Page 53 of Out of the Darkness

The redhead nodded. “Really. Take care of him, yeah?”

“I will,” she promised.

Isabelle patted her leg and quickly took her leave.

Once she was gone, Melanie blew out a breath and ran her fingers through her hair. “Well, that wasn’t weird or anything.”

Madelyn laughed weakly. “My life has seemingly become all sorts of weird lately.”

“And, it just got weirder,” Xavier added, passing her the letter. “Rodrigo set up a trust fund for the baby and gave us a shit-ton of money. He said he wants to make sure we are taken care of. He also said that he and the rest of the family will make sure that we are safe to live out the rest of our lives in peace and that, if we ever need anything, not to hesitate to give them a call.”

That really threw her for a loop. From what Xavier had said previously, once someone left the family, that was it. They were completely cut off. She suspected that Rodrigo saw Xavier as more of a son than he realized. It was the only explanation she had for what the guy had done for them.

When Colby had locked her in that refrigerator, Madelyn thought her life was over. She never expected to be saved, nor did she expect any of this. It was everything she had ever wanted but never thought she’d have. She had not had the best start to her life, but things were finally looking up. Her life was changing for the better, and that was all thanks to her stalker, the man she had grown to love, and her best friend, who stuck by her side, no matter what. Without the two of them, she and her baby wouldn’t be alive.

Madelyn no longer saw darkness around every corner and now knew what true hope and happiness felt like. It was a feeling she was going to cherish for the rest of her long life.

Chapter Twenty-Six

A FEW DAYS LATER

Xavier

Every instinct he had ever had was screaming at him, making his skin itch while setting his wolf on edge. He didn’t want to be here. It was too public, too exposed, and there were way too many cops around.

Just a few months ago, he wouldn’t have been caught dead at a cop's funeral, but this wasn’t for him. He was here for his mate and because he was trying to be better, for her. She was the only one who could make him do things that he otherwise wouldn’t do. Bernie had been her friend, and he had died trying to protect her. In his eyes, the man had earned his respect, but he wasn’t going to lie and say that he wasn’t glad that the thing was finally over.

Madelyn had managed to convince the doctor to release her early so that she could attend the funeral because it had been that important to her, and they had come directly from the hospital. Melanie had even brought them both something to wear so that they didn’t have to make a stop. In the beginning, he had wanted to insist that Madelyn stay in the hospital until she was actually released, but he managed to restrain himself even though it wasn’t easy.

Xavier stood protectively behind Madelyn as she said her goodbyes over the casket. The other attendees had already left, leaving the two of them alone by the gravesite. Even so, he couldn’t stop himself from scanning the area for any signs of trouble. It was a habit that was drilled into him from a young age. Because of this, he was able to spot Melanie as she made her way back to them. At the same time, Madelyn kissed the tips of her fingers and pressed them against Bernie’s casket, a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

He knew that she felt responsible for Bernie’s death. She had told him so when she had recounted what transpired with Colby, but he wished that she wouldn’t. It wasn’t her fault, and even Melanie had told her that. Unfortunately, nothing they said seemed to change her mind, and he could feel her guilt as easily as if it were his own.

“Rest easy, Bernie,” she whispered before stepping back next to him and taking his hand.

Gripping her hand securely in his, they rounded the gravesite to meet up with Melanie.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come to the reception?” she asked as they approached.

Madelyn shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m just exhausted, Mel. And I haven’t been home in days. There’s just… there’s a lot I need to process.”

“Like being pregnant with a shifter baby?” Melanie teased her gently.

The corner of Madelyn’s lips turned up slightly. “Yeah, that’s definitely part of it.”

“Alright, well, give me a call if you need anything.”

Madelyn hugged Melanie and promised to do so should the need arise. Because of everything she had gone through, her boss had given her some medical leave, and he had every intention of making sure that she rested the whole time. She deserved it.

As they went their separate ways, Melanie gave him a single nod, and he did the same. They still weren’t the biggest fans of each other, but they were being civil for Madelyn’s sake. Maybe, one day, the two of them would become friends, but today was not that day.

After helping Madelyn into the car, he climbed in behind the wheel and pulled out of the cemetery. The atmosphere was tense, but he knew that he wasn’t the one she was angry or upset with. She was just dealing with a ton of emotions on top of hormones due to the pregnancy. Situations like this were what made him glad he was a bit emotionally stunted. He wouldn’t know how to process all of that either.

As they turned onto the main road, he reached over to take her hand in his again. “Are you okay, little dove?”

“No,” she admitted, glancing over at him. “But I will be. I just need a little bit of time to get my head around everything that’s happened. That’s all. A lot has happened the last few days.”

He nodded as he made a turn. “Well, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get plenty of time over the next few weeks.”

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