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She walked toward them, and the second she moved, their eyes honed in on her. The twins immediately lost their stance, but Buck seemed to puff up more.
She waited until she was right in front of him, and she could see the whites of his eyes. Finally, his hands slipped to his sides.
“Um, hi,” he said.
She took a deep breath. This was the kid who had attacked her family, stolen her, and left her to die in Aiden’s house.
“I don’t want an apology or an explanation. That would imply that you are important enough to listen to. But you’re not. You’re totally insignificant to me. To your pack. To the world. Just open the door, and we’ll be done.”
He glanced back at the open stable door.
“Not that door. The wards. Open the wards, and we’ll be done.”
“The wards are closed?” one twin asked.
“Open them, Buck,” she insisted.
He crossed his arms. “Get out of my way.”
“Have you ever actually spoken to a witch before?” she asked, keeping her tone casual.
“Aunt Kathleen is a …” the other twin began and trailed off when she met his eyes.
“Do you know what we can do?” she asked. “What I can do in the dark of night when you’re fast asleep?”
“You don’t scare me,” Buck said. “You don’t scare my wolf. You didn’t do any of it when we stole you away. You can’t do anything now.”
He held out a hand.
“I’m not shaking your hand,” Goldie said.
Buck smirked when Louis stepped around her and slapped reins into his open palm. Goldie leaped out of the way as a horse’s nose loomed into her peripheral vision. Buck pivoted and the horse followed him. As soon as he was clear of the doors, he heaved onto the horse’s back without a saddle and rode out of the barn. The twins took one look at her and ran after him.
In seconds, Aiden came riding into the barn. “Did you see him? They came this way.”
She put up a hand. “Don’t bother.”
“You’ve seen him?” He swung out of the saddle. “Did he hurt you?” His gaze slid behind her. “Are you okay?”
She looked back to see Paul standing two feet from her. “Why didn’t you step in?”
“I don’t have a death wish,” Paul said casually.
“Why is everyone so afraid of that kid?”
Paul coughed. “I was talking about you. You had it.”
She did not have it.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here, and you had to face him alone,” Aiden said quietly. He was stretched tight, inches from shifting.
“No. I’m the one who demanded it.” For all the good it did.
In moments, Paul jogged away, and she knew two things. She was going to wipe the smug look off Buck’s face one way or another, and she was going to put it back on Aiden’s.
He was wrecked, stressed, and trying to hold things together, and Paul was right—he was hers. She would not let Buck stomp all over what they’d started amidst this mess.
But how?
