Chapter 148
Lucas is getting heated and so is alpha. As the two of them argue Madisyn keeps going, laughing and giggling as she tips her chair to its limit before setting it back down on the floor. I’m watching her, timing her. I push my chair away from the table as alpha and his son’s argument flares to the detriment of this young pup. I hyperfocus on her activity as everyone seems to be concentrating on what Lucas has to say. The argument is switching rapidly between Alpha, Luna, and occasionally, even Alpha Damian is getting into the mix. The only thing I recognize easily through the haze is my name, it seems to be getting thrown around quite a bit.
While Madilyn is responding to the argument with submission, Madisyn is the exact opposite. It seems to be ramping her up causing her to become even more careless with her actions at the table. My muscles are screaming from the tension within them.
I push my chair away from the table an inch or two every time it appears that she’s going to fall. I have learned from other packs that I am not the boss of any member of the pack I am visiting. I have met some harsh penalties just for speaking with the pups of the upper ringsmen, so I remain quiet.
I’ll hold my tongue but I won’t let a pup get hurt. I watch as she finally makes the detrimental mistake that sends her chair crashing to the floor. She shrieks in surprise as she realizes she’s falling but doesn’t know the benefits of me being at the table.
I jump from my chair and in seconds my arm is wrapped around her, her head less than an inch from hitting the edge of the table. The room has gone eerily quiet after the loud crashing of the chair on the hardwood floors. I step carefully away from the table as I adjust and lower Madisyn to her feet on the floor.
“Madisyn Paige Black!” Alpha bellows with a growl.
She immediately backs into my legs, pressing her tiny back into my thighs when she can’t go any farther. I instinctively place my hand flat upon her chest, holding her protectively against me.
“Come here!” He growls. “How many times have I told you to sit down and behave at the table?”
He growls again as she pushes even harder against me. I take a step back, away from alpha, taking her with me.
“It’s time you learned a hard lesson about behaving at the table. I’m tired of your persistent acting out.”
He stands from his seat, his hand snaking its way to his waist. His words and actions hit me hard, reminding me of the pup I failed. I step back again. It doesn’t matter that we just met, she’s far safer with me than with him.
Perhaps my thoughts of him being different are wrong. Even though he appears to have a very loving relationship with his family, I’m now questioning Madilyn’s more submissive behavior. Could she have been the scapegoat and now that she’s submissive it’s Madisyn’s turn or is Madisyn simply more resilient?
I take several more steps backwards. My eyes are darting everywhere, taking everything in. Every second he delays coming after us is a second I gain on planning my escape with his daughter tucked under my arm.
He steps sideways from in front of his chair before turning and taking a few more so he’s behind mine. My eyes are drawn to his hands as he actively unbuckles his belt and starts drawing it out of his pants.
“Come here!” He states again.
Without a thought I respond. “No!”
For a moment I swear I heard an echo. The problem I’m having is placing who it could possibly be.
“You’ve had a long, challenging day alpha and your son is actively arguing with you about a very real and complicated situation. You’re angry and frustrated. I get that and you have every reason to be but she’s just a baby alpha. Don’t misplace your anger on her.”
I try to reason with the angry alpha, something that never seems to work out to my benefit.
He seems taken back by my attempt to point him towards what should be obvious. Unfortunately, he’s not that easily appeased.
“Give her to me!”
He’s now very loud and commanding but I respond just as loudly.
“No!”
I’m standing my ground. I’m ready to leave my torturous world so why not go out with a bang.
“No?”
Alpha’s voice is incredulous as he struggles to get the word out of his mouth.
“Alpha Cole Redmen, you will give me my daughter.”
I wince at the sound of my full name as he growls it through his clenched teeth but I still refuse. I match every step he takes towards me with a step back, putting us further into what appears to be a huge living room.
“Cole!” He growls harshly again.
“No! I will not willingly give her to an alpha ready to beat her with a belt! Not again! Never again! I will fight you first!”
I’m struggling to sound brave. To sound so much stronger than what I am right now but I need to protect her. That’s the only thing I have left in this dark world, protecting those too little to protect themselves.
Something about him changes, his eyes seem to soften as he recovers from the shock of my statement.
“Fighting anyone right now would kill you, Cole.”
His voice is remarkably soft as I take another step back. He’s now standing, beside Madisyn’s fallen chair. Even his face is now softer even though his edge of anger is still there.
“I know it would but I don’t care. Protecting the littles is all I have left in this cruel world. I failed to protect David and it won’t happen again. You will take your pound of flesh from me after I teach her about unnecessary risk taking.”
To my surprise and relief, I watch as alpha reaches down, picking the fallen chair up off the floor. He takes a seat, folding his hands in front of him.
“Okay Cole. Show me how you teach the littles.”
I remain frozen in place. The shock of his acceptance causing unbridled adrenaline to course through my veins reducing my pain and increasing my strength giving me the confidence I need to simulate a much greater risk. One that if something went wrong, could significantly injure her.
Now that he’s seated and no longer handling his belt I feel safe to release her from my hold. I step away from her just enough to test the alpha. I watch him closely for any signs that he may change his mind.
Once I’m satisfied that he’s going to remain seated, I quickly start scanning the room. Up to the ceiling, down to the floor. Observing the location of every piece of furniture that is nearby so I can select the best place for what I want to do. This particular exercise I have found very useful for my pack’s pups for teaching them about unnecessary risk taking but I still do everything I can to minimize the actual risk that I’m taking with them.
“What do you see?”
I stop my movements, it takes me a moment to realize that the voice asking the question is Madisyn.
“What do you mean?” Her question confuses me.
“Your eyes move very fast. Can you see like that?”
“Yes ma’am. I see everything.” “What are you doing?”
Her curiosity has come out now that the threat of her father taking his belt to her has passed, it’s oddly refreshing to come across a pup so bold.
“I’m planning. Calculating. Every move must be planned exactly. A mistake would be costly.”
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