Midnight Magic, page 35
“I’m not in business with you,” she spoke up, anger rising within her at how this female had single-handedly caused so much destruction in both her and Clyde’s life.
Cecille’s smile widened, resulting in a sickening feeling growing in the pit of Maddie’s stomach.
“Funny…” Cecille tapped a perfectly manicured nail on her chin, pursing her lips in thought. “I seem to have proof that states otherwise.”
“What proof?” both Walter and Maddie demanded at the same time.
“Ms. Eastaughffe, if you’d please proceed,” the councilmale cut in with a direct tone.
Underneath that politically neutral mask, Maddie swore she might have picked up on a hint of distaste. Was he just annoyed that his time was being spent in this way? Or if she was right about the male being a shifter, then was it possible he empathized with what had happened with Clyde?
“The contract you signed when I agreed to be your sponsor.”
The room fell silent.
“Council, I know your time is highly valuable, so I sincerely apologize to ask,” Walter began amiably some moments later, “but if I may please have a moment alone with my clients.”
“Granted,” the councilmale said almost at once with a wave of his hand.
“Agreed,” the councilfemale chimed in. “You have an hour. We need to break for a meal, anyway. Otherwise, we’ll need to reconvene at another date.”
As soon as they were behind sound-proofed closed doors, all three of them spoke at once.
“Clyde, it’s not what you think. I swear I didn’t—”
“How could you—my mate—lie to me? And with her—”
“I need to see this contract—”
Words kept flying out of mouths at rapid speed, bouncing off of walls and landing on anything but the intended recipient.
“Alright, that’s enough!” Walter boomed over the chaos.
“Fuck you, Walt!” Clyde snarled.
Instantly, both of the males were at each other’s throats, their noses a mere inch away, and with a glare so intense, it had Maddie backing up on survival instinct.
Holy Healer Hell, she was trapped in a confined space with two lions who were about to go gladiator on each other in two seconds flat.
“Don’t let her get to you, brother. Don’t you give her that,” Walt said in a reasonable yet lethal tone, maintaining challenging eye contact.
Clyde’s mouth was parted, nostrils flaring, chest sucking in air at a rapid rate as if pumping up his muscles with oxygen in preparation to pounce. Even though he was in his human skin, everything about the male resembled the agitated apex predator within.
“Don’t let her drag you down to her miserable existence. We won, remember? And we’ll win this round too. And whatever else she tries to throw at us.”
Maddie barely breathed as she watched Walter talk Clyde down from losing not just control of his emotions. She could also feel Clyde was on the edge of completely succumbing to his lion.
She couldn’t blame him for the way Cecille so expertly toyed with his emotions and manipulated the situation, effectively triggering and egging him on to make a fool of himself.
And Maddie also didn’t blame him for not immediately trusting her. Being a mind healer, she was well aware that when someone was in a highly emotional and triggered state, logic and reason tended to fly out the window. And she really owed Walter for keeping a level head and knowing that Cecille was just trying to sabotage them.
“She’s only doing this because she has nothing else to do with her miserable life,” Walter continued, “and she doesn’t want you to be happily mated.”
Neither male had yet to blink, holding that gaze with unnatural, dominating focus.
“Look at your mate, brother. It’s clear she’s been played by her as well.”
Clyde’s nostrils flared a final time before he stepped back and pinned Maddie with his gaze that had gone fully feline. She remained silent, allowing her entire being to show both the male and the lion the truth in Walter’s statement.
Clyde prowled over to her, gripped her chin, and appraised her with those intense lion eyes. His chest expanded as if deeply taking in her scent. He leaned in, nuzzling her face with his. The gesture was so animalistic yet so affectionate it had tears spring to her eyes.
When a rogue tear fell away from the well, Clyde licked it up, nuzzled her again, and she felt his lips against the soft shell of her ear as he said, “Don’t cry, Miss Maddie.”
Damn it, it only had her crying more in earnest as he wrapped her in his strength and warmth.
“I should’ve trusted you.” His words were still rough, as if his lion was still very much present.
“It’s okay.” Again, she—probably more than most—knew that Clyde had been triggered, the emotional traumas of his past being unleashed and taking advantage of their fledgling bond.
“No, it isn’t,” he growled as if beating himself up. “You’re my mate. I should’ve trusted you. I shouldn’t have let her get to me, get between us. It won’t happen again.” He kissed her. “I promise.”
Her heart squeezed at the sheer strength of the emotions woven within his words. “I promise to trust you too.”
Their mouths met once more, sealing their vow with a kiss.
“I hate to break up this Hallmark moment,” Walter cut in. “But we don’t have a lot of time and I need to see this contract.”
Clyde grumbled a bit but pulled back. The two males looked at each other. With a quick nod, they’d cleared the air, and Clyde sent his silent gratitude.
Maddie dug in her purse and pulled out her phone. “I’m pulling up the portal that I make my loan payments to. There’s a section that houses the docu—yes, here we go.” She stretched out the screen to the size of a regular sheet of paper and opened the contract.
“That’s one of Cecille’s companies,” Clyde announced with a grim expression, clearly recognizing the name on the contract.
