Inner Predator: Unleashed

Chapter 29

YAY! Chapter 29! Not edited, so please forgive any mistakes. :] Hope you love, love, love this chapter!!

Chapter 29

 

You know those times when you think you're ok? Like you're totally cool and not going to lose it on anyone or anything... and then you do. That's how I feel the second I lay my eyes on Arlo. He's waiting in the small office building that acts as our pre-planned rendezvous spot, his lips spread into a smile.

I want to kill him.

Shoot first, ask questions later. It's the kind of mindset I have at the moment. Maybe it's the adrenaline and excitement of the attack, or maybe I'm just so over being betrayed, but I don't even want to give him a chance to explain.

It would be easy, I think. He certainly isn't expecting it.

Chase's fingers suddenly find mine and hold onto them tightly. His thumb moves in calming circles on the top of my hand. He knows what I'm feeling. Maybe he's feeling it too. Of course, he's a little more reasonable than I am at the moment. He pauses far enough from Arlo that we're out of hearing range if we stay quiet and pulls at my hand so that I face him.

"There is not another mage as powerful as this one," he whispers quietly. "You try anything and he won't hesitate to kill you to protect himself. Same for me. Especially if you're right and he really did betray us. But just to be clear, I don't think he did."

I nod because he's right at least about the not rushing this part. Chase is making a really good point. If Arlo sent us in unprepared intentionally, I doubt he'd have any qualms about doing us in right now if we make the wrong move. And he's here, smiling warmly at us, so at least for now he doesn't assume we don't trust him.

"Ok," I agree. "We wait."

Besides, it's totally unlikely that Arlo betrayed us. Right? The man spent his summers with Chase. He helped hide me in the human world. He's spent nearly every ounce of his free time teaching Penny. He is good. Shady, and into some not so legal things, but good. Good people don't betray those they love. Chase's parents, for instance, were not good people.

"Your father isn't pleased," Arlo says when we're only feet away.

I shrug, not sure what else to do. I can't apologize for this because I am completely not sorry. I imagine I'll sit through some sort of lecture when we get back, the kind that makes me wish our mission had been more successful so that I could have something to distract him with. But even so, how much yelling can there really be? I'm alive. I didn't go get myself tangled in an awful situation and die. And even better? I think Chase and I had a moment. I mean, I know we did. He's coming around.

"Let's not tell him I was shot then, hm?" I say with a rye smile that has Arlo shaking his head and Chase chuckling under his breath.

Arlo grabs Chase and I do too because even if I'm acting normal, I don't trust him. I don't trust myself not to lose it. It's best if maybe Arlo and I have a buffer for now. In a blink we're back in the familiar bunker. I'd like to say I'm used to this mode of transportation by now, but if it weren't for my hanging on to Chase, I'd be on my ass.

He drops us all into the conference room where everyone sits. They've probably been sitting in this room since shortly before the attacks began this morning. The entire council is present, my father included. The only usual missing is Beckett, and my guess is that's because he's busy securing our new headquarters. He's not important right now though because I know he wouldn't have been the one to betray us. Someone else in this room? A lot more likely. And now that I think about it, any number of resistant to war council members in this room are more likely suspects than Arlo. The thought makes me relax.