Chapter 36

3 Months Later

Maksim stood in the shade of the large tree as he watched Ella converse with the school teachers across the dirt yard. The hot African sun beat against her blonde hair and warmed her cheeks. In the few short days that they had been in the remote village, Ella had managed to catch a cold and get extremely tan. Maksim wanted to return immediately but she insisted on finishing the task they had come for.

A few months back, Maksim and Ella started "Wunderkind", a nonprofit organization to help provide education and health services to children all over the world. They have been busy with visiting schools and small communities to learn how they can best help children and deliver resources. After every trip, Maksim and Ella wanted to expand their program more and more. They reached out to Rye and Xavier and were in the process of starting a joint program with their health charity. Rye was eager to help. She had years of experience and Maksim and Ella needed some of her wisdom.

"Sir?"

Suddenly a voice behind Maksim pulled him out of his mind. He turned around to find Nick, their liaison to local governments, standing behind him.

"I hope you have some good news," Maksim sighed as he looked at the man.

Nick frowned, "I'm afraid not, sir. The local governor of the town over is still refusing to let our aids in. The protesters are adamant about letting any royal affairs mingle with their community."

"It's not for those idiots," Maksim frowned. "It's for the kids."

"I know, sir, but the governor is being difficult."

Well, isn't that why I'm paying you? Maksim wanted to yell. What hell is the purpose of your job then if you can't get shit done?

Maksim stared at Nick as the thought ran through his mind. He wanted to get his frustration out and tell the man to try hard and do better. They didn't come all this way to return without nothing.

But as the seconds ticked by and Nick waited patiently for his next directions, Maksim took in a deep breath. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Thank you, Nick," Maksim said. "You're doing a good job. Keep trying and keep me informed. Don't take no as an answer."

"Yes, sir," Nick nodded. "Thank you. I'll go try again."

Maksim stood still as the young man walked away. He let out the breath he was holding and turned around. His head was starting to pound and he wasn't sure if it was from the heat or the irritation and frustration in his mind.

Across the yard, Ella had picked up a small child. She held the little girl in her arms as she spoke to the school teacher and had the woman translate what she was saying. Maksim felt himself smile when he saw his mate's eyes light up like stars. She threw her head back and laughed at something the teacher said. The little girl in her arms giggled.

As he watched her, he realized she was too far away for his liking. Leaving the small shaded area under the tree, Maksim walked over to Ella. She looked over her shoulder and greeted him with a smile.

"This is Bisa," Ella said as she turned the little girl in her arms to show to her mate.

"Hello, Bisa," Maksim smiled.

Bisa immediately hid her face over Ella's shoulder. Ella laughed as she held the child closer.

"She has a crush on you," she whispered to Maksim. "She came to ask me if I was your wife."

Maksim laughed, "Well, I'm trying to make that happen."

Ella rolled her eyes. She loosened her arms from around Bias as the girl climbed down and ran back into the two room school building.

"Are you okay?" Ella asked Maksim.

"Yeah," Maksim said as he kissed her forehead.

"What did Nick say?"

"Still no luck with the next town."

Ella sighed, "Then we have to go back tonight."

"I told him to keep trying."

"Max, the food supply will go bad by then," Ella pointed out. "We need to go back and restock. And I want to add on a few more things to the children's bags."

"Okay," Maksim nodded after a few seconds. "We can go back tonight. Also, Mom linked me."

"Oh?" Ella looked over her shoulder as she walked towards the varanda of the school building.

"She wants to host a charity dinner for Wunderkind next month," Maksim said as he followed her.

"What did you say?"

"I told her I will think about it and speak to you first,"

"What's there to think about?" Ella asked. She took a seat on the raised step of the varanda. The children in the school were all out playing in the yard. Their small voices and laughter made the place a lively affair. Maksim looked down at Ella before sinking into the spot next to her.

"She's doing it because she feels bad about what happened between us," he sighed.

