Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 298

Talia’s POV

"Fine. I’ll have him tell everyone in the receiving hall," I said. “Then, you will be escorted to the border where you will never come back.”

“No, that won’t work,” Jason responded.

"What do you mean? I agreed," I shot back. I was already agreeing to what he demanded. What more did he want?

“I trust you, Talia, but not them.” Jason pointed to Nolan and Solon. “Your father has to do it at the border, not under the same roof as everyone who wants me dead. Think of it as a way to ensure my survival in all this. I’m sure you understand.”

My wolf growled within me, ‘We can not trust him. Every word he speaks is a lie.’

Jason was smart to ask for this. He was right to believe that they would go back on their word. Alpha Landon and Colin were two wild cards who would kill him given the chance. On the other hand, my father was still in the ER, hooked up to tubes. His condition was fragile; any attempt to move him even a short distance meant risking a sudden drop in blood pressure or him going into cardiac arrest before we even had a chance to use the potion. Moving him now could kill him faster than the poison in his veins.

“I cannot agree to that,” I said. “You said he only needed to publicly do it.”

Jason smirked and said, “Talia, you don’t get to set the terms. You want something from me, so we're going to do it my way. He can do it from a chair. He can do it from a stretcher, for all I care, as long as he does it in his own voice and in front of enough people that the order cannot be walked back. Once it is done, you get the potion.”

“And if he cannot speak?”

"Then, no deal, but I’m sure he will speak. The alternative is dying. Neither of you will allow that if you have any choice."

Solon stepped forward. “How do we know you won’t destroy the potion the second we sign off on this? You hand the vial to Leslie, my father drinks it, and we find out an hour later that it was water or worse. You’ve walked out of Silverfang tomorrow never to be seen again until the next time you decide to set fire to one of our packs.”

Jason smiled at him. “Solon, do you really think I went to the trouble of getting this potion just to pour water on a table?”

“I think you would do anything if it meant that it would save your miserable hide.”

“Your hesitancy to agree does bring up a good point. I haven’t done anything to make you believe I am being honest,” Jason said. He tapped the table for a few seconds as he thought it through. Then, he smiled as he leaned back in his chair. “Here’s how we do this: I stay here until your father drinks the potion. Surround me with as many guards as you want. The vial stays right here until your father clears me. If anything goes wrong, kill me on the spot. How is that?”

Something in the way he watched us stuck with me, made me uncomfortable. Jason sounded so reasonable for someone talking to the very people who got his father killed. I couldn't shake the feeling that Jason was putting himself at risk because he knew he was going to win in the end. Even with my reservations, it was a good plan. On the surface, it looked like we had the upper hand, and I prayed that it stayed that way.

“Done,” Solon agreed.

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