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The ship banked hard to the right again, and I stumbled forward.

The guard closest to me immediately moved to intercept me, club raised, as if this were all some grand escape plot.

Ha!I let out a dry laugh that sent pain swirling through my midsection.As if I had the energy to try to escape.

It might not have been thesmartestthing to press my guards so hard for information on Gram and Mirrim last night … but what else was I supposed to do? I'd seen them with my own eyes — comatose on those damn stretchers! They were imprisoned and helpless somewhere in the same fortress as me, and it was up tometo find a way to save them.

And now that the fog was gone from my mind, the need to act had become insistent.

I'd almost forgotten what it had felt like towantto do something, as well as how difficult it was to walk the line between embracing that need and acting reckless.

The night before had been reckless, though. The guards hadn't revealed anything, and I'd been left paying the price with my injuries.

No. Perhaps it would be best if I slowed down my antagonizing of people with clubs …

"He's what?!" Kaiya's sharp voice rose above the deafening hum of the engines.

I turned to see her facing off with a frustrated-looking Tye.

She jabbed her pointer finger into his chest and hissed something, but he just shook his head and shrugged.

Just how did that asshole blow off his mate like that, let alonebetrayher?

Gods, if she were mine, I'd never …

Woah. I would not be going down that gremlyn hole …

Not again.

No. I needed to stay focused on the present and find a way to save Gram and Mirrim.

Suddenly, Kaiya's attention shifted to me, face etched with concern.

What was that look?

She stared at me, as if searching for something of great importance, and I stared back, powerless to look away.

A moment later, she finally shook her head and turned back to Tye, berating him once more … but not quite loud enough for me to hear over the roar of the ship's engines.

Judging by the look on her face and the way she was gesturing wildly, she was not happy.

But how did it involve me?

I tried to scooch closer to eavesdrop, but between the guards watching me and the engines blasting, there was no way to get close enough.

Finally, Kaiya raised her hands in frustration and turned back to me — those hazel eyes now full of dread.

Something twisted deep in my chest, and I had to look away.

That concerned look did not bode well for me …

"I get what she sees in the Lieutenant," the shorter of my guards jeered. "If we were back home, I bet he'd give even Alpha a run for his money. But what's she see inthissack of shit?" The shorter guard jabbed his thumb at me.

I tried desperately not to roll my eyes.

"What?" the other guard asked. "You think the bitch has a thing for either of them? No way —" He turned to me, smile not quite reaching his eyes. "She doesn't, right?" he sneered. "There's nothin' going on between you, the Lieutenant, and that pretty bitch over there. Right?"

The way he said it made it sound so depraved and wrong — madehersound like nothing more than fucking property!