"Max," Ella placed her head on his shoulder. "She's reaching out."

"I know," Maksim nodded.

"I think we should accept. It'll be nice to go back home for a few days."

Maksim didn't say anything. He looked at the children playing in the yard as his thoughts wandered. He missed home. He missed his mom and dad and his sisters. He wasn't upset with them. He just didn't know if they were upset with him.

Ever since his promise to Ella, Maksim had made big changes to his life. He was more mindful of others. He spent a lot of time identifying things that set him off. If he ever found himself in a situation where he knew he was going to get overwhelmed, he took a step back. He couldn't always walk away, but he reminded himself he needed to keep his head on his shoulders. If not for him then for the girl who always stopped his heart.

Ella deserved better. And he was going to be better.

"I think Cleo might like it here," Ella said as she took Maksim's hand. "The kids love the local wildlife. I can see Cleo getting along with them."

"Yeah?" Maksim laughed.

Before Ella could answer, a group of boys ran up to Maksim and held out their hands. They showed the prince their marble ball collections and urged him to play with them.

"You will have to show me," Maksim said as he let the boys pull him to the yard. "I don't know the game."

Ella smiled as her mate went along with the children. A school teacher moved near them and she translated for the children. Maksim watched the boys play for a while before they offered him a turn.

He wasn't very good at it, but the kids didn't mind. They made fun of him and beat him many times over the course of the game. Ella found herself lost in her head as she watched the scene in front of her. Her heart began to rush as her belly gave flight to butterflies. She felt the anxiety try and take flight in her heart, but she pushed in down and locked it away.

It was not the time. They would be back in Paris by nightfall and she can worry about whatever was coming then.

For the reminder of the afternoon, Ella sat with a smile on her face as Maksim played with the kids. After his defeat at the marble court, the girls pulled him away to play double dutch. He was surprisingly very good at it. His werewolf reflexes came in very handy. Many times, the girls urged Ella to join but she refused politely and watched them play.

As the school day came to an end, the children and teachers all gathered to say their goodbyes to the couple. They bought Ella the pictures they had made for her and some of the boys gave Maksim a marble ball each.

"Thank you," Maksim said as he shook their hand. "Until next time, my friends."

Ella tried not to cry as she said farewell. They had only spent a week in the town but she had grown attached. She always did. Her camera was filled with photos of them and Maksim knew she would be looking at them over and over until their next trip.

With one last look over her shoulders, Ella turned the gold ring around her finger and opened the portal back to Paris. Maksim followed behind her as they stepped out of the hot sun to the cool air of their hotel room.

"Ah, home sweet home," Maksim said as he dropped his bag.

"I need a shower and a long nap," Ella said, rubbing her eyes.

"Me too," Maksim laughed. He walked over to the windows and pulled the blinds shut. When he turned back around, Ella was sitting on the edge of the bed, taking off her shoes.

"Something on your mind, babe?" Maksim asked with curiosity.

Ella looked up and shook her head, "No."

"Are you sure?" Maksim raised a brown. "You've been very quiet this whole trip."

"I was just tired," Ella sighed as she got off the bed and grabbed a set of fresh towels.

"Ell, you're a terrible liar."

"Baby," Ella turned to look at her mate. "I really just want to take a shower and nap. Can we talk later?"

Not liking the strange feeling in his chest, Maksim nodded. He stood still as Ella disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Immediately, Maksim's mind started to overthink.

Was she mad at him? Upset? Did he do something or say something? Was she sick?

The thoughts ran over and over in his mind as he listened to the water run in the shower. He paced the floor before deciding to distract himself by unpacking and organizing their closet. But to his irritation, the hotel staff had already packed most of their clothes while they were gone.

Ella had gotten accepted to Columbia University for the fall semester. Maksim was going to St. Rieka. They would be moving into their New York apartment by the end of summer to start the school year. Since they had been so busy with Wunderkind, Ella had asked the hotel staff to help them pack. Most of their clothes were packed. Only a few remained untouched. Maksim went through their bag and took out the dirty clothes and tossed them into the laundry bin.

