Chapter 10

The full next week was an emotional turmoil for the Dunbar family. Ella and Mia took turns staying with their father at the hospital as he recovered slowly. Ruby took a leave of absence from the palace to stay home with the rest of the family until things could go back to normal again. However, Ella feared their lives would never be what it was anymore.

When Dean was finally home, all his friends and all the neighbors came by to see him. The house was a non stop visiting center packed with people. Mia and Ruby tended to the guests on most days as Lily lingered in her room. This left Ella to deal with taking care of Leo and Piper. During the day she was kept busy making them food or cleaning the house and at night Ella would check her phone to find missed calls and texts from Maksim that she couldn't bring herself to respond to.

One night, as Ella laid beside Lily staring up at the wall, she felt her phone vibrate under her. She didn't need to check it to know it was Maksim.

"Ella," Lily called to her quietly.

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"What are you doing to Maksim?"

Ella turned her head to look at her sister. Since Dean had returned, they haven't talked about their mates at all. Ella had only asked once to make sure Charlie was okay and when Lily confirmed he was safe, she dropped the subject. But now they were talking about the pink elephant in the room once more.

"We don't feel the full pull of the mate bond until we are marked," Lily said as she locked her eyes with her sister.

"What do you mean?"

"We're humans. To protect our mind, we only feel a subtle attraction to our mates until we are marked."

Ella turned her head away and looked up at the ceiling once more. She twirled the strings on her shirt as she felt her heart rate start to pick up slightly.

"What Maksim feels for you is probably driving him insane," Lily continued. "I don't understand what you are so afraid of."

"Isn't it obvious?" Ella frowned.

"They will get over it," Lily said. "And do you really want to give up your happiness for people that don't want you to be happy?"

"They want me to be happy," Ella said. "They want both of us to be happy, Lily."

"Then why won't they let us be with our mates?"

Ella didn't have an answer. She looked away and settled her eyes on the lights above her window.

"Their fear is that we will get our heart broken, right?" Lily slowly sat up. "But if we know for sure that these are our mates, then what is the issue?"

Lily's questions slowly started to run in Ella's head. For the first time, in the madness that had been her life, she started to ask herself why she was choosing to be away from Maksim.

Ella felt the pressure rise from her chest as she admitted to herself that she was too afraid of how her family would respond. It wasn't Maksim or his feelings for her she doubted, it was her family's support she feared losing.

But if Maksim made her happy, then wouldn't they want her to be....happy?

That night, Ella pulled out her phone after Lily left the room and dialed Maksim's number with shaking fingers. She felt a sense of calm as she brought the phone to her ear and waited.

"Ella," Maksim answered after the first ring. "What's wrong? It's almost 2 AM."

"Hi," Ella said a bit breathless.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," Ella felt all the tension in her shoulders start to evaporate as Maksim's deep voice came through from the other end.

"Were you asleep?" She asked.

Maksim sighed, "No.....I couldn't sleep."

"I can't sleep either,"

"Is everything okay at home?"

"Yes," Ella sank into her bed and pulled the sheets over her legs.

"How's Lily?"

"She's okay,"

"And you?"

"I'll be okay," Ella couldn't help but smile. She waited for Maksim to speak but there was a long pause. Ella was beginning to wonder if he had hung up when she heard his voice once more.

"I miss you," Maksim said.

"I miss you too," Ella said surpringin even herself.

"You do?" Ella could picture the dimple smile on the prince's face.

"Yes," Ella let herself admit.

"Then why haven't you returned any of my calls or texts?"

"I was waiting to see if you would show up at my window," Ella teased.

"Give me ten minutes," Maksim said.

"No!" Ella's eyes snapped open. "I was kidding."

"I'm not," Maksim laughed. "I'm serious. I'm already in the garage."

"Max," Ella sighed. "Please, stop."

"But I want to see you,"

"Why don't you ever listen to me?"

"I'm a king, I don't have to listen to anyone," Maksim laughed.

"That's what you said the day you followed me to the stable and I ended up scratching up my knee."

"The way I see it," Maksim said slowly. "If I hadn't followed you that day, you wouldn't have been safe. I saved you, my Queen."

"Sure, you did," Ella rolled her eyes.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?"

Ella picked up her head and looked at her window. How did he know?

"How did you..." she began to ask when Maksim strate to laugh.

"I know you better than you know yourself," he said.

"Of course you do, your majesty," Ella laughed. She slid back into bed once more and placed the phone between her ear and the pillow.

"Helllo?" Ella called out when Maksim went radio silence again. "Max?"

"I'm here," he said.

"You're not saying anything," Ella frowned. "Do you want me to call back later?"

"No!" Maksim laughed. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about how much I missed hearing you laugh."

Ella felt herself smile. Her cheeks blushed in the darkness of her room as she laid under the sheets listening to her mate.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Going back to my room."

"Were you seriously considering coming right now?"

"I wasn't considering it," Maksim chuckled. "I was already doing it."

"You're crazy,"

"I want to be. For you."

"Such a flirt too,"

"Only with you."

"And with all the other screaming girls?"

"What other screaming girls?"

"You know," Ella said. "The ones from the parade or from the balls."

"I didn't know there were other girls there," Maksim laughed. "I only had my eyes on you."

