The Arrangement
Chapter Thirty-One

“You still haven’t told him?”

Madeline sighed. “I don’t want the baby to become a distraction for him. One slip-up, no matter how small, could cost him his life. And I can’t-” She sighed and looked down.

Casey put her hand on her shoulder. “I understand.”

Madeline was thankful that her friend didn’t say anything else. She had already thought of every possible way telling or not telling Emerson could go wrong. And then she had cried for hours.

She had come to the decision that she would wait another month. If he wasn’t home by then, she would tell him. and if he came home, well, he would know.

Madeline rested her hand on her stomach. She had a small bump that could easily be concealed if she tried. Most of her pants still fit, though several of her shirts were too tight. It didn’t matter. Most days she wore one of Emerson’s shirts.

“I need to get back to work. You’ll be alright on your own, won’t you?”

“I’ll be fine Casey. Go, I won’t keep you here any longer.”

“Alright.” Casey was hesitant to leave, but after a moment’s pause, she walked out of the office.

Madeline got up and sat down in the office chair, Emerson’s chair. It was his office she was occupying. It still carried his scent, however faint. Hopefully he would be back soon, so she would no longer have to rely on his scent to bring her comfort, it’d just be him.

She shook her head clear of these thoughts. There were things that required her attention, she couldn’t let herself be distracted. She opened up the laptop and went to the emails. She had been trying for weeks to set up a trade negotiation between her Pack and the Moonstone Prowlers Pack, but she was having some trouble. The Beta was a stubborn wolf who didn’t want to listen to a thing she was saying, just because she was a she-wolf. So she started to contact the Luna and she’s made some progress.

A knock at the door had her rising her head. “Come in.”

Dylan walked in and she instantly smiled, one that he returned, though it seemed forced. Over the few months, the two of them had gotten closer. She was happy to see him finally starting to move on from Mackinlay’s death. For the longest time he would keep himself busy constantly, so he didn’t have time to even think about her. But Madeline started to wear him down. he was starting to smile, even if it was just with her, and he was starting to open up to their Pack mates.

“Hello Dylan. What’s brought you to my office today?”

“The reconstruction of the building is finally finished. When you have a spare moment, they want you and Beta Brandon to come take a look at, make sure that everything is the way you want it.”

“Does Brandon know?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I have an opening at 4:30. Will that be okay?”

“Perfect.”

Madeline closed the laptop. “Good, now sit. I can tell there’s something on your chest. Out with it.”

Dylan sighed and looked at his lap for the longest time. She waited. She would wait as he needed to get him to start to talk. And if he needed to cry, she had tissues for him.

“I went through her things today,” he whispered, his voice laced with hurt.

She nodded and sucked in a breath. She remembered when she went through Lucas’ things. It was heartbreaking to do. To put away the last of his things.

“How did it go?”

“I miss her.”

Madeline got up and moved to the chair beside him. “I know. I do too.” She looked at him. “You’re always going to miss her and your heart is always going to hurt when you think of her. As time progresses, it will get better.”

“I know it will. It’s just, it’s all so fresh.”

“I know. I’m going to be right here to help you. Emerson will be here. The Pack is here for you. We’re all going to help you.”

“Thank you, Madeline.”

“You’re welcome.”

After a few minutes of silence, he stood. “I should probably go tell the others that you’re coming in today.”

Madeline nodded and stood as well. “Alright. If you ever need me, you know where to replace me.”

Dylan nodded his head once. “I’ll see you later.”

She waited until the door was closed before sitting back down in the office chair. She flexed her fingers and began writing her email. She was trying to negotiate a time that they could meet and discuss the trade in person.

Several screams caught her attention. She jerked her head up and stood, ready to run outside when the office door slammed open and Dylan reentered the office, panting.

“They’re attacking!”

“Who?”

“Benjamin! He’s trying to replace you. You have replace, now!”

When Madeline didn’t move, frozen in shock, he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room.

“Come on! We have to hurry.” He ran her through the House until they came to a closet and shoved her in. There was a secret door that he opened and pushed her in. He got in with her and closed the door, sealing them in the dark.

They might’ve been hidden from the world but she could still hear the world. She could hear her people’s screams, she could hear them dying.

“I can’t do this. I have to be out there with them.” Madeline said, fumbling for the door.

Dylan yanked her back and covered her mouth. “You are not leaving. I have a duty to protect you. We all do. We need you alive and well. And if you won’t do it for them or for yourself, do it for your baby. What if Benjamin replaces you and kills the baby?”

She stopped resisting him then. She would do anything for her baby. She would protect her baby, always.

He let her go once he noticed she stopped struggling and she leaned back against the wall. silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She hated that her people were suffering. There was nothing she could do about it. She wasn’t a warrior. She didn’t have magical powers that could destroy all their enemies. She was just herself. She had her words and that was final.

“I’m going to ask one more time, and if no one gives me the answer I want, I’ll start killing your children.” Benjamin’s voice echoed throughout the House.

He wouldn’t, would he? He wouldn’t kill an innocent child would he? A full grown wolf, yes, but a pup?

“Nothing? You had your chance.” She heard a gunshot followed by screams.

Madeline bit down on her tongue until it bled. He did it. he took away an innocent child’s life.

