Page 47 of Warrior

For a prison, it could’ve been worse.

Labyrinth approached, his movements slow, and for the first time since King and I had mated, he looked me directly in the eye.

I forced Ms.Beast to settle and held his gaze, refusing to allow her to rule this.

“Defense Secretary Church,” he said, “thank you for coming.There seems to be a problem with who’s in charge.We were under the impression it would be you.Has that changed?”

I needed the president here for this, but he’d left me to fend for myself.

Pulling from my well of college acting lessons, I shifted from one foot to the other, doing my best to appear weak and indecisive.

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” I said, wringing my hands for good measure.“It seems my title was honorary, given only to provide additional clout in dealing with your kind.”

I cringed internally at the words.Labyrinth knew I had to play the part, but it was still painful.

“The president informed me I’m just plain Ms.Church now,” I added with a sigh.

I cast a glance at the general, then turned back to Labyrinth and gave him a quick wink.

“You should be able to trust General Smyth,” I said, pasting on a smile large enough to be convincing.“He’s here to make sure you’re comfortable.”

Every word was a lie, and Labyrinth knew it.The jab at the general wasn’t subtle either.Theshouldleft doubt.The general’s idea for the Shadow Warriors would involve a mass grave.Digging under his skin gave me a grim sense of satisfaction, and I had to fight hard to keep pure hatred from my voice.

“Men,” Labyrinth commanded to the room at large.

The hundred Shadow Warriors scattered throughout the room immediately snapped to disciplined attention.

Labyrinth turned to the general, his expression hot.“My orders from my leader are to deal only with Secretary of Defense Church.Without her at the helm, we are to return immediately to our island.”

The general stepped forward, his mouth twisting into a sneer.“That would be a mistake,” he threatened with pure disdain.

Labyrinth closed the gap between them.They were almost nose to nose, or at least they would’ve been if the general were a foot taller.

“The mistake,” Labyrinth growled, his voice dangerously low, “is dealing with those who betrayed us in the past.Defense Secretary Church convinced King that it was to our benefit to help humans, even after your betrayal.I didn’t agree, but here I am.Do you plan on stopping us from leaving?”

“That will be completely unnecessary,” President Barnes interjected from behind us.

I hadn’t even noticed him arrive.He’d clearly been there long enough.

“We have no problem with Defense Secretary Church being your liaison.It’s why we sent her to negotiate with your leader in the first place.We have the utmost respect for her, as should you.”

Labyrinth nodded regally, and I nearly burst out laughing.

Now who was laying it on thick?

“General, may I have a word with you?”the president requested firmly.

The two men exited the room, leaving several guards behind to ensure I didn’t have a private word with Labyrinth.I clenched my teeth, frustration simmering just below the surface.

When President Barnes returned, the general was nowhere in sight.

“Defense Secretary Church will be at your disposal for any needs you have,” the president announced.“The door guards will notify her at your request.She will also attend all meetings with me and keep you up to date on the proximity of hellhounds.Do you have any immediate needs you’d like me to consider?”

It was clear Labyrinth wouldn’t be invited to those meetings, but he showed no sign of displeasure.

“Thank you, Mr.President,” he replied smoothly.“We would like to assess your perimeter and have someone show us where you had the latest hellhound sightings.Any concerns or defense plans we devise will be communicated directly to Defense Secretary Church.”

“Of course.”

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