Twisted Fates

by A. R. Ford

  “How did you find your way here?” I desperately needed the answer. The how. The why.

  “A quarter million credits. That’s what Mia is worth to me. One World wants her at their headquarters on the mainland. I’ll be hunted down if I don’t bring her in. You know how One World is. Ah, the irony of it! Mia was stupid enough to trust me, to think I’d help her escape, and take her to Marleche,” Tilda continued. The gun’s laser traced along my leg, moving upward as Tilda raised the weapon. “I knew to get out of the prison that day. You killed everyone who crossed your path.”

  Mia stepped in front of me. My gut clenched at her protective nature. She would die to defend her mate. “Don’t do this, Tilda.”

  “Mia, behind me, now. Don’t trust her!” I growled.

  “You should listen to your mate,” Tilda laughed, eyes narrowed into slits. “I don’t want you dead, Mia. You’re worth a fortune. One World pays handsomely rare Omegas.”

  The thud of combat boots on the ground preceded Gorn’s appearance. I glanced in his direction to see his hand moving toward his weapon. The next moments moved in slow motion. One event clicked into place before the next occurred. Gorn’s weapon came up. Tilda raised her arm, the laser sight locked on my chest.

  Mia ran up the ramp toward Tilda, hands outstretched. Gorn fired his weapon. Crimson spray spewed into the air. The weapon in Tilda’s hand fired as her headless body dropped on the loading ramp.

  Mia turned to face me. I saw her hand pressed against one side. Crimson welled from between her fingers. I caught her as she fell, horror filling my gut. Not Mia. Not my queen.

  “We need to get her to Berenger, now!” I roared.

  Gorn cleared a bench in the transport as the pilot assumed control. I was frozen in place, unable to do anything other than stroke Mia’s hair, whisper reassurances, and watch as Gorn rendered first aid.

  The flight took forever it seemed. Berenger waited in the courtyard when the transport landed. His grim expression said it all. “Medical bay, now.”

  A group of onlookers had gathered in the courtyard. The soft murmur of whispers rippled through the crowd. A flurry of activity took place around us as we left the transport. Some of my men pushed back the crowd that formed. Others formed a barricade around us, opening doors as I ran to the medical bay.

  Berenger sprang into action the instant Mia came to rest on a gurney. “Tell me what happened, Kade.” I could not speak, my eyes locked on Mia’s pale countenance, blood darkening the wad of gauze Gorn placed on the wound. “Dammit, Kade! Tell me what happened. She needs you, now. You can lose it, later.”

  “Tilda shot her.” When I could finally lift my face, Berenger nodded, his eyes filled with what I suspected was empathy. It was a sign of his understanding.

  “VLR, or old-school handgun?” Berenger’s attention focused on starting an intravenous line for fluids. He directed Gorn to hold pressure on the wound while he assessed Mia’s vitals. “VLR, or handgun, Kade?”

  “VLR.” The words came out in a choked, jumbled mess. “Why is there so much blood?”

  “Good. No bullets to worry about. It may look like a lot of blood. I can assess blood loss as I examine her. I’ll tell you what I’m doing as I do it. Don’t freak out on me. Talk to her, give her strength through your tendril. Understand, Kade?” Berenger’s voice held the quiet strength he demonstrated each time an emergency of this nature arose. I had observed him in action on numerous occasions before treating my men. He moved with a sense of purpose.

  “Yes.” I could only manage a one-word response. Mia’s pale countenance disturbed me.

  I can’t lose her, now.

  Berenger was as good as his word. He described each action as he, and Gorn, moved into action. They rolled Mia onto one side. Latex gloved fingers probed the exit wound in her side. Mia moaned, eyes fluttering.

  “Kade?” Mia whispered, her eyes searching until she saw me. One corner of her mouth curled upward. The tendril pulsed with reassurance from my mate as she tried to soothe me.

  Gods! She was injured, and tried to reassure me?

  “Mia, stay with me. You’ve been shot. You’re in the medical bay. The wound isn’t serious, but you’ve lost quite a bit of blood. Talk to Kade before he passes out,” Berenger encouraged when he saw Mia had regained consciousness.

  “Kade, what happened?” Mia murmured. Honey eyes searched my face.

