*Maddox*
The drive to Willow pack is uneventful, once we’ve gotten away from the castle. I use the time in the back of the car to get some work down on my phone, the best I can anyway, on the bumpy roads. Godfried is a skilled driver, but we need to look into doing something to get these roads repaved. They are full of potholes.
Eventually, I see the main village in Willow pack up ahead in the distance. The forest opens up as the road leads into town. Factories fill the sky with gray smoke along the far northern side of the town, giving the air a slightly dirty look that smells of burning chemicals and plastic products. I need to do something about that, too. I’m certain there are better ways to make the products created here, but Alpha Ernest is a cheap man, and I am certain he will not willingly spend his own money to bring anything into the current century without some prodding by me.
Depending upon how this meeting goes, it might not matter. Ernest may not have a say in anything having to do with Willow pack for much longer.
“Do you have the address, Godfried?” I ask my driver, my eyes searching out the window at the street signs as we make our way through the residential part of town. Many of the homes here are mid-sized and look fairly nice. I am wondering if one of these houses might belong to Isla’s parents.
“I do, sir,” Godfried says. “It’s 1302 Ash Street.”
“Ash Street,” I mutter. “I wonder if that’s over by the factories….” Is it named that because the houses are often covered with debris from the factories?
We find Ash Street toward the end of the town, and here, the houses are different. They no longer look like middle-class family homes. Rather, they are all run down and dilapidated. Most are small, with pieces of siding missing, and some even have tarps over the roofs.
We find 1302 and I stare for a moment at what looks like a two-bedroom home, at least a hundred years old, with a sagging porch and white paint so dingy, the house looks gray. The yard is neatly trimmed, but small, and there are cracks running through the walkway that leads up to the house.
“This is it, sir,” Godfried says. “Do you want us all to come with you?”
“Not for this part of my journey,” I assure them. “Possibly later… if there’s a later.” I hope to meet with Mr. and Mrs. Moon to find out that they have been treated fairly and there’s no reason for me to even carry out the second part of my plan.
I get out of the car and walk up the front step, keeping my eyes on the cracks so as not to trip. It’s still early in the day, and the street is quiet. Somewhere in the distance, I hear a dog barking, but other than the sound of traffic a few blocks over, the world is silent. The air is heavy with unshed rain, and I can tell it’s going to be a muggy day.
I knock on the door, absently wondering if they have air conditioning in their home and thinking they probably don’t. Will anyone even answer, or are the parents at work, the children at school? It’s not quite summer yet, so school is likely still in session.
The door opens and a woman who looks like an older, more tired version of Isla is looking back at me, her blue eyes wide. Her hair is up in a messy bun, and she’s wearing a pair of faded jeans with a rip in the knee that look to be a couple of sizes too big for her thin frame. Her light blue T-shirt is stained, the emblem faded, and she looks nervous to see me standing here.
“Hi,” I say, offering her a smile. “Are you… Mrs. Moon?” Isla has told me that her two older sisters no longer live here, so this has to be her mother.
“Yes, I’m Constance Moon,” she says, her tone friendly enough but still wary. “Can I help you, sir?”
She doesn’t recognize me. Maybe that’s for the better. Her eyes go past me to the car, and her brows knit together. She’s confused.
“I believe so,” I say. “Is your husband home?”
She shakes her head. “He’s at work… at the auto garage down the block.” She gestures with the top of her head, and my eyes follow in that direction, but I don’t see the place she means.
“That’s too bad. I was hoping to speak to both of you. But that’s all right. If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a moment of your time, Mrs. Moon, to discuss the debt you owed to Alpha Ernest.”
Her face falls. She looks down at the porch, her eyes closed for a moment, and I can tell I’ve upset her. I open my mouth to try to make her feel better, but before I can, she starts crying. “I’m so sorry, sir. We’re doing everything we can to pay him back. Our daughter was helping us… but she’s missing, and until we find her, we don’t know what we can do. The Alpha said—”
I cut her off. “Missing? Isla?”
She has tears in her eyes and begins to nod. “The Alpha said that she told him she was going to another pack in search of work, but… it’s not like Isla to disappear like that. She was paying a good portion of our bills, and without her…. And I’ve missed a lot of work while I’ve been searching for her. But I can’t find her.” She begins to sob, covering her face with both hands, and I want to wring Alpha Ernest’s neck.
“Mrs. Moon, I know where Isla is,” I tell her. “She’s safe.”
Her hands drop, and she’s staring at me through her tears. “You know where my daughter is? Please, don’t hurt her!” she says. “We’re doing everything we can to pay back the money Alpha Ernest loaned us for our son’s medical bills. Please!” She has her hands folded together as if she is praying and begging me at the same time.
“I assure you, it isn’t my intention to hurt Isla. In fact, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that no harm ever befalls her. She’s very important to me.”
A look of relief washes over her face. “Oh, thank you, sir,” she says. “Would you like to come in?”
Rather than standing on the front porch, I decide this is a good idea, so I follow her into their humble living room. The furniture is old and worn, but it’s clear Mrs. Moon has tried to make a home for her family here. The décor is pleasant, though modest. Simple items—framed pictures from magazines, jars holding wildflowers. It’s quaint but lovely.
On the wall, I do see a picture I recognize. A family photo with a smiling girl with long blonde curls and sparkling eyes. She was beautiful even when she wasn’t yet ten years old.
We sit down on the couch, and I have to move over slightly because of a coil that’s poking my leg, but I don’t let on.
“You say you know where Isla is?” she asks before she adds, “oh, do you want a drink?”
“I’m fine, thank you,” I tell her. “Yes, she’s fine. She’s… working at the castle.”
Her mouth drops open. “Working? At the castle? Our Isla?”
