CHAPTER 16

Unfinished Business

" That is a terrible plan," Flora murmured, arms crossed as she surveyed the chart in front of her." You realize if we shoot troops through the eastern corridor, they'll be boxed in from both sides?"

Lieutenant Ramos soughed, rubbing his temples." It's the fastest route, Captain. Speed is everything."

" It's a suicide run," she shot back." They'll be sitting ducks. We reroute through the northern passage, hit them from an angle they will not anticipate."

Ramos dithered." It will take longer."

" It will keep them alive." Her tone left little room for argument.

The tent was thick with pressure as the other officers changed ganders. Flora could feel the weight of their gapes. A many months agone, they might have misdoubted her. Not presently.

A throat cleared from the entrance." Still spooking your inferiors, I see."

Flora strengthened. That voice.

She turned, slow and deliberate. Adrian stood just inside the tent; hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. His presence alone made the air feel charged, like a storm was about to break.

Ramos looked between them and took the hint." We will revise the strategy," he said snappily, gathering the charts before exiting.

The moment they were alone, Adrian took a step forward." I heard about your last mission. You handled that well."

" Was that a compliment?" she asked dryly." Coming from you, I nearly do not fete it."

His mouth twitched, but there was no humour behind it." I am not then to fight, Flora."

" Also why are you then?"

A beat of silence. also, still," To fix what I broke."

Flora's hands coiled into fists at her sides." That is not possible."

" You do not indeed know what I am going to say."

" I do not have to. Whatever you suppose you can do, whatever reason you are about to spear out — it's too late."

Adrian blew out a sharp breath." Flora"

" No." She took a step back." You do not get to do this. You do not get to show up, say a many nice words, and pretend like everything's fine. It's not."

His jaw tensed." I know that. But I cannot just" He stopped, ran a hand through his hair, exhaling hard." I cannot just let you detest me."

She swallowed, the words hitting a lot harder than she wanted them to." also that is your problem, not mine."

She turned and walked out before he could say another word.

Adrian stood in the empty tent; fists gripped. That went about as well as anticipated.

" Still getting yourself demurred out of places, huh?"

Adrian glanced sideways. Jonas leaned against a post, arms folded, a smirk playing on his lips. The old friend- turned- beta had seen better days- his knuckles were bruised, and there was a faint scar on his cheek that was not there the last time Adrian saw him.

" You observing on me now?" Adrian asked flatly.

Jonas signed." Nah. Just watching you make a burro of yourself."

Adrian rolled his eyes." Not in the mood, Jonas."

Jonas studied him a moment." You really trying to fix things with her?"

" Yeah."

A low whoosh." That is ambitious."

" I do not need your affront."

Jonas shook his head." It's not affront, man. It's reality. You burned that bridge."

" I know."

Jonas gave him a long look, also soughed." Come on. Walk with me."

They rambled around the outskirts of camp, the smell of burning wood heavy in the air. Soldiers trained in the distance, the metrical colliding of munitions between the trees.

" So," Jonas said eventually," how important do you know about Alice?"

Adrian lowered." What kind of question is that?"

" The kind you should be asking yourself."

Adrian stopped walking." What the hell are you getting at?"

Jonas dithered. also, lowering his voice," I’ve been looking into her."

Adrian’s blood ran cold." Why?"

" Because effects do not add up."

" Jonas —"

" No, hear." Jonas stepped closer." You ever wonder why she was so damn hopeless to tie herself to you? Why she pushed so hard to control the pack?"

Adrian strained." She was ambitious. It’s not that deep."

Jonas strangled." Sure, except for the fact that she prevaricated about half the effects she told you. I've been talking to some old connections. Turns out, Alice was not relatively who she made out to be before she latched onto you."

Adrian's heart swiped." What are you saying?"

Jonas's aspect locked onto his." I'm saying she played you. And I do not suppose she was working alone."

Flora threw a punch, her knuckles connecting with the training bag. Hard.

" That thing kill your family or something?"

She slightly glanced at Captain Dawson before landing another hit." Stress relief."

Dawson chortled." Yeah? Something tells me it's not working."

Flora exhaled, dropping her arms." What do you want?"

Dawson leaned against the wall; arms crossed." I want to know why you keep running from effects that scarify you."

Flora shot him a light." I do not run."

"Uh-huh." Dawson gave her a pointed look." So, what do you call burying yourself in work, avoiding people, and refusing to deal with undetermined passions?"

She based her teeth." It's called being busy."

He strangled." Right." A pause, also," Adrian came to see you."

Flora strengthened.

Dawson scowled." Not indeed goon an deny it?"

She seized a kerchief, wiping the sweat from her face." He does not count."

" Sure." Dawson's voice was casual, but there was a turnabout to it she did not like." Look, I am not saying you have to forgive him. But I'm saying you cannot let him control how you feel ever. That is still giving him power over you."

Flora abominated how important that struck a whim-whams.

She did not answer. rather, she turned, throwing another punch at the bag.

Dawson soughed." Yeah. That is what I allowed."

Adrian stood in the murk, heart pounding.

Alice had prevaricated.

Not little white falsehoods, but huge, earth- shattering ones.

His hands gripped.

He demanded evidence.

And when he set it up, he was going to burn everything she erected to the ground.