Fighting with Fire #2 ✔

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟓 - 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

It was mid-July when the full moon arrived, and we made our way to Washington in the orange-purple sunset dusk — half of us in the GMC Sierra with Jason driving, half of us in Jonathan's pickup.

Needless to say, Theo was in his dad's car and so was I; Theo and Jason had struggled to stop fighting over the tiniest things since Theo found the blueprints on the USB stick. It was a hell of a good thing those two weren't paired together for our attack.

Refusing just to be a getaway driver, Jonathan volunteered and insisted that he be some sort of bait or decoy. Theo and Thea had been against it, along with most of the pack. Yet with Jason still as Alpha, he made the final call, putting Jonathan in danger.

Maia was caged for the journey there in case of any 'outbreaks', as Thea had so carefully worded it. They'd been paired together purely so Thea could keep an extra close eye on Maia.

I hadn't yet spoken much to her, though it wasn't exactly like there'd been time for cosy little chats down in the basement with her locked up and prowling around the cage like a rabid animal. It was hard to believe that some part of Maia was still underneath that fur and that snarling face. It was hard to believe that any part of her was still human.

Thea insisted that if the skinwalker got vengeance, maybe the dark and controlling spirit would let up a little, and the Maia we once knew would return. Yet part of me felt it was just an elaborate theory to make sure I was fully focused on our plan.

Theo wouldn't let go of my hand for the entire journey there — we hadn't been paired together, he was with Ryder whilst I was with Abi and Zack — and so it felt like he was holding onto me for as long as he could.

It'd been Jade's idea to split up into pairs so that we could attack from multiple directions — it made a lot of sense strategically but it felt like she had other intentions when she demanded she be paired with Jason. Nobody mentioned anything about it, but Jason and Jade were definitely getting closer, and I had no doubt that when this all ended, they'd stick together — the same way Theo and I would.

Little conversation passed between us in Jonathan's pickup; Theo held my hand, Jonathan remained focused on the road ahead, Thea kept glancing back at the pickup bed where Maia was secured in the cage and Ryder studied his palms intently as if he'd never looked at them before.

"We're here," Jonathan spoke as he pulled up beside Jason.

We jumped out of the truck, Thea going around the back to unlock the cage.

"We're gonna be okay." Theo squeezed my hand before kissing me on my cheek.

"My cheek?! I exclaimed, throwing a hand towards the large grey building that was the hunters' base. We could die in there and you're kissing me on my cheek?"

In response, he smashed his lips against mine, pulling me close to him and entrapping me in his arms — exactly how I want to be. I clung to him desperately and kissed him back with just as much passion and love as he did.

"I love you," he muttered against my lips, finally breaking off the kiss.

"I love you too," I responded, gazing up into his hazel-blue eyes.

Jason cleared his throat impatiently. "We should get moving."

Theo and I broke apart, though not before he could gently kiss my lips one last time. Ryder slapped Theo on the back of his shoulder, as the rest of us ordered ourselves into our pairings; Theo and Ryder, me, Abi and Zack, Thea and Maia, Jason and Jade.

Jonathan grabbed a shotgun from underneath the back seats of his pickup, cocking the rifle and eyeing down the barrel.

It was unnerving how much this was making me think about taking on the hunters back in Lake Oldoy. I could only hope that this time, we'd take them down for good.