"Max?" Ella's voice called to him as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"I'm in here, babe," Maksim said.

"Oh, they already started to pack," Ella looked around the half empty closet.

"Yeah," Maksim sighed. He dropped the bag he was holding and slowly walked over to Ella. taking her face in between his hands, he leaned down and kissed her lips tenderly. Maksim felt Ella's heart beat against her chest wildly...... but not in the way it usually did before they ended up in between the sheets.

"Babe?" Maksim pulled back to look at her face. "What's wrong?"

"I....." Ella hesitated. "I need to change."

Maksim frowned as he felt the hidden words behind her eyes. Reluctantly, he nodded his head and took a step out of the closet.

"Max?"

"Yes?" Maksim turned around, hoping she was ready to talk.

"You should go shower," Ella said, not looking at him. "Or you'll get the sheets dirty."

"Fine," Maksim sighed.

Ella quietly dressed as she heard Maksim jump into the shower. Her mind was scattered everywhere as she brushed out her wet hair and buttoned her shirt. On the dresser was the letter from Columbia congratulating her on her acceptance. She reached out with trembling fingers as her eyes burned.

A few minutes later, Maksim came out of the shower and dressed. He watched Ella silently go through their mail before she came over and towel dried his hair. Maksim sighed from her touch and held her around her waist.

"Ell," Maksim frowned. "Please tell me what's on your mind."

Ella avoided his eyes. She busied herself with his hair as Maksim waited patiently.

"Babe," Maksim's heart was twisting. "You're killing me."

"Max," Ella took a long deep breath. She lifted her baby blue eyes and began to chew on her bottom lip. "I'm......My period is late."

Maksim froze.

He was not expecting that.

Ella waited for him to absorb the news. Her eyes watched him closely as he stared at her.

"How late?" he finally asked.

"About two weeks..."

"Oh boy..." Maksim let out the breath he was holding. "I......um....I....do you think...."

"I don't know," Ella frowned as she took a step closer to Maksim. "I'm.....I'm not ready."

As Maksim watched, Ella's eyes began to tear up and she began to panic. Quickly, he pulled her to his chest and kissed her forehead.

"It's okay baby," Maksim said, kissing her head again. "I'm not ready to have a kid right now either."

"What are we going to do?" Ella pulled back to look at him.

"Well......first of all we need to make sure you are actually...... god, I'm too scared to even say the word."

"You're right," Ella nodded. "I mean....it could be stress, right?"

"Yeah,"

"We've been moving around so much and all the work with the kids and everything. It could all just be stress."

"You're right," Maksim rubbed her back. "I'll call room service and ask them to get us a test."

"No!" Ella shrieked. "The last thing we need is for someone to leak this to the media."

"You're right," Maksim nodded. "We can go see Mimzy."

"I....." Ella shifted from feet to feet. "I kind of don't want to..... I'm scared for anyone back home to find out right now. We need to know first and then decide what we are going to do."

"Okay," Maksim kissed her. "Whatever you want love. I....I'll run down to the pharmacy and get a test."

"Okay," Ella nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

Maksim grabbed his phone and his wallet as Ella stepped out of his embrace. She watched him pull his shoes on before he pulled her back into his arms.

"We're going to be okay," he said to her as he kissed her lips. "Don't stress. Okay, love?"

Ella nodded, "I love you."

"I love you so much."

Ella watched Maksim hurry out of the room. She sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through her hair. Her fingers were trembling and she felt a heavy pressure on her chest. She was ready to throw up any second and the realization made her worry even more.

Unable to keep still, Ella hopped off the bed and began to pace the floor. She continuously ran a hand through her hair as she tried to keep herself calm.

Who would Mavi and Owen react? Surely, they didn't want them to have kids just yet. They were kids themselves. Was Ella ready to be a mom? Was Maksim ready to be a father?

