325–In The Middle Of The Night
Madeline:
“Father, come on, please stop acting like a child.”
Baxter had gone into the room to get his father for dinner. I heard them argue back and forth, but Baxter kept his tone soft with him.
Of course, he wanted to keep things respectful. He eventually convinced his father to come out and stop acting that way.
His father came out, stared at me briefly, then sat beside his wife, who began serving him right away.
“I was thinking about going to the border of the Packs,” Baxter remarked as he started eating.
“For what?” his mother asked, fixing her eyes on him.
She always wanted him to look her in the eye, and I noticed he often avoided it. Not always, but most of the time, and I could tell why.
“It could be difficult,” Baxter replied. “But I found out from someone that they offer certain jobs there that would be helpful for us.”
He explained further, and I remembered it had been that same family who told us about it. He was right. Finding work and earning money would be good for us.
“Oh, Moon Goddess, please give me strength. Now my son will go and do cheap labor.”
As expected of Lady Eugenia, her reaction was harsh. I noticed that his father’s response would have been different.
I had seen him open his mouth with a small smile, almost proud of Baxter for working hard, until his mother spoke.
Then his father shook his head in disbelief.
“You’re right. That is unbelievable,” his father remarked, his tone changing. It was clear his reactions were shaped by his wife’s words.
“I think it’s fine,” I told them. “If he’s earning for his children, we should support him instead of making him feel bad.”
I quickly defended Baxter. He managed a small smile, but his mother scoffed.
“Of course you’d say that. He’s earning for you and your children. You found yourself a free worker,” she replied. 1
Her words made me clench my fists.
“You mean my children?” Baxter asked in a low, respectful tone. “What’s wrong with working hard for them?”
That was enough for his mother to grunt and look away.
“I was thinking that maybe I should work as well. It would be better to have more hands helping out,” then
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325–in The Middle Of The Night
+25 Bonus
Yuvonne spoke up. She had been helpful the entire time.
Ron came by today for a few hours. He brought food and fresh vegetables.
He had done a lot, and I had been worried about him. I told him not to overdo it, but if he wanted to impress Yuvonne, I was not going to stop him. He was a good man, and he genuinely wanted to help us.
“All right, now you’ll work too,” Lady Eugenia commented. As expected, her words were sharp, but none of us reacted.
We finished our food and put the children to bed. Yuvonne went upstairs to her room, while Lady Eugenia took the room on the first floor, which had been meant for the children.
With everything going on, we decided to keep the children in our room instead.
Baxter and I shared a single bed, where we curled up together almost every night.
Once I put the children to bed, I stepped into the bathroom to shower. When I came out wearing a white silk cami and lace–trimmed silk shorts, I caught Baxter smiling at me.
The neckline was so deep that I caught Baxter’s eyes lingering there for a moment. I noticed him swallow, and it made me even more shy.
He gently patted his lap, inviting me to join him.
I started to step toward him, but I had barely reached him when a frantic knock echoed through the door.
It was loud enough that we both pulled away from each other.
I quickly grabbed my silk robe and slipped it on, then rushed toward the door.
The children were sleeping. I could tell that Yuvonne was likely asleep as well.
I was not sure what Lady Eugenia and her husband were doing, but I knew they took sleeping medication because they could not rest in a place like this, so they were probably asleep too.
That meant it was just the two of us awake.
Baxter reached the door before I did. I turned toward the kitchen to grab a knife, just in case, but Baxter looked at me, stopping me in my tracks.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“It’s Elgin and Graham,” he replied.
I frowned and threw my hands in the air.
“What do they want now?”
As I moved closer to the door, Baxter shook his head at me.
“Baxter, they’re going to break the door down with the way they’re knocking,” I told him.
Before he could respond, Elgin spoke from the other side, his voice breaking.
325–in The Middle Or The Night
+25 Bonus
“Please help my children. They’re both in a coma now.”
At his words, Baxter and I exchanged a worried glance.
“If something is happening to them, do you think my son…” I started, placing a hand on Baxter’s chest.
“All the children had fallen into sudden sleep. Every single one of them.”
As Elgin began to cry on the other side of the door, anxiety tightened in my chest.
“I’ll check on the children,” I told Baxter through tears. “You answer the door, okay?”
I rushed into the room as I heard Baxter open the door.
I knew I would have tears for my children, even watching them suffer, but not enough to wake all of them at once. That would take days.
The moment I entered the room, I saw Elara turning onto her side, Gina scratching her chin, and Bodhi pulling the blanket closer.
They did not look like they were in a coma. My children seemed fine. 1
I rushed back out to ask for answers, but I stopped short at the sight before me. Heat rushed to my ears.
Warriors filled the cabin. Elgin had no tears in his eyes, and his children were nowhere in sight. A gun his hand, aimed directly at Baxter’s face. 2
rested in
“Step away from the door,” Graham ordered, gesturing for me to obey while holding Baxter at gunpoint.
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