have happened. Her scent and presence were the only things getting me through the day. She was right; we probably should have stayed home in bed, but I couldn't tell her that now. The stress of controlling myself distracted me, but I was relieved when the lunch bell rang. My stomach growled; I was hungry. Finally, we could go to our table, away from those morons, and eat in relative peace.

The noise of the lunchroom made me uneasy, something I hadn't expected. After a long period of hiding, I felt like everyone was staring.

"It's all in my head…" I tried to tell myself.

I felt Missy squeeze my hand, and I looked down to see her smiling sweetly. My heart leaped, and I felt the warmth of our bond where her hand met mine. I nuzzled my nose into her hair and basked in her calming scent, my body relaxing. I used my free hand to gently lift her chin. I'd missed her every moment I was away, seeing her in my dreams, clinging to her like a lifeline. I'm glad I didn't leave her widowed so young. She didn't deserve it. I kissed her softly and felt the sparks before pulling away.

"I love you," I whispered.

"And I love you."

"Get a room!" Emmett teased, clearly annoyed by his own lack of love. His desperation annoyed me.

We got our food without incident and sat at our table, engaging in small talk. Missy seemed intent on being close to me, but I tried to enjoy the food and her presence without overthinking. Unfortunately, I wasn't succeeding. It felt odd that no one had said anything to Missy since we arrived, and nothing happened in line. I'd expected to have to restrain Tom until we were seated. I was also aware that a group who often bothered Missy was in the corner, whispering and laughing in our direction. Something was wrong. Then I felt him approach. One of the jocks walked over.

"Just wanted to give you a message from the rest of the class," he said, looking down at Missy.

"Yeah, what's that?" Sol asked, clearly unenthusiastic.

"We don't need you charity cases here, and you can take this one back with you," he said, gesturing to Missy. "Go be with your own kind."

A growl escaped me as I lost control. How dare he talk to my mate and friends this way.

"I think we already are, thank you," Sol said dismissively. "Did you forget she's also the Alpha's daughter?"

"She's not anyone's daughter. Once they have one of their own, they'll put her back in the trash where she belongs. Just like her junkie mom." I felt the searing pain this caused Missy through our bond, and it cut me deeply.

"Leave. Now," I managed.

"I'm done. Here, I thought you might want some extra charity, though. I don't need this anymore."

He lifted his chocolate milk over Missy's head and dumped it all over her. She gasped as the container emptied onto her hair and face. He walked away, a smug look on his face that I could barely see through my rage. I felt Missy's despondency, and I knew this was somehow my fault. They only dared because I'd left her here. Alone. I abandoned her, just like I'd abandoned Langston.

I don't remember how I got there; all I knew was that I was standing over him. My chair was gone, and my hands were around his shirt, lifting him into the air. His feet kicked helplessly. I growled and slammed him into the table. He crashed through the surface as I landed on top of him. My knee slid across his waist, pinning him to the ground. My other foot was on the floor as I rained down blows. Blood sprayed from his mouth, then his nose broke, and I continued.

"Not. My. Mate!" I roared, each word punctuated by the thud of my fists.

"MADDOX!" Missy screamed, the first thing I'd heard.

I stopped, actually looking at him for the first time. He'd passed out, splayed out amidst the broken table. The lunchroom was silent, everyone staring in horror. Missy's face was terrified as she looked at me, her hand on my shoulder, trying to pull me away. I let her.

Looking around, I saw the jock's friends staring, mouths agape.

I bared my teeth and managed to say, "Leave. Her. Alone."

They recoiled. I grabbed Missy's hand and pulled her from the room, past the teachers rushing in. Students had run for help.

This version removes the censored words, improves sentence structure and flow, and corrects minor grammatical errors. It maintains the original voice and tone of the narrative.