The Arrangement
Chapter Seventeen

Something was brewing, Madeline knew that for sure. It had been so quiet for weeks. Not a word for the Rogues, not an attack, nothing. It was the calm before the storm. It made her anxious, along with many of the other Pack members who were aware of what was happening. The children, thankfully, were still oblivious to it all.

It was the same for their neighboring Pack and her home Pack. She kept in touch with her parents and brother on a regular basis, ever since the attack. She knew if she didn’t answer their daily call they would come over and possibly throttle her. She that because she missed a call from her mother, who then proceeded to blow up her phone and threaten her that if she didn’t call her mother back that instant, she was grounded. Knowing her mother, she would have found some way to ground Madeline.

Lips pressed against her head, startling her. She had been so engrossed in the papers she was holding. She looked up and saw Emerson standing next to her chair.

“You doing okay?” He asked.

She nodded. “Yeah, fine. Just tired.”

She set the papers down on the desk. She rubbed her forehead and yawned. She was tired. She hadn’t been sleeping well, which she didn’t mention. She also didn’t mention that she hadn’t eaten.

“You should go lie down for a little while. I can finish your paperwork while you rest,” he offered.

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I’m almost done anyways.”

Madeline was unsure what was going on between the two of them. She had been in Night Walker Pack for almost two months now and their relationship went from tearing out each other’s throats out to…caring for each other.

It was all happening too fast for her. She wasn’t ready to be with him, or anyone for that matter. She wasn’t ready to let go of Lucas. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Emerson gave her a look that said he didn’t believe her. But he said anyways, “Finish and then go rest. I’ll tell Casey you won’t be able to hang out today.”

“Emerson, I’m fine, really. You don’t need to be so worried about me.”

“You say that as if I can control it. I’m going to worry about you, Madeline. Especially now, with everything that’s going on. So finish your work and then go up to bed. If you don’t, Ricardo has my permission to carry you to be.”

There was a muffled “yes!” heard through the door and both Madeline and Emerson chuckled. Ricardo was a special one, one she had missed as her friend. With the nine other guards, Ricardo wasn’t his usual fun self. He was more reserved and professional. She missed her friend.

“Fine, but only because I’m dead on my feet.”

He nodded. “I’ll hold you to that. I’ll see you later.” He walked out, leaving her alone, well as alone as she could be with ten guards.

It had taken some time getting used to, but Madeline had finally fit into the role of Luna. She had stopped a number of fights, she visited the school and spoke to the children, she visited the daycare almost daily, she showed up to the meetings when she had free time, and she had piles of paperwork to go through.

She finished with the papers she was working on before she was interrupted. She pushed back from the desk and stood. she turned off the lights and locked the office door.

“Sorry to crush your dreams Ricardo, but no manhandling me today.”

Madeline couldn’t help but laugh at his pouting face. “Your mate deserves a trophy for putting up with you,” she said.

“Hey!”

She laughed louder. “Sorry, but it’s true. You’re a handful.”

“Only sometimes,” he mumbled.

She snorted. “More like, most of the time. You’re a special one, and not in a good way.”

He stuck his tongue at her.

“Oh, real mature.”

Her other guards seemed to be having a hard time holding in their laughs. Apparently, they’d never guarded someone who teased them endlessly. Well, those she interacted with. Which was really only Ricardo, when he would speak to her. The others just stood there emotionless.

She was beginning to think they had no emotions at all. This showed that they weren’t heartless, or robots.

Madeline kicked off her heels the moment she entered her room. She unbuttoned her shirt and tossed it in the laundry basket. Her slacks were next. She dressed in pajama shorts and one of Emerson’s t-shirts.

She crawled into bed, but for the life of her, could not sleep. No matter how much she tried. She read, counted sheep, just closed her eyes, listened to a thunderstorm track. Nothing worked.

She rolled out of bed. She changed into jean shorts and a shirt. She threw her hair up into a ponytail and slipped on some flipflops.

She walked to the second floor, where the game room was. She found mostly single male wolves occupying the space, but there were some females there as well. One was kicking another guys’ ass at pool and another was dominating Call of Duty.

Madeline somehow got roped into playing Mario Cart. It was pathetic to watch. She kept running into bombs and buildings. At one point, the two guards stationed at the door came over to try and help her, but it was pointless. She was just awful.

“I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to be this horrible,” said one of the wolves, Dylan. His recently discovered mate sat on his lap, giggling.

Being the mature adult Madeline was, she stuck her tongue at him. “Oh, don’t act like you were never horrible at this at some point.”

“Yeah, when I was five.”

She gave him the finger that time and the whole room dissolved into laughter. Madeline ended up on her back on the floor, laughing uncontrollably.

“This is the most fun I’ve had in years,” she confessed. “I don’t remember the last time I laughed so much.”

“Feels good to laugh, doesn’t it?” Mackinlay asked, resting her head on Dylan’s shoulder, grinning widely.

Madeline sat up, smiling at the mated couple. “How long have you two been together?”

“We met just a couple weeks ago. I was here visiting my cousins and there he was.” She gave him heart eyes. “This is the first time we’ve been out of our room, besides leaving to eat of course.”

She nodded. She remembered when she was them. Young and in love. Happy. And then she lost everything. She prayed it didn’t happen to these two. She prayed they would have a long and happy life together.

“Ah, Madeline. There you are.”

Madeline looked up and saw Benjamin standing above her.

“May I have a word with you?”

She nodded and stood. “I’ll see you guys later.” She waved to them then followed Benjamin out. They walked to the kitchen in silence. He made them both a cup of coffee and handed her one mug.

“It’s cute, what you’re doing,” he finally spoke.

“Excuse me?”

