Maddox walked away from Tatiana's room with difficulty.
Every cell in his body screamed for Tatiana's proximity, but he knew that forcing it will only make it worse.
Maddox had many skills in his repertoire which included negotiating deals, disarming bombs, calculating yearly expenses for the whole pack, and fighting in human and wolf form. However, courting a woman was not a part of that impressive lineup.
Maddox was never a gentleman because there was no need. His position allowed him to deal with others by being bluntly honest. As for women, they would come to him in all shapes and sizes to serve him willingly and the only thing he needed to do was to make his picks for the night.
That's the treatment all Alphas receive and their instincts to show their power and domination are not helping them in being polite.
But no matter how low his EQ was, Maddox was aware that his blunder from that morning offended Tatiana and if he tries to rush her into accepting him, it will only backfire.
Since he didn't know how to be sensible toward women, Maddox treated his current situation to negotiating a business deal with a party that was not eager to strike a deal. However, this time the stakes were his heart and his future as an Alpha.
If he fails, Maddox will lose the Luna that the Moon Goddess gave him, and the consequences will be unimaginable.
This was important and he couldn't allow for any loose ends that might trip him along the way.
He was itchy to get ready for the beach and reunite with Tatiana as soon as possible, however, in order to increase his chances of success, he needed to deal with liabilities, and one of them was right here.
Maddox stopped in front of one door and pushed it open without knocking.
"Mindy!", Maddox growled as soon as he closed the door behind him.
"Huh?", Mindy made a silly sound while peeking from the closet. She was sorting out her recent purchases.
Seeing Maddox glowering at her, Mindy shrank. She felt danger and cursed under her breath when she realized that the closet doesn't have windows. There were no escape routes and Maddox was standing at the door, his Alpha aura rippled in suffocating waves with Maddox at the center.
"What do you want?", Mindy asked while doing her best to control her voice from breaking. She never saw Maddox that angry.
"How dare you cut me off?"
Mindy knew that Maddox was pissed because she cut off the mind-link that morning when Maddox asked her about Tatiana. "Did you come here to punish me because I don't want to cover up your dirty deeds?"
"Mindy!", Maddox shouted. "This is not the time for your feminist crap! Tanya is not some random girl. She is my mate. Your future Luna! Do you know what the consequences are if she rejects me!?"
Mindy narrowed her eyes defiantly. "Shouldn't YOU worry about those consequences?"
Maddox balled his hands into fists. "If you are not my sister, you would end up in the dungeon for plotting against your Alpha and future Luna. Behave or I will send you home, and you can guess which side our parents will take after I tell them that I found my mate and you were not supportive."
Mindy was dejected. She was tired of always being reminded how Alphas have all rights while she needs to follow orders. "You messed up, why would I help you clean up?"
Maddox closed his eyes and exhaled sharply. Mindy was always a willful she-wolf, and he either supported her or didn't care because he saw her as his little sister, a cute pup that is all bark and no bite, but this time he had enough.
"Damn it, Mindy! Why are you always opposing me?"
"How did I oppose you?"
Maddox narrowed his eyes at Mindy dangerously. "Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think that all the shit you say behind my back doesn't reach my ears? I can only imagine you girls making a sistership circle around Tanya like I am some kind of a villain who should be castrated."
His nostrils flared in anger. "Do you think it's a good quality to say whatever comes to your mind? Look around, Mindy. How many long-term friends you have? Why are Claire and Rachel avoiding you? How long will this group of women tolerate your brash way of talking? Yes, you are only telling the truth, but you are not a child anymore and you should learn that some things should be left unsaid. Your words matter and they can cause harm. I allowed you to tag along with me because mom and dad pestered me, but if I knew it will explode in my face, I would leave you behind regardless of the consequences. Go and manage your charities and leave me alone."
Maddox's voice shook as he struggled to suppress his rising temper as he continued, "I fail to understand why would you side with a bunch of women you just met and disregard me? Do you even know what happened, or did you just assume that I hurt my mate because I am an asshole? I don't expect you to help me, but at least don't work against me. Why do you have so much hate when it comes to men in power? Aren't you benefiting from being part of the Alpha family? Why can't you see me as a brother? If my own sister won't speak up for me or show respect an Alpha should get, how can I expect others to think of me as anything more than a scoundrel?"
Mindy looked at Maddox whose rage was turning into sorrow as his fierce glare was replaced with disappointment and her eyes prickled from tears that were threatening to fall.
She wanted to tell him that he was wrong, but she couldn't.
Mindy's gaze fell on the carpet between the two of them as his words echoed in her mind and she remembered the last few hours.
Mindy didn't say anything bad about Maddox in the van or during their shopping in the mall, but she said some quite nasty things before he came down for breakfast. Why did she say those things?
Maddox is a brother to her, but he is an Alpha to everyone else and she failed to give him the respect that his position as an Alpha demands or the love a sister should give. And she knew that Maddox was right… if she was not his sister, her careless way of talking would get her in trouble many times before.
If she didn't speak about Maddox as a womanizer, maybe Tanya wouldn't just leave without giving him a chance to explain things when those two she-wolves appeared.
And in the van, she didn't speak up for him either because… because… because she assumed that he is an asshole who hurt his mate.
This was the first time for Mindy to see Maddox so upset, but what stung fiercely was the grief that laced his every word. She really messed up.
Maddox was her older brother and she always saw him confidently moving forward, celebrating his victories, and brushing off failures like they were not important because he would stand up and try again and again until he overcomes that challenge.
She believed that there was nothing that can diminish his spirit, and now she confirmed that she was wrong.
Tatiana was important, probably the most important thing Maddox encountered so far, and instead of supporting him, Mindy made it worse.
Will saying sorry fix anything?
Mindy looked up only to see an empty doorframe.
Maddox left without punishing her and that created painful knots in her stomach.
If he shouted more or maybe if he hit her a few times she would have a reason to be resentful and to say that he was bullying her, but now she was left alone, feeling deflated with this feeling of guilt that was eating her alive.
