“My sister, my deepest apologies, but I have bad news.”
“Where is she? Where is Mindy? Is she all right?” I spat the questions rapid fire, not really giving him time to respond. He raised his hands, palms out, to slow me down.
“My beloved was injured, but will recover soon. She is in a ReGen pod, healing.”
I glanced at Zed. “A pod? What is that?” Images of Mindy in some kind of alien coffin filled my head and I started shaking.
“It’s a healing device we use to speed healing.” Zed’s voice was grave. Too soft. Apologetic.
“Speed healing from what?” I turned to my twin’s mate. “What happened to Mindy?”
Goran’s eyes went dark, not sexy dark, or emotional, but deadly, a predator’s heartless, merciless gaze. “An assassin struck moments before High Councilor Tark called the meeting to order.”
My blood pounded inside my head, so loudly I could barely hear what he was saying. “An assassin? Why would anyone want to kill my sister?”
“Because she is mine. And I am the general in charge of the High Councilor’s armies. Attacking my mate was an attempt to discredit me among the other leaders, to make Tark look weak and unable to protect his people.” Goran had the good sense to look uneasy. If I could have, I would have jumped through the screen and strangled him myself.
“So?” I was on the verge of screaming, but my voice was deceptively soft. If I started yelling at him, I’d never stop. I was hanging on by a thread. “They should have killed his mate, then. Not yours.”
Goran’s sigh made my entire body feel like it weighed a thousand pounds. “The High Councilor’s mate, Eva, will be giving birth to their son and heir any day.”
“So my sister was at your meeting? Why? As a replacement? For what? Is she part of the council? I don’t understand.”
“I am proud of my mate, Violet. Your sister is beautiful and strong, loyal and submissive. Her acceptance of me, in front of the others, sends a strong message to the council and to my enemies.”
Now I was going to scream. I felt it building inside me, until Zed’s heavy hand settled at the back of my neck. His touch was like ice on a fire, calming me. Letting me breathe. Reminding me that I wasn’t alone, that I never had to be alone again. “You were showing off and Mindy got caught in the crossfire.”
Goran bowed his head to me, his pain real and so strong I could literally feel it coming through the screen. “Her presence was a calculated display of strength, of the High Councilor’s faith in me. And I failed. The assassin got past our guards, past all of the security, and attacked my mate in front of my eyes as I watched, helpless to stop him. I will never forgive myself, and I will not stop hunting until I destroy the one who caused Mindy this pain.”
“So, he got away? He took a shot at my sister and he got away?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you said she would be safe. You promised me.” My voice dropped dangerously low and I wanted to hate him for getting Mindy hurt, but I couldn’t, not when it was so obvious that he was in even worse shape than I about the situation. No sense kicking him when he was already down.
“She is safe,” Goran countered. “We were betrayed by someone on the inside. Do not worry, my sister, I vow to find the traitor and make him pay.”
Yeah. I’d heard that before. Seemed to me Goran was better at making promises than keeping them. He’d promised no harm would come to Mindy, but she was in some kind of pod. Healing, but hurt. He shouldn’t have let that happen in the first place!
“Nobody fucks with my twin,” I hissed. Zed’s eyes widened as I said that, hands on my hips. “No man, woman, or alien hurts her and gets away with it.”
“I will take care of it, my sister,” Goran agreed.
I was not going to get into the complexity of the alpha male ego right now, even if I wanted to reach through the comms display and strangle him. Take care of it? Yeah, right. Like he’d taken care of things up to this point.
“All due respect, General, but you are one man. I have three mates who will help me take the Trion bastard out. Whoever he is. We’re coming there to help you find him. If he hurt Mindy, I want him dead.”
“Oh, no.” Zed’s hand sliced through the air with finality as Goran shook his head.
“Absolutely not,” Goran replied.
“Fuck, no,” added Zed. “You are not going to such a dangerous area. It is my job—as well as Axon’s and Calder’s—to keep you safe. The easiest way to do that is to keep you here and allow Mindy’s mate to take care of things, as he should.”
“Fine. You alpha males can all be as stubborn as you want to. But I’m not a prisoner or a slave. I’m going. If I have to, I’ll go alone,” I countered, narrowing my eyes and threatening Zed.
The nurse was smart enough to remain quiet behind us.
&nbs