“I’m sure he just wanted to help celebrate.”
Mr. Peng wanders farther into the tent, seemingly lost or looking for someone. When he spots us, his and Jasper’s eyes lock. I can just about hear Jasper grinding his teeth, which I’m pretty sure are fangs by now. Then to my astonishment George steps in our direction. Is he…? He can’t be seriously coming over here? Can he?
“Keep calm,” I say. “Remember this is a school.”
George stops a couple of meters short, probably being careful not to get too close. Then he drops to his knees.
“Mr. Apollo,” he begins, speaking to the dusty ground. “I submit myself to you and beg for your forgiveness. I have had a lot of time to think during my time in exile and I know now what I did was wrong—the actions of a deranged man driven crazy by the hierarchies of the society he was born into.”
Jasper edges forward and I squeeze his arm tighter.
“And I don’t mean to make excuses. I did what I did of my own volition. But it has cost me everything. My life and my daughter. Please, accept my apologies. I do not expect forgiveness, but…”
“But?” Jasper rasps, incredulous.
“But I would ask one thing of you.”
Jasper’s teeth are the most clenched teeth I’ve seen. “And what would that be?”
“Eleanor, my daughter. I have no way of knowing if she’s healthy, or—alive. Could you please, tell me…is she okay?”
For a minute I remain terrified Jasper is about to shift and tear this poor guy’s throat out. Yeah, he did almost have me killed and he kidnapped Aisha, and he nearly toppled the whole Apollo dynasty, but looking at him now, he seems so small, frail. His hands are digging into the soil, tears wet his wrinkled face. I shift my gaze from him to Jasper and realize that Jasper’s jaws are no longer snapped tight, his face is loose, his expression somewhat bemused.
From the corner of my vision I spot Mal watching us and Tomas as well. They’re both waiting to see how Jasper will react. In fact, more and more eyes turn to watch the spectacle as Mr. Peng waits to see if Jasper will rip him to shreds or…is it possible he’ll offer forgiveness?
“For the things you have done,” Jasper says, sounding every bit the young alpha, “I can offer no forgiveness. You tried to destroy my family and taint our legacy.”
Tomas takes the smallest step forward and Mal sends him a warning glance, telling him to stay back, just a moment longer.
“But I understand the pressure that could lead a man such as you to drastic measures, and I too understand the power of the link between a parent and their child. As far as I know Eleanor is behind bars, but she is alive, healthy, and provided for. She is serving out her sentence in peace.”
“Thank you,” Mr. Peng says, bowing even lower. “You are very kind to tell me this. Your words soothe the ache of a broken man.”
“I do not wish to soothe,” Jasper continues. “Only to prevent more unnecessary suffering.”
“Thank you,” Mr. Peng says again, and again, and again, until finally Mal stands and whispers into the ear of a nearby wolf.
He and a friend move to either side of Mr. Peng and lift him from the dirt, helping him to walk away.
We watch until he’s gone, and the party closes ranks, the vibe shifting from a tense, somber one back to one of joyous celebration.
“That was—really nice of you,” I say, rubbing Jasper’s arm.
“It’s more than he deserves,” he spits to the side.
“Maybe, but also now we can maybe move on. That’s what you deserve.”
The girl from earlier, the one desperate for Mr. Jasper to read her yet another story, appears next to us.
“Jasper,” she says a little quietly, swaying from side to side. “Will you come and dance with us?”
He glances at me, as if I’m about to give him some sort of escape route, when in fact, there’s no way I would give up the chance to see him dancing with a gaggle of preschoolers. Besides, maybe it’s the tension release he needs. Instead of making excuses on his behalf I shrug, as if to sayI’ve got nothing.
“Sure, Janie, I’d love to.”
She reaches up her little hand, which Jasper takes, and he’s immediately pulled across the floor.
Once he’s fully entrenched in a circle of four-year-olds I look around again, wondering where Omar could have gotten to and if everything is okay. But that concern vanishes when I look back over to find Jasper fully breaking it down, doing some cross between swing dance and the twist. A circle of kids is jumping around him, swishing their hips, meanwhile he’s spinning Janie under his arm and dancing up a storm.
