I stand and place my palms on the table. “There’s nothing you can do, Breccan, because you’re one mort. Together, we’re a family. As Molly always says, ‘Family sticks together.’ The Kevins are coming and we have a weapon. Whenever they show their ugly faces, we’ll blow them out of the sky before they even have a chance to touch our people at the prison. If anyone can develop a cure, it’s Avrell. Everyone has their parts. You all just need to quit your botchin’ and do your part.”
Hadrian snorts. “It’s not botchin’.”
“I’m pretty sure it is,” I argue.
“Nope. Lyric says this to me all the time. It’s bitchin’. Quit your bitchin’.”
“Nah, that sounds like something an empty-headed mortarekker like you would make up,” I say, pointing at him. “I’m not falling for it this time.”
“I’m telling the truth,” Hadrian says, stifling a laugh, which begs otherwise. I grew up with this rogshite stain. I know when he’s lying.
“Enough,” Breccan grumbles, but he’s smiling. Finally. “Oz is right. Avrell, make sure your people there are secure and race to find a cure. We’ll make sure you’re protected as much as we can.”
Theron spins around in his chair, letting loose a loud holler. “Jareth, you ready to kill some Kevins?”
Jareth flashes him one of his evil, villainous smiles as Quinn calls it. “I was born for just that task.”
“Don’t die,” Sayer says from the corner, his mortling snug and asleep against his chest.
“Like you don’t want to kill some Kevins too,” Jareth challenges him.
“I mean…it does sound entertaining,” Sayer agrees with a chuckle.
“I say we capture them,” Draven growls. “Bring them to the reform cells. Give me a few solars with them.”
The dark, sinister look on his face has everyone’s sub-bones popping at once.
“You guys gonna compare dicks all night or what?” Lyric says from the doorway. “If you’re done playing ‘I’m the biggest, baddest monster,’ then let’s make a plan. I’m ready to kill those motherfuckers.”
Aria, Emery, and Quinn peek inside. Willow must still be clinging to Molly’s side. I wink at Quinn, loving how her face burns crimson. After her bout of sickness this morning, she’s been feeling better.
“Actually,” Breccan announces, his voice charging the air with authority. “You all will go underground to the Reserves.”
“The what?” Aria asks. “Why?”
Breccan stiffens. “It’s safe down there. There are rations.”
“What rations?” Aria demands, storming into the room. “What are you talking about?”
Galen, who’d been pressed against the wall and scowling, stomps past us toward the door. “Your mate thought it was a great idea to let us nearly starve on more than one occasion even though he had an entire cave filled with supplies. It’s completely encased in stone. He wants to keep you safe there.” He turns a venomous glare on Breccan. “But watch out. He might forget you’re down there. Or worse yet, decide to keep you a secret down there forever.”
With those words, he storms out of the room.
Breccan lets out a furious huff. “Galen!”
Galen is too angry to answer and is gone before Breccan can stop him.
“I’m not going down there,” Aria argues, crossing her arms over her chest. “You can’t make me.”
“The rekk I can’t,” Breccan snarls. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you and our mortling safe. Even if it means locking you in a reform cell.”
She goes to strike him, much to everyone’s shock, but he stops her with a firm grip to her wrist. He bares his double fangs at her, which does nothing to make her cower or bow down. Aria seems seconds from tearing out his throat with her dull teeth.
“Assemble your people, Madame Commander,” Breccan growls. “They’re going underground. My word is law right now. I won’t bend on this. I. Will. Not. Bend.”
With a jerk of her hand, she pulls her arm from his grip and shoots him her middle finger. “We are not done discussing this.”
She rushes out of the command center with Lyric, who is botchin’ loudly, hot on her heels. My mate isn’t irrational, though. She rushes over to me and sits down in my lap.
“It’s safe down there,” she murmurs. “Everything we’d ever need is there.”
I cup her face and kiss her lips. “Everyone must do their parts for the greater cause. While we fight them, I need you to help keep the females and mortlings safe.”
“You can count on me, Oz. I’m a hero too.”
We kiss until we’re the only two left in the room.
15
Quinn
No Solars Left
Today is the day.
There’s no time left on my mental countdown to the day the army from Earth II are supposed to arrive. I don’t know how to wrap my mind around it. All I know is I wish Oz were by my side.
“Those stupid motherfuckers,” Aria rants as we make our way down to the Reserves. Her son makes a pitiful mewl in protest. “I’m going to kill Breccan if the Kevins don’t do it for me.”