Page 70 of Spark

My lips tightened in frustration before I finally sighed in defeat.

“All right, fine, but I’m trusting you not to ruin this. It makes me happy to see them.”

“Them?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Come on,” I said, this time being the one to tug him along.

I led Darren toward the den, hoping the foxes wouldn’t be out, but of course, I could hear the little yaps and growling of the kits. When we were about ten feet from the tree I normally hid behind, I slowed our pace.

“You have to be really quiet, or you’ll scare them,” I said, looking up at Darren with a pleading look. He returned a very unsettled suspicious one. “Don’t be mad,” I pressed, emphasizing my puppy dog eyes.

Taking his hand, I pulled him into a crouching position behind a nearby bush and pointed toward the den. The kits were playing all over the place, jumping on broken tree stumps, clawing and snapping at each other while the mother finished snacking on the remains of another dead rabbit. “See? Aren’t they cute?” I said softly, hoping like fuck he thought the same thing.

“Son of a bitch,” Darren whispered under his breath, his agitation becoming clear as he rose to get a better look.

I immediately latched on to his forearm to pull him back down. “Darren, please. I’m trusting you, remember?” I whispered a little too loudly. The scowl that he returned was enough to make me withdraw my hands as if I was backing away from a snarling animal. I sat back in the bushes in a huff, knowing it was over and he was going to ruin everything. Again. Glancing up, Darren’s face contorted in anger as he watched the little foxes play. After a few moments, he released a heavy breath and sat down next to me.

“You’ve never tried to interact with them, have you? You don’t touch them?” he asked, that anger still fresh in his voice.

“No, Darren. I just sit here and watch them for a while.”

“Jaden, do not fuck with me on this,” he growled.

“I swear!” I replied, getting a little too defensive now.

Darren sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as his mouth creased into a thin line. When he seemed to calm down, he stood, grabbing my arm and taking me with him.

“Come on, let’s go. I’ve seen enough,” he said, pulling me along through the woods.

“Darren, I’m sorry. Look, I won’t go near them, just—”

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that could have been for you?” he said sharply.

I scoffed. “I think I can handle a couple of little foxes, Darren. I don’t really view them as that dangerous.”

“Hence why you don’t get to make any decisions regarding your safety. They could have attacked you. They could have had rabies, for fuck’s sake.”

“They’re just foxes.”

“They’re wild animals. And wild animals will not hesitate to protect their young. You will stay out of the woods until I can figure out what to do with them. End of discussion.”

I groaned aloud, not caring if he heard me or not. I recognized the tone in his voice—the one that told me to shut up and deal or find myself over his lap.

Darren led me out of the woods, his hand against my shoulder, pushing me along, and I tried hard not to let my agitation get the best of me. If he killed those foxes, I swore I’d take it out on his face.

When we reached the house, Darren left me with my guards and turned to leave, but I had to protect those foxes. I couldn’t let him walk away just yet.

“Darren, wait,” I pleaded, grabbing his forearm to stop him. “You’re not going to kill them, are you?”

He stared down at me, the intense anger in his eyes enough to make me regret my decision. Instead of answering me, he turned to my guards. “Take her upstairs,” he said to them and walked off, pulling away from my grip without a second glance.

I felt my mouth drop open in shock at his blatant dismissal as Clive and Owen each grabbed one of my arms and tugged me away from Darren and off toward the stairs.

“Darren, wait! Please don’t!” I shouted at his back as I was carted away on his orders, but he never answered. Clive and Owen had to practically drag me toward the stairs by the time I stopped fighting them and finally broke free of their grip.

“Fuck off me,” I snarled, shrugging them off as I huffed my way up the stairs and to my room. I slammed the door shut in their stupid faces.

Folding my arms across my chest, I paced my room. I was so fucking pissed I was ready to flip every piece of furniture over in my room. I knew he’d find a reason; I fucking knew it. I kept pacing until I decided I needed an outlet before I really did destroy something.

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