Page 39 of Wanted By the Cartel

"The lower-ranked members... there's fear mixing with their anticipation now. The leadership is rushing things." I pressed deeper, ignoring the slight headache building behind my eyes."They know we're onto them. They're going to move sooner than planned, and we need to do something about it."

The monitoring equipment beeped in warning, and Mae shot me a sharp look. I pulled back my abilities, taking slow breaths until the readings stabilized. "Sorry," I murmured to the twins, feeling their agitation.

"We need to inform Zoren," Santos said, watching my reaction.

"Already done." I nodded toward Chen, who'd just entered. "Lieutenant?"

"The boss is increasing security and alerting our allies," she confirmed. "But he wants your input on the response strategy."

I sighed. Of course he did. Even keeping his distance, Zoren knew my abilities were vital now. I'd proven my worth not just as his mate, but as a valuable asset to the cartel. The thought brought both satisfaction and sadness.

I wished things were different, that we didn’t have to navigate the drama we were facing, but I supposed there was nothing that could be done about it.

"Tell him—" A sharp pain cut through my abdomen, making me gasp. It was unexpected. It just happened all of a sudden.

Mae was beside me instantly, checking monitors. "Blood pressure's rising again. You need to rest. You need to rest more often, in fact."

"Not now," I gritted out. "Chen, tell Zoren they're planning to hit multiple locations at the same time. They'll try to divide our forces and create chaos. But the main target..." I pressed my abilities outward one last time, fighting through the discomfort. "The main target is him. They think if they take out the leadership, our old alliances will crumble."

The twins kicked, and this time I couldn't hide my wince. Mae started to intervene, but I held up a hand. She didn't needto worry so much. "I'm fine. Just... give me a moment. I'm going to be okay."

"You're not fine," she snapped. "Your body is telling you to stop, and you need to listen."

She was right. I could feel the strain taking its toll, not just on me but on the twins too. They were so sensitive to my emotional state and to my use of abilities. Just like their father had warned.

I supposed there were some things I should have listened to when he tried to warn me.

Zoren. Even now, I could feel his constant presence at the edges of my awareness, worried but restraining himself from interfering. He was trying so hard to respect my independence while protecting me from a distance.

His behavior surprised me; I thought he was going to be more brash.

"Sir?" Chen's voice was gentle. "We can handle the tactical response. You've given us enough to work with."

I wanted to argue, to push through, to prove I could do more. But wasn't that exactly what had driven the wedge between Zoren and me? My need to prove myself versus his need to protect me?

And internally, I responded to myself that yes, that was exactly what happened.

"Okay," I conceded, allowing Mae to help me to the bed. "But keep me updated. And tell Zoren..." I paused, choosing my words carefully. "Tell him I understand now. Balance doesn't mean choosing between independence and protection. It means finding a way to have both."

As my team filed out, Mae adjusted my monitors. "That's the smartest thing you've said all week."

Her words brought a smile to my face. More often than not, she knew just what to say to me.

"I'm learning." I placed both hands on my stomach, feeling the twins gradually calm. Noticing that brought relief to me. "We all are."

"He misses you," she said softly. "I see him every night, watching the medical wing from his office. He's trying to give you space, but it's killing him."

What she told me wasn't anything new, but it felt different hearing it from her.

"I miss him too." The admission came easily. "But we needed this. I needed to prove I could be valuable beyond being his mate, and he needed to see he couldn't keep me locked away from everything."

"And now?"

I thought about the coming threat, about how Zoren and I had both been right and wrong. "Now we need to find a middle ground. I can't ignore my limitations, especially not with the twins. But he can't ignore my strengths either."

Mae smiled. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

Good question. I was going to have to think about it.

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