Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Choice
910 Words
The ride home was silent.
For the first time in years...
none of the Ryder brothers had anything to say.
Not after what happened.
Not after whatever that thing was.
The wounds across their bodies had already healed.
Broken bones repaired.
Cuts vanished.
Bruises faded.
The perks of being wolves.
Yet somehow...
the pain remained.
Jace disappeared upstairs the moment they arrived home.
Cole went to his room.
Max remained outside.
Standing motionless.
Watching the darkness.
Thinking.
Anger burned behind his silver eyes.
That face.
He couldn't forget it.
Elara.
Again and again.
The image replayed endlessly.
And eventually...
the anger won.
---
Meanwhile...
Elara sat alone in her room.
A book rested in her lap.
Though she hadn't turned a page in twenty minutes.
Her brother and sister had gone out to a party.
Apparently "socializing with humans" was important.
Orion called it blending in.
Seraphina called it suffering.
Either way—
Elara had the house to herself.
Which should have been relaxing.
Instead...
her thoughts kept drifting elsewhere.
To silver eyes.
To stupid smiles.
To a wolf who climbed second-story windows.
She groaned.
Then buried her face in her book.
"You're ridiculous."
A sudden chill crawled down her spine.
Her instincts screamed.
Someone was outside.
Immediately she stood.
Walking toward the window.
Nothing.
No movement.
No scent.
No sound.
Yet the feeling remained.
Something wasn't right.
Slowly she headed downstairs.
Stepping outside.
The night air felt cold.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Then—
She saw silver eyes.
A familiar figure standing beneath the moonlight.
A smile immediately appeared.
"Oh."
Relief flooded her face.
"Silver Eyes, you're here. I was just—"
She froze.
The smile vanished.
No.
Not Jace.
Max.
The resemblance was obvious.
But the expression wasn't.
Jace's eyes held warmth.
Humor.
Life.
Max's eyes held none of those things.
Only anger.
Pure anger.
Elara took a step back.
"What do you want?"
Max didn't answer immediately.
Instead he slowly approached.
"You play with fire."
His voice was cold.
"And you have no idea how hot fire burns."
Elara frowned.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"Still pretending."
"Pretending what?"
"Innocence."
Elara's patience snapped.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Max's jaw tightened.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"No."
"I don't."
His eyes narrowed.
Then—
Without warning—
He attacked.
Elara barely dodged.
His fist shattered part of the porch railing.
Wood exploded.
"What is wrong with you?!"
Max attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Relentless.
Unlike Jace.
There was no teasing.
No banter.
No hesitation.
Max fought to hurt.
To destroy.
Elara defended herself.
Countered.
Dodged.
Struck back.
But it wasn't enough.
Max was stronger.
Far stronger.
One punch sent her crashing into the yard.
Pain exploded through her ribs.
Before she could stand—
Max was already there.
A silver dagger appeared in his hand.
Elara's eyes widened.
No.
Not silver.
Anything but silver.
The blade plunged forward.
She twisted.
Too slow.
The dagger buried itself deep into her stomach.
Pain exploded through her body.
A scream tore from her throat.
She collapsed.
Blood staining the grass.
Max stood over her.
Breathing heavily.
Silver eyes burning.
"You should've stayed away."
Elara couldn't move.
Couldn't heal.
Couldn't think.
The silver prevented it.
And Max raised the dagger again.
Preparing for the final strike.
Then—
A growl echoed through the night.
Max froze.
A familiar scent hit the air.
Wolf.
Ryder.
His expression darkened.
"No."
A blur exploded from the darkness.
CLANG.
The dagger never landed.
Another blade blocked it.
Max looked up.
Jace stood between them.
Breathing hard.
Eyes blazing.
For a second nobody spoke.
Then Max laughed.
A cold laugh.
Disappointed.
"You."
Jace didn't move.
Behind him...
Elara struggled to breathe.
Blood soaking her shirt.
"What are you doing?"
Jace's voice shook.
Not with fear.
With anger.
Max pointed toward Elara.
"Finishing a problem."
"She's not a problem."
The words escaped before Jace could stop them.
Silence.
Max stared.
Then smiled.
A terrible smile.
"Oh."
Jace immediately regretted saying it.
But it was too late.
Max had heard.
And worse—
understood.
"You really have fallen."
Jace clenched his fists.
"Leave."
Max ignored him.
"Of all the things I expected from you..."
His voice became quieter.
More dangerous.
"I never expected betrayal."
Jace's eyes widened.
"That's not what this is."
"No?"
Max stepped closer.
The air between them grew heavy.
"You stand between a wolf and a vampire."
Another step.
"You protect her."
Another.
"You fight your own blood."
His silver eyes burned.
"And you want me to believe this isn't betrayal?"
Jace's heart pounded.
Because part of him feared Max was right.
Then he looked behind him.
Saw Elara.
Injured.
Bleeding.
Terrified.
And the answer became simple.
"No."
Max laughed bitterly.
"No?"
"No."
Jace stepped forward.
Matching his brother.
"If protecting someone who doesn't deserve to die makes me a traitor..."
His voice hardened.
"Then so be it."
For the first time—
Max looked hurt.
Actually hurt.
Then the pain disappeared.
Replaced by fury.
"So that's your choice."
Jace swallowed.
But never backed down.
Max nodded slowly.
"I understand now."
Then he attacked.
The fight shook the entire yard.
Brother against brother.
Claw against claw.
Fury against fury.
And behind them...
Elara watched in horror.
Because she realized something terrible.
The person being hurt most tonight...
wasn't her.
It was Jace.
Forced to choose between family...
and her.
- Writer
