The Arrangement

Madeline was taken off guard when someone hugged her. Not someone, Casey. Her first real friend at Night Walker.

“You have no idea how worried I’ve been. They wouldn’t let me come see you,” she blabbered. “I couldn’t work, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat.”

Madeline laughed. She untangled herself from her friend. “Well I’m fine, but I’m flattered you worried.”

That earned her a smack upside the head. “You’re lucky that you’re okay. You could have died. You would have if they hadn’t knocked out the Alpha.”

That statement caused her eyebrows to furrow. What did she mean by that? Emerson was difficult yes, but why would he need to be knocked out? She asked her thoughts Casey, who seemed surprised she asked.

“His wolf completely took over. He wouldn’t let anyone touch you. He bit one of the younger wolves and kept snapping at Doc. They had to shoot him with a low dose of Wolfsbane to knock him out. It would have been cute had you not been bleeding out. I haven’t seen him that way since Abigail…”

The former Luna. The one that died four years ago, like her Lucas.

Madeline swallowed. “What happened to Emerson’s mother? I haven’t heard or seen her.”

Apparently, it was the wrong thing to ask, as Casey’s facial expression grew darker. “Not here.”

Casey took her hand and led her up the Alpha’s Wing. Her numerous guards followed behind and in front of them. She had tried to tell Emerson that ten guards were too much, but he wouldn’t hear of it and she hadn’t pressed him on the issue since.

They stationed themselves out in the hallway and in front of the door. Two of them followed the girls in and stood with their backs to the front door. Not total privacy, but it was better than nothing.

“Would you like something to drink?” Madeline offered. “Some wine maybe?”

“White wine please. Riesling if you have it.”

She poured them both a glass. She handed Casey’s hers. She sat down next to her and took a sip. “What happened to his mother?”

“Twenty-seven years ago, Rogues had attacked the Pack. they had more numbers than we had anticipated. We were overwhelmed. We had sent wolves to other Packs, to beg for help, but we had no way of knowing if they had made it or if they had been killed before getting across the Border.

“Benjamin had tried everything to protect his mate, who was very much pregnant. He tried, but she got caught in the middle of it all. She was wounded, badly. It would have been impossible to save her.” She bowed her head. “They managed to save the baby. A beautiful, healthy boy. And he is only alive today because the Mystic Peak Pack arrived in time. They slaughtered the Rogues and brought in one of their own doctors to deliver the Alpha.”

Casey had drained her wine in one gulp, but Madeline hadn’t touched hers since that first sip. She hadn’t done anything but listen. Finally, she opened her mouth, “Is that why Benjamin is…well…”

She nodded. “He was never the same since that day.”

“It must have been hard for him to see his son go through the same thing.” Madeline commented.

She had expected Casey to nod and agree with her, but she hesitated instead. “The Alpha and his father’s relationship is…strained. It always has been, but even more so since the death of Abigail.”

“How so?”

She shook her head. “I know you’re curious, but somethings are better left alone. And that, Madeline, is one of them. Bad things will happen if you meddle.”

“You sound like Emerson.”

“The Alpha knows firsthand what happens when people meddle.” She waved off Madeline’s curious look. “The others that attempted to interfere are no longer here. Stay out of it Madeline. I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”

Madeline nodded in agreement, however she said something completely different in her head. She would meddle and she would get to the bottom of what was happening. This was her Pack now and she would do everything in her power to ensure the wellbeing of the wolves that resided in it.

Casey set her empty glass down. “We should go out and have a girls’ day. Get our nails and hair done, a massage…”

“As wonderful as that all sounds,” Madeline said, “The big bad Alpha won’t let me leave the Pack House. If I even try to get close to the door, my shadows intervene. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have one here. We can do our nails and watch chick flicks.”

“Even better. I’ll pick out the movies and snacks and you go get the polish.”

The girls split up, both going in different directions. Madeline gathered her things from the bathroom. She carried them to the living room and set it down on the coffee table, next to the bottle of wine and candies.

“So, what are we watching first?” Madeline asked.

“Mean Girls.”

“I like you’re thinking.”

Each girl refilled their wine glasses and took a sip from it. Casey turned the movie on and the both curled up on the couch.

They watched several movies and went through several glasses of wine. They painted their fingers and toe nails. They talked about their childhood memories and shared embarrassing stories of their siblings that had them laughing so hard they snorted. Even the two guards stationed in the room released a chuckle now and then.

It was well after dark by the time Emerson had finished with his meetings and paperwork. He dismissed Madeline’s guards as he passed them in the hallway. He slipped inside his Wing quietly, knowing his mate would be- or at least should be- asleep by now.

He was baffled to see a brunette head laying down next to a blonde head. Th blonde head belonged to him, but the other girl, he wasn’t quite sure who she was and why she was here. As he crept closer, he noticed it was the girl from the Boutique in the market place. She made Madeline’s Mating dress.