“Clyde, I had no idea.” Maddie’s eyes were glued to the screen. “I mean, it was so long ago that I signed this. Just as I was first starting my schooling.”
She handed things over at Walter’s silent gesture, and the lawyer began skimming and scrolling at breakneck speed.
“I know.” Clyde tucked one of her curls behind her ear. “Walt was right—”
“I always am,” Walter added absently with a smirk, still combing through the document.
“Smartass.”
“Why yes, I do have a smart ass,” Walt slipped in as if unable to help his playful feline nature, even in times of pressure and stress. “It’s also fine, or so I’ve heard.”
“I think you need to concentrate on that document more,” Clyde commented dryly.
Walter chuckled and looked to almost respond, but he paused on the document, scrolled back, and began re-reading. “Here it is.” His voice was suddenly grim, and then he cursed.
An uneasy feeling curled up in Maddie’s lap.
“Damn,” Walt muttered. “Conniving and cunning…”
“And evil,” Clyde supplied.
“It’s in here.” Walt looked between Clyde and Maddie. “Because your sponsorship—as are many schooling sponsorships—is under the premise of a business agreement, one that essentially says they will pay for your schooling upfront, not only making them the lender you make payments to but also that they hold a stake in your future income as a mind healer.”
“What the fuck kinda clause—”
“Save it,” Walter interrupted Clyde. “We don’t have time to go down that road. And unfortunately, as I said, it’s a common business transaction.”
“It is,” Maddie chimed in. “Many of my fellow classmates were picked up by a sponsorship.”
“Surely, there’s bigger fish to fry than these types of business deals,” Clyde countered with a slight rumble in his chest.
“Of course,” Walt answered, even though he was back to re-reading that part of the contract. “But they’re private investors with power and with their hands in many different pots. I’d bet that this particular company of Cecille’s has a knack for using her social status and financial power to supercharge a particular mind healer, boosting their business exponentially when it suits her.”
The opposite could also be true… as Maddie was experiencing now.
“Besides, they can also use it in their ‘I’m the most philanthropic’ bigger dick game they love to play. And gain popularity and power with the working class who ultimately pays them,” Walter added.
“I actually applied for this specific sponsorship because all the research I did kept telling me this was the best one and that many specians were happy with the arrangement. She probably makes a killing from the sheer number of specians she’s in contract with alone.”
Then realization struck.
All the money she’d been forking over for her school loans as well as the percentage of her profits that she earned as a mind healer went to none other than Cecille. Not only that, but the biggest money transaction of her life—the one to pay off her debt free and clear as soon as the funds of her settlement were transferred into her account—was also going to Cecille. And if that wasn’t enough, Cecille was now demanding even more. Not because she needed it. No, not in the least. But because the Evil Cheating Bitch was pulling a petty power play and enjoyed ruining Maddie and Clyde’s lives.
“What?” Clyde asked, reading her expression.
“I just realized that basically all of my money has gone to Cecille and this huge lump sum from the payout Walt won is also going to her,” Maddie said, the words tasting sour on her tongue.
Clyde’s responding growl was so loud that she could feel it practically rattle her very bones.
Walter cursed. “Unfortunately, the clause in the contract does look like she’s on legal grounds to demand recompense. She’s likely going to use all the same arguments I used with your case because her business is tied to you, which is tied to your reputation. Plus—”
Walter continued, but all Maddie could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears as another wave of emotion crashed over her.
Seriously, what the hell kind of clause was that? Except, from a business investment point of view, it made sense. Wasn’t this kind of business called venture capitalism or something like that? Whatever. Like knowing the name made any fricken difference when all she’d been reduced to was a pawn in Cecille’s games.
A game that had a table limit that was probably like mere pennies to Cecille. Meanwhile, it was the kind of money that could put Maddie right back into decades of debt.
Now that she’d tasted financial freedom—even if for only the briefest flicker of time, she almost couldn’t imagine feeling that heaviness pressing down on her shoulders again… especially knowing who caused it and where her money would be going with each payment.
“Alright,” Walter announced when their break was almost up. “I have a strategy.”
“Will it work?” Clyde asked.
“It’s our best shot.”
CHAPTER 21
Just as they were about to exit the meeting room, Clyde’s phone announced a call.
“Shit.” He looked at the caller ID and immediately answered. “Caleb.”
“Maddie with you?”
“Yeah.” Clyde could tell by his alpha’s tone that it was serious. “Walt’s here too.”
“Good. Put me on speaker.”
“Done.”
Both Maddie and Walt looked a mix of curious and confused, and he joined the party when his phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming text.
“Open the text I just sent,” Caleb said in that no-bullshit tone that had Clyde’s lion rise awake from his catnap.
He clicked the link and immediately cursed. “Shit.”
Walter followed suit while Maddie sucked in a breath.
“Oh my god. Wait… what… who… why…?”
Apparently, Maddie was stuck in single-word question mode. Like he could blame her with the jarring headline staring at them in the face.