No. The answer was a big fat no every time.

They were both a mess, trying to figure out how to be adults in front of the camera lens with the world watching them. They were not ready to be parents.

As Ella's nerves escalated, the phone ringing by the bed made her jump out of her skin. She ran over and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Madam," the lady at the front desk greeted her. "I have someone at the front desk requesting to speak with you. He's saying it's urgent."

"Who is it?" Ella asked with curiosity.

The woman paused for a second before coming back to the phone, "Dean Dunbar, madam."

"What?" Ella's heart began to shake.

"He's saying he has urgent business with you. Would you like for me to ask him to wait in the lobby?"

"Ah...yes," Ella said with worry. "I...I'll be right now."

Ella grabbed her room card and dashed out the door. Why was her father here? What did he want?

The elevator ride down to the lobby was painful and slow. Ella approached the front desk slowly as she braced herself for the unexpected.

"Ella," Dean's voice called to her from the waiting area. Ella turned to find her father rushing up to her.

"Papa?" Ella felt her throat close up.

"Oh, my baby," Dean pulled her into his arms. "Where have you been? I've been coming here for over a week. They keep telling me you're not here."

"I.....I wasn't here," Ella said in confusion. "I just got back today."

"What's wrong? Are you ill? You look pale," Dean pushed Ella's hair out of her face.

"Papa..." Ella didn't understand what was going on. "Why are you here? What's going on?"

Dean's eyes flickered with worry as he frowned. He took a step back and fidget with his hands, "Ellie....it's Lily."

"What about Lily?" Ella's heat sank. She had just spoken to her sister a few weeks ago. Maksim and her made plans to go visit before they headed for New York.

"They.....they took Lily," Dean said with a deep frown.

"Who took Lily?" Ella's head started to spin.

"The...the Sons of Tovio," Dean rubbed his forehead and eyes. "They took Lily."

"What?" Ella couldn't believe that she was hearing.

"You have to help," Dean said with an urgency. "They sent a letter to us. They demanded money and they sent a picture of Lily.....I....You're mother is worried sick."

"Where's Charlie?" Ella asked.

"He's trying with his family but the police have no idea where they took her. Ella, you can help. I need you to come home. Maksim.....he.....he can help us."

"Yes," Ella nodded. Her mind was running wild with worry and concern for Lily. she had just spoken to her sister. She couldn't stop her heart from pushing out the tears in her eyes.

"Where is he?" Dean asked. "Where's Maksim?"

"He.....he stepped out for a minute." Ella couldn't feel her hands. She was starting to grow numb. The pressure in her chest was increasing.

"Will he help us?"

"Of course," Ella said. "I need to call him and tell him to come back."

"Okay," Dean nodded.

"Come....come upstairs. We can wait for him there."

Dean followed Ella to the elevator. He was a nervous wreck. Ella noticed how he fidgeted and played with the collar of his shirt.

"Papa," she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. Lily will be fine. Max won't let anything happen to her."

Dean nodded as he patted Ella's hand. He slowly followed Ella to her room and stepped inside as she pushed the door open.

"Have a seat," Ella said. "I'll go call Max."

"Alright," Dean nodded as he headed for the living room.

Ella threw the card key down on the table and rushed into the bedroom. She searched through her bags before her hand landed on her phone at the bottom of her purse.

With shaking fingers, she unlocked the phone and hit Maksim's number. Ella brought the phone to her ear as it rang once.

But before the phone could ring again or Maksim could pick up, Ella felt a heavy large hand fall over her mouth. She screamed in panic and tried to turn around but something stopped her.

A deadly chill ran down her nose as her throat cooled. Her eyelids grew heavy as rocks and black spots started to dance in her vision.

The last thing Ella remembered before the darkness took over was Maksim picking up the phone.

"Ell?" He had asked.  

dun dun DUUUUNNN!! 

LOL let's all pretend we didn't see that coming :P