Chapter 326

“Ooookay,” Ben says, his own voice low and sad. A moment later I feel his arms around my shoulders, feel him pull me into his lap and tilt me back so that my head is against his chest, my head tucked beneath his chin. “Maybe…maybe enough of the tough love for now. She’s not going to eat a single taco at this rate.”

“I’m sorry,” Tony murmurs, and I glance over to see his own head hanging.

But even if my throat is too thick right now to enunciate it, I’m not mad at him. I mean, he’s just speaking the truth, isn’t he?

Because as much as I hate it, every single piece of that was true.

“Jesse?” Ben murmurs, glancing over at him. “I think we need chocolate?”

“On it,” Jesse murmurs, pushing himself up from his chair and heading over to the nook.

“Don’t get my chocolate!” I call out, frowning to him. “Get yours!”

“Your chocolate is way better, Ari,” Jesse says, turning to glare at me, his hands on his hips.

“It’s supposed to be a present to make me feel better,” I growl, pointing vehemently over at his dresser, where I know he has a stash.

Jesse sighs and goes over to his dresser as I close my eyes, resting my head back against Ben. He tightens his arms around me in a warm hug and I smile a little, even as I sniff. But I jump when a huge weight lands in my lap, gasping as I look down at Jesse’s entire candy stash.

“You can have all of it if it’ll make you feel better,” he murmurs, peering down at me. “You’re too cool to cry, Ari.” His mouth twists, almost as if he’ll start crying too to see me so sad with no obvious solutions.

“Jesse,” I croak, reaching out a hand for him.

But Jesse sniffs and turn hard towards the door. “Nah, you eat a bunch of sugar, I’m going to go…for a walk…”

“Jesse!” I gasp, sitting up straight in Ben’s lap, appalled. Because Jesse has never just gone for a casual stroll in his life. He’s way too lazy.

“What!?” he growls over his shoulder, defensive, as he strides for the door. “I’m definitely not going to go beat the crap out of Grant –“

“Jesse!” I shout again. “Get your ass back over here – that is so not your –“

But the door clicks and then swings open and the four members of the Square of Secrecy all go silent as we stare at Rafe and Jacks, coming through the door.

They both immediately frown.

“What the hell is going on?” Rafe asks, pushing the door shut and turning towards us with a glare. “Why are you so quiet?”

Jackson’s eyes immediately move to me curled up in Ben’s lap with my cheeks streaked with tears, my lap full of candy. A growl bursts from him and he crosses the room in a few short strides.

Ben grimaces and immediately unfolds his arms from around my shoulders, realizing he’s in a potentially dangerous situation, but Jackson ignores him, bending low and immediately snatching me up, my knees folded over one of his arms as the other supports my back. Candy flies all over the floor, making Jesse gasp.

“What’s wrong?” Jackson growls down into my face, all murdery and sweet.

I can’t help but smile, lifting a hand to his cheek. “Don’t worry, I’m okay.”

“You’re crying,” he snarls, vicious. “And…” he looks down at the table at my still-full plate. “You didn’t eat anything.” He whips his head to glare at the Ben and Tony. “I told you to make sure she ate!”

“Yeah, we did a shit job at that, didn’t we,” Tony murmurs, still lounging in Rafe’s chair, his mouth twisted in disappointment. To his credit, he shows absolutely no fear of Jackson’s foul mood.

“It’s okay,” I say again, laughing a little and patting Jackson’s cheek before I wrap my arms around his neck, wanting him closer. My mate calms slightly, exhaling a long breath as he holds me close. “I promise I’m okay. Just…a lot of emotions, all right?”

“I hate that you’re being vague,” he growls, slowly rubbing a comforting hand up and down my back. “You’d better tell me everything.”

I nod, agreeing to it. “Tony used to be a busboy,” I whisper in his ear.

Jackson pulls back to frown at me and then turns his confusion on Tony, who just sighs and lifts a shoulder, not bothering to deny it. “Secret’s out.”

Jackson turns back to me. “Why are you crying about that?”

I laugh a little, unable to help it, but before I can explain Rafe is at Jackson’s side, peering at me. “Are you seriously all right?” he asks.

