Mac had wanted to say it back, but he couldn’t. Not until the situation with Tessa was well and truly behind them all.

Juliana's raven dark hair fell over her shoulder, cascading down her creamy tanned skin. She didn’t deserve to be caught up in all of this, no matter how strong she liked to think she was.

Her closed eyes flitted. She was in a deep sleep. For a while he just watched her, wondering what she dreamed about, and happy that she was calm and at peace.

As quietly as he could so that he wouldn’t disturb her, Mac got off the bed. She murmured and rolled over, but didn’t wake. He glanced at his phone. It was later than he had planned on leaving tonight, but he had needed to make sure she was asleep before he slipped away.

Taking his clothes and boots in one hand, and his phone in the other, he tiptoed out of the tent naked. It wasn’t until he was half way to Lyson’s tent that he dressed. No one had seen him, even if seeing nude Dragonspark boys was becoming a bit of a common occurrence these days.

There’d been no further rain today, although the ground was still soft in some parts. He took care to watch his footing as he pulled on his boots.

He hoped Lyson and Elle were asleep. He didn’t feel like bothering them this late at night. He pulled the flap open quietly to reach for the bullet proof vest.

Lyson was awake. He must have stayed up to wait for him. He motioned with his finger to meet him outside. Mac glanced over to see that Elle was fast asleep.

Mac was adjusting the vest when Lyson followed him out. He handed him a gun.

For a second he thought about arguing the point, but then took it and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. He would have insisted if it were any of them, so he had no right to pretend they wouldn’t do the same.

Lyson patted him on the back. “Be careful, Mac. For gods sakes, don’t do anything stupid.”

“I want this to be peaceful more than anyone.”

“Let’s hope she’s in a good mood.”

“Yeah.” Mac huffed a short laugh. “Or at least less murderous than her past behavior.”

“You can still change your mind. You don’t have to do this.” Concern shone in Lyson’s eyes.

“If it doesn’t work, then we can go to Plan B, but if I can end this without any more blood, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

“Yeah. Okay. Good luck.”

Mac raised a brow and then turned. He had everything he needed, and if all went well, he’d be back before the sun rose. If all went well.

He shrugged his head down and took the path back to Dragonspark.

* * *

The trail had been slippery, but Mac had known the way. He was back at Dragonspark within the hour. He glanced over at the double doors that led into the facility, wishing he was back in his own bed tonight and that everything was back to normal.

Perhaps they could be back there tomorrow.

The thought spurred him on. He reached the car and looked up into the sky. He couldn’t see the drone that Lyson had sent, but that was the point. It would start following him once he was out of Lyson’s range.

He waited a few minutes tapping his fingers on the roof of the car. Everything was as it should be. He got into the car, retrieving the keys from the front visor and turned the ignition.

The car sputtered first, then roared. He backed out of the lot and turned onto the road.

It was a relatively short trip down the mountain. About fifteen minutes or so during the day, but because it was night, Mac kept well below the speed limit. An extra five minutes wasn’t going to make much difference. Tessa and whichever Princess members were with her would be alerted to his arrival well before he reached them.

He wondered how she’d react to seeing him. He’d taken such pains to avoid her all this time. Now he was about to stand right in front of her, trusting that she had enough sense not to stick a bullet through his neck.

The road wound down, further and further.

He kept the headlights on when he neared the bottom. There was no point trying to arrive in stealth.

When he reached the bottom of the mountain, he braked suddenly.

Tessa was standing in the middle of the road.

Jesus. He knew she’d be ready for him. What he didn’t expect was that she’d be alone and standing in his way.

He looked either side of the road wondering if this was an ambush, but there were no signs of anyone. Snipers perhaps? There weren’t many vantage points from here.

Tessa took a step toward him. She was wearing a thin cotton nightgown. No shoes. How did she get here so fast? The headlines shone through the fabric so he could see the outline of her figure. It hadn’t changed much since he last saw her. She was still fit and strong.

