And what of Thólos, what was left now? The dregs? The worst possible offenders? Would they stand up and fight? Would they evaporate in a burst of blood and wash away everything that had happened here?
This place he was determined to take her, would Shepherd force the people of Greth Dome under the yoke of his philosophy? A mess was inevitable, all of it based on the horrible evil that had been done in her city. And if she was dragged away, no one would know of the people who had sacrificed and suffered... so many inspiring stories, stories of good men like Corday, would be lost.
The world needed to know that not everything under Thólos Dome had been dishonorable. Who would tell them?
Refusing to even think for a moment that he might win, Claire stopped all her black thoughts and fisted her hand in the fabric of his sleeve.
Shepherd took her fingers in his, watching her, waiting.
Whatever drug he had given her dulled her emotion, made her listless and rag-like, but she still had the power to accuse, “You gave me your word, Shepherd. On the ice you promised me.”
“You were trying to kill yourself, little one. I would have promised you anything,” he admitted freely, a hand closing around hers like an anchor, “anything, Claire. You cannot fault me for needing to protect my mate and child. I’d made a mistake, it needed to be rectified. You needed to recover your health and wellbeing in a situation where you no longer had to spend your thoughts on worry for those you count as your friends. You would have done the same had the roles been reversed.”
“Is that why you drugged me?”
The man nodded once, placing his huge palm on her belly. “You can be very reactive, and you are very upset. I cannot be with you every moment right now, and I cannot allow you to lash out and harm yourself.”
Claire felt warm tears seep from the corner of her eyes.
Suicide had been her plan, her only recourse against Shepherd: to punish him, to deny him who he would have as mate, to keep his child from him. Yet time had worked on her just as Shepherd must have intended. The baby was more than a blob of cells that made her constantly ill. It was a little moving sign of life... her son. And the man who had created him was at her side, tending her as if she were a dying woman.
But she wasn’t dying and she wasn’t going to kill herself. Shepherd was right; she could never harm her child. And so he’d won the war against her. And Claire knew, deep down, he had won weeks ago. That did not change the lingering fear something very bad would be exacted for his sins.
Claire’s voice broke. “You’re going to lose, Shepherd. I don’t know how, but I know you will. You are going to lose everything in this madness. All your good intentions, all your progress, will have been for nothing if you follow this evil agenda.”
“Now is not the time for arguments. When this is over, when we are established in our new home, grieve your friends if you will. In time, you will see I was right. We stand on the dawn of a new world. Do not be afraid of it, little one. You never have to be afraid again.”
She could hardly see straight, but she did try to fight when another syringe was produced and injected into her arm. Then there was no reason to fight, for the world was nothing but strange noisy dreams.Chapter 10Out of breath, Corday burst into Brigadier Dane’s sleeping chamber, startling the woman awake. The man was wild, doing nothing to restrain his voice. “They know an attack is coming. They are probably listening to us even now.”
There was no time for nonsense, Dane furious the man would speak of resistance matters in a room they both suspected was bugged. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I had a visitor tonight. Shepherd’s second-in-command, the Beta, he was in my house.” Corday peeked through the blinds, looking for movement outside. “I’m sure he’s followed me.”
Shoving the covers from her body, Brigadier Dane rushed to dress. “And you led him here? Have you lost your mind?”
Using the meat of his hand, Corday wiped the sweat dotting his forehead into his hair. “You don’t understand. He told me where Shepherd is keeping Claire.”
She let out a groan, as if she could not believe the stupidity of the man standing before her. “You idiot!”
“Hear me out. Do you recall the name Svana?”
Dane’s brow grew tight with thought. It took her a minute to pin it, but she had heard that name. “Half a year ago you reported Svana was the name of Shepherd’s lover... the woman who attacked Claire.”