I motioned toward two benches along the dock and stomped over, sitting down heavily.“Alright, papa.Tell me what’s got you worried,” I said, trying to inject a bit of humor into the conversation.
“Che’s on lockdown after the stunt he pulled with Ruth.Baby Boot grows bigger every day and needs more time than Maylin has to give, and now we’re bringing another child into this fucked-up place.”Nokita looked up at me, his features strained.“Do you ever wish we were still farmers?”
The question caught me off guard.I hadn’t thought about my farm days in years.Back then, I’d resigned myself to a future of pushing a plow and following in my father’s footsteps.Even with commercial farming taking over, my father had owned plenty of land, and our future had seemed secure.But I didn’t want it.
“No,” I answered honestly.“It was never my dream.Is it what you want?”
He sighed heavily.“I don’t want war.”
That admission startled me more than his news about the baby.Nokita was part of Marinah’s guard.I trusted him completely, but his words gave me pause.“Would you like to take over Cabel’s old job?”I offered carefully.
Cabel, after finding Mary, had been overwhelmed by the mating frenzy and had needed time to adjust.We’d transferred him to agriculture, giving him space to regain control of himself.Eventually, he returned to Marinah’s guard.Nokita hadn’t experienced the same intensity with his and Maylin’s union, likely because he had better control over his beast than Cabel.
Nokita scratched his head, gazing out over the water.“I don’t know,” he admitted.“I just want my children to grow up in peace.Che is human.He’s not as capable of surviving this world as we are.I don’t want what happened on our planet to happen here.That’s what I fear most.”
His words hit me harder than I’d expected.I’d never considered the possibility that it could be Shadow Warriors who might destroy this planet.For me, war and strategy came as naturally as breathing, not because I loved it, but because it was all I’d known for so long.My Uncle Graystone had trained me for war and it came easy.But Nokita’s revelation was something new, something weighty.It was a truth I couldn’t ignore.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Marinah
I swore Axel to secrecy.He didn’t like it, but after a long pause, he finally agreed.The fainting, he explained, was caused by hormone fluctuations due to pregnancy.The hormones relaxed my blood vessels, limiting blood flow to my brain.It was a problem I couldn’t afford to dwell on right now.Axel handed me vitamins and ordered me to rest as much as possible.But rest wasn’t an option, not with the war still raging and the only way to truly protect my child being the elimination of President Barnes.
I left his office and spotted the female soldier I’d rescued.Her face was pale, and her eyes went wide with terror when she saw me.Warriors moved aside as I stomped barefoot across the floor, stopping at the foot of her bed.Her hands trembled, clutching the blanket.I wasn’t in Warrior form; it was just me now.For a moment, I stood there, unsure of what to say.The words wouldn’t come, and I almost turned to leave when her soft voice stopped me.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I grunted in response and walked out.The Federation was full of red stripes, young, frightened soldiers following orders without truly understanding whether their side was right or wrong.They only did what they were barely trained to do.
On the second floor, I ran into Labyrinth.“Notify the guard.Meeting in one hour,” I ordered.
“Yes, Alpha,” he replied, immediately changing direction.
It hit me again.When I didn’t overthink, being the leader gave me no trouble.But when I let myself reflect, doubt crept in.Seven dead.In the grand scope of war, it was a low casualty count.But my heart couldn’t accept it.Seven lives were on me, and I had to find a way to live with it.
My hand instinctively went to my belly.I’d never been a mother, but strangely, I wasn’t terrified.The principles of war applied to raising a child too: you plan, do the best you can, and pray.Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders.It was time to grow up and hopefully for the last time.
∞∞∞
The meeting started with the short meditation I preferred.Instead of dismantling and reassembling Bertha, I used the time to turn inward, searching for clarity.Ms.Beast was restless, pacing in the recesses of my mind.I tried to focus on Nova, but all I saw was a shadow, an indistinct shape that filled me with unease.It bothered me that I couldn’t clearly detect Nova.Answers had to be in my grandmother’s journal, and I was running out of time to find them.
I turned my attention inward, seeking our child.Going inside myself wasn’t a physical act; it wasn’t like peeling back layers or parting organs to find something tangible.It was a mental fog, a space in my mind where Ms.Beast resided.When she made her presence known, it was usually a sensation deep in my gut first, followed by a third-dimensional awareness of her.She was there, always there, but untouchable.I didn’t know what I would do if I looked and she was gone.She was too much a part of me now.
As I focused, Ms.Beast raised her head and growled.Her massive form shifted slightly; her eyes fixed on something within the fog.Slowly, the shadow I’d thought was Nova began to take shape.Ms.Beast wrapped herself protectively around a small, moving bundle.
This wasn’t Nova.It had never been Nova.This was the child King and I had created.Ms.Beast had been guarding the baby all along.A wave of warmth and awe filled me, settling deep in my core.I opened my eyes, and the men in the room waited, their heads bowed in quiet reflection.Maybe.
“We need to send a team after President Barnes now, while the Federation won’t expect an attack,” I said, breaking the silence.Heads snapped up, and the men faced me.
“He’s our target,” I continued.“The tunnels they blew up were a decoy.They had another way out, an entire underground city, most likely.That’s where they’re operating from.”
“What do you know about the tunnels?”Beck leaned forward.
I nodded.“Years ago, there were rumors that the Federation built a haven for their key players in case things went south.Their army is mobile, but I don’t think their strategists are moving with them.They’re using low-key operatives to lead attacks, even against the outposts.Since Smythe died, someone else has been pulling the strings, and I doubt it’s Barnes.We need answers.”
My gaze shifted to King.He sat quietly.His lips curved into a small, reassuring grin, and something warm settled inside me.He would have my back no matter what.If my decision wasn’t the right one, he’d be the first to let me know.That’s what mates were for.
I pushed aside the lingering self-doubt.A mother doesn’t have the luxury of second-guessing herself.It was time to act.