It had to be a trick. A way for him to let his guard down.

Keeping all his senses on high alert, he slowly opened the car door, waiting for any sign that he was about to be shot in the head. The trees seemed to stop swaying, the crickets stopped chirping.

When nothing happened he stepped out of the car, his boot crunching on the blacktop underneath his foot. The only sound. Tessa was waiting for him and she was in no hurry.

Mac shut the car door and scanned the area.

“I’m alone,” she said.

“Yeah right.” He stayed by the car. If anything it might provide cover if something were to happen.

“I swear to you, Mac. The others are back at our camp. I had them drop me here and leave.”

“Why are you here?”

She took a step toward him. “We had some cameras set up a little way up the road. I saw you coming down and had to greet you. I have to say I was a little surprised that you were by yourself.” She grinned and kept walking. “You are alone, aren’t you?”

Mac didn’t answer. He wasn’t about to give her any advantage until he was sure he was safe. “Stop right there.”

“I’m unarmed. I swear to you.” She stopped advancing. She was about twelve feet away from him now. From the look of her, she was telling the truth that she had no weapons. Still, he didn’t trust her yet. “You can frisk me if you like.” She smiled and lifted her arms in the air.

She was playing with him. Typical. “We need to talk.”

“I know.” She dropped her arms by her side and sighed. “I suppose you know about Blaze by now.” She groaned. “Elle’s leverage. I knew she’d use it. You and your brothers have a great power over women you know. You can get them to do anything.”

“She did what she thought was the right thing.”

Tessa barked a sharp laugh. “The right thing.” She frowned as she took another step forward. Mac kept close to the car. He’d still be able to jump in and make a getaway if he had to. “There really isn’t a clear line between doing right or wrong. Is there?”

“Killing is wrong. There isn't any ambiguity there.” She was now only six feet away from him. All his senses pricked with impending danger. He began to think he’d made a mistake in coming here at night when his visibility was disadvantaged.

“I’m sorry about Ash. I was … angry.”

Mac shook his head. “Stop walking. Stop right there.”

“Or what?”

Mac pulled the gun out from his waistband. “Stop moving Tessa, I’ve warned you enough times.”

She halted. Only four feet away from him. He could see the worry lines on her forehead. She lifted her hands in surrender. “I’m not here to hurt you, Mac. Just like you won’t hurt me.”

Mac thumbed the safety and prepared to shoot if he had to.

Tessa sighed and backed a few steps back. “Fine. You win, again. You always win. You never listen to anything I have to say.” She pouted in a way that used to infuriate him. Lies and games. It was what she was good at.

“Nobody won, Tessa. It isn’t a game.”

“Isn’t it?” She turned to him, her face flashing with anger. “You pretend that I’m the bad guy but it was you that dumped me when I was carrying out baby. You’re right, Mac. Nobody won here. Especially not me. When you left I lost everything.”

He let the gun fall back to his side. “People break up. It happens.”

“You said you loved me. You said we’d become the happiest family in the world.” Her hands were tensing into fists. “You lied to me.”

“And so you want to kill all of us because you got your heart broken, is that it?” He clipped the safety back and put the gun back into his jeans. She wasn’t here to kill him. She needed to unload. If it brought him closer to ending this, he'd let her say what she needed.

“Mac, you were my world.” Her eyes glistened in the headlights. Was she tearing up? He hadn’t seen her so full of emotion for such a long time. Usually, she was so cold and calculating.

Memories tugged at Mac, times when they had been happy together. He went over and pulled her into a hug. Perhaps this was all she needed. Closure.

Tessa sobbed against his chest. She gripped his shirt, wiping her eyes. “What am I supposed to do now?”

She shivered. The Tessa who had tried to kill him and his brothers wasn’t the same woman in front of him now. Guilt ate at him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. He stroked her hair. “I am truly sorry that I hurt you.”