The Wolves and the Vipers

Chapter 33 - Jaden

"That's twice in a week," Bradley was saying. Evidently, they had started this discussion outside. "Her life has been in danger twice in the space of a week."

"The first one was entirely her own fault," Jace pointed out, not very gently. "But in essence ... yes."

Jace took a seat beside me. He dragged his chair closer and put an arm around me, and I did my best not to shrug him off. He had remembered that he was supposed to care about my wellbeing at long last. Zoe backed off without a word. I watched her empty a bowl of pink-red water into the sink and then fold her arms across her chest.

"The pack will think you're weak. That you can't protect her," Bradley said reprovingly. He had made a point of remaining on his feet, even when Tyler and Ryan were making themselves comfortable around the table.

Jace raised an eyebrow at him. "Her guards were outnumbered two to one, and yet she's sitting here without a scratch on her. She's well protected. The pack can think whatever they like."

There had been some scratches on me, actually. Jace hadn't seen most of them, but the rest had healed only a few minutes ago.

"There's a more pressing issue than pack relations, Brad," Tyler sighed. "They knew exactly where Emma was going to be."

So, what? We had a traitor in the pack?

"I don't think they did," Zoe said. I was surprised even to hear her speak, because she tended to keep her mouth shut whenever Jace was around. And to offer her opinion now, when the room was full of ranking pack members ... well, that took guts. "I think they knew about Warren. They knew it was only a matter of time before the Luna went to visit his widow. If they were watching the house somehow..."

"I told Darren that the feral wolf had fatally injured a pack member," Jace said. His mouth twisted into a grimace. "Goddess. He's cleverer than I thought. That nearly worked."

"It did work," I said simply. "They could have killed me. And if they had killed me, they would all be alive right now, so what does that say?"

It was hard to stop thinking about that. I would remember how those men had looked with their brains spilling onto the gravel, and I would wonder why their Alpha hadn't given them the easier task — because shooting me would have been the work of a moment. He had gambled with the lives of his pack members on a far more ambitious plan, and he had lost. I couldn't imagine Jace doing the same.

"It says that Darren is playing games," Jace murmured. "You're right — he could have had you killed tonight. It would be the perfect revenge. In essence, he had the same opportunity Jaden did, and he didn't take it. He always wanted the moral high ground ... and he's finally got it."

"So, now what?" I sighed. "You grovel to him? Thank him for letting me live?"

He shook his head, smiling faintly. "Tempting as that sounds, no. Now I think very carefully about how I'm going to respond. It's about damage control more than anything."

Bradley let out a bitter laugh. "You should be responding by sending me across the border with a few dozen fighters, Jace. Goddess. He broke the truce, just like I said he would. It didn't even last twelve hours! And he tried to hurt our Luna. There have to be consequences."

"You're not the only person at this table with opinions, Bradley," I said shortly.

The Beta and Third in Command were both sitting here, and neither of them had said a word yet. Now, I didn't particularly like Ryan, given how he had treated me when I had been a prisoner, but I knew Jace wouldn't have given him such an important position without good reason.