She heard another gunshot followed by more screams and she couldn’t take it anymore. She had to give herself up. She could only hope her baby would survive whatever was to come.

“I’m going out there Dylan and you can’t stop me.”

“You can’t.”

“I can. He’s going to keep killing and killing until there’s no one left. If I go to him, all of his attention will be on me. You can escape. Go to Emerson. Tell him what happened. He will come.”

“I don’t want to leave you. If he gets his hands on you.”

“I know. But if you don’t go, we will suffer under his rule.” Madeline jumped at another gun shot. “Make sure the coast is clear before running. If you’re caught, we’re all doomed.”

“I won’t disappoint you.”

“You never could.”

Madeline wanted to hug him, but if she was covered in his scent, Benjamin would know there was someone missing. She couldn’t let that happen.

She cracked open the secret door and crawled out of it. She waited until the sounds of footsteps faded. She wanted to walk right up to him. Not dragged or chained. She would walk.

And that’s what she did.

She walked to him with her chin high. She let herself only glance at the fallen children. And that glance alone almost had her in tears. Little Alice who love to play princess and braid her hair. Tommy who loved to climb things and fall off of said things, and Jace the boy who cried for his mother every day.

“Ah, Madeline. How kind of you to join us. The fun is just getting started.” Benjamin smiled that wicked smile.

“Doesn’t look like fun to me. But then again, you do seem to confuse fear for excitement. That’s what crazy people do right?”

She felt a satisfaction when she saw his nose flare and his face redden in anger. For a moment then he was sniffing the air and she knew he was smelling her scent change. He became smug then.

“I’m going to carve that baby right out of you and send it to Emerson as a present. And then I’ll send him your bloody body. He’ll love that, don’t you think.”

She said nothing. She showed nothing, though fear was definitely growing inside her. she wanted nothing than to run far, far away from this man and protect her child. But she couldn’t. not now. She wouldn’t get far if she tried. And the repercussions would be too severe. She wasn’t going to risk it.

“I’m going to have some fun with you first. You’re not going to know when but this baby will be mine.”

Benjamin was right in front of her now, running his finger along her stomach. She couldn’t stop herself from slapping his hand away. She was backhanded in return.

“I think you need to learn a little something about respect.” Benjamin turned on his heel. “Bring her to the market square.”

Silver chains were clasped onto her wrists. It burned, but she refused to let the pain show. Two Rogues grabbed her arms and all but dragged her behind Benjamin. She tried to walk but they kept a terribly fast pace, one that her shorter legs had a hard time keeping up with. The rest of the Pack had no choice but to follow, as other Rogues were forcing them forward.

When they reached the square, Madeline suddenly knew why they had gone to the square. A whipped post was set up in the middle. Madeline was to be its first victim.

Every instinct in her body told her to fight, to run away. But she wouldn’t let Benjamin have the satisfaction of her struggling to get away. She accepted her fate and didn’t struggle as they secured her to the post or as they ripped the back of shirt open.

Her Pack was there, forming a circle. She hated that they had to watch. She hated that children were clinging to their parents, crying. She hated that parents were grieving over their lost children. She hated that mates clung to one another in despair. She hated it, but there was nothing she could do but survive.

She hoped Dylan had made it out. But seeing as his body wasn’t being dragged forward, she had to assume that he made it out alive. She wouldn’t think of any other possibility, she couldn’t. she kept her belief that Emerson would come for her. He would. He had to.

Benjamin walked into her view and cupped her chin forcefully. “Anything you’d like to say?”

“When Emerson rips off your head, I’m going to have it stuffed and mounted on out wall.”

He pushed her head away and walked behind her.

She wasn’t prepared when the whip landed across her back. There was no holding back her scream. Or the next one or the one after that.

She screamed until she could no longer scream. She cried until she could no longer cry.

But no matter what happened, the whip didn’t stop. No matter how many of her people begged, he did not stop.

It was only until she was on the brink of unconsciousness did the whip no longer fall across her back.

“Let this be a lesson to those of you that still think you can fight back. Step a toe out of line and I’ll bring your precious Luna back out and you can watch as I whip her again for your crimes.” Benjamin’s words hit home in the hearts of what remained of the Night Walker Pack. She could see it on their faces.

“You all will be accompanied and housing one of my men in your homes to make sure you don’t misbehave. There will be a curfew at sunset. anyone out after dark will get to watch Madeline at the whipping post. Now fall in line with Gerald here to be assigned a wolf.”

She was unchained from the post. She would have fallen had it not been for the two Rogues holding her up. She was too weak to walk so she was dragged through the streets.

Her hands were chained to the ceiling of a cell. She was kneeling on the floor, her arms extended in the air.

“Get comfy, because this is going to be your new home. No causing any trouble or you’ll see someone else at the whipping post, like that little girl with pigtails.” He was crouched in front of her, grinning from ear to ear.

“Don’t touch her.” Madeline meant it to sound threatening, but it only came out as a whimper.

He huffed a laugh and stood. “No one is to treat her wounds nor feed her. She may have a cup of water once in the morning. If she misbehaves, have some fun with her, no one will hear her scream down here anyways.”

As she was left in darkness, she prayed that someone would save them.