baby.”
“Homer will be the baby’s father. But my ex, yes.” She realized she was playing semantic games with a man who had once led an elite group of warriors which included her mate. He could outplay her. She wouldn’t budge, not when it came to Homer. “I can get him to tell us where Homer is.”
Tatyana moved away from her and placed a hand on Robbie’s arm. “How?”
“I won’t sacrifice my baby. And I won’t lose Homer.” She swallowed. Somewhere inside of her she had a spine of steel. She knew it had to be there. It was why she lived. “Surely there is a deal to be made.”
Robbie shook his head. “I’m not giving you to Dresden. So if that is your idea lose it. I won’t get Homer back only to see him dead from having his heart ripped from his body.”
“Derek didn’t want me for more than my virginity. After that I was convenient. I agreed to have sex with him regularly and to take his particular brand of abuse in exchange for safety.” It had been hard telling this stuff to Homer. Explaining to Robbie, however, constituted a new brand of misery. Her own misery didn’t matter, only getting Homer back did. “He was pissed about the baby. Blamed me. The hurting got worse. I ran off. He really doesn’t want this child any more than he still does me. What he cares about, however, is not losing face with his people. They knew I was pregnant. He has to look like he gives a shit.”
Silence met her statement. “You’re suggesting in exchange for getting us the location of Homer and the others, you’ll let him, what, visit the baby? Have him or her for a weekend?”
“My Alpha, may I speak frankly?”
“By all means.” He nodded. A loud crack in the background followed by a thump indicated the end of the dragon. She turned her head slightly to see Dougal shifting back to his human form to join them. He only had one hand and didn’t seem to hold him back in the least.
The males and females of this pack were brave. She had to be as well. “I’m suggesting we’re going to tell him that. He’ll have terms, demands. You’ll get the location. Rescue my mate. And the others. And then…” Her voice fell off. Would Robbie throw her out for even suggesting what she wanted?
“And then?” Dougal prompted her on.
“And then one night Derek doesn’t have to wake from sleep. With just enough time no one could ever blame us.”
She stiffened her back. There, she’d said it. Camille had advocated to her Alpha he kill the biological father of her baby. So help her, she wasn’t even sorry.
“Well, gee.” Robbie laughed. “You fit right in here, Camille. Come in the house. Let’s have a drink and go over the details. I love making assholes not wake up from their naps.”
****
Homer didn’t know how much time had passed. He’d started losing track. Life was a series of moments. The moments when he tried to butcher the way he made the drugs so they lost a batch and couldn’t sell it. The moments when he wasn’t cognizant enough to do that, but to simply go through the routine of breathing in and out and maybe he made a good stash. Who could remember? The moments when they fed him more drugs so he could think again.
The moments when they didn’t and his hands shook, his heart raced, his stomach turned and every movement caused his joints to ache miserably.
He was losing himself. The bad moments were outnumbering the good. How much longer could he hang on? How much longer should he? At some point, the best gift he could give his sweet mate was to never see her again.
Not yet …
A voice inside of him spoke. Was it his wolf? Some kind of inner strength encouraging him to hang on?
Not yet …
Homer closed his eyes and leaned his head up against the wall of the cave. Camille had survived on her own for so long. The least he owed her was to hang on. Just to see her face again would be a gift.
****
Camille expected to feel something when she looked at Derek again.
“Homer will be the baby’s father. But my ex, yes.” She realized she was playing semantic games with a man who had once led an elite group of warriors which included her mate. He could outplay her. She wouldn’t budge, not when it came to Homer. “I can get him to tell us where Homer is.”
Tatyana moved away from her and placed a hand on Robbie’s arm. “How?”
“I won’t sacrifice my baby. And I won’t lose Homer.” She swallowed. Somewhere inside of her she had a spine of steel. She knew it had to be there. It was why she lived. “Surely there is a deal to be made.”
Robbie shook his head. “I’m not giving you to Dresden. So if that is your idea lose it. I won’t get Homer back only to see him dead from having his heart ripped from his body.”
“Derek didn’t want me for more than my virginity. After that I was convenient. I agreed to have sex with him regularly and to take his particular brand of abuse in exchange for safety.” It had been hard telling this stuff to Homer. Explaining to Robbie, however, constituted a new brand of misery. Her own misery didn’t matter, only getting Homer back did. “He was pissed about the baby. Blamed me. The hurting got worse. I ran off. He really doesn’t want this child any more than he still does me. What he cares about, however, is not losing face with his people. They knew I was pregnant. He has to look like he gives a shit.”
Silence met her statement. “You’re suggesting in exchange for getting us the location of Homer and the others, you’ll let him, what, visit the baby? Have him or her for a weekend?”
“My Alpha, may I speak frankly?”
“By all means.” He nodded. A loud crack in the background followed by a thump indicated the end of the dragon. She turned her head slightly to see Dougal shifting back to his human form to join them. He only had one hand and didn’t seem to hold him back in the least.
The males and females of this pack were brave. She had to be as well. “I’m suggesting we’re going to tell him that. He’ll have terms, demands. You’ll get the location. Rescue my mate. And the others. And then…” Her voice fell off. Would Robbie throw her out for even suggesting what she wanted?
“And then?” Dougal prompted her on.
“And then one night Derek doesn’t have to wake from sleep. With just enough time no one could ever blame us.”
She stiffened her back. There, she’d said it. Camille had advocated to her Alpha he kill the biological father of her baby. So help her, she wasn’t even sorry.
“Well, gee.” Robbie laughed. “You fit right in here, Camille. Come in the house. Let’s have a drink and go over the details. I love making assholes not wake up from their naps.”
****
Homer didn’t know how much time had passed. He’d started losing track. Life was a series of moments. The moments when he tried to butcher the way he made the drugs so they lost a batch and couldn’t sell it. The moments when he wasn’t cognizant enough to do that, but to simply go through the routine of breathing in and out and maybe he made a good stash. Who could remember? The moments when they fed him more drugs so he could think again.
The moments when they didn’t and his hands shook, his heart raced, his stomach turned and every movement caused his joints to ache miserably.
He was losing himself. The bad moments were outnumbering the good. How much longer could he hang on? How much longer should he? At some point, the best gift he could give his sweet mate was to never see her again.
Not yet …
A voice inside of him spoke. Was it his wolf? Some kind of inner strength encouraging him to hang on?
Not yet …
Homer closed his eyes and leaned his head up against the wall of the cave. Camille had survived on her own for so long. The least he owed her was to hang on. Just to see her face again would be a gift.
****
Camille expected to feel something when she looked at Derek again.
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