Page 43 of Sweet Giant

“It’s none of your business.”

“Oh, but it is. You’re my wife.” He crouched down and reached for me. Assuming he was about to strike me, I winced. To my surprise, he started stroking my hair. His touch repulsed me.

“What do you care if I fucked him? You pulled me out of the solar truck that day. You threw me to the ground and drove off.”

His eyes flashed with rage, and no wonder. I’d just called him out as a coward.

“I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time,” he said in an apologetic tone, “and not a day has passed that I haven’t regretted leaving you behind. That’s why I came back for you. I know we’ve had our ups and downs, but I care about you deeply, and I’m glad you’re still alive, Liv.”

Lies. So many fucking lies.

I almost gagged when he cupped my face and gazed upon me with a tender look. The sort of look I used to fall for. But no more.

“I switched sides for you, Liv,” he said. “I switched sides because I knew the military would be able to help me rescue you. I hope you appreciate what I’m doing for you. Once I bring you back to Seattle, you won’t have to heal more than two or three soldiers a night. Just the very important ones—commanders, mostly. How does that sound, darling?”

“Let me help Mastorr—that’s his name. Please. Like I said, if you let me help him, I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Oh, my darling wife,” he said, sounding overly sad. Fake sad. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

“Why not?”

“He’s already dead.”

Chapter36

MASTORR

I floated justunderneath the treetops, looking down at my body. Blood covered my chest, and there was a deep gash on my right thigh. Something had hit me hard, a large, fast-moving object, and I’d been carried through the trees for some time. Black pieces of the object that had hit me were scattered in the snow in front of a boulder.

The breeze was starting to pick up, and the snow was drifting over my body. Yet I felt light and warm as I floated, and I felt myself being pulled toward a peaceful place. A place where there was no pain or suffering. Only joy.

I tried to close my mind off to the warmth and the peace. I wasn’t finished with this life. I needed to go back. How could I find peace when my beloved was in danger?

Liv. I had to rescue her. I had to save her from whatever nefarious plans Mountain had for her. The idea of any harm coming to her left me both heartbroken and maddened with rage.

I stared at my body and tried to growl. The more I tried, the colder I felt, and it wasn’t long before pain radiated all over my body.

My body… I could feel it.

Pain was good. Pain meant I was still alive.

A powerful growl built in my chest, and suddenly I was inside my body and bolting upright despite my injuries. I released a thundering roar that caused snow to tumble off the nearest tree branches.

Then I was on my feet and sniffing the air, trying to determine which direction to run. I caught a faint whiff of Liv’s sweet scent and took off northeast, racing through the snow.

When I heard voices, I slowed my steps and hid behind a large tree. Two soldiers. They were headed this way.

“I think I heard a growl,” one soldier said, pointing through the trees.

“I didn’t hear a thing. It’s probably just the wind,” his comrade said.

I waited for them to pass me, then I attacked from behind. I snapped both their necks before they had a chance to scream, then covered their bodies in snow.

A glance toward the hovercrafts showed the soldiers were moving around in pairs, as though patrolling the area. Relief filled me that all four vessels were still on the ground. Was Liv inside one of them? I didn’t see her or Mountain anywhere. Fear made me go cold all over.

If he was hurting her…

I darted between the trees, hiding behind the largest ones while I waited for the next pair of soldiers to pass by. I killed them quickly and quietly, then covered their bodies in snow, just as I had the first pair, so their comrades wouldn’t easily spot them.

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