The Arrangement |1|

Chapter Eighteen

   Madeline couldn't stop pacing the floor. Yes, she had been calm and collected when she had sentenced Benjamin to the cells to await his trial, which would likely not end in his favor. He did confess to the majority of the Pack that he had killed their previous Luna. She had held in her panic in front of them, so they wouldn't panic. But in her room, with only Emerson and her, she let it all out.

   "I mean, what kind of father does that?" She cried out. "Just because, what? He wants to be Alpha? That's no reason to kill your son's mate. So why on Earth would he do that?"

   Emerson was seated on the bed, his arms crossed. He said, "Because he is broken. And broken people don't think things through, they just do."

   "Being broken does not give an excuse to kill your son's only happiness. When my mate died, yes, I was heartbroken, but I didn't kill my brother's mate, I didn't kill his son. I didn't go on a rampage and try to take over Mystic Peak. You lost your mate and you didn't go around killing everyone else's mates. So why? Why did he do it?"

   Madeline was on the verge of exploding. Or, at least that's what it felt like to her. She was just so mad, so confused and angry, and she didn't know what to feel or what to do. So, she just ranted. That seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

   Her chosen mate stood up. He grabbed her shoulders gently to cease her pacing. "I don't know. There's no logical reason for what happened. He's insane. The death of my mother has driven him to what he is now. You were strong enough to handle your mate's death, I was strong enough, but my father was not. He broke. He is broken. There's nothing that we can do or say to change the past. But we can focus on the future and make sure this never happens again. So, stop worrying before you drive yourself insane." He removed his hands from her shoulders and placed them on her cheeks. "Go take a hot bath, drink some wine, watch your favorite movies, or whatever else you need to calm down. And if, and only if, you're calm, you can come to the meeting I've called in a couple hours to discuss this. Notice how I said discuss, not freak out."

   She pinched his arm but nodded. "Okay, okay. A bath sounds nice."

   He smiled. He kissed her hair. "Good."

   "And what about you?"

   "What about me?"

   She squinted her eyes. "Oh, don't act you're not stressed. I can see the tension in your arms, your back. Maybe you should follow your own advice and relax some too. Calm down, you know?"

   "I'm always tense Madeline, but nice try."

   Emerson bent down, and before she knew, she was thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

   She squealed and wrapped her arms around his middle. "Emerson!" She shrieked.

   He set her down on the rim of the bathtub. He turned on the faucet. "No leaving until you've soaked for at least half an hour."

   Madeline stuck her tongue at his retreating figure.

   When the door shut, she stood. She grabbed a towel and set it on the floor next to the tub. She grabbed some clothes and set them on the floor as well. She adjusted the temperature of the water. She stripped out of her clothes and lowered herself into the tub. She tied up her hair so it wouldn't get wet.

   This is nice.

   The heat relaxed her tense muscles, but she still couldn't help but worry. That little voice in her head couldn't shut up. She kept thinking about what had happened between her and Benjamin. The way he had looked at her, it was truly insane. What he had revealed...she could almost feel the sting in her hand from when she slapped him.