Page 63 of Wrath

I scoff. “It’s true,” he says, nodding. “I’m just as trapped.”

“You have keys,” I snap.

“Not to anything important.”

I laugh, sitting up again and staring in disbelief. “You hold the keys to all the warriors in here.” Alex shrugs, looking baffled. “The four strongest men here.”

Martha sighs. “The others might not want to join us,” she says. “Wynter built a connection with them, but they’re not as trusting with us.”

“Then let them out,” I say.

Alex laughs, his smile soon fading when he realises I’m deadly serious. “They might turn on me.”

“We need Wynter,” says Martha. “They trust her.”

Footsteps have us all looking towards the door, and I inhale sharply at the sight of Wynter. Her hair is wet, and she’s wearing a thin night dress. She’s been crying, and I stand, immediately growling when my chains restrict me from going to her. “Unlock me,” I yell. Alex hesitates, glancing at Martha for permission. She nods, and he carefully approaches, eyeing me suspiciously. He unlocks the metal cuff on my wrist and it falls away. The red mark is clearly visible, and I rub it. It’s the first time I’ve been without the metal there in a long time.

I grab the blanket from my bed and go over to where Martha is comforting Wynter. I wrap it around her shoulders, and she stares up at me with red, tear-filled eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. I pull her to me, wrapping my arms around her. She buries her face into my chest and sobs, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

“We’ll be right out there,” Martha whispers, nodding to the door before grabbing Alex and pulling him from the room.

Wynter looks up at me again, this time sniffling as tears leak from her eyes and trail down her cheeks. “I love you,” she whispers. “I’m so sorry.” She breaks into a fresh round of sobs.

“And what about him?” I ask, holding my breath. I’m nervous for her answer because if she chooses him, I have to leave her behind, and the thought of that is paralysing.

“I don’t want him,” she reassures me. “I was confused. He was nice to me, and I thought if I could win him around, I could get us out of here. But I’ve realised that if we want to leave here, we have to overpower the forefathers.”

“I agree.”

She almost smiles. “You do?”

I nod. “Alex is on board. With your help, we can convince the other three warriors to help fight our way out.”

She shakes her head, pressing her hands to my chest. “That’s not what I mean, Ares.” I wait for her to continue. “There are too many people relying on me to get us out, and I can’t do it if the forefathers are there to stop me. I can’t reach Summer if my father is still breathing.” Her words settle, and I give a slight nod. “I want to kill them, Ares.”

“Okay,” I say.

Her eyes widen. “Really?”

I nod, cupping her face in my hands. “Let’s go.”

She smiles, relief flooding her face, but it soon fades. “There’s got to be a plan,” she mutters. “I need a little more time.”

I shake my head. “No. You’re not going back to him.”

“It’ll be easier this way,” she reasons.

I run my fingers into her hair and gently tug her head back to look up at me. “I love you, and I’m not letting you go back there so he can hurt you again.”

Her eyes glisten with more tears. “How did you know?”

“I know every expression you have, and the last time I saw this,” I murmur, rubbing my thumb over her cheek to smear her tears away, “was when I was forced to?—”

She reaches up, slamming her mouth to mine. We kiss, slow and gentle, and then she pulls back. “I don’t blame you for any of that,” she whispers, forcing a smile as more tears spill. “You’ve been made to do so much.” Her breaths shudder as she sobs. “But I’m glad it was you.”

I pull her back to me. “So, now what?”

“I have to talk to the other warriors,” she says against my chest.

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