“A few hours,” Junic said. “Some species don’t take long to gestate. Congratulations. Very soon, you will be a mother to a very healthy and happy baby boy.”
A boy…
I wondered if he would look like his father. I wondered if Trayem would even learn he had a son.
I needed to make sure he knew.
“Doctor?” I said. “Can I tell you something?”
“Sure,” Junic said. “What is it?”
“It’s… of a personal nature.”
She stepped forward and leaned in close so her ear was in front of my mouth.
I used the opportunity to slip my hand in her pocket and wrap my hand around the needle device.
“Sleep tight,” I said.
Junic’s eyes alighted with surprise as I jammed the device in her neck. She bolted backward from the shock. She slapped a hand to where the needle had bitten her.
“Catch her!” I yelled. “She’s going to fall!”
I couldn’t care less if she collapsed to the floor but the guards reacted out of instinct and bent down to catch her.
I dodged between them with the injector device in my outstretched hand and slammed it in shifter girl’s hand as she reached for me.
She hissed through her teeth.
I slipped past her.
Meatball head was on her other side. I didn’t need to worry about him. He was too distant to reach me.
I checked over my shoulder as I barreled for the door. There was no one in front of me. The others were still reacting to the breakout.
I was going to escape! I was going to get out of there!
Another pair of strong arms scooped me up and wrapped around me, holding me tight in their strong embrace.
I made to bring the injector gun around to jam in his face but never got that far.
I just stared.
“Trayem?”
His expression was blank and hard to read as he bundled me up and carried me back toward the padded room.
“No!” I screamed. “Trayem! No! Don’t do this! Trayem! No!”
6
TRAYEM
The fist struck me in the face with such force I thought my eye was going to explode.
I welcomed it.
I deserved it.