"You will have a terrible king," Ella laughed. "Forgetting half the kingdom?"

"But I see my queen has a sharp eye on them so I don't have to worry, right?"

"We will see," Ella sighed. "Max?"

"Yes, my love?"

"I want to see you,"

"Ell, I just got back into my room," Maksim sighed as he laughed once more. "Make up your mind, woman."

"Not right now!" Ella shook her head. "But soon."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes,"

"I'll pick you up at noon?"

"I'll be at the park,"

"Okay,"

"Okay," Ella blushed again.

"Now, go to sleep,"

"I can't sleep."

"You need to sleep," Maksim urged.

"Are you going to sleep?"

"Yes," Makism said. "Now that I have heard your voice and know that you are safe, I can finally close my eyes."

"Okay......good night, max,"

"Good night, my love."

"I'll see you tomorrow,"

"You will."

The next morning, Ella woke up feeling lighter than usual. She quickly checked her phone and found a good morning text from Maksim.

Good morning, sunshine. Thinking only of you.

Ella rolled her eyes at his cheesiness. She found his non stop flirting ridiculous, yet she still found herself blushing.

Good morning to you too, Ella responded back. Doesn't the king have anything better to do?

Ella pushed her sheets back and climbed out of bed. Her eyes stayed glued on the screen as something fell out of her bed and brushed over her feet. Ella looked down and realized it was a piece of folded paper. Curiously, she put her phone down on her bed and picked up the paper.

Dear Ella,

Nelson Mandela once said courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man was not he who did not feel afraid, but he who conquered that fear.

You were born for a greater purpose. Don't be your own prisoner.

With love,

Lily.

As Ella read the letter over, she felt her hands go numb. Her cell phone vibrated with a text from Maksim, but it was the last thing on her mind as she got off the bed and rushed ot the living room.

Damn it, Lily! Ella said in her mind. What did you do?

Ella entered the livingroom to find her parents and Mia sitting around the kitchen table with somber expressions on their faces. Dean had his head in his hands as Ruby rubbed his shoulder. Her eyes glossed over as she pressed her free hand over her lips. Mia spoke on the phone as she ran her finger over a piece of paper. As Ella approached them, she looked up and frowned.

"Wh-what's going on?" Ella dared to ask.

Ruby carefully took the paper out of Mia's hand and gave it over to Ella.

"Lily ran away," she said.

__________________

Maksim checked his watch again for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. It was almost a quarter to two and still no sign of Ella. He had been waiting since noon for her at the park, just as she had asked him too. WIth each passing minute, Maksim's heart worried a little more than it did the previous minute.

Your grace, one of the guards posted outside of Ella's house, mind-linked him. Ms. Dunbar hasn't left the building.

What about the diner? Is she there?

No, sir. The diner is closed.

Thank you.

Maksim let out a frustrated breath and ran a hand over his hair. He dialed Ella's number once more only to have it go straight to voicemail.

"Hey, Ell. It's me," Maksim said, his voice defeated. "Give me a call. I'm worried about you."

Maksim ended the call and leaned forward on the chair. His eyes stayed glued on the entrance of the park as young families and kids walked in and out. Every time someone new walked in, Maksim's heart leaped up. Was it her? But when he would see it wasn't Ella, his heart would twist in an ugly way.

Maksim wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to stare at the gates. His heart was in too much pain and he felt as if he couldn't breath. The sun overhead moved across the sky and disappeared. The remaining kids gathered their things and headed home as the street lamps came on.

A tall figure entered the park and looked around before spotting Maksim. The man walked over and pulled a chair out beside the prince.

"Mackey?" Alec said as he stared at his nephew. "You need to come home."

"Just a few more minutes," Maksim didn't bother looking at his uncle.

"She's not coming," Alec leaned forward and placed a hand over his shoulder. "An hour ago the town police filed a missing person's report for her little sister."

"What?" Maksim turne to look at Alec.

"Lily? Is that her sister?"

"Yes," Maksim said.

"Lily ran away from home last night. The Dunbars have been at the police station all day."

Suddenly, Maksim jumped to his feet. He pulled off the baseball cap and took out his phone.

"Where are you going?" Alec asked as the boy began to move towards the exit.

"I have to go see Ell," Maksim said over his shoulder.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Alec stopped him. "The Dunbar are accusing a local werewolf of kidnapping their daughter."

"Kidnapping?" Maksim said in disbelief. "That's her mate."

"The local media and the protesters are not buying it," Alec sighed. "There's been a whole crowd outside the palace all day. Ever since news of Lily's disappearance got out."

"What the fuck do we have to do with any of this?" Maksim said in irritation. "How is it our fault the girl decided to leave her crazy family?"

"People always look for someone to blame and unfortunately for you, it will always be your family."

"I have to see Ella," Maksim shook his head. "I need to know she's okay."

"Maksim, she is okay," Alec stopped him again. "You can not go see her right now."

"Why not?"

"Everyone is watching right now," Alec said. "You go to her and it'll be all over tomorrow's news. The family will have more proof against us as they keep saying."

"That is ridiculous," Maksim turned to leave again.

"Maksim," Alec put his foot down. "You have to return to the palace. It's an order from the Queen." 

How will Lily's actions impact Ella and Max?