Chapter 70 Jace POV
The next morning, I waited behind the bleachers after the race ended. I knew Maddie would come this way eventually. She always took the back path to avoid crowds. Some habits never changed.
The sun was setting and shadows stretched long across the ground. Perfect timing. Perfect location. Nobody would see us back here. Nobody would interrupt what I needed to say.
Then I saw her. She was walking alone with her head down and her hood up. Still trying to be invisible. Still trying to hide from the world. From me.
I stepped out from behind the bleachers directly into her path. She stopped walking immediately when she saw me. Her eyes went wide. Her whole body tensed like she was getting ready to run.
"Miss me baby?" I said. I kept my voice casual. Friendly. Like we were old friends catching up instead of exes with a terrible history. "Keane looks good on you."
"Move Jace," Maddie said. Her voice was quiet but firm. "I need to get back to my dorm."
"We should talk first," I said. I took a step closer. "It's been so long. We have so much to catch up on."
"We have nothing to catch up on," Maddie said. She took a step back. "We're done. We've been done for months."
"Are we though?" I asked. I tilted my head and studied her face. "Because it doesn't feel done to me. It feels unfinished."
"That's your problem," Maddie said. "Not mine. Now move."
"Still hiding that pretty white fur?" I asked. I watched her face carefully. Watched her reaction. "Still pretending to be something you're not?"
Maddie's face went pale. Her breathing got faster. I had hit a nerve. Good. That's exactly what I wanted.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Maddie said. But her voice shook. The lie was obvious.
"Yes you do," I said. I took another step closer. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You're a white wolf Maddie. Daughter of the Alpha King and Queen. Royal bloodline. The rarest kind that exists."
"Stop," Maddie said. She backed up until her shoulders hit the wooden bleachers. She was trapped now. Nowhere to go. "Stop talking."
"Why?" I asked. I moved even closer until I was standing right in front of her. "Does it make you uncomfortable? Does it scare you that I know your secret?"
"Leave me alone Jace," Maddie said. Her voice was stronger now. Angry. "We're done. Whatever we had is over. You made sure of that when you slept with Lila."
"That was a mistake," I said. I put my hand on the bleachers next to her head. Caged her in. "A stupid mistake that I regret every day."
"I don't care if you regret it," Maddie said. "It doesn't change anything. It doesn't fix what you broke."
"Then let me fix it now," I said. I leaned closer. Close enough that I could smell her shampoo. Close enough to see the fear in her eyes. "Let me make it up to you."
"No," Maddie said firmly. "I don't want anything from you. I don't want your apologies. I don't want your excuses. I just want you to leave me alone."
"Can't do that," I said. I smiled slowly. "See I came all the way here to Keane just to see you. Just to talk to you. Just to remind you of what we had."
"We had nothing," Maddie said. "You cheated on me. You lied to me. You treated me like I was replaceable. That's not a relationship. That's abuse."
"Strong words," I said. "You've gotten braver since you left. More willing to speak your mind. I like it."
"I don't care what you like," Maddie said. She pushed against my chest trying to create space. "Get away from me."
"Or what?" I asked. I didn't move. "What are you going to do Maddie? Shift? Show everyone what you really are? Expose yourself in front of the whole school?"
"I'm not afraid of you," Maddie said. But I could see the lie in her eyes. She was terrified. She was shaking.
"You should be," I said quietly. "You should be very afraid. Because I know your secret. I know what you're hiding. I know everything about you."
"So what?" Maddie demanded. "Are you going to tell everyone? Are you going to expose me? Is that your plan?"
"Maybe," I said. I traced a finger down her arm and watched her flinch away. "Or maybe I'll keep your secret. Maybe I'll protect you. It all depends."
"Depends on what?" Maddie asked.
"On whether you cooperate," I said. "On whether you remember who you belong to. On whether you stop pretending this is over between us."
"It is over," Maddie said. She pushed harder against my chest. "I don't belong to you. I never belonged to you. Now get away from me before I scream."
"Go ahead and scream," I said. "Nobody will come. Nobody cares about the wolfless transfer girl."
"I said get away from me," Maddie said. Her voice was getting louder now. Desperate. "I mean it Jace."
"Not even close baby," I said. I leaned in until my lips were next to her ear. "We're not done. We'll never be done. No matter how far you run. No matter where you hide. I'll always find you."
"You're insane," Maddie whispered. "You need help."
"What I need is you," I said. "What I need is for you to stop fighting this. Stop fighting us. Stop pretending you don't still feel something for me."
"I feel nothing for you except disgust," Maddie said. "Now let me go."
"Fine," I said. I stepped back and held my hands up. "Go. Run back to your dorm. Hide behind locked doors. But tomorrow there's another event. More races. More opportunities for accidents."
"Are you threatening me?" Maddie asked. Her eyes were wide.
"I'm just stating facts," I said. "Sports week is dangerous. Accidents happen all the time. Like what happened today with Derek clipping your ankle. That could happen again. Could be worse next time."
"You told him to do that," Maddie said. "You told Derek to trip me."
"Can't prove that," I said with a smile. "Just like you can't prove anything else. It's all speculation. All conspiracy theories. All in your head."
"I hate you," Maddie said. "I hate you so much."
"No you don't," I said. "You're just confused. You're just scared. But that will pass. Eventually you'll remember what we had. Eventually you'll come back to me."
"Never," Maddie said. "I would rather die than go back to you."
"Careful what you wish for," I said. My smile faded. "Because that can be arranged too."