"Are youevergoing to let that go?" I groan, returning my attention to Knight. "Knight, look at me," I command, putting every ounce of authority I can muster into my voice. "It's okay. I don't want you to kill him."
Knight's growl stutters, his gaze finally dropping to mine. There's confusion there, mixed with that protective rage. His next growl is a plea for understanding. Like he really,reallywants permission to tear this alpha limb from limb.
I pause, then add with a shrug, "Well, okay, so Idowant to kill him. But we can't always act on our feelings."
Behind me, Plague's struggles against the restraints intensify, the metal cuffs clanking loudly against the back of the built-in chair.
"Although," I muse, tilting my head thoughtfully as I glance back at him, "that's clearly never stopped an alpha before."
"Can we focus, please?" Geo snaps, his face red from the effort of holding Knight back. A vein throbs in his forehead like it might burst any second.
Not that it would matter if Knight was actively trying to get past me. All three of them combined couldn't hold him back.
"Right, right. No killing." I reach up, cupping Knight's mask between my palms, forcing him to focus on me. "You're kind of a wrecking ball in alpha form, and the last thing we need is this train going off the rails. We're trying to interrogate him, not redecorate the interior with his intestines."
Knight's growl softens and his huge shoulders slump slightly, the tension bleeding out of him by degrees. The others exchange wary glances but slowly, reluctantly, release their hold on him.
I reach out and squeeze his giant hand, his fingers engulfing mine completely. "Thank you," I murmur, feeling him practically melt at my touch.
Geo and the others visibly relax and step back from Knight the second they realize he's not going on the attack again.
"I can't believe it." Plague's voice cuts through the moment, dripping with disbelief. "You actually managed to tame the Knight."
I spin around to face him, eyes narrowing to slits. The fucker's sitting there with his hands cuffed behind his back, bloodtrickling from where Knight's claw grazed his cheek, and he still manages to look arrogant. Typical alpha bullshit.
"Good, you're awake," I say sweetly, drawing Nikolai's gun in one smooth motion and pointing it directly at Plague's forehead. "Now we can get to the fun part. And for the record, it's just Knight."
Geo groans like someone just told him his favorite brothel burned down. "Remind me whose idea it was to give her a gun? I thought we discussed the 'no killing' thing."
"Shut up," I snap without taking my eyes off Plague. I'm not planning on killing Plague. Buthedoesn't need to know that.
Plague actually laughs. A dry, humorless sound that makes me want to put a bullet through his knee just to see if he'd find that half as amusing.
"It is impressive you've kidnapped a prince of Surhiira," he admits, voice dripping with that particular brand of condescension only royalty can truly master. "Brilliant job. Not half bad for a gang of misfit criminal lowlifes."
My finger tightens on the trigger. Just a little. Just enough to make him sweat.
"I hope whatever you think you're going to extort from me is worth it," he continues, apparently deciding today's a good day to die. "Because by now, you're already being hunted to the ends of the earth."
Raven pipes up from his position by the door, examining his nails with affected boredom. "Yes, yes, your little army gave us quite a rousing farewell already. Lovely bunch."
Plague's gaze darkens, and for the first time since he woke up, I see genuine menace there. "I wasn't talking about the Surhiiran military."
"Fuck, fuck,fuck." Geo starts pacing the length of the car like a caged animal, each heavy stomping footstep making the floor vibrate. "I knew this was a bad idea. I fuckingknewit."
Plague's attention shifts to Nikolai, and his expression turns to something almost like disappointment. "I can't say I'm surprised by the others, but you... Have you lost your fucking mind? You were supposed to be keeping an eye on her."
Nikolai's lip curls in that way that usually precedes violence as he gestures to me. "She's right here, isn't she?"
I snicker.
"You do realize you won't be able to come back from this, don't you?" Plague's voice drops, deadly serious now. "Even your mercenaries can't save you from what's coming if you don't stop this fucking train right now. Before it's too late and my pack finds me."
The threat hangs in the air like a fucking guillotine's blade, and I can see Nikolai's jaw working as he processes it. For a moment, I wonder if he's about to sell me out, throw me under the proverbial train to save his own skin. It's what I've been waiting for this whole time, scent match or no.
But I'm not giving him the chance.
I snap my fingers in front of Plague's face like he's a misbehaving dog. "Hey, birdbrain, this ismyinterrogation. Eyes on me."
