Madison

The ride back had been…interesting. Packing eight of them into the SUV had been tight, to say the least. Even with Gavin stowed away into the trunk.

None of the shifters knew how to drive, so she’d been up front with Kean in the passenger seat. Then Maximus and Kassian behind her, with Pierce and Raven in the rear seat, with Mila sandwiched in between them.

Kean had kept glancing over at her, waiting for her to speak, but Madison hadn’t. She’d kept quiet the entire long way back to the cabins, taking a convoluted route back to ensure they weren’t followed. Now that they were there, the eight of them were sitting around the campfire, catching their breath and unwinding as the adrenaline faded.

She still wasn’t ready to talk to Kean. He was going to ask her about what the director had said. There was no way he couldn’t. That’s what he must have meant when he spoke into her ear. He was pissed that she’d hidden something from him. That she hadn’t trusted him. That was the crux of everything with her though, wasn’t it? She didn’t trust anyone, and now it was coming back to bite her in the ass repeatedly.

First she hadn’t trusted Raven to do his job properly, and that lack of trust probably led him to do something he shouldn’t have, just to prove to her that he was capable. Instead, he’d gotten caught, and she’d been forced to bring Kean and his brothers into the fight, against some of their wills, essentially blackmailing them into it.

How the hell was Kean going to forgive her for this one?

The fire hissed and spit as Pierce added fresh wood to it, the flames roaring higher. As if that were a sign, everyone sort of rose at once, stretching and beginning to talk, the silence spell having lifted.

“Madison.”

She turned to see Raven making his way across the circle to her.

“How are you doing?” she asked. “I’m sorry it took us so long to come and get you.”

The tall man with the craggy face and long black hair shook his head, sending the dark strands bouncing wildly. “Sorry? Are you crazy? I didn’t think anyone was coming at all. I’m just happy that I’m free. I owe you so much.”

He flung his arms around her, and Madison returned the hug.

“It’s good to see you again,” she told him, dropping her arms.

Ravens arms remained linked around her. “It’s damn good to see you too, Madison. Really damn good.”

She stood awkwardly in the half embrace, forcing herself not to glance to her left, where she knew Kean was likely watching the goings-on.

“I missed you,” he said at last, pulling back from her. One of his hands slid up her back from where it had been draped over her shoulder before pausing to cup her face.

Madison stiffened as she heard a low warning growl from Kean.

“Ah, Raven,” she said, trying not to panic.

“Hush,” he said, moving his hand so that his index finger rested against her lips. “There will be time to talk later.”

She tried to speak through his finger, but Raven wasn’t intent on letting her. Instead he bent his head low while tilting her head up.

Madison pulled back even as she heard yet another growl, this one louder. Putting up a hand to Kean, she avoided Raven’s attempt to kiss her. This was something she could handle on her own.

There was a distinct unhappy sound, gathering her attention, and she saw Kean storming off out of the circle.

“What’s the matter?” Raven asked as he pulled his head back slightly, but still not out of her personal space.

“What are you trying to do?” she hissed.

“Kiss you,” he said, sounding confused. “I thought that was obvious. Was I away for so long that the mechanics of it changed?”

Madison wanted to punch him in the face. He’d been gone no more than a week at most. Of course things hadn’t changed that much. Where was he coming off with this arrogance, as if she belonged to him?

“Raven, these are allies,” she told him. “That little charade we had at the hotel, that was for the benefit of anyone watching us. Which, judging by your abduction, it turns out someone was. You don’t need to keep up the act here,” she told him. “These are the Koche brothers. They’re friends.”

For the most part. But he doesn’t need to know about Maximus and Kassian just yet.

“Act?” Raven rocked back as if she’d slapped him physically, and not just verbally. “That’s all this was to you? An act? A falsity?”

“Um, yes?” she replied, dumbfounded at the way Raven was acting. He’d never been like this to her before. He’d always been polite, kind, caring. A solid friend.

Then it hit her.

“It wasn’t to you?”

Raven looked away, though he didn’t move. “It was never an act. It was always more. I love you, Madison.”

This time she couldn’t help herself. “Bullshit. You barely even know me. We work together, nothing more.”

“That’s not true!” he protested.

“Yes, it is,” she said forcefully. “You’re in love with the idea of me. Of Raven and Madison, taking down the Institute together, and then walking away into the sunset. What happens then? Did you imagine that I’d just settle down and start popping out some babies as soon as you decided it was time?”

Raven dropped his hands. “Of course not.”

But she could see in his eyes that her words had hit home.”

“Fine. What’s my favorite color?”

He hesitated. “Red.”

Madison shook her head. “What’s my favorite food?”

“Salad,” Raven replied confidently.

She didn’t bother to hold back a laugh. “You see what I mean, Raven? You don’t even know me. You don’t love me. You just fell in love with the idea of me. It was convenient.”

