Chapter 73 - From Embarrassment To Scoring Dinner

"Wow."

"So what really happened was, you and Adrian had a disagreement and the both of you handled it like children."

"I guess you could say that," Briar said, refusing to comment on the part where Madeline called her and Adrian childlike. 

The funny thing was, it was Madeline that was the child if one were to compare them in terms of age. Then again, age was just a number in all of their eyes. It was nothing more than just the number of years one had lived. 

"Aish, I don't know why Xavier appointed him as beta when there were many others he could've picked."

"Why tell me that, I never knew anything about why anyone was picked to be a beta and what was behind Xavier's decision."

Briar stared at her, as though she had just remembered something important. 

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry for laying all of this on you. You're the one that needs to let your emotions out and all that."

Madeline shook her head, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." 

"Xavier helped boost my mood," she said, smiling bashfully. 

Blinking, Briar thought to herself, 'At this point, there's nothing else that can shock me when it comes to Alpha Xavier and Madeline.'

'Are they really just friends? I can't believe what I'm told when it comes to what they think of their current relationship. They're so blind. Both of them.' 

'I have nothing against Xavier. Whoever helps or helped Madeline in the past is an angel in my eyes.' 

'Alright, calling Xavier an angel is a bit of a stretch… Although he and Madeline are mates so there's that.'

Madeline and Xavier… An unlikely pairing, but Briar figured fate must've had something up its sleeve.

In the silence, Briar stared at her pinky. 

Whilst Madeline found who was supposed to be her mate, Briar had no such luck.

'Time will tell. Whoever's meant to be my mate will come,' she had told herself many times. 

'I can't be doomed to spend eternity alone.' 

'My mate will come in due time,' Briar told herself once more. 

Whilst she had convinced herself to give up numerous times in the past, there was always something that stopped her. 

She had already come this far with hope, perhaps… If she hoped or believed more… She'd finally meet who she was destined to be with. 

And whilst she was so persistent in believing there would come a day when she met her mate… Madeline didn't agree with that same sentiment. 

She was all for true love. 

The true love that meant… Loving someone against all odds. 

Say, if two people were destined to spend their lives with someone else but felt they were right at home whenever they were with someone else… They'd be with the person they felt was right. 

The person that truly owned their heart. 

It sounded unrealistic and crazy, didn't it?

Madeline knew that. That was why she had never gotten together with someone. 

She had a few likings on some of her friends, but it was just that.

Likings. 

Madeline never experienced those same feelings she read about in romance novels. Perhaps they were all falsehoods to trick the naive. 

Or perhaps… She'd just never found the right person who made her feel all fluttery and warm inside. 

Would she bump into him somehow?

Or was he right in front of her already?

Madeline knew she already had a mate. Xavier, to be exact. 

But she and him were simply friends. There was nothing more to it except friendship, and she was still getting to know him. 

Madeline knew she wanted Emilio to stay already, but she couldn't simply get Xavier to find some way for Emilio to stay just because she wanted him to now could she?

That would be unfair to Xavier and those who suffered because of Emilio. 

And also, Madeline wouldn't even know how to begin! 

"I've got to go," Madeline said all of a sudden.

"Oh? You've got to go? Where?"

"I'll tell you later." 

"Oh come on! Just get it over with and tell me!" 

"You'll find out later, I promise!" 

"Madeline, you know I don't do well with–"

The door slammed shut.

Briar frowned. 

"...waiting," she finished her sentence. 

"What is that girl up to?"

Madeline, who was determined to make a stand, suddenly decided to do something completely stupid. 

'Am I out of my mind? This will never work! I'll only seem crazy doing this!' 

One voice in her mind reasoned, 'But how else could you get Xavier to listen to what you have to say about Emilio? There are no other plausible ways!' 

Another voice reasoned, 'What kind of nonsense is this? Sure there are! You could do something else other than barging in poor Xavier's office unannounced and pleading your case. That's a recipe for full on disaster!'

Madeline had to agree with the second voice, although it was too late now. 

She was already in front of Xavier's office's door.

Thankfully, by then, Emilio was somewhere else. 

Xavier had ordered Adrian to take the ex-alpha somewhere else. That way, Emilio couldn't interfere with Xavier and his work. 

Emilio aside, he had other things that needed his attention. 

And Emilio was aware of that, so he stayed where he was, which was Adrian's office. 

Madeline knew Xavier had heard her footsteps by now, so she skipped knocking and all else. 

"Listen, I'm so sorry for barging in on you and your work but please don't send Emilio away back to his cave or kill him or anything."

Xavier stared at her. 

"It's selfish I know, but–"

"I'm not sending him away anytime soon."

"Or planning on killing him for that matter." 

Madeline blinked.

"Really."

Xavier nodded, "Really."

And it was at that moment Madeline realized her shortcomings. 

What had she just done?

'You just made a fool out of yourself, that's what you just did,' a voice in her head told her.

"Oh." 

Madeline tucked her hair behind her ear. 

"So uhm, forgetting what just happened."

"I'll leave you to your work."

"Don't exert yourself too much, and…"

"Wanna grab dinner after this, if you're free?" 

Xavier didn't see why not. 

"Sure."

"Dinner," he nodded. 

As Madeline backed away, nearing the door, she forcefully smiled, "Dinner."

She bumped against the door. 

"Ow," she said quietly, making Xavier let out a laugh. 

"Dinner it is," Madeline said before she left, ashamed and mortified.