  “Tilda tried to kill me. You ran between us.” My gaze locked with hers. Our fingers intertwined. “You shouldn’t have put yourself at risk, love.”

  “I would die defending you, Kade.” Mia’s response came with a full smile that gave me hope she would recover from the injury. I felt her reassurance through the tendril.

  “I know you would. Rest. Let Berenger care for you. I’m not leaving,” I assured her.

  Berenger irrigated the wounds with an antibiotic solution. Mia’s groan brought a wave of nausea. I fought it down, intent on being the mate she needed. A wad of hemostatic gauze was taped into place on each wound. Adhesive EKG pads, and a blood pressure cuff, fed information into a machine on the wall above the gurney. A graphic visual of Mia’s vitals appeared on the screen. Berenger drew blood before moving to a counter where several machines sat.

  “Tilda?” Mia whispered.

  “Dead. Gorn defended us,” I replied. My lips came to rest against her forehead. “I’ll find out how she got out if it’s the last thing I do.”

  “I have my suspicions,” Gorn muttered. “If I find them first, you’ll have no need of getting your hands dirty. Guards will be posted here, and at the Garrison’s entrance. It’s time to start investigating this incident. I am glad you were not seriously injured, Mia.”

  Berenger appeared at Mia’s side with a clipboard holding printed results of the lab tests. “You may need a transfusion. Doubtful, but I’ll continue to monitor things. The wound has stopped bleeding, thanks to the hemostatic dressing. I don’t think there is any need for surgery. There is, however, a slight problem.”

  “What problem?” Mia asked, her fingers clenching my hand.

  “It appears you’re pregnant, Mia. Given the date of your last estrus, you’re about four months along. Have you felt any movement, at all?” Berenger placed the clipboard on an ultrasound machine.

  “I don’t think so,” she whispered.

  I watched in awe as Berenger conducted an ultrasound. He covered Mia’s hips and legs with a sheet. A blob of gel on her abdomen allowed the device held in his hand to glide across the area. After several passes, Berenger focused on one specific area. The gray-scale image of our baby appeared on the screen. The rhythmic, rapid heartbeat filled the room. My gut clenched to see movement on the screen.

  “Everything looks perfectly normal,” Berenger announced. “Congratulations. I’ll keep you here overnight to ensure there are no complications.”

  My thoughts race at Berenger’s words. Mia had what she wanted most in this world. Pride welled at the thought of welcoming my child into this world. I held Mia’s hand between mine. Berenger provided a chair for me to rest in. He remained in the medical bay assessing Mia’s condition throughout the evening.

  Mia fell asleep later that evening. She remained pale, but her vital signs were strong, according to Berenger. Just after dawn the next day, I woke with my head on the gurney. Mia’s fingers traced the outline of my facial features. She smiled, eyes glistening.

  “I think the baby just moved,” she murmured.

  “Our son.”

  “I’m sorry to have caused so much trouble by trusting Tilda.” She took a shuddering breath, eyes closing.

  This was not the time to place the blame on Mia’s shoulders. I would not allow her to accept responsibility for Tilda’s betrayal.

  “We have Tilda to thank for saving you when Gabel abused you. I should have been more dedicated to investigating her after your escape attempt. No one can remember the exact moment she arrived here. That, in and of itself, deserved further investigation. I
failed you. The thought that you could have died will haunt me for some time. I should have been more zealous, followed through. Gorn will find the others involved.” I took her hand, and kissed her fingers. Before I realized it, my face was buried in her hair, a hand cupping the nearly imperceptible roundness of her belly. “If I had lost you…”

  “Don’t say it,” Mia whispered. Her voice was choked with emotion. “I feel the same way, Kade. If anything were to happen to you, I would be lost. Don’t blame yourself. We can only do the best we can.”

  Laughter rumbled in my chest. I nuzzled her cheek before feasting on her lips. The sigh that comes from my mate after the kiss told me she was happy, content. “Does this mean we’ve fallen in love?”

  “I think it does,” she acknowledged the fact with a faint upturning of the corners of her lips. Color filled her cheeks.

  “I would do anything for you, little Omega.” The statement of fact makes the pair bond hum with the solidarity of our love.

