Page 30

The Island (Cuba)

King

I headed to the training field and beat down every challenger who dared step forward for the next two hours. By the time I was done, my men looked at me with something close to fear. I was going to be a father, and I should have been ecstatic, but all I felt was terror, an emotion I wasn’t accustomed to. Strangling my mate seemed like it might help.

A baby.

We could have lost our child before I even knew he or she existed.

My thoughts circled back to strangulation.

When I finally left the field, my men practically collapsed with relief. I headed back to my room to shower, grateful that Marinah had found somewhere else to be. I needed time before I dealt with her again. After a quick shower, I dressed in fresh clothes and stepped out of the room.

Labyrinth’s body was in his quarters, awaiting the funeral that would take place tonight alongside the ceremonies for the Shadow Warriors we’d lost during the Federation’s attack. Outside his door, Beck, Nokita, Cabel, and Alden stood in unity.

“Marinah is with him,” Beck said sharply, his tone rebuking. He was still angry he hadn’t gone on the mission with us. Marinah had made the right decision about which men to take, and I wouldn’t fault her for it. She’s the one who shouldn’t have been with us.

I placed a hand on the doorknob and hesitated. I wasn’t ready to face her. But I turned the handle and stepped inside anyway.

The bed took up one wall, and Marinah was on her knees on the floor, her body leaning over Labyrinth’s legs. Her shoulders shook, and it didn’t take long to realize she was crying.

The anger I’d been holding onto disintegrated. I stepped closer and gently placed my hand on her back. At my touch, she rose from the floor and flew into my arms, her sobs breaking free. I held her, letting her cry.

“I know the exact moment he died,” she choked out between sobs, “but Nova wouldn’t accept it.”

I kept rubbing her back, trying to soothe her. “Each time we lose one of our own, they take a piece of us with them,” I said softly. “I’m sorry you feel that connection, but it’s also what makes you alpha.”

She lifted her head, and our eyes met. “I’m sorry,” she said. “You had a right to know about the baby.”

I pulled her back against my chest, taking a deep breath to steady myself. I loved her. She would always push my buttons, and I would always love her for it. “The men would like some time with their friend,” I said gently. “And we need to question Mrs. Barnes.”

She leaned down and kissed Labyrinth’s cheek. She then grasped my hand like it was a lifeline. We left the room and the men nodded at her when she passed, but she kept her gaze straight ahead.

Two hallways later, I stopped. Marinah looked up at me with swollen eyes.

“Do you need a break before we question Mrs. Barnes?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. This is a good time. Don’t let me kill her.”

∞∞∞

“I’m not who you think I am!” Mrs. Barnes protested a second after we entered the room.

“Did your husband engineer the hellhounds?” Marinah demanded without missing a beat.

“No, you don’t understand,” the woman cried as tears formed in her eyes.

Marinah moved faster than I expected. What happened next told me just how close to the edge my mate was. The snap of Mrs. Barnes’ leg reverberated through the room, followed by a piercing, pain-filled scream. When Marinah had broken the soldier’s wrists during the battle, she’d been in Nova form. But now, it was her human form that carried the raw brutality.

Mrs. Barnes whimpered, curling into an awkward ball, her broken leg resting at a grotesque angle. If Marinah snapped her neck, I wouldn’t have had time to save the woman.

“Did your husband engineer the hellhounds?” Marinah repeated, her voice even colder.

“No!” Mrs. Barnes cried; her face contorted with pain. She whimpered when Marinah stepped closer. “I swear I’m telling the truth. Please don’t hurt me again. I’m simply a pawn for the men. They do horrible things to the soldiers. It isn’t my fault, I just wanted to live.” She let out a sound that almost resembled a howl. “They kept me prisoner,” she cried. “My husband is an evil man, and he treated me like dirt. He hated your kind. I’m sorry that the hate leaked into me, but it’s not how I really feel. Please, I can help you,” her eyes shifted quickly between me and Marinah.

Marinah turned abruptly, her expression unreadable, and walked out of the room. I secured the cell door behind us, locking Mrs. Barnes inside before following Marinah.

She moved quickly. I picked up my pace to catch up with her.

“She’s lying,” she said as she marched with angry strides. “You should have seen the disgust in her eyes when she figured out who I was. She cannot be trusted.”

We reached the infirmary door, and Marinah threw it open. The people inside turned their eyes as one. Marinah’s gaze locked on the young soldier she had saved, and she strode toward her. Fear entered her eyes as Marinah closed the distance.

“What is the worst thing the Federation did to you?” Marinah demanded.

The young soldier glanced at me, then back at my mate. Her lips trembled, her terror making it impossible for her to answer.

Marinah inhaled slowly, and something inside her seemed to calm. Even in her rage, she understood that this woman wasn’t the real enemy. I had no idea where she was going with her questioning. I, however, knew she’d figured out something I missed.

“Please answer the question,” Marinah said. “No one will harm you, but I need answers.”

The woman inhaled just as Marinah had done. Her lips quivered, and tears streamed down her face. “I know what you’re asking,” she replied softly with quivering lips. “They,” she hesitated. “They injected us,” she finally said. “When we die, we become the monsters.”