Page 21 of Between Imminent Fates

While his shielding was far more substantial than a regular human, Zia easily penetrated the protective layers to grasp hold of his consciousness. She immediately sent him into pseudo-sleep. He relaxed before her, his gaze going fuzzy while he remained standing against the concrete.

What she saw sickened her. His brutality with the wolves was merciless, using cattle prods and silver-tipped weaponry to rile them up before setting them loose on civilians or each other in bloody cage matches.

Hatred was Derek’s badge, and cruelty was his weapon of choice. That alone would’ve made Zia’s stomach churn, but it was the plotting, the planning for destruction against the immortal races that steeled her resolve. Together with Torrin, he had ruthlessly pursued individual immortals to their breaking point—some that the leaders of their nations still didn’t know were missing.

Zia carefully documented all of it from Derek’s mind.

Though she’d loved to have yanked the memories out indelicately, Lucy’s ask had been simple: leave everything she could and alter the rest. Because Lucy had asked and Key commanded, Zia would deliver.

That didn’t mean, however, that his new memories would be filled with roses and lollipops.

Once every spec of cruelty had been wiped away and every memory of theCitizenshad been dissolved, she removed the entirety of his knowledge about immortals. He had been stripped clean, and then Zia went to work.

She’d poured over the falsified records of Derek’s new life, ensuring there would be no gaps or questions remaining when the human woke up. His life changed from one of cruelty to one of solitude, and the front of victim protection covered the lack of friends and family.

Zia left him his lonely, despicable life, with nothing but the coldness he’d shown them.

Before she retreated, she instilled a deep respect of women that would serve him well in the future. A future he’d now have because of Lucy’s graciousness.

While she was at it, Aidan, Jeremiah, and Lucy stripped him of his phone, keys, and wallet. Then, they replaced all the old items with the ones that would match his backstory.

A new apartment on the West Coast. A new job. A new identity. Derek was given a new lease of life, and he would never say thank you.

“You’re welcome, Derek,” Zia growled.

She retreated from his mind but kept him in thrall. Jeremiah was just finishing up as Zia’s vision returned to her. Her mate’s mischievous grin made her melt, but now wasn’t the time.

“All done.”

“Beam him up, Scotty,” came Lucy’s happy quip.

As they’d previously discussed, Nero would teleport Derek to the West Coast and into his new life. Eager to be done with the charade, she sent a mental ping to her sovereign, and the man instantly replied.

Ready?

Done and done, sovereign. He’s all yours.

In seconds, Nero had teleported to their location and beamed. “Aw, you shouldn’t have, Zia. ACitizenslieutenant, all wrapped up with a bow on top?”

He gave them a mocking salute before disappearing with their newly refurbishedCitizens’deserter.

“Our part is played.” Aidan growled, his arms snatching around his mate and pulling Lucy into the shelter of his embrace. “Good riddance.”

Chapter Eight

Nina

When Torrin had discoveredDerek was missing, he’d thrown a tantrum of epic proportions.

Every contact on theCitizens’bankroll had been directed to locate him at any cost. Remmus had eagerly played raccoon in the chicken coop, disrupting their attempts, encrypting their emails, and downloading vicious malware onto their devices.

Nina had rarely seen Remmus enjoy himself so much, and that was saying something.

Arguably more important was that the Raeth who’d aligned with theCitizenscouldn’t teleport to Derek. Having undergone an extensive psychological change, Derek no longer registered under the same psychic signature.

It was several days ago that Key had revealed that theCitizen’sRaeth was named Rayn Orlov. Though it was clear she knew more about their immortal enemy, she refused to further identify him, much to everyone’s chagrin.

Key kept her secrets, and Nina knew as well as anyone what they meant.

---