  “Does that include getting me off this horrible gurney? It feels like I’ve slept on a bed of rocks.”

  Berenger appeared in the doorway. “Not just yet,” he cautioned. “I want to do an exam this morning, check your vitals, and lab work. If everything looks good, I will allow you to return to your room to recuperate. Sorry to be such a party pooper.”

  Once Mia received clearance to recuperate in our room, I carried her there myself, with Berenger at my heels. She grew stronger over the next few days. I hovered by her side the entire time, not once leaving her for anything other than to visit the bathroom. The pair bond solidified even further. I could sense Mia’s mood through the tendril. I could sense when she was in pain. The miraculous events were sobering.

  It took nearly two weeks before Mia was strong enough to walk to the courtyard. Gorn visited our room before she took the first step.

  “I wanted to let you know I found the bastards who allowed Tilda to escape,” Gorn growled. He stood with his head held high, hands behind his back. He looked every bit the fearsome warrior I know. “Just as I suspected, Borloff, and Hull, betrayed us. They await us in the courtyard for their sentencing.”

  “I would be there,” Mia announced. She sat by the fireplace. Her regal appearance amplified by the black shift dress embellished with gold accents along the neckline.

  “I can’t allow that.” There was no way I could allow her to attend another sentencing, and possible execution. Memories of the events following Gabel’s ill-fated death on the steps of the Garrison, haunted me. Knowing that Mia carried my child intensified the depth of concern.

  Mia glanced at me when I spoke. She frowned, a fire intensifying her gaze. “Don’t sentence them to death. Ostracize them. Ship them off to one of the northern islands where conditions are much worse than here. Give them a chance to survive. Warn them they will die if they ever show their face here. They won’t, but at least give them a chance.”

  I stood in front of her. Where did my Omega’s wisdom come from? Not a day passed that I don’t question that an old soul resided within her. An old soul with valuable knowledge. “Do you wish to mete out the sentencing? I will have Gorn prepare a transport. They will leave the island, immediately.”

  “Yes. I want it known that any person who threatens my mate, or the people of Barkjour Island, will suffer the same fate.” Mia stood after I took her hand. She embraced me, head resting on my abdomen as I purred.

  Gorn rolled his eyes in mock irritation. “Gods, if only I could find an Omega. How the hell did you get so lucky, Kade?”

  “I would say I am the lucky one,” Mia murmured. “I’ve found the perfect Alpha.”

  “Brainwashed her. I know that’s what you did,” Gorn grumbled. He preceded us when we left the room.

  A clear, sunny sky welcomed us when we arrived in the courtyard. It was crowded with onlookers, anxious to see the fate that befell the two traitors. Berenger joined us, standing at Mia’s side when she walked toward Borloff, and Hull. One glance at their faces revealed they had received a bit of punishment already. No doubt, Gorn impressed his loyalty upon the traitors.

  The hubbub of conversation halted when Mia cleared her throat. Her voice grew louder when she spoke. A wave of love filled my heart to see her standing so regally. She was proud, not haughty.

  “Borloff, and Hull, conspired with a known enemy. They allowed Tilda to escape, and provided her with a weapon. She fully intended to kill your king. I was wounded in that altercation. Thankfully, the wound was not serious. Today, the conspirators learn their fate.” Mia paused, glancing over the crowd as they whispered among themselves.

  All eyes focused on Mia when she spoke. “Borloff, and Hull, you have been found guilty of your crimes. You will be removed from this island in a transport to an undisclosed northern island. You will receive nothing, but the clothes on your back. If you show your face here, again, you will be executed. All citizens have kill-on-sight orders starting the second the transport leaves the launch pad.” Mia’s sentencing received a roar of approval from the crowd gathered in the courtyard. Each person in the crowd thrust a fist into the air high above their heads. The people came together for their queen.

  She insisted on traveling along with us. I refused to allow her to go alone. The risk was too great. The journey ended on a mostly frozen island in the far north of the Atlantic. It provided the basic resources for survival: food, water, and trees for shelter, and fire. Gorn’s men escorted us to the transport. A group of citizens followed on their heels. I did not object to the gawkers. Everyone who lived on the island should know their queen would be swift and certain in the dispensation of justice. Word of mouth would deliver the news to the others.

