by Hannah Lin
wrapped an arm around her middle. My suspicion had been
right. Maddie still cared for her father on some level. How
was I going to kill him when I knew my mate didn’t want me
to?
“Would it upset you if I killed him?” I asked.
Maddie scoffed. “Of course! He’s my father.”
“And he’s murdered hundreds, if not thousands. Your intel
was the first we’d heard about the suicide bomber cell. We’d
always assumed that Zov was funding different cells to carry
out the attacks, but now that we know they’re the ones
doing it, we can nip things in the bud.”
Maddie nodded. “And you can do that without killing my
father or my cousin. Taylor’s his second, you know.”
“I know that, but we have to think things through,” I said,
my voice gentle. I understood that this was an emotional
situation and was glad that the ride back to the base was a
long one.
“Fine.” Maddie folded her arms. “Let’s think things
through. If you kill my father and Taylor, then all you get is
their deaths. You won’t get the information that can really
help you dive into how they do what they do.”
“I’m doing my best to get some of it, and I have a second
dragon coming to help me soon. But here’s the thing,
Maddie. Your father won’t give up that information.”
Maddie threw her hands up in the air. “Then torture it out
of him, or any of his men.”
I shook my head. “How long do you think we could keep
your father in custody? He’s a top-level Zovite soldier. Both
Testea and Zov have spies and inside men in each other’s
camps. He would escape in a matter of days.”
“You could keep him at a maximum-security facility.
Underground. Or on a hill. It doesn’t matter. You can do it if
you want to.”
I raised my hands in front of me in a placating gesture.
“Alright. Let’s say that’s the plan. How will I get your father
to Testea? From what I know, we’re heading to Earth tonight.
There will be no Testeans to help me capture your father
there, besides my second. Also, shifters live hidden on
Earth. We can’t just send an army of dragons.”
Maddie hung her head and sighed. She was quiet for a few
minutes. I didn’t go to her this time or try to say anything
comforting. Maddie had to come to terms with the situation
at hand.
The only way to stop the cell was to kill Carter. Yes,
someone else could take his place, but it would be someone
less experienced and more likely to make mistakes. Or so I
hoped.
“I know my father has done worse,” Maddie said, her
voice small. “But the idea of watching him and Taylor die
upsets me. I can’t deal with it.”
I felt my throat burn. Maddie sounded dangerously close
to weeping. I hated to see people cry, but with Maddie, I
couldn’t bear it.
“I wouldn’t make you watch them die, Maddie. I’m not a
monster. You’d be far away and safe by then.”
Maddie raised her watery eyes. “But I’d know exactly what
was about to happen. And my mind would go wild imagining
it. Please don’t do it, Kate.”
I drew a sharp breath. And here it was. The moment I’d
always dreaded. A person I cared about was asking me to do
something against my orders.
I had seen several teammates change once they found
their mates and vowed never to do the same. So many
soldiers went soft, refusing to take on certain missions, and
as a result, experience earned by decades of hard work
went down the drain.
It was more than all that wasted talent that bothered me.
Testea needed good people to stand and fight on the front
lines and behind enemy lines. Every time someone went
soft on a hard line, Zov gained an inch.
“I have my orders,” I said, my voice flat. Earlier that day,
I’d been so passionate and convicted about my mission.
Now, it was painful for me to speak those words.
“I know that, but I’m asking you to consider an
alternative,” Maddie said, moving to sit beside me. She no
doubt sensed the weakness in me, now that I’d found my
mate.
I laughed and shook my head.
“What’s so funny?” Maddie asked.
“Me. I always told myself I’d never turn into one of those
people that would let their mate change them, and here you
are doing just that.”
“Maybe that change is for the better,” Maddie said,
carefully.
I sighed. “Who knows? Alright, you win this round. I’ll do
my best to find an alternative.”
Maddie leaned into me and placed a sloppy kiss against
my cheek. I turned sharply instinctively and stared at her
full lips. I drew a deep breath, then turned back to face
forward. If I kissed Maddie, I’d never want to stop, and
things on this mission would get even more complicated.
“I guess you’re right about us needing to put a break on
this mate thing,” I said.
“Tell me about it.” Maddie got up and moved back to her
seat opposite me. “I hope you didn’t say you’d try to find an
alternative just to console me.”
“No.” I raised my chin. “I’m a keeper of my word. I will try,
but I’m telling you right now, the higher-ups won’t go for
this.”
“All I need is for you to try. For me. If things don’t work
out, I’ll learn to deal with the outcome. I hope I don’t get too
many nightmares. I am the one who set all these events into
motion, after all.”
