She is not here

Elliot

Reece, Mark and I have transformed and are running at full speed towards Stephen's castle. There is no way for any of us to sit patiently in a military vehicle and wait for the truck to arrive. No, let's go quickly, and let's go now.

We are surrounded by our best warriors. Although some of them have surely gone on to fight Kane in the first company, we always keep some great fighters for our second contingent. Tactics help us replenish our ranks with strong, fresh fighters when our first troops need to rest. In this case, they will be on the front lines taking care of Stephen while the others start on Kane.

We need to find out if Kamila is here at Stephen's castle or not.

I don't believe Malena Milly for a second, but it makes sense to check here first since it's a little out of our direct path to Kane. Wherever she is, none of us want Kamila and the cubs to wait unnecessarily.

I am grateful for the race. I need to vent some of this anger I've been building up since I first learned that Kamila had been kidnapped. I'll definitely have a great workout when the fight starts, but now, this is a different kind of release. I need to clear my mind so I don't make mistakes, and feeling the soft gras... on my paws as I run forward at full speed is somehow therapeutic.

With my concentration so intense, we arrive before it seems like much time has pas...ed. All seems calm, and we all return to human form as our attendants, who have run with us holding our supply packs, provide us with sweatpants. Now, we switch to walking as we approach the castle walls while checking the perimeter. We hadn't brought Stephen's castle plans back to Gene's library because we were sure of our target: Kane, so we're a little less prepared for this military operation.

If I had any doubts about our lack of preparation, they are now fading as Stephen's 'warriors' approach. From their body language and obvious lack of confidence, it is clear that they have had little, if any, training in anything related to combat. We have nothing to worry about.

"Stop!" says the first guard with a trembling and shrill voice. —Declare your name and purpose!

He stops about twenty meters away, close enough to see in her eyes, which betray her trembling fear.

“We are ET1s Tristan, Reece, and Mark, and we demand to see ET1 Stephen immediately,” I say in my most authoritative ET1 voice.

The man's eyes widen, and he starts to open his mouth but then stops, turns around, and walks back to the castle. He looks at Reece and Mark, and Mark shrugs. We wait a moment, and I send one of my warriors around to as...ess the integrity of the outer wall while the other ET1s and I communicate with our troops, who have almost arrived.

Finally, the door opens again, and the first man comes out, followed by several others, in fact, they are coming out of there like bees coming out of a hive. The other ET1s and I hold our ground as Stephen's people form a line, at least half-disciplined, and standing at attention. Soon the inner part of the crowd parts to form a path, and ET1 Stephen finally appears looking old, tired and grumpy.

"What's happening?!" he shouts. When he sees me and the other ET1s, I can feel fear, but not to the level of fear I'm expecting.

'He should be terrified if he has Kamila,' Reece says in the mental link.

'I agree,' says Mark. 'He's scared, but something's not right.'

“I hope to the damn God they came to get that bit... back,” Stephen says. —Unfortunately, they are a little late.

My ET growls inside me. Too late?! "Where is she?!" I shout.

"She escaped," he says. —And frankly, good fuc... riddance.

"Did he escape?" Mark asks. -When?

We all looked at each other again, confused. We should have listened to Kamila on the mental link if she had escaped. And if she has escaped, she is out there in the wild forest all alone. Why hasn't she asked for help? I can tell that the same question is going through the minds of the other ET1s.

"Oh, I don't know," he says casually. —He has been so calm and peaceful since then; He didn't keep track of time.

"What?" Reece asks.

“Calm down,” he says. —It's like when there isn't a rude, vulgar bit... constantly in your ear asking for clothes, food, jewelry, money or anything else in the world. I don't think she would have lasted another moment anyway. So, since she's not here, they could leave.

"And the babies?" Mark asks. -They are fine? Did she go into labor?

"What?!" asked Stephen. —Is she pregnant?

—Um...

"She's huge when she's pregnant," I say. —You can't ignore it. He's going to have four.

“Four!” says Stephen. "Wow!" A smile grows on his face, and I'm about to hit him. —I didn't know I was so... productive.

At that, I step forward and hit him, and he spins around and falls to the ground. His troops seem terrified at first, then they seem to realize that they have to do something, so they surround us, but they still hold back and do nothing. My warriors stand at attention but do not approach; They know when I want to handle something myself.

“What the hell was that for?” Stephen asks.

“That's only part of what you're going to get for touching her, you piece of shit,” I say. —She is an innocent woman, and she is pregnant with innocent babies that have nothing to do with your lust for power. I'm going to destroy you for laying a finger on her.

“Well, shit,” he says. —Technically, she is my wife.

"What?!" asks Reece.

If there's a time I'd actually have steam coming out of my ears, it's now. He forced Kamila to marry him?!

“She's technically my wife, so I can certainly touch her if I want,” he says again. "And I didn't know you gave a damn about Emily."

We all stood there, looking at him. A wave of relief washes over me as Stephen continues speaking.

"How would you know she's pregnant anyway?" I haven't seen any of you hanging around here.

'Thank the Goddess,' Mark says in the mental link. 'He's talking about Emily. 'She was ready to kill him.'

'Me too,' I say. 'Though this doesn't mean Kamila isn't here.'

'I'm not feeling that vibe,' says Reece. 'But we should look for the place anyway.'

I nod, and Stephen looks at me, confused.

“We're going to need to look for your castle,” I say.

-Who screams. -Because?

“If Kamila is there, I highly recommend you get her out immediately,” Reece says. —We won't have much mercy if we find her tied up somewhere inside her.

Bound...just the phrase gives me a sharp pain in my stomach. I need to find my little flower, and now.

"Kamila?" Stephen asks. "You mean your damn Breeder?" You won't be searching my private castle, in any case.

“We will,” I say firmly, moving closer until my face is just inches from his. A bead of sweat forms on her temple and runs down the side of her cheek, and I can feel her heart poun......

“You and what army?” he says, his voice shaking a little, but still maintaining his position.

Just at that moment, the first group of our second contingency pas...es over the hill formed by the dirt road that leads to the castle. One after another, more vehicles arrive until the entire field surrounding their castle is filled with soldiers.

“That would be that army,” I say simply.

Stephen takes a couple of deep breaths and then looks down. “Oh, go ahead,” he says. -I do not care? Just don't break anything. That bit... Emily already broke many priceless pieces of art.

Reece, Mark, and I begin instructing our warriors to search the castle, and Stephen calls his people. His bedraggled group of soldiers seem relieved beyond measure as they return behind the castle walls. I'm about to enter myself when I hear an unknown voice calling on the mental link.

—ET1 Tristan? ET1 Mark? ET1 Reece?—says the voice.

The other ET1s and I looked at each other, then noticed someone running, getting out of a strange car parked in the middle of our military vehicles. He runs forward and finally catches up to us, completely out of breath.

"I'm... supposed to deliver... this... message..." he says between exhausted breaths, "in person."

"We are the ET1s," I say. -What is it?

"They are Miss... Miss Kamila's parents," he says.

"What?!" I say. I can't imagine Kamila's parents will have the courage to contact us again.

-She....

"She what?" Reece asks.

The man is clearly out of breath, and it takes him a bit to compose himself and respond, “Miss Kamila sent a message.”