  Guards shackled the prisoners against the cargo area of the transport. Gags kept the men silent. I had no desire to hear their cries for leniency. Mia sat at my side. She came willingly into my embrace.

  Gorn grinned when he assumed a position in front of the men, a VLR held in his hand. Although he appeared relaxed, a finger on the weapon’s trigger twitched every few seconds. “I have it on auto and the safety is off. My trigger finger is itchy, gentlemen. Give me a reason to blow you both to hell and back.”

  The transport landed with a thunk on the icy tundra. The loading ramp lowered with a whine of hydraulics. A blast of icy air chilled everyone in the passenger compartment. Looking out at the frozen tundra, I saw why the traitors were reluctant to depart. A thick layer of snow covered the ground. Swirls of white rose aloft in icy whirlwinds spurred by the biting wind. Tufts of dead, brown grass dotted the landscape. A grove of skeletal trees mixed with a few pine trees broke the monotonous plains. Not a single sign of life presented itself. There was only the snow and ice and frigid wind.

  Gorn shoved the traitors to the end of the ramp. The men dissolved into simpering, wailing men when they saw their fate.

  “Please, forgive me!” Borloff wailed. Tears trailed down his face. A solitary strand of mucus dripped from one nostril. His lack of backbone disgusted me.

  Hull collapsed on the ground. His face was as pale as the icy ground where he sat. He did not speak. Perhaps he knew none of us cared to hear anything he had to say.

  Mia buttoned the maroon pea coat she wore before walking down the ramp. She produced a pistol from one pocket. I tensed, uncertain where this would take us. Gorn moved into position, VLR raised. He was prepared to take both of the men out if they made a threatening move.

  “I thought you both would appreciate a choice of sorts,” Mia announced as she handed the gun to Borloff. He stared at her with red-rimmed eyes, mouth agape. “There are two bullets in that gun.”

  Realization of the opportunity at hand brought a grin to Borloff’s face. I could not let this go further. “Mia, step away from them. If you make a move, Borloff, I will rip your head from your body.”

  “Let me finish, love,” Mia replied with a smile in my direction. The wind whipped her hair into a raven banner. She appeared unconcerned of the potential dang
er presented by a gun in Borloff’s hands. “You have two bullets. Use them wisely. You could kill two of us. Me, your king, or his sworn right hand. But that leaves two pilots who are members of Barkjour’s military force. Or you could save the bullets to kill an animal for food.”

  “You bitch,” Borloff muttered. His shoulders slumped as the irony of the situation presented itself.

  “Let me finish, traitor.” Mia’s voice assumed an icy tone when she spoke directly to Borloff. “If you use the bullets wisely, you can create fire. Fire will extend your time here. You may survive by doing that. Or,” she laughed, “You could use the bullets on Hull, and yourself. End your misery before it ever really begins.”

  Borloff raised the gun. Gorn moved closer, his VLR laser sight trained on Borloff’s head. “Give me a reason,” Gorn growled.

  None of us were prepared for what came next. The sound of a single gunshot broke the silence. Borloff fell to the icy ground, blood steaming as it pooled around his head. Lifeless eyes stared into the snowy sky.

  “I thought as much. You have one bullet remaining, Hull. Use it wisely,” Mia remarked. She gave Hull one last glance before walking up the ramp into the transport. To me she murmured, “His fate was determined the instant he thought to betray us.”

  The loading ramp whined into place. Our view of Hull, huddled on the ground staring at Borloff’s body, disappeared in the distance. Mia remained silent for most of the return journey. I took her hand, waiting patiently until she spoke.

  “I’m fine,” she murmured. Her fingers tightened around mine. “I don’t regret giving him that gun. I want to learn how to use a gun, how to fight. It’s time I learn how to defend my husband, my unborn child, and our people. Will you teach me, Kade?”

  “I will, little one.” I pulled her onto my lap, unwilling to be without the sweet scent of my Omega a second longer. She melted into my embrace. Perfection.

  Gorn refused to allow us a moment of silence. His laughter was a roar of mirth unleashed on the passenger compartment of the transport. “By the gods, Kade, you’ve got a fighter for a queen. Teach her how to defend what is hers, and she’ll be the perfect badass to rule by your side.”