"So it's to show Ezra what happens if he tries to help people by baking cookies?"Due looked confused."It was you who gave the witch the cookies, right?Not Ezra."She looked at Rourke, and he nodded.Ezra had been on the run at the time, but Shixyll couldn't know.He didn't think everyone in the pack was aware.
Geri took another spoonful of soup, then he looked around the table."How could she know we'd help him?By dumping him in the forest, she had to know Ezra wouldn't be the one to find him.Had she found one of us wounded on their land, I bet she would've killed us on the spot."
"Or taken us prisoner and used us as a bargaining chip."Farkas' voice was growly.
"Why give us a bargaining chip?"Tala shook her head."It doesn't make sense.Either she wanted us to kill him and...what?Start the war again?Or did she want us to take him in and...prove something to Ezra?"
"I don't think the war has ended."This wasn't the kind of peace Rourke had envisioned."We might not die on the battlefield, but this isn't peace."
"I agree."Ulric nodded."This is a new kind of war, but I'm not sure we understand the rules."
Rourke pressed his lips together."Maybe Ezra can explain their reasoning."Why wasn't he here yet?How long did it take to feed someone a bowl of soup?He focused on the mate bond.Ezra was worried, but he had been since Ulric had woken them, so nothing new there.
"Do we keep him?"Geri ate more soup.
"Ezra?"Tala looked confused.
"No, idiot, Jiprix.Will we be a werewolf pack with two witches?Ezra, I believe, is a good witch, but Jiprix?He's covered in piercings, tattoos, and braids.He won't make us chicken soup.He's more likely to turn us inside out."
"Is he the one who can?"Due met Rourke's gaze.
"I don't know."He tried to think back on what he knew about the clan and Jiprix."He might be."
Due made a face of distaste."Fuck.We can't keep him.I trust Ezra, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust him."
Rourke had to agree."He stays in the hut for now.And maybe..."He didn't want to leave it unguarded, but he didn't want to risk one of his people being turned inside out either.There was no coming back from it.
* * * *
Ezra fed Jiprix one spoonful after the other.When the bowl was almost empty, Jiprix held up a hand in a stop sign.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, thank you."He closed his eyes and breathed deeply a few times.
"What happened?"Ezra wasn't sure he wanted to know.
Jiprix smiled only to halt the motion and wince as it tugged at the injured side of his face."It was stupid."
Stupid?Ezra waited and after a few seconds, Jiprix sighed.
"She never realized how much you helped us.I know you don't have any battle skills, but since Xiveus has taken over cooking, people are tired, several have sore throats and troubling sinuses, and Uzith's girls got a chest cold."
Jiprix took a few seconds to breathe."I only wanted the girls to feel better.They were coughing and coughing, hardly able to breathe, poor things."
Ezra gave him a small smile.Jiprix always pretended to be badass, and he was, but he cared about people.
"I came here.I figured I could get you to give me some cookies or something to help the girls.I didn't think she'd be angry about me visiting you."He winced."Turns out I was wrong."
"She did this because you visited me?"
He gave a slow shake of his head."Nah, she did it because I didn't tell her.Rourke did, and she claimed it made her look like a fool when he knew more about her people than she did.But Ezra--" He took Ezra's hand in his uninjured one."--you have to help me get back."
"What?"
"I have to get back.I can't stay here."
Ezra shook his head."No.You have to rest.You have to heal."
