AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It's my fault for letting her off her leash.
It is an alpha's responsibility to keep his woman safe. I knew allowing her freedom would come with risks.
"I'm sorry," she says.
In great disbelief, I hold her. I stop smelling her scent. This could be the last few hours that I get to touch her. "It's okay," I say.
I pet her soft hair. I kiss her chubby cheeks. I enjoy the small things for once.
She wipes her tears from her eyes. "I made a mistake," she says. "Can you forgive me?"
I shake my head. I don’t want to forgive. I don’t want to have to face those flames ever again.
But there’s a chance that Anna’s plan can succeed. Maybe Clara can find us a way out of here. At this point, I don’t have any other options. "I've made a few of those myself. Let's hear what she has to say,” I say.
"Really?"
I nod over to the ringing device. "Go ahead. Answer it. What do we have to lose?"
She answers the call.
Anna
"Hello, Anna? Come in, this is command... Anna, I know that you're there... This is Clara. I got your message... Please let me know that you are safe."
Her voice is like a breath of fresh air, but I have to proceed with caution. If Earth Federation traced this call, my squad would slowly surround the compound, forcing Ax to fight. They'd capture him like a beast and put him on display. Every tablet would light up with the news:
Alien Savage Takes Military Beloved.
"Clara, is it really you?" I ask.
She sucks in a loud breath as she laughs. I can hear her trying to hold back tears. "Christ, soldier. I thought I'd never hear your voice again."
"I figured you lost sight of me," I say.
"Semper Fi," she says. "Embrace the suck."
I feel the urge to say it back, but after what Ax has told me about Earth Federation, I can't bring myself to do it. "It hasn't been bad as you think, Clara. I mean, I am making things work over here."
I know what I sound like. A traitor. I know she won't believe me.
"Listen, I’ve scrambled this call. No one will trace this. It’s just us, okay,” she says.
I exhale. “Thank you for hearing me out. I know it’s hard.”
“Look, Anna. I know how fucked up Earth Fed can be, but you need to listen. We can help you. It took us a while, but I've been doing well here. If you need help, I can get a whole fleet to swoop in and get you out," she says.
I shoot a hasty glance over at Ax, stand, and pace the room. "I’ll be alright. You don’t need to do that," I say.
Clara’s tone changes. “He’s there, isn’t he? He’s right next to you? Great. So he’s gotten into your head.”
I take about two seconds before going into full freak out mode. "Clara, I need you to listen to me very carefully," I say. "You can't come here. I can't come back. I called because I need to ask you for a different kind of favor."
I can imagine her eyes turning into small creases as she tries to suss me out. "What is going on with you, Anna? You were abducted by the Syndicate. I haven't heard from you in months. And now you're asking for a favor? I mean, my God! I'm sorry, but you're going to need to explain yourself," she says.
I catch my breath. All of this happened so fast. I understand her reaction, but it's not easy to explain to someone who has only seen life through the eyes of Earth Federation. She hasn't seen what I've seen.
"I'm pregnant," I say.
