Page 104 of The Queen

I had no idea what I was doing, but I couldn’t let this happen. My mind was engulfed in a haze of rage and desperation. I wasn’t losing my alpha, and I definitely wasn’t going back to the Hive. My vision faded at the edges and narrowed on the focus of my anger. Adrenaline spiked through my system, and I charged.

I held the hilt of the dagger with both hands and drove it into Mik’s spine. The blade bounced off something hard, so I slammed it down again and again. Mik thrashed wildly, but I threw one arm around his neck and jumped onto his back. I clung to him as he spun in circles, trying to dislodge me.

Blood splashed over the knife, and my hand slid through the gore, off the handle, down over the sharp edge. The pain couldn’t stop me. Desperation to save my mate and my unborn baby exploded in my chest. Fury fueled my rage as I stabbed him until, finally, he stumbled and fell, tripping over Shadow’s body.

I was drenched, my face and hair dripping with something I didn’t want to think about. The thick, coppery scent had me swallowing back bile. My palm throbbed and blood oozed from a nasty gash where I’d cut my hand in the flurry.

When I looked down, I saw the dark eyes of Shadow looking up at me.

“My little omega. I never imagined how perfect you’d look in red.” His voice was cracked and dry, but I’d never heard anything so wonderful in my life.

He pushed the wheezing, twitching body of Mik off him with a sickening squelch and got to his feet. “I hope you know that no matter what, even covered in blood, you are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen and you always will be.”

His words warmed my trembling, adrenaline saturated heart, but… “How long have you been awake? Why didn’t you help me?”

He brushed off his dirty uniform, smirking. “Not long. You already had it well in hand. Who was I to stop you, my queen?” Normally, his voice held an edge of mockery, but not this time. He sounded sincere, and the way his eyes captured mine settled my racing pulse.

I dropped the bloody knife with a clang and rushed into Shadow’s embrace. What had I done? I was a monster.

My torment zipped through our connection, and I knew he could feel it. His arms wrapped me up, holding me close to his chest. “Everything is going to be okay, my perfect, beautiful little omega.”

A dainty gasp rang out behind me, and I jerked free, whipping around, prepared to face our next threat.

Chapter Sixty-Five

Saphyra

Istared down the barrel of a very large, very shiny plasma rifle. Before I had a chance to react, Shadow pushed me behind him and snarled at the intruder.

The gun clattered to the floor.

“Oh, my Stars! Oh, I’m so sorry. Your Majesty. I didn’t. I wasn’t. I’m so glad you’re okay. Are you okay? Please, forgive me,” my normally level-headed maid stammered.

The squeaked words were followed by a rustle of silk, and when I peeked around Shadow’s shoulder, it was to find Violet prostrate on the floor.

“What in the fuck is going on?” Shadow grumbled, still keeping me shielded.

“Violet, why have you got a gun?” I asked, moving warily out from behind Shadow’s imposing form.

“I… well… I thought I could get Mik to leave you alone. In hindsight, I can see how silly that probably was.” Violet hadn’t moved from her position on the ground. Her voluminous skirts muffled her words, but I understood well enough.

“You walked in here with a giant gun to try to stop a trained guard from doing whatever it was he was going to do?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yes, Your Majesty. It was not well thought out, I’ll admit. Edeth sent me back to get Mik, and there was this rifle laying in the guardroom. It seemed like the logical thing to do at the time. All the guards were called away. Well, I told them they were called away, so they left, and then I heard a scuffle. When I finally worked up the courage to open the door, everything was already…” She paused, brows drawn together as if contemplating the right word. “Decided.”

I walked to where she lay, just a puddle of blue silk on the floor, and pushed the gun away from her with the toe of my boot. “You might as well stand up and tell us what’s going on.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Of course.” Violet wrestled with her gown, but finally found her feet.

“So, what happened? Why did Edeth send you back to get...” I couldn’t say his name. Not yet. The dead man that I killed.

Violet understood what I was asking and took a breath. “There’s a disturbance in the upper levels of the city, and riots reported in the Pit. A number of guard teams haven’t checked in and patrols aren’t at their posts. Edeth called all the soldiers back to protect her in the throne room. She’s ordered the lockdown protocol in all sectors to ensure the safety of the nobles.”

“Axion, probably.” Shadow said from where he leaned against the jam of the cell door.

“Maybe, but what about the citizens? Why would they be rioting?” I asked, assuming that was who was causing turmoil in the Pit, and wondering what caused them to involve themselves.

Violet’s eyes were locked on the floor. “I don’t know, Your Majesty.”

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