Chapter 679

"Whoa," Jackson says, inhaling a deep breath as he wakes up next to me, immediately feeling my foul disposition. "You're in an...interesting mood today."

I huff a little laugh and sit up, straddling his hips and putting my hands on his chest, peering down into his face. "I'm not moody at you, though," I say, tilting my head and taking in his incredibly handsome face, his muscled and honed body.

God, crap, but he's good looking.

Jackson bursts into a smile as he senses the direction of my thoughts, his hands moving to my hips. "Good," he sighs. “I think I'd be afraid, honestly, if you were truly mad at me. I fear the wrath of Ariel."

"Clever boy," I whisper, grinning and leaning forward, pressing a kiss to his mouth. Jackson wraps me up, as he always does, returning my kiss with all the warmth and love that I give to right back to him.

I break it before I want to, before we have the chance to get all worked up and panting. "Time to get up."

He groans, tightening his arms around me. "No, let's quit school," he grumbles.

But I just laugh and kiss him again and press myself away, hopping out of bed and striding for the bathroom.

"I don't like it when you have plans!" he calls after me, wary.

Jesse sits up in his bed, rubbing an eye. "Ariel has plans?"

"Oh god," Rafe groans. "What the hell are we in for now?"

"Ari!" Rafe barks, grabbing my arm as I stride out of the castle, heading for the helicopters ahead of me. "Stop this right now!"

"Oh, let go of me, you big brat," I snarl, turning to glare at him. "We've already been over this! This is happening, and if you try to stop me, I'll set you on fire!"

Jesse and Jackson spill out of the castle after us, looking equally tense.

This is a fight we've been having all morning - each of the boys demanding that I tell them what I've got planned, or that I not participate in the Games, and me pleading and demanding that they trust me in turn. The fight continued until it was time to go, and then down the stairs.

And now it's time for us to get on different helicopters, and we've come to no sort of agreement, and everyone's pissed.

"You can't just keep threatening to light me on fire!" Rafe snarls, tightening his hand on my arm.

I narrow my eyes at him and then snap my gaze down to the little strip of grass that remains between us. It bursts into flames.

Rafe gasps and jumps back before starting to stop on it.

It's out in a second. It was just a tiny fire, after all.

"God damn it, Ari," he growls.

"You need to stop threatening me, Rafe!" I snap, glaring hard at hime "You're just pissed that you can't bully me anymore now that I have brute force equal to yours

"Enough!" Jesse shouts, coming to literally stand between us and

our

shoving a hand against each of chests, which has me stumbling a few steps back while Rafe just stands still. Jackson's behind me in an instant, catching me before I can trip over my own boots.

"Ari, just tell us," Jackson begs, anxious.

"You trust me or you don't," I snarl, looking between the three of them.

“That's not fair, Ari," Rafe says, shaking his head at me. “It's not that black and white."

"It is when you want it to be, Rafe," I say, raising my eyebrows at him. "What, because I'm not in the chain of command I can't make calls?"

He tightens his lips, glaring at me.

"I'm doing this," I say, straighteningnoveldrama

up and setting my shoulders. "Om my

own, my move. Not ours

not Rafe

and Jackson and Jesse fighting for me. Me."

“But we all know you're up to something," Jackson growls, glaring down at me. “And we don't want you to get killed —“

“He promised I'd be safe!” I say, gesturing out to the field to where the Captain is somewhere.

"But Ari," Jesse says, stepping towards me, worried.

"Enough!" I shout, desperately resisting the urge to stop my foot. "You will let me be my own person! You will let me make my choices! This is done!"

All three go very silent and still for a moment before Rafe slowly steps forward.