“Yes, Rafe, I’m fine just…girl stuff.” I sigh, then try to look over my shoulder. “Don’t let Jesse leave,” I say. “He wants to go on a nefarious mission which has not been approved.”

“Oh, Jesse’s not going anywhere,” Rafe says, reaching out a hand to beckon to our cousin. “We’ve got to talk. As a group.”

“Where’s Luca?” Jackson asks, looking around the room with a frown, probably noticing his absence for the first time.

Ben, Jesse, and Tony collectively groan and I grin at my mate. “I’ll tell you later,” I whisper, nudging his nose with mine. He growls a little, intuiting now the source of my tears, but doesn’t fight it.

Tony slips unasked out of Rafe’s chair and everyone settles in around the coffee table. Tony refills his plate with tacos as Jesse falls angrily back into his chair and Jacks sits on the couch with me in his lap, pressing a kiss to my cheek and holding me close to his chest. Inside my soul his wolf gives an impatient nudge at the bond, which I open completely so that he can trot across the little bridge and turn in a protective circle around my wolf, rubbing his head against her and growling his wary unhappiness.

My wolf gives a happy little howl and returns the gesture. Both Jackson and I physically relax, warmed at the contact, feeling much more at ease.

“How’d it go?” Jesse asks, clearly forcing himself to the new topic. “With the Captain?”

“Poorly,” Rafe grumbles, sprawled in his chair. “He’s pissed we even asked to switch things up. Ordered us unceremoniously out of his office, told us we’re facing demerits for insubordination.”

Jackson growls aloud, as if the thought of a demerit could even deter him.

“Thanks for trying, guys,” I say, sitting up a little, really feeling much better. Even if Luca is being a jerk, it’s wonderful to know I have so many other people beside me, fighting for me. “I think we need to try again, though. I don’t think there’s any reason why I should be running this scenario at Blythe’s side.”

“What do you mean?” Tony asks, genuinely curious.

“I mean that it’s…stupid,” I say, giving a simple shrug. “The group of us want to go to war together not because we’re just buddies who want to protect each other, but because it makes sense. And after we saw what I can do today, with Luca and Jackson and Jesse at my side?” I shrug like it’s obvious. “I mean, to send me to war – even practice war – without them is –“

But I’m interrupted by a steady, stern knock at the door.

Each of us turn towards it, surprised and expecting it to just swing open. I mean, all of our usual visitors won’t even bother to knock.

But when nothing happens and the knock slowly comes again, I swallow, pushing myself out of Jackson’s lap.

Rafe gets to his feet and moves towards the door, sending a glance back at me. But I nod to him, letting him know that I’m ready.

When Rafe swings the door open and gives the Captain a salute, I’m not at all surprised to see him.

And I’m not surprised, either, when he ignores Rafe and sets his angry eyes on me alone.

“Cadet Clark?” he snaps, nodding to the empty space in front of him. “Clearly, we need to have a conversation about insubordination as well.”

Slowly, I get to my feet, a very slight bit of anger starting to burn away all of the other emotions that have been rushing through me tonight – sadness, and betrayal, and even the very small bit of comfort that Jackson has given me in the past few minutes.

“Have I been insubordinate, sir?” I ask, folding my hands behind my back.

“You’ve been insubordinate by proxy,” he says, his own anger showing through. “Sending your brother and your mate down to make ridiculous requests in your favor.”

I straighten my shoulders immediately. “Rafe and Jackson acted of their own accord.”

“I find this hard to believe,” the Captain says, looking around our room at my friends. “Come, Clark,” he snaps, turning his eyes back to me. “We’re going to my office to have a little chat about knowing our place.”

I stand still for a moment but then slowly start across the room towards him. I feel Jackson flinch behind me, wanting to pull me back to him where I’ll be safe, but inwardly my wolf gives his wolf a little lick on the cheek and then trots away. He lets me go to handle this on my own, and I send him a wave of love and gratitude in turn.

Slowly I cross the room and stand before the Captain. But then I stop.

“Whatever you have to say to me can be said before the rest of them,” I say quietly, tilting my head back to look up into his face. “They are my team, after all.”

A little growl hums in the Captain’s chest. “You will fall in line and come with me, Cadet.”

“Please, Captain,” I say, quite prim, gesturing into the room. “Won’t you come in?”