“At least she’s not fighting us much,” the other said. “The cold’s made her docile.”
“Get her out of here,” Thalia coaxed. “Rozin doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
“You would know.” The first man chuckled, but Thalia ignored him completely, her gaze locked on me as if she needed to watch me disappear with her own eyes.
Transport pad. Docile. Raiders. My brain was fuzzy, but I knew what they were going to do wasn’t good. I didn’t want to go to Hobart 1 or 4. Warm or not. I could be warm here with my mates. No, not Rager and Liam and Evon. With new mates. Big guys with warm bodies and a soft bed. Thick blankets.
No. Not Rager and Evon. They didn’t want me.
But Rager hadn’t been with Thalia. So maybe he did.
It all seemed too complicated. Really. All I wanted was my mates. I wanted them around me, making me feel safe, keeping me warm, holding me.
I wasn’t going to let Thalia send me away. If I was going somewhere, it would be my choice.
“No way,” I said, my tone adamant. I would have sounded like a bad-ass bitch if I’d been able to manage more than a whisper.
* * *
Evon
“I never thought these things were slow until now,” I grumbled, at the wheel of one of the two rovers rolling over the rugged terrain.
Dravon was beside me, Liam and Rager in the seats behind. Liam’s three-guard group was in the other rover, following behind. I’d been more than ready to run all the way to wherever the fuck Thalia had taken Bella, but Liam’s good sense prevailed. Rager, usually the calm one, was too angry, too enraged to be much good. He’d fight like an Atlan beast, but not until it was time. For now, he sat, gripping the arms of his seat. I couldn’t see him doing it, but I knew. I was as tightly leashed and my hands were practically strangling the steering controls.
“They walked. Father has confirmed that. We’ll be upon them quicker this way.” Dravon’s words made sense and drove me on. “You’re too emotionally invested in this.”
I turned my head, looked at my younger brother. His gaze was out the window, squinting into the brightness.
“And you aren’t?”
His blue eyes met mine for just a moment. “Your sister is a traitor. Your mate is at her mercy. I’d say you’re worse off than me.”
I grunted then. There wasn’t anything else to say. It hurt learning our sister wasn’t what we’d thought. Who we’d thought. But she wasn’t a child anymore. Her decisions, her actions, were hers alone.
Pulling Bella into her twisted games? Sister or not, I would get my mate.
“There!” Liam pointed over my shoulder. In front of us we could see four people, although we were too far away to see exactly what they were doing. I wanted to go faster, but the rover was going max speed. My heart rate picked up the closer we got.
I knew the moment they heard us. They stilled, then two of them started moving about quickly. I could see now they wore the heavy coats and pants for outdoor exposure. One didn’t. One all but blended into the snow. If it weren’t for her dark hair, she would have been camouflaged completely.
“Bella’s not wearing any gear,” Rager said, his voice a rough growl. He’d slid up so he was positioned between me and Dravon.
“She’s been out there how long, an hour?” Dravon asked, his voice betraying his nerves.
“Fuck.” Liam’s growl matched my thoughts exactly.
Bella had been outside, exposed to the elements in just heavy clothing for at least sixty minutes. She’d been walking, which helped, but she would still get cold no matter what. Life didn’t survive here without protection in the harsh weather.
I shut down the rover directly in front of the group. I counted two guards, Thalia and Bella. The other rover circled around behind and two of our best marksmen climbed onto the roof of the vehicle. These traitors weren’t going anywhere, not on foot.
Rager was out of the rover before I turned off the engine, the rest of us right on his heels.
“Bella!” he shouted, ripping off his coat as he ran to her.
She knelt on the ground and her shoulders were tucked in, her legs pressed together. Her hands were under her armpits and she was facing away from the wind. But she was in the middle of…oh no.
A portable transport pad. Thalia was going to send her somewhere.
“Stop,” Thalia shouted, then fired her ion pistol at the ground, just in front of Rager. He held his coat in one hand as he stopped. He didn’t turn to face my sister, just looked at Bella, and tossed her the coat.
Bella reached over to grab it, but fell to her side. Shit. She was as white as the snow, but her cheeks were bright red. So were her fingers. She was freezing to death before our eyes.