“That’s right,” I tell her. “And she’s doing a fine job.”
A little screech of joy comes out of her mouth. “Oh, that’s amazing! What is she doing?”
I feel my cheeks begin to pink, and I decide maybe now isn’t the time for her to know that. “Oh, well, she’s a member of the king’s staff,” I stammer. “She’s… a wonderful… servant.”
Her smile brightens. “Her father will be so proud of her! We always taught her the importance of handling everything correctly in the bedroom!”
I lift an eyebrow, not sure I understand. “You… what?”
“You know, keep the bed made at all times. No clothes tossed on the floor… that sort of thing. She is a maid, right?”
I want to say she’s not a maid… anymore. “Uhm, I, uh… the nature of her duties is something she may want to discuss with you herself. You see, in exchange for Isla being hired to work at the castle, your Alpha was supposed to forgive all of your debts.”
She stares at me, her mouth consisting of two saucers and a gaping hole where her features should be.
“Mrs. Moon? Are you well?” If she doesn’t blink soon, I will have to wave my hand in front of her face.
Eventually, she says, “Oh, yes. Yes. I… uh… that information was not relayed to us, sir.”
“I was afraid of that,” I reply. “And how much money have you paid to Alpha Ernest since Isla has been away?”
“A thousand dollars,” she says. “We usually pay him two hundred dollars a week, but he demanded more saying he had more expenses. We didn’t really have it. We had to stop giving Ben his medicine because we couldn’t afford it. That’s a parent’s worst nightmare.”
“Ben?” I repeated. I remembered Isla’s siblings’ names, and I remembered when she spoke of Ben, she said his name differently than the others.
Mrs. Moon nods. “Yes, he’s very ill. That’s why we are in so much debt. He has had three operations on his heart, but he needs another.”
“Operations?” I repeat. “But those should be free. The pack has healthcare—”
“Not for people who weren’t born here,” she says, shaking her head. “My husband and I were born overseas. So we don’t qualify.”
I stare at her for a moment. “Says who?” I ask.
“The hospital. They told us that we weren’t covered. It’s always been that way since he started having his operations six years ago.”
It’s no wonder she looks so exhausted.
That’s how she amassed such a huge amount of debt. And that’s why Isla has been working so hard her whole life.
And that’s why she was willing to take a job as my breeder….
“Mrs. Moon, whoever told you that at the hospital has been misinformed. In the kingdom of Crescent Falls, we do not distinguish between our citizens. All people who live as members of our packs are covered when it comes to medical care.”
Her forehead crinkles in confusion. “But we even went to the Alpha because we thought that information was wrong. He said he’d let us pay it off at fifty percent interest.”
“Fifty percent interest?” I repeat, and she nods her head. “That’s insane!”
“We couldn’t get a loan anywhere else because by then we’d spent all of our money on other medical treatments. We’d even sold our home and rented this place. It’s been… a nightmare. But I have eight children. I had to do what I had to do.”
“I understand,” I tell her. “Listen, Mrs. Moon, you don’t need to worry about this anymore. I will handle it. Consider your debt paid. I will speak to the people at the hospital and make sure they understand that Ben Moon’s treatment is fully covered from now on, as is anything else your family needs. As for Alpha Ernest….” Anger boils up inside of me. The man had taken advantage of my kindness. He is going to pay. “I will handle him as well.”
Once again, tears sprang to her eyes. “You can do all of that?” she asks me.
I nod. “That’s right. I can.”
“Oh, I don’t know how to thank you enough!” She shoots out of her chair and flings herself at me, hugging me tightly. I am taken aback at first but then hug her. “Thank you so much, sir!”
“It’s nothing,” I tell her as she backs away. I stand. “Also, this is from Isla.” I reach into my pocket and pull out an envelope. In it, there’s twenty thousand dollars, but she won’t know that right away. “It’s just part of her earnings. There will be more.”
She takes the envelope from me and sees how thick it is. “Isla is earning this kind of money? As a maid?”
I shrug. “Isla is very good at her job.”
She shakes her head slowly. “She must be!”
I head to the door, and she follows. “Sir, do you think we can speak to her soon?”
“Of course. In fact, you should use some of that money to install a phone. Then, just call the castle, and you’ll be able to speak to her any time you’d like.”
“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea,” she says.
“And I’ll make sure you see her soon, as well.” I can imagine bringing Isla back to visit her folks. Maybe she can help them find a new house.
In the back of my mind, I realize, she may want to stay here if she comes back, and I know, considering the circumstances, if she does want to leave… I have to let her. Otherwise, I really am the horrible person everyone says I am.
“Who should I ask for when I call?” she says as I open the front door to leave.
“You can ask for Isla,” I tell her.
“Great,” she says. “And… if they ask me on whose authority I am calling, can I give them your name, sir?”
I hesitate because I had almost managed to do all of this without telling her who I was. I could lie and give her the name of one of my assistants. But then… Isla will tell her eventually who I am. “Yes, of course,” I finally say.
“Thank you, sir. And what is your name?”
I clear my throat and let out a deep breath. “Maddox.”
Mrs. Moon nearly drops the envelope in her hands as she stammers, “Wh-what? Did you say… Ma-Ma-Maddox? As in… Alpha King Maddox?”
I pat her on the shoulder. “Have a nice day, Mrs. Moon.” I turn and walk away, heading briskly for the car before she has a conniption.
It’s better if that happens out of my line of sight.
I get in the car and see that Lionel and Helena are laughing. “She nearly fainted,” he says.
I shrug. “I have that effect on people sometimes. Godfried, take me to the Alpha’s mansion.”
“Yes, sir,” he says, and I settle into the mindset of a vigilante.
Alpha Ernest is about to find out what happens when you cross the Alpha King.