Truce and Lies

Chapter 20: anger

We only stopped for gas. Grant drove nearly the whole way; Aidan was far more exhausted than he had let on and slept through most of it. We switched seats at one gas station so Aidan could lie down in the back. It didn't matter to me. Stefa texted a couple of times, and I replied with one or two word answers. Texting wasn't so hard, but I didn't feel up to it.

"Forgive her, Conor," Grant said in the quiet.

"None of this would have happened if she hadn't kidnapped you," I replied. "None of this would have happened if I hadn't come to fetch you. I'm angry that none of it mattered, and we're back where we started."

"Not quite," Grant replied. "I have Aidan now. And you know that Stefa will come back and you can leave with her again. And Mel and Ralph will be so glad to see you. Maybe next time you can part on good terms."

"Maybe," I echoed.

"And you know you could have convinced her to let you stay," Grant remarked. "Why didn't you?"

"Because this was the right thing to do," I said promptly. "I don't want her clan to suffer because she loves me."

"Then you made this choice, not she," Grant pointed out.

I didn't have anything to say in my defense. I was still sorry about it.

"Kitten, wake up!" Grant called. "We're here."

Aidan stuttered awake, muttering to himself as he pulled his hair out of his eyes. Snow fell all around us; the beat up mailbox was the only way I knew that we were pulling in anywhere familiar.

"Who's that?" Aidan questioned, pointed at the black car in the front. "Hunters?"

"I hope not," Grant grumbled.

I could see the front door open and we stopped the car just in time to see Ralph level the shotgun at us. So much for being excited to see us.

"Ralph!" Aidan called as we got out of the car. "Hey!"

"Aidan? Why in the hell... Conor?"

Ralph set the shotgun down and came down the steps to embrace me with such a fierce hug that I was nearly worried about cracked ribs. Aidan got my suitcase out of the car and we were ushered into the house.

"What's up with the car?" Grant asked.

"You'll see," Ralph said, his smile gone. "I'm so glad you are back; Mel had been calling all day."

"Sorry, only the vampires had phones," Grant said, ignoring the phone in my hand. "And we're here now."

The whole pack was in the house, and all of them started clamoring when I walked in the room. I feigned a yawn, but then stopped to frown at Peter and the other hunter who were sitting on the couch. The other hunter had tape across her very bruised nose, but this didn't stop her from having a smirk on her face.

"Why are you here?" Grant demanded. "How did you.... What do you want?"

The woman laughed. "Because Peter wasn't allowed to go gallivanting off. The board knows he could find you and probably Stefa. Is she here?"

"No," I said coldly. "Who are you?"

The pack quieted when I spoke, and I stepped toward the redheaded woman. She postured on the couch as if to threaten me. I was not amused. 

"I'm Tish Herrington," she said. "Who the hell are you?"

"Why are you here?" I asked instead.

"We've come for Grant," Tish replied. "Except of course, he wasn't here. But now..."

The pack seemed to puff up as one, and Aidan put his hand on Grant's shoulder. I didn't have to move. Tish laughed again, but it seemed to be purely for bravado. Peter glanced nervously from the young woman to me and then rose from his seat.