SHE GROWLS

SHE GROWLS


Michael’s POV

I stopped pacing when I got to the end of the room and turned to Madison whose head was lowered. She was seated on the bed.  

“Tell me you’re joking,”

She lifted her head, took her head into her hands, and breathed heavily. “I wish I were but everything I told you is true,”

I swallowed hard and threw my back against the wall then I folded my arms across my chest.When she mentioned that she needed to speak to me, I pulled her away from the little party in the living room and brought her to our chamber.

Upon reaching, Madison confided in me about her situation with the outcasts.

Not only was she putting herself in danger by leaving the house at such an ungodly hour every week, but she was violating a protocol. As far as I know, at least based on her explanation, nobody in the province was supposed to mingle with those people and what would everyone think if they figure out that their ruler’s daughter is tending to the people?

Does she even realize that it was on her account that the outcast law was placed?

From what I gathered, the people belonged to Gregory’s clan and after the fall of their leader who raided the Worthington household twenty eight years ago, some of them left town but others who had nowhere to go remained in the province and were later sent to the foot of the mountain by her parents due to mistrust.  

I turned to Madison and realized that she was sobbing. I rushed toward her, knelt beside her, and took her hands. “Hey, look at me,”

She lifted her head and when I saw the tears dripping from her eyes, my heart began to ache. I shouldn’t have judged her. She had just confided in me and the least I could do was empathize with her.

“I’m a disappointment to my parents, Michael. If they figure out what I’ve done, they might never forgive me,” she sobbed.

I cupped her face with my hands. “Look at me. You didn’t do anything wrong,” I hugged her tightly.

How could I be so blind?

Madison was the kindest and most compassionate person I’ve ever known. At the orphanage, she would share the crumbs we stole from the kitchen with the little kids who always went hungry.

To the world, she might be doing the wrong thing by associating with the outcasts but to me, she was just doing her thing.

I broke off the embrace. “Are you sure no one knows about this?”

Madison nodded repeatedly and began to wipe her cheeks with the edge of her palm. “I made sure no one did,”

I sighed.

“It’s been three weeks. I’m sure they are worried sick. They haven’t received any supplies from me for three weeks, Michael,” she held onto me very tightly. “Those poor women and innocent children,”

I sighed and then stood up. “I’ll get Ferdinard. We must make arrangements,”

Madison stood up with a blank expression. “What arrangements?”

“We’re not going to sit here and do nothing,” I wrapped my arms around her. “Ferdinand will get us tickets. I’m sure we would secure VIP acess and then first thing tomorrow morning, we would travel to London,”

She blinked.

I leaned and kissed her on the forehead then held her face in my hands. “You’re my wife which means your burdens are mine to carry. We will go to London and when we get there, we will deal with the outcast situation,”

Madison hugged me. “My parents won’t listen even if you try to talk them into integrating the outcasts back into society,”

I sighed. “Let’s get to London first,”

“Okay,”

We pulled away from the embrace. “I’ll start packing,” I said, and then turned around to head toward the closet.

“I’ll join you later but there’s something I must do first,” Madison told me.

\~~~~

Madison’s POV

The car came to a halt.

Ferdinard immediately took off his seatbelt and was about to dash out so that he could get the door for me when I spoke.

“Give me a moment,”

He nodded, stepped out of the car instead, and leaned against it while I proceeded to take several deep breaths.

I could go ahead with Michael’s plan, join him to pack for our trip to London which I’m going to do of course but first, there is someone I must see, someone I must talk to.  

Moments later, I stepped out of the vehicle and immediately after I slammed the door, Ferdinand appeared to walk me into the building.

“I want to do this alone,” I said to him.

He nodded and stepped aside.

I cleared my throat loudly and stormed into the building in front of me. Michal had already placed a phone call to notify the chief that I was coming so I saw him at the reception when I arrived.

The police chief greeted me and then turned around. “This way,”

We disappeared into the dark hallway where cells were lined up on each side. I came to the police station.  

“She’ll be moved to the main prison tomorrow after her verdict,” the place chief said as I walked closely behind him. “The verdict hasn’t been passed yet but there are so many charges against her that right now, there’s no escape. She either hangs or is sentenced to life imprisonment.  

He sighed and stopped in front of a closed door. “It’s a private cell. She’s alone in there but I can get one of my officers to come with you if..

“It’s okay, chief,” I quickly interjected with a smile.

He nodded, pulled out a key, and unlocked the door then he handed over the key to me.

“I won’t be there for long,” I assured him after taking the key. He nodded, turned around and left while I walked into the room.

At first, darkness was the only thing I saw when I entered the room. Then my senses were drawn to the scarce sun rays filtered by the small window in a corner. The window was covered with a net so the runways reaching the room were barely enough.

Something started to crawl up in my skin and I began to remember my experience in the basement. I shuddered at the thought and tried to keep my breathing in check when I heard something rattling in front of me.  

Slowly, I adapted to the little light in the room and the wares began to manifest in my eyes. There was a table in the center of the room and behind it was a chair. Seated on the chair was Savannah, her hands cuffed to the table.

“Hello, Sister! I’ve been expecting you,”

I breathed a sigh, walked up to her, and then pulled out the chair facing her. I sat and slowly placed my hands on the table.

Savanah’s hair was a mess. There were traces of black smoke and dirt on her hair. Her whole face was swollen. Had she been crying?

I thought she was all tough and mighty.

I cleared my throat loudly. “I didn’t come to gloat, Savannah. I came to ask you a question,”

She smirked and then rolled her eyes. I think not even a place like this could break her attitude.

“Why do you hate me so much?”

She looked me straight in the eyes, her gaze hardened and it felt as if she was throwing daggers at me.

“You had everything at your beck and call, Savannah. Every darn thing that I wished for, perhaps, just a fraction but still, you weren’t content,”

She clenched her jaw and gave no response.  

“You know, we could have been sisters. I could have endured or maybe not. You never considered me family or even a person and that’s why, you always wanted to get rid of me, I leaned toward her. “You know what? I forgive you,”

Her jaws loosened.

“But I’m not going to let you go so easily. This Madison is not the fragile one you’ve always known. The one your parents kicked and tossed like a piece of trash,”

Her jaw tightened again.

“You’ll face the law. You’ll pay for your crimes,”

“I hate you!” She spat on my face.

She tried to stretch her hands toward me with clenched fists but with those cuffs on, she couldn’t move. Her legs were equally chained to the chair as well. If she had her way, she would have strangled me.

I stood up. “Good bye Savanah,”

She growled. “I’ll kill you, Madison. I swear to God I’ll kill you,”

I turned around and was about to leave when I stopped.

I turned back to her. “You know what? Thank you for that night, the night you instigated your parents to throw me out. If it weren’t for that night, I wouldn’t have encountered Michael so thank you, Savanah, for giving me my happy ever after,”

Savanah’s rage rose higher, reflected in her growls. Green veins popped up on her forehead and her whole face was covered in a cold sweat.

“This isn’t over for you, Madison. This isn’t over yet,”

I smiled. “You’re right. It isn’t
over for me because I’m just starting my life but you, Savannah, it’s over for you,” I said and stormed out of the room without looking back.