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Moord’s eyes drifted over each of us with something I could only call mild appreciation. He remained quiet, though, observing us.
I wasn’t stupid enough to take a run at him or say anything. Especially not after the way Nereza had Tasered Zane down on the dock. I also didn’t want them to take my punishment out on Haina, which was something they would probably do. One thing was for sure, when the opportunity to kill Moord presented itself again—and it would—I’d make sure I plugged his rotting meat of a face full of bullet holes and then severed his head from his fucking body just to make sure he was good and dead this time.
“Where are we?” Jorik asked, his green eyes narrowing as he slowly stepped closer to me but kept his focus on Moord and Nereza.
“Sector Six,” Moord said. “After you blew up Sector Nine, we were forced to relocate. And since the commander in Sector Six proved to be part of Neffers’s littlerebellion,I took over command here.”
Hopelessness formed a nauseating vortex in my belly. They snuffed out the rebellion before it even had a chance to ignite. Obviously, Neffers was dead, but did that mean everyone else involved in the uprising was, too? The look of satisfaction on Moord’s face said as much.
But I refused to let him see how that affected me, so I kept my expression neutral.
“You three are the only Verians to survive a withdrawal from Haina’s blood,” Moord said, crossing his thick, tree-trunk arms over his chest. Like a typical commander, he was dressed in shiny black combat boots, camo pants, and a tight black T-shirt. But as hard as I tried, I couldn’t stop looking at his messed-up face. Even though it made him look that much more evil and more maniacal, to me, it made him seem weaker. Yes, the man had survived the explosion and me slitting his throat, but he wasn’t nearly as intimidating now with his molars showing through his cheek.
I had to stifle a laugh before I took a Taser to the balls.
“So what does that mean?” Jorik asked.
Zane was eerily silent over in his corner. He also hadn’t bothered to stand up. He was sitting with his back to the wall, glaring at Nereza. Like he was expecting her to pounce or whip out a dagger and throw it at one of our necks any second.
“It means, despite your littleunsanctioned vacation,we will not be executing you. Not when you’re as rare as your source.”
I craned my neck around to peer at a sleeping Haina, my heart clenching and my fists bunching at my sides. “If you hurt her…” I growled, turning back to Moord.
Moord’s lip lifted on the unburned side, since the burned side seemed to have lost most of its nerves and remained plastic and still. “She is the most valuable and rare Hellcat to have ever been created, and you three are the only Verians to survive a withdrawal from her blood.”
That didn’t fill me with relief, and it wasn’t meant to. He would torture and hurt Haina any which way he pleased, just enough to keep her alive. Keep her heart pumping that valuable blood.
“Why would I hurt her?” Moord went on. “She did exactly as she was supposed to. What I assigned herto do.”
What?
Jorik’s interest piqued along with mine. Zane didn’t flinch, but the fire in his eyes started to burn hotter.
Moord appeared bored, and he rolled his eyes, which was super creepy, particularly since the left one didn’t have an eyelid. “This was all a test. Albeit, we didn’t expect you three to blow up the compound, but…” He shrugged. “You win some, you lose some.”
“A test?” Jorik asked.
“Of your loyalty and hers. Sure, we could have justnotgiven you three the serum and tested whether you survived the withdrawal, but with Neffers and the uprising, we needed to make sure Haina was loyal to us. And you three. I knew Neffers had recruited her or at least tried to. But she came to me the moment he approached her. My loyal pet. But I wanted to test her loyalty—and yours. Everything but the explosion was planned.” He clucked his tongue, and his mouth dipped into a frown—or at least half of it did. “I really thought you boys knew which side to fight for. I must say, I’m disappointed in your betrayal.”
My lips curled up into a sneer, and my nails dug painful trenches into my palm.
Moord was getting far too much satisfaction watching my brothers and I get our hearts broken as he revealed the true nature of the woman we’d fallen in love with.
“She did exactly what we have trained her to do. Win your affections, bring you over to her cause and get you to give up the serum and your enhancements for her. If a Hellcat can get three Verians like you to do that, well … that’s”—he sighed almost whimsically, but it gave me chills—“impressive.”
“She’d never been in the field before,” I murmured, more to myself than anybody else.
Nereza snorted. “Is that what she told you?”
Jorik’s foot stomped on the floor as he made to lunge, but I held him back with a hand to his chest. “You’re lying,” Jorik spat, his head shaking violently. “She hates you. Hates all of this. She’d rather die than come back to any compound.”
Moord merely smiled. “She really is an unbelievable liar. That’s one of hermanytalents.” He glanced at Nereza, whose grin was almost gleeful yet also wicked. Like she was standing there daydreaming about torturing people. “Kappas really are the best liars.”
At that, Nereza lifted one shoulder. “Not gonna lie about that.”
I shook my head. “You’re fucking with us. Haina would never.”
“Did she use the wholeinnocent virginroutine with you guys?” Nereza sneered.“I’ve never had sex before,”she said in a mocking, breathy voice. “But then was suddenly this skilled, sexed-up porn star taking all three of your cocks at once and coming like ten times a day?” She crossed her arms over her chest, her expression smug as she took in the shocked look on Jorik’s and my faces. “She’s a good little liar. Excellent actor, too.”