I clenched my fists. I hadn’t even thought of that. Maddie
felt guilty, and I knew too well how much that could eat a
person up.
An image of my best friend from the military academy
lying on the battleground, staring up at me with unseeing
eyes, flashed in my mind. I would not make Maddie go
through even a minute of that.
“I’ll do my best,” I promised.
As soon as I got those words out, the van stopped. The
sound of a gate opening sent adrenaline through my veins.
Simon must have taken a shortcut.
“Look,” I said. “You can’t tell anyone about me being your
mate or a Testean dragon.”
Maddie rolled her eyes. “I know that.”
“You also have to treat me like any of the other guys
here.” I winked. “I know how hard that one will be, so I’ll do
my best to keep this gorgeous body out of your direct
sight.”
“Really? That’s the best you could do?”
I sobered. “I know we just met, but I already care about
you. Be safe. Do nothing to anger your father. I’ll do my best
to get us both out of this.”
“And my father in prison, not dead,” Maddie reminded me.
“That too.”
The van stopped, and Simon opened the back doors.
Maddie moved out of the truck quicker than I’d seen her
move and murmured the word, finally.
My mouth fell open,
and Simon laughed. “Don’t worry. She
doesn’t like any of us.”
“And here I thought girls always stick together,” I said
wryly.
When I got out of the van, I saw a few of Carter’s men
hanging outside the barracks, no doubt biding their time as
they waited for the others to return with their couriers. I
spotted a familiar head of black hair with gray streaks
through it and cursed under my breath. The man in question
turned around, and his silvery gray eyes slammed into mine
for a second, before moving away.
Kai. Testea had sent Kai as my second. The other dragon
was talented, having moved up the ranks faster than
anyone before him, but he was impulsive. I cursed once
more.
How the hell was I going to convince Kai to wait around
while I searched for a way to keep my promise to Maddie?
CHAPTER 4
MADDIE
The next morning, I lay on my back and stared at the
ceiling. It was the only item of interest in the bare room I
occupied. The flowery pattern painted onto it kept me busy
as I counted off the number of flowers, doing my best to
keep the worrying thoughts away.
Yesterday, I'd met my mate. That was a beautiful moment,
but the complications had quickly crept in. Kate was on
strict orders to kill Taylor, my father, and the rest of his top
men.
I squeezed my eyes shut and placed a hand over my belly.
My body fought me no matter how much I tried to convince
myself that what Kate planned to do was justified. So did my
heart.
I understood that both my father and Taylor knew exactly
what they were doing. They kidnapped, then killed
innocents, setting off coups that snowballed into genocides.
What they did was despicable. So, why couldn't I accept it,
and make Kate's job easier?
Poor Kate, I thought. All she wants to do is save thousands
of lives, and here I am getting in her way.
I sighed. There were no simple answers. One didn't turn
on their blood like that. Besides, there were more humane
ways to deal with criminals. If murder was the order of the
day, then what made one person different from the other?
How about motivation? my wolf asked.
I know that, but there has to be another way.
Just remember that this isn't just about you, my wolf
warned.
I felt my throat constrict. I was being selfish, but I'd had to
be all my life. Without a mother or friends, I'd had to look
out for myself. I sat up in bed and ran a hand down my face.
“If Kate can't get a deal that spares my father’s life, then
I'll tell her to do what she needs to. At least I'll know I tried.”
A knock on the door made my heart jump in my throat.
That could only be one person: Taylor. On the best of days, I
hated spending time with him, but now, knowing that
Taylor's death could happen in a matter of days or weeks, I
wanted to see as little of him as possible.
“Why aren't you answering?” Taylor asked, barging into
the room, plopping down at the foot of the bed.
“I wasn't ready for company,” I said, gesturing at my half-
dressed state.
Taylor waved a dismissive hand. “I saw you naked when
we were kids. Nothing to write home about.”
I pursed my lips and forced myself to take a deep breath
before speaking. “What do you want?”
Taylor arched an eyebrow, apparently surprised by my
impatience. “Answers. Why did Uncle Carter bring you along
with us?”
“You're his Second. Why don't you ask him?”
Taylor snorted. “Whatever this tough girl act is, it's not
working for you. Now, tell me. Why is he bringing you with
us?”
I sat still and watched Taylor. My cousin's dark hair and
eyes, combined with his sharp features, made him the
spitting image of my father. I had inherited my mother’s
looks, and now, apparently, philosophy. I thought, not for
the first time, that it would have been better if someone had
switched Taylor and I at birth.