“You’re wrong,” he said. “I do care about you. I always have.”

“I’m sorry Raven, but it’s not going to happen.”

His brown eyes grew dark and hooded. “It’s that shifter, isn’t it? Don’t deny it. I’ve seen the way the two of you look at each other.”

“Kean is a good man,” she said firmly.

Raven closed his eyes for a second. “How can you care for him and not me?”

Madison hesitated as she tried to come up with an answer that wasn’t overly complicated, but would still satisfy Raven. She couldn’t. “You wouldn’t understand,” she said instead, hoping that would be enough.

“You don’t even know him!” Raven protested. “You’re supposed to be with me. That’s what we agreed on.” He reached out and grabbed her wrist.

She tried to recoil away, but he just tightened his grip. Before Madison could do anything about it, Mila was suddenly there, chopping down on his forearm. The blow numbed his fingers and Madison felt his hand drop away.

“Why you little—” Raven wheeled on the newcomer, reaching back to hit her with his other hand, even as he recovered and grabbed Madison once more.

She watched as his hand started to lower toward the smaller woman as he initiated the blow. Her eyes barely registered what happened next. A massive maw of a fist came out of nowhere, closing around Raven’s hand, stopping it cold.

The big man tried to free himself, but all it earned him was yet another warning growl.

“You want to let go of Maddy now,” Kean growled.

“Maddy?” Raven laughed hysterically. “Her name is MADISON!”

He swung around, lashing out with a fist at Kean’s neck.

The huge shifter let the blow land, staring at Raven the entire time, unblinking. Madison watched Raven’s fist bounce off Kean’s ribcage like it was made of steel.

“That was unwise,” Kean said, squeezing his hand tighter around Raven’s other hand.

Something crunched.

“That’s enough,” Madison said, getting involved once more. She knew Kean had only intervened because she’d been threatened, but the last thing she wanted was for him to lose his temper with the human and kill Raven by mistake. “Let him go.”

Kean pulled his lips back in an unhappy sneer. “He doesn’t deserve it.”

“I know,” Madison said. “But we’re going to do it anyway.”

The shifter growled once more, but he let Raven’s hand go. Her former partner clutched the wounded hand to his chest, his face tight with pain as he glared at Kean.

“I can’t believe I went through all that for you,” he said, his words nearly a hiss from the intense agony his hand must be in.

“All of what?” she asked, curious as to his meaning.

Raven laughed. “The training, the missions. Putting up with lowlives like them.” He gestured around at Kean and his brothers. “Why else would I put up with all of that? With going after the Institute and risking death. For them?” he asked with a laugh.

Madison bristled at the implication. “Seriously? Are you telling me that you did it all because of me?”

He nodded. “Of course, Madison. I love you. I’d do anything for you.”

She shook her head. “Wow. We just went through all of that, to rescue you, at the risk of being captured or killed, and you now stand before me telling me that you never actually cared for the cause. You just pretended to believe in it to get some ass?!”

Raven remained silent.

“You know what,” she said, taking a step closer to him, shaking off Kean’s hand as it landed on her shoulder. “You said you’d do anything for me, right?”

“Of course,” Raven said angrily. “That’s what you do for someone you love.

“Then you can do this for me,” she snapped. “You can leave.”

“What?” he asked dumbly.

“I said LEAVE!” she shouted in his face. “Go away. Get out!”

She was shaking now, tears running down her face.

Raven straightened, clearly thinking about taking a step closer to comfort her, and then wisely decided not to. Madison wasn’t sure if that was because he knew it wouldn’t change anything, or because of Kean, and she assumed some of his brothers, standing behind her.

“Fine,” Raven said. “I can see when I’m not wanted.” He turned to go. “But when you realize that he’s just using you, you’ll be sorry. You’ll wish you’d come with me. With a man who will treat you right, who will give you whatever you want.”

Kean stepped forward. “Her favorite color is purple. A lighter shade of it, to be specific. Her favorite food is hamburgers with mustard not ketchup, extra pickle and no tomato.” 

As Kean spoke, his voice dropped, until it sounded like the grinding of two tectonic plates against one another, so deep and gravelly had it become. “Now do as she says, and get out.”

Raven shook his head in disgust and stormed out of the cleared area around the cabins without another word.

She glanced up at Kean. “Lavender.”

“Huh?

“My favorite color is lavender, the shade of purple.”

“Oh, right. Sorry. I know you only mentioned it once in passing.”

She reached out and took his hand. “You remembered my favorite food though. That’s the important thing.”

Kean nodded, his eyes still tracking into the forest where Raven had disappeared. He was angry.

“Kean,” she said, tugging on his hand to get his attention.

He looked down at her.

“I’m sorry.”