Page 34 of Wanted By the Cartel

"I just proved how useful I can be," I argued. "I could tell immediately he was lying. Imagine how much more efficiently we could root out traitors if I was more involved. We could prevent situations like this before they escalate."

I had been fighting every day to solidify my role in the cartel. I wanted to feel more useful, to make better use of my powers.

"You've done enough." Zoren's tone softened as he placed his hand on my stomach. His opinion hadn't changed. He always said that I'd been doing enough, even though it couldn't be any further from the truth.

The twins kicked against his palm, and his love washed over me, though. That was how he always convinced me, even though the effect lessened every time it happened.

"The twins are your priority now. Our priority. Always remember that."

I fought back my frustration. "I'm pregnant, not invalid. I can do more than sit in meetings and occasionally point out liars. Let me be more involved, Zoren. Let me help protect what's ours."

"You are involved," he said, but I could feel his worry, his fear. "You attend meetings, you provide insight. That's enough."

"It's not enough. Not for me." I stood, needing space from his overwhelming protectiveness. Sometimes, he could be too much, just like he was being now. It wasn't something he was totally aware of.

The pregnancy had made me more sensitive to strong emotions, and his fear threatened to suffocate me. "I have these abilities for a reason. I could help with interrogations, screen potential allies, protect us from infiltrators-"

"And paint an even bigger target on your back?" Zoren rose, his emotions a storm of fear and love and desperation. I knew he meant well, but I was still annoyed. "You're already precious to our enemies because you're carrying my children. If they knew the full extent of your abilities-"

"They'd fear me as they fear you," I cut in. "We'd be stronger together. Think about it, Zoren. My abilities combined with yourstrength—we could transform how the cartel operates. Make it more secure, more efficient, and just better overall."

"No." The word fell like a wall between us. "I won't risk you. Or our children."

I could feel the terror beneath his words—the bone-deep fear of losing me, of history repeating itself. The shadow of his first mate's death still haunted him, coloring every protective instinct. But I also felt suffocated by it. "You can't keep me in a gilded cage forever."

"I can keep you safe." His voice grew hoarse. "I must keep you safe. It's what I've been doing and what I'm going to continue to do."

We stood there, locked in our impasse, both right and wrong. Finally, I stepped forward and kissed him softly. For now, it was the best I could do. "I love you," I whispered. "But you have to trust me to be more than something precious to protect."

He held me close, his face buried in my hair. "I do trust you. I just can't lose you."

Later that night, after Zoren had fallen asleep, I sat at my desk and considered my options. The twins stirred restlessly, perhaps sensing my inner turmoil. I placed a hand on my belly, sending soothing thoughts their way.

Lieutenant Chen had always been one of the more reasonable members of Zoren's inner circle, and I knew she appreciated the value of information. More importantly, she'd seen firsthand today how valuable my abilities could be. If Zoren wouldn't let me help openly, I'd prove my worth another way. Perhaps she could help me.

I penned a careful note, choosing each word with precision. Nothing too obvious, nothing that could be traced back if intercepted. Just enough to open a dialogue, to suggest the possibility of collaboration.

As I sealed the envelope, I felt the twins stir again. "I'm doing this for us," I whispered, touching my stomach. Maybe they were trying to tell me I was doing something wrong, but I didn't think so. They could sense danger, but that was all. "All of us." Our family deserved more than just protection—it also deserved to be happy.

I slipped the note into my robe pocket, ready to pass it to one of my trusted servants in the morning.

Chapter 16

Zoren

I stood at my office window, staring at the report in my hands while trying to control the hollow feeling in my chest. Lieutenant Chen's weekly briefing was thorough as always, but this time it contained information that couldn't have come from our usual channels. Information that could only have come from one source, and I didn't like coming to that conclusion one bit.

"How long?" I asked, not turning around.

Chen remained silent for a moment. "Three weeks, sir. Since the Marcus incident."

Three weeks. Three weeks of Lyrian working behind my back, connecting with my lieutenants, and building his own network within my organization. I should have been angry. Instead, all I felt was a deep, aching hurt.

He wasn't trying to betray me. He was actually trying to help me, but I couldn't make myself feel that way.

"He's good," Chen continued, each word said in such a way she didn't piss me off. "His intel has prevented two minor betrayals and identified a weak point in our security. The captains are... impressed."

Of course they were. Lyrian's empathic abilities made him uniquely suited for intelligence work. It was exactly why I'd wanted to keep him away from it. The more valuable he proved himself, the bigger target he'd become. We couldn't risk more people trying to hurt him.

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