Page 33 of Warrior

“It’s the mating rage,” King said, his tone calmer now.“Breathe deeply.She’s gone.”

Ms.Beast pushed back hard, the pain ripping through me, but I didn’t relent.I am in charge, not her.

“I’m okay,” I told King through clenched teeth, breathing deeply as I forced her into submission.She retreated reluctantly, shredding her way into the warm cave somewhere deep in my gut.

I turned to Che, his wide eyes filled with excitement rather than fear.

“Sorry, kiddo.I’m still learning,” I said, my voice soft now that I’d shifted back.

He smiled, blissfully unaware that I’d almost ripped his mother’s head off.“I’ll go check on my mom.You scared her, and you shouldn’t do that while she’s carrying my brother.”

Out of the mouths of babes.

“That wasn’t nice of me, and I’m truly sorry,” I said.

Che darted forward and threw his arms around my neck.“Don’t leave without playing with me first.I got a new truck.”

“That’s a deal,” I said, hugging him back.

Che ran off, and I turned to King with a sheepish look.“So that’s what all that ‘mating rage’ stuff is about?”

“That’s it,” he replied with a grin.“The news that we have a female Shadow Warrior will spread like wildfire.”

“Shit,” I muttered.“That isn’t good.”

“We’ll keep it contained to the citadel until we’re ready to let everyone know,” he assured me.“We don’t want the Federation discovering your secret until the timing is right.”

“Thank you,” I said before King pulled me in for a kiss.

“You’re sexy when you’re jealous,” he murmured against my lips.

“Get a room after the call,” Beck said from farther down the hallway.He turned around and disappeared.

“Work,” I muttered.We had work to do.

The room with the Morse code machine was small, almost claustrophobic.King and I had gone over everything, and I knew exactly what needed to be said.

He guided me to sit across the table from Beck, which was a wise move.I now understood what King meant about not touching the opposite sex unless they were a child or too old to be a threat.Pregnant mothers were now firmly on the do-not-touch list, too.

King sat beside me while Beck connected the machine to the electricity.There were two machines, one for receiving and one for sending.Beck glanced at his watch, though I only caught it from the corner of my eye.

The tension in the room made me acutely aware of everything, especially the lingering effects of the mating rage.I would be taking it much more seriously from now on.

Beck tapped on the machine, and then we waited.

A minute later, the receiving machine clacked to life.

“They want to know the first name of your father’s mother,” Beck said, his voice neutral as little lines formed on the paper.

“Eddy,” I said immediately.

A few minutes passed.

Then: “Her dog’s name?”

I smiled at the memory of the tiny ball of fluff from my childhood.“Quibbles.”

We waited again.I glanced nervously at King, but he just shrugged, his calm demeanor infuriatingly unshaken.

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