* * *
DISTURBING DISCOVERY: CLYDE LANGSLEY UNLAWFULLY ENTANGLED WITH HIS MIND HEALER
Does everyone remember Caswell Pride’s first commander Clyde Langsley from the highly publicized murder scandal of Ben Cullington?
Well, pictured below is none other than Clyde Langsley caught in the completely unethical and inappropriate act of sexual contact with his mind healer, Dr. Maddison Greyem. Yes, the very mind healer that had been assigned to him as a result of his sentence for committing murder.
According to the Mind Healer Code of Conduct, relationships with one’s patient are not only highly frowned upon but are illegal. Rightfully so, talk about a blatant abuse of power and manipulation! It’s just wrong to be in a romantic relationship with your mind healer on so many levels.
Sources say that Dr. Greyem was in violation of this and has since lost her license (and that this picture was even a part of the evidence for that case).
See for yourself and let us know what you think about this unexpected development!
* * *
Anonymous User: Gross! Glad the council put a stop to this.
* * *
BerryCarrie1: Disturbing indeed! What was the mind healer thinking? Obviously, the commander has no self-control—need we go back to his murder conviction? And why does The Lion King keep this guy as first commander, anyway? Seems dangerous—But the mind healer should know better.
* * *
LionLover4Eva: These articles can be so dumb! I don’t know why I even read them. Maybe that sexy male was taken advantage of again. Clearly, he has a weak spot for females in a position of power. Shame on Cecille and shame on his mind healer. And can somebody please get that first commander some real help?
* * *
Swirlberries & Cream: He hot… I ain’t mad at the mind healer…
* * *
RainbowRose: OMG! I was at that party! It was lit! The Caswell Pride knows how to throw a party!
* * *
AlphaMePlease: Why do all the hot alphas always choose some power-hungry psycho? We all know that Cecille may be gorgeous but she crazy. And we also know that mind healers need mind-healing the most.
* * *
WhichCraft: And why do we care about this guy again? Media drama must be at an all-time low…
* * *
Wings&Bling: What is The Lion King thinking of having this male as his first commander? Makes you wonder about the others in his ranks. Does he condone this kind of behavior? Clearly, because this is at his own party...
* * *
Anonymous User: Just here for the comments… and they did not disappoint.
* * *
LollipopLove: Too bad… because the picture is so romantic!
* * *
“What. The. Fuck,” Clyde growled, unable to read the ridiculousness any longer. And damn if he didn’t agree with LollipopLove as he stared at the picture that should’ve been framed for capturing their first kiss with such potent clarity. Instead, the beautiful moment had been tainted.
“I… I don’t understand,” Maddie managed to get out, her face losing all of its color. Understandably so. Arguably, the darkest part of her life was now a headline in a well-read tabloid. “Oh god… why? I mean… why?”
“My pride has a tendency to make regular appearances in the media,” Caleb explained, his words gentled a touch for Maddie’s sake. “Usually, it’s controlled and about business deals or events.”
“But the media had a field day during my trial,” Clyde jumped in with a dark edge to expression. “They were in a frenzy over the ‘scandal of the decade’ that involved not only a first commander of the pride but also the prestigious Cullington and Eastaughffe bloodlines.” He cursed.
“Should’ve known she was going to pull a stunt like this again,” Walt muttered.
“Again?” Maddie asked, eyes still glued to the article.
“She involved the press last time. It was a clusterfuck.” Clyde closed the article down and wanted to pay a hacker to just take the damn thing down. But he knew all that would do was give the media fuel and let them know they got to him and the pride.
“But it ended up backfiring on her,” Walter shared.
“Maybe so,” Clyde agreed. “But there’s still specians out there that are on ‘her side’ and believe that she’s the victim.”
“How? I mean… that makes no sense.” Maddie’s brows furrowed together. “Especially with the outcome of the case. I mean, clearly, it was ruled in your favor.”
“It’s the power of the media,” Clyde noted with a glower.
“And that’s why I’ve already got Lia on it,” Caleb cut in. “She should be in touch shortly.”
Lia, short for Amelia, was the pride’s lead publicist and was damn good at her job. She helped with the media shitstorm that had become his life during the trial. And she also helped him remain low-key after the frenzy was over.
“The meeting with the council over?” Caleb’s questions always sounded more like a demand than an inquiry.
“Not quite yet,” Walter answered. “Speaking of, we’re due back in the chambers in a few minutes.”
“Fill me in after.”
“Consider it done,” Walter said, and Clyde ended the call.
“I’ve never been in the media before.” Maddie’s voice was still full of incredulity. “I mean, what do I do?”
“Don’t worry. Lia’ll know what to do.” Clyde pressed a kiss to her temple and pulled her in for a quick embrace. “Shit, I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
“It’s not your fault,” Maddie countered, resting her head on his chest.
He grunted but thought that it was his fault. None of this would’ve ever happened to Maddie if it weren’t for him. But like hell if he would go back and change things. Well, maybe he wouldn’t have made their first kiss so public. Whatever. The point was, she was his, and he was keeping her. He trusted that Lia would know what to do. She’d gotten him out of the limelight before, and she’d do it again.