“What you’re doing with Emerson. It’s cute, that you think you can tell him what to do, that you can control him. But it needs to stop.”

Madeline blinked at him for a moment, bewildered. “Excuse me? Control him? I’m not trying to control Emerson. He’s his own person to do what he wants. I’m just trying to help him.”

“Whatever it is you’re trying to do, it needs to stop. If he becomes independent and tries to do these things on his own, he’ll explode. He needs me to guide him. He needs me to help lead the Pack. Nothing good will happen if he tries to do this on his own.”

“He’s not alone, he has me. Emerson only needs me. And I don’t know what’s going on in that sick mind of yours, but it needs to stop. You need to realize this isn’t your Pack anymore. This is Emerson’s and this is mine. This is not your Pack anymore. Back off and quit telling us both what to do. We will do what is best for the Pack. Not you.”

Benjamin smiled in a way that made her shiver. He set down his mug and moved so that he trapped Madeline up against the counter. She saw a few of her guards move forward to intervene, but she held up her hand and they backed away.

“Now that is where you are very wrong Madeline. I may not be Alpha any longer but this is still very much my Pack and I will run it how I see fit.”

In a swift maneuver, Madeline ducked under his arm. “Now that is where you are wrong Benjamin. This is my Pack. I am Luna. I run the show here now, not you. Not anymore. You will never control this Pack again. You will never control Emerson again. For as long as I am here, I will make sure of that.”

He turned to face her. Gone was the smile. Gone was the pretense act he had been keeping up. His true colors now shown. Madeline saw who he truly was. The Pack members gathered around now saw who he was. And they would never let him have authority over them ever again.

“If you don’t back off and learn your place, Luna,” he spat the word, “I’ll make sure you do.”

“Is that a threat? Are you threatening me?”

“It’s not a threat, it’s a promise.”

“How’s this for a promise?” Madeline got up in his face. “If you don’t back off I’ll make your life a living hell. I have the connections, I have the people. I will make sure you’re an outcast. No one will ever accommodate you. Many will curse you and cheat you. Some may even throw things at you. So, either realize now that you aren’t at the helm anymore and back off, or face the consequences of your actions. Either way, you’re not winning. So why don’t you just do yourself a favor and leave? Though you might still have to pay social repercussions. The pack did just learn your snake.”

Benjamin’s eyes left her and scanned the room, the faces of the wolves in the crowd. Finally, he focused his gaze back to her and smiled. “No.”

“No?”

“No.”

Madeline matched his cruel smile with her own. She heard someone leave the crowd, to get Emerson no doubt, but she didn’t turn her head to see who it was. She just kept her focus on the manipulative man before her. The man who made his son’s life a living hell. The man who has tried to take Night Walker Pack away from him.

“A mistake, truly. You’re going to lose against me. I can guarantee. And when you’re out there, all alone, a Rogue, you’re going to have wished that you had taken the easy way out of this mess and just backed down.”

“You’re insinuating that you’re going to win. But that’s not going to happen. I always win. As there is no possible outcome in which Emerson will kick out his poor and heartbroken father, and allow him to get treated like dirt. So say goodbye to your dreams of being the victor, because that’s just not going to happen.”

Madeline couldn’t help but laugh. “Who do you think he’s going to believe and trust? The man who’s been abusing him and threatening his Pack for years? Or the woman who has brought his Pack out of the slumps, and given them joy and hope?”

“What do you even know about ruling? You’ve barely been Luna for two months,” Benjamin laughed.

“I know that they are hurting. I know that they are still recovering from the last war. I know that they love and hope and joy in their lives. I know that they need someone to trust, to look up to. I know that I am that person. The one to bring them happiness and love. I am that person for them to trust and confide in. You are not, and will never be that person. Now leave, while you still have the chance.”

Madeline wasn’t smiling now. Her face was stone cold. She was done messing around. This was her Pack, her children, and she would not allow anyone fuck with them any longer.

“If I wasn’t discouraged when Abigail came threatening me, what makes you think that you will discourage me?”

Her mind went blank. “What?”

“Let’s just say she dug too far and learned too much. She thought she could silence me by threatening me, saying she’d expose me to Emerson and the Council. And, well, I couldn’t have that. So, I silenced her permanently.”

Slap!

Madeline slapped him so hard she drew blood.

His head whipped around and she had never seen someone so furious. He raised his hand, his fist clenched. But before he could hit her, another stepped in and grabbed his hand.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Emerson said. “You just confessed to murdering the Pack’s previous Luna. I don’t think you want to add assault of the next Luna to those charges.”

Emerson was so calm, so deathly calm. It scared Madeline because he had never seen him that way. When he was angry, he yelled and punched and kicked. But that was not the case now. Now he was eerily still, the calm before the storm that was sure to erupt.

Madeline stepped in. “Brandon, please take Benjamin to cells.” She added, “Try not to rough him up too much. We need him in well enough shape to be questioned.”

Brandon stepped forth with two other wolves. “Of course, Luna.”

They took him away from their Alpha and Luna, and out of the crowd.

“Go about your day. There’s nothing to see here anymore,” she said to the Pack members that still stood there. At her words, they quickly dispersed.

Emerson turned to her and his calloused hands cupped her cheeks. At one point, she would have shied away from him. But now, she leaned into his hands. Her fingers clasped around his wrist.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” He demanded.

Madeline shook her head. “No. I’m okay. He didn’t touch me.” Her eyes flickered down, then back up. “How much of that did you hear?”

His thumb stroked her cheek. “Enough. Thank you for defending my honor, the Pack’s honor.”

“You do not have to thank me.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Stubborn ass.”

He laughed, and right then, she thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. He kissed her forehead.

And she knew, then, that she loved him.