The Wolves and the Vipers

Chapter 55 - Homecoming

"Think very carefully about what you're doing," Jaz told him, deathly quiet. There was a thunderous scowl on her lips and murder in her eyes, and her hand had gone to the hilt of her knife.

"I already have," Jace replied. "And I've decided that Aria is coming home with us."

I hadn't listened to their plans. I hadn't known exactly what they would do or when, but once I got over the shock of it, I took a few slow steps to position myself behind Zach. He was closest, and I knew that I was a liability in this scenario. The gun didn't necessarily protect us. Goddess only knew how many rogues were in these woods, and all of them would be armed. I remembered the rifles at the castle — who was to say there weren't a few lying around the camp?

"You're an asshole, you know that?" Rhys said. "We've done nothing but help you, and you've done nothing but lie. Put that bloody thing down and clear off while you still can."

Jace didn't even glance in his direction. He was still sighting down the gun at Jaz. "She said she would give Aria a choice. I never promised to honour it."

"You should. She's cleverer than you — knows she's safer here with us," Jaz retorted. "You haven't worked out who started that fire yet. If you take her back to New Dawn, who's to say they won't try again?"

Jace just shook his head. "You said it yourself. Jaden and I were the only ones who knew she was in that bedroom. She wasn't the target."

"You want to bet her life on that?" Jaz demanded.

This time, Jace didn't answer her. I could feel the tempo of his thoughts speeding up, minute by minute, and I knew he was growing impatient. "Never you mind. She's not your responsibility."

"She's been our responsibility since we pulled her from a burning building," Makayla retorted, taking a step forward. As she moved, so did Zach. I watched her reach into a pocket and forgot how to breathe. "We've been raising her, all these years. Do you think we won't take a bullet for her? Let. Her. Go."

This was all becoming much too volatile for my liking. Neither of the rogue women had drawn their knife yet, but they were going to — my wolf could sense it. Hearing my thoughts, Jace took the gun off Jaz and directed it at Rhys instead, aiming directly for his head.

"Not another step," he said steadily. "Now, I don't know much about how your society works. But if he dies because you did something stupid, I'm guessing his father might not like that."

"Okay, okay. I'm not going to do anything," Jaz assured him. She showed us her palms. "I know you love her, and I know you'll take care of her, so that's why not. But I hope you realise that if you pull the trigger, warranted or not, it'll be you who faces the repercussions, not me. He'll find you."

Jace didn't blink at that. "I'll take my chances. Take three steps backwards, nice and slow."

Jaz and Makayla began to obey. They might have been three steps further away, but they hadn't stopped staring at Jace like they wanted to rip him limb from limb, so I wasn't sure I felt any safer. Rhys started to do the same.

"Not you. You're coming with us. You'll be our insurance policy," Jace told him. "Where's the nearest road?"

Rhys's mouth stayed firmly closed. His eyes were throwing back a challenge at Jace — a challenge that he was sensible enough to ignore, under the circumstances.

Jace's hand tightened on the gun, his finger pressing against the trigger. "I asked you a question."

Still nothing from Rhys, and I felt my frustration at him building. This situation was incredibly volatile, and the longer it went on, the more risk that someone was going to die here. He wasn't achieving anything with this sullen silence.