Madison sat on the bed, her back against the pillows and her knees pulled up to her chest, wearing a clean gown. She knew it wasn’t her gown. Perhaps it belonged to Kate. She gratefully accepted the mug and sipped at the hot coffee, feeling its warmth slide through her, warming her from the inside out.
Shannon looked at her with a critical eye. "You've been up here hiding away for a few days now. You're going to have to come out sometime."
Madison whispered, "I know."
Shannon looked at her with sympathy. "You know, Maddie, I'm not going to say I know how you feel, because I don't. I know you were scared for your life and scared for Cory's. I know what Max did to you, and I can't imagine it. But you're safe now. We're both still mortal, but to Shade, that makes no difference. From his perspective, we’re part of the coven, do you understand?"
Madison nodded her head.
"Good, because that’s important. When anyone in the coven is threatened, then all the resources of the coven are brought forth to protect them. You need to understand that Shade would have come for you, even if Cory hadn’t been there. Do you get that?"
Madison looked back at her with a blank stare, absorbing that information. Sliding closer, Shannon rubbed her arm. "No one here can promise you that you’ll never encounter danger. But no one can promise you that in the mortal world, either. All I can tell you is you’ll always have the protection of this coven. Every person here has a duty to protect you, and Cory, and me. No one life is considered less valued than another. Do you understand? Their strength comes from their bond to each other, their loyalty. It took me a while to figure that out."
Madison nodded slowly. "But when I close my eyes...it all comes back."
Setting the mug aside, Shannon embraced her. "I know. I understand that. But you have to come back to us. Come out of this room, be with the family, and realize we're all here for you. The longer you hide from this, the harder that becomes. Don't let Max steal another day."
Madison nodded her head, but a single tear ran down her cheek. "I'm tired of feeling afraid. I'm just so tired of feeling afraid."
Shannon hugged her tight. "You're going to be all right, Maddie. Trust me, okay?"
Cory returned to the suite, freshly showered and in clean clothes. Shannon smiled at him, as she stood to leave. Leaving the two of them alone, Shannon headed down the stairs. She could hear Kate in the nursery with Sophia and took a detour. Standing in the doorway, Kate looked up.
"Hey. What's up?"
Shannon shook her head and relayed to her best friend her impression of Madison's progress. "I'm not sure how to help her past the fear, Kate. She has to move past that before she can move forward."
Kate nodded, as she handed the squirming baby over to Theresa. She remembered well the immobilizing fear after Cuerpo attacked her, and he never got close enough to touch her. She couldn’t imagine what Madison must be feeling. But Shade healed her somehow.
"I'm worried for her too. Cory stays at her side day and night. I check on her several times a day. I don't know what else to do. I'll talk to Shade again when he wakes. We can't lose her. Not after everything she’s been through."
The two women hugged, and Kate returned to their bedroom, climbing into bed next to him. The events of the past few days had taken their toll, but Sophia's needs didn’t allow for her to take a break and she quickly fell asleep, waiting for him to rise from his slumber.
The electronic blinds rose in their timely fashion, as evening descended in the mountains of Virginia. The house had become deathly quiet lately, everyone on edge. Lorenzo had been kept busy with his school work, going to camp, and attending to Zeus. Sophia had even been shuffled into a better routine and kept as quiet as possible. As Shade opened his eyes, he lay still; knowing bel was asleep beside him.
Max had taken a toll on all of them, and still was, and it ate at him. He should have never let Cory and Madison go to California without a protector, but he’d let Cory convince him otherwise. He almost lost them both. The young woman was so traumatized she never left his room. Shade had tried to talk to Cory, but he, too, was not as responsive, and Shade knew this house wasn’t going to get back to normal unless something happened. He’d hoped Madison would heal with time, and things would work themselves out, but he knew, deep in his heart, he’d have to step in.
He hadn’t approached Madison since their return. Cory had told him it would ‘freak her out’. Throwing his arm over his eyes, he gathered himself before sitting up on the side of the bed, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He had to do something. He wasn’t going to stand for this any longer. He was the master of this coven, the leader of this family, and his family needed him to put it back together. He just wasn’t sure how and where to start.
Feeling his weight shift in the bed, Kate knew, before looking at him, he was troubled. “Lover? What's wrong?"
Running his hand through his hair, his mind was working overtime to no avail. "My family is what’s wrong, bel. I have made some mistakes and I placed lives in danger. The choices I made were wrong, and I knew deep inside they were wrong. I have to make them right."
Kate sat up in the bed and laid her head against his back. "What can we do? Shannon spent the afternoon with Madison. I think she made some progress, but the girl is so afraid. I remember that fear, after Cuerpo, and hers must be a hundred times worse. I don't know how to undo the past. Her body has healed, but it’s her mind that holds her gripped in fear."
He sighed in exasperation. “I talked to Rachel, she’s okay, but she fears for Cory." Standing up quickly, he shook his head, spoke with purpose, "I let this go too long, I thought it would work itself out, but that has not happened. There is a solution, it’s the only one I have. I didn’t want to do this, not to her, but I cannot see another way. This has to stop. No one in my household should ever live in fear. No one who loves my son should live in fear."
Pacing the floor, he stood at the window, his arms crossed over his chest, looking at the waning evening light. Turning to her, he locked eyes with his mate. "I am going to dream-walk."
Kate sat up straight. He rarely used his gift. "Will that work?"
He paused before he answered, "Maybe. I need to get rid of her fear, make some of the memories disappear, so they don’t keep replaying in her head. I can’t erase this memory completely. Too much time has passed, but I can do a rewiring, of sorts."
He walked back to the bed and sat down beside her. "Cory says she is afraid of me, so how do I get close to her? Do we tell her or not?”
"I don't know how it works. Do you need her permission? Will she feel anything?"
"I don’t need her permission. I can go to her once she is asleep, but if she wakes, I don’t want to frighten her more. I have to be alone with her, no distractions."
"Just go to her, Shade. Do what you have to do."
"I don’t know if I can handle her freaking out over my presence. Tell me how to do this, mi amore. I can’t traumatize her more."
Kate slid from the bed, quickly getting herself dressed. "Get dressed and come with me."
Taking his hand, she led him up the stairs to Cory's suite. They entered quietly, and Kate could tell the rooms had been cleaned and smelled of fresh air. The door to the bedroom was closed and she tapped lightly. Cory answered the door and Kate told him they needed some privacy with Madison. Cory looked confused but didn’t question the look of determination on his father's face.