But then you wouldn't have me, my wolf reminded me.
I smiled. That's true. I wouldn't want that.
Taylor was a mage. Although his mother was a bear, his
father's genes won out. Unfortunately, Kate and I could
never have children, but it’d be great to raise some
together.
“Maddie,” Taylor said, snapping his fingers in my face. “I
asked you a question.”
I drew an expansive breath. The thought of a future with
Kate gave me strength and courage I never knew I had.
“We're not fifteen anymore,” I said. “You can't bully me. If
you want to know why your precious uncle brought me
along, you can ask him. Now get out.”
Taylor hissed. “Bitch.”
“Really? Is that the best you can come up with? Bitch?”
Taylor rose and pointed a finger at me. “You're seriously
fucked up; you know that? Something in you is broken. I feel
sorry for you.”
“Says the man who spends his days kidnapping innocents
and leading them to their deaths.”
“That's all for Zov!” Taylor's cheeks colored and his voice
rose. “Why can't you see that and get in line? I told you
what we did, hoping that you'd dump all the charity crap
and join a genuine cause. Or at least, stop being such a
burden to your father. Instead, you ran away like a little girl
and threatened the security of the entire planet, while
creating the biggest headache Uncle Carter has ever had to
deal with.”
I shook my head. “Wow. That's what it all comes down to,
isn't it? Your father died before you got to know him, and
you wish my father was yours. Why don't you try making it a
little less obvious?”
Taylor gasped and stared at me incredulously. He’d never
heard me voice the truth so plainly or have complete
disregard for his feelings. But I was done playing nice. Taylor
wanting to run around and ruin lives was one thing, but his
days of bullying me into doing whatever he wanted, which
was whatever my father wanted, were over.
“Did I just hit a nerve?” I asked.
I regretted the words when I saw Taylor's eyes water. I'd
taken it too far.
I swallowed thickly and tried to force down my desire to
smooth things over. I didn't do charity work with children
because I had nothing better to do. I did it because I
understood how hard it was to grow up in a home where you
weren't wanted. Taylor’s mother and my father loved him.
I’d assumed he had everything he ever wanted. It turned
out that he felt the loss of his father far more keenly than I’d
ever imagined.
I’d hurt my cousin badly, and I needed to make up for it.
Damn my good girl ways, I thought.
“Look,” I started. “I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I
just—”
Taylor raised a hand. “Save it. You know, I came in here
hoping w
e’d have a decent conversation. But then you
turned this into something completely different. Yes. I hold
Uncle Carter in high respect, but that's only because I
admire what he's doing to secure a future for all of us. If you
weren't so fucking idyllic like your mother, you'd get that.
She betrayed her planet and had to leave her family behind.
It seems you can't help but follow in her footsteps, so let me
say this now. When you mess up and get exiled or executed,
know this: no one will miss you. No one cares about you
enough to stand and cry over your grave.”
Taylor fled from my room, slamming the door behind him.
I was partially under my blanket, but a chill ran down my
spine. He was right. I’d never gotten close to anyone. My
father and I were opposites, and the same went for my
cousin. My aunt lived on a different planet, and I’d never
made close friends because of the stigma of what my
mother did.
I had to give it to Taylor. He knew how to strike where it
hurt. Now I understood why he was my father's second. That
ability to find the most profound fear and weakness in a
person probably translated well into finding the best spot for
planting a bomb.
Drawing a shaky breath, I got out of bed and dressed.
Sitting in a room by myself while my mind went to a dark
place wasn't a good thing. It had been over a decade since I
thought I might be better off dead, but now I knew that
wasn't the case, and I had to fight to push those dark
thoughts away.
“Damn Taylor,” I mumbled. “He still knows how to get
under my skin, and the worst part is that I still don't want to
see him die.”
I went down to the mess hall and grabbed a croissant and
a banana from the spread before pouring myself a cup of
coffee. While I hated the gray-colored walls of the barracks,
the layout of the place served a useful purpose. I could pick
a table far away from Taylor and sit by myself.
After scoffing down my breakfast, I walked out of the hall,
needing some fresh air. Sitting by myself that morning made
me feel even lonelier than usual.
Once I was a few feet away from the hall, I heard
footsteps. I stopped and squeezed my eyes shut. Why did
my father insist on me having a guard even while on Earth?
It wasn't like I could go anywhere.
“Are you okay?” Kate asked, moving to my side.
I looked up at her and felt a calm settle over me. I