He shook her awake. “Jackson, make sure Casey gets home safely.”

Emerson scooped his mate up in his arms and carried her to their bedroom. A smile formed on his lips as her arms wrapped around his neck, but disappeared as soon as it formed.

No. Emotions could get involved. She was only here to be the glue that held the Pack together and bare him an heir. Things would get too complicated if feelings got involved. They would be distracted from what they were there to do. He couldn’t allow that. His Pack was his number one focus, and it had to remain that way.

He laid her down on the bed gently and tucked her under the covers. He pressed a kiss to her brow before he could stop himself. He skipped on the shower and just got ready for bed. He could take a shower in the morning when he wasn’t in danger of passing out.

He climbed into bed and pulled Madeline against his chest so he was spooning her. To soothe his wolf. That was the only reason. Not because he wanted too. Not because he was worried, but because his wolf was. Yes, that was it.

There was a heavy weight on his chest when Emerson woke up. It took him by surprise. Why would there be something so heavy on him? It wasn’t like he had a perso-

His eyes flew open and looked down. Somehow, during the night, he had rolled on his back and Madeline had turned in his arms. Her head lay on his chest and one of her delicate arms rested on his bare stomach. He sighed and brushed back her hair.

What was wrong with him?

Why was he acting this way?

He was brutal and heartless. So why was he behaving as if he had a heart?

Why did he care about the golden headed girl?

She wasn’t his real mate. She was far from it, actually. She was calm and level-headed. His Abigail had been a fire ball. You did not want to be at the receiving end of her fury. And Emerson had loved her with all that he was and all that he had ever been.

And yet…here he was, feeling something for another woman. He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t let whatever was happening between them go on any longer. He maneuvered out of bed, hoping that he wouldn’t wake Madeline, but failed.

She sat up and rubbed her tired eyes. She groaned, “What time is it?”

“Early,” he responded. “Go back to sleep.”

She nodded and laid back down. “Sleep sounds nice.”

She nestled under the covers and fell back asleep. Emerson smiled.

Damnit!

He did it again. He smiled at her. He didn’t smile. Especially to his mate who wasn’t his mate. He really needed to distance himself and end whatever was going on.

After he had showered and dressed, he walked downstairs and to the kitchen. The cook already had a plate with breakfast for him as she always did. He ate in silence, glad to be alone. The past few days had been hectic.

Since Madeline had woken up a week ago, he had been kept busy with meetings. He had to meet with Border Patrol to increase security. He had to meet with the commanders of the Epsilon to post more guards around the pack and increase the training. He had to meet with the trainers to increase training and push for more newly shifted to join the Epsilon. He had to meet with his commanders again to order them to enforce a strict curfew and rules for the Pack members.

He had met with the wolves that were working on recreating a concoction to cover a wolf’s scent, but they had nothing but failure. Emerson was so stressed out there was a very good possibility of all his hairs turning gray within the next year, that was, if it didn’t go bald first.

It was at this point in which he almost wished that he had an older brother who was Alpha so he could be free to do as he wished. Almost. He loved his Pack and his people too much to hand them over, but the stress was enough to make anyone go crazy. That’s why it was best to take over the Alpha position when one had a mate, so he had a rock to keep his calm.

Emerson thought a half hour ago that he couldn’t get any more stressed. Turns out, he could. The reports on the recon mission that he’d ordered over a week ago had come back with nothing. There was barely any path to follow. The tracks were a dead end and so was the Rogues’ scent. They hadn’t found where the Rogues were grouping or who they took orders from. It was nothing.

And that made him more pissed than anything.

These Rogues had definitely learned from their mistakes four years ago, which was not in his Pack’s favor, or any Pack for that matter.

Emerson had a feeling that something big was coming, and that there would be more casualties than the last war. He just hoped that whatever was to come, didn’t catch the attention of humans. The last thing they needed was humans to find what they were and experiment on them.

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

His Beta, Brandon, stepped in. He grimaced at all the paper work saw loitering the desk. “Having fun Alpha?” At the glare he received, he said, “Guess not. What are the reports saying?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We have no idea where the Rogues are, who they follow, when their next move is. There have been no attacks reported in any Packs. It’s the calm before the storm. And this storm, is looking to be a big one. And right, it looks like we’re the ones receiving most of the damage.”

“I hate to say this, but you’ve done everything you can. You’ve upped security, training. You’ve set curfews and more rules. There’s nothing more we can do except wait and prepare ourselves. Keep in touch with the other Packs. Try to reform alliances.”

Emerson hated that his Beta was right. He hated that there was nothing he could do. Mothing but wait and prepare his Pack for an assault.

Brandon’s phone beeped. He looked at it and sighed. “I have to go. There’s a problem Chris again.”

Emerson nodded. “I’ll be fine. Go handle it.”

He stared at the office phone for a good long while after his Beta left before he finally picked it up and dialed.