I felt a flash of frustration, then anger towards myself. I shook my head. “Because I was foolish. I was a coward.” Grabbing a hard fistful of my hair in my hands, I muttered, “Because I thought that he was dead. I thought there was no way Ivan would let him leave, especially not after what he did to his ownpackmate.”
Virgil and Niko were bothsilent.
“But I’m not that man anymore,” I said. “The old David is gone. Who I am now would die fighting for his mate. Foryou,Niko.”
Niko’s cheeks flushed just enough for me tonotice.
“I…. I believe you,David.”
My heart skipped a beat. My face snapped up. Niko’s eyes had lost some of their cloudiness. Whatever brainwashing he’d gone through must have been wearing off. He was coming backtome.
Excitement electrified my blood. I stood suddenly. “Say the word, and we can get outofhere.”
“It’s not exactly that simple,” Virgil warned, “but yes, I agree with David. The sooner we have you on board, the sooner we can put a plan inmotion.”
Niko bit his lip, deep inthought.
“What doyouwant to do, Niko?” Iaskedhim.
He sighed, unsure, and shook his head. “I don’t know.” He added in a smaller voice, “And besides, what I want isn’t importantanyway.”
“What?” I growled. “Why do yousaythat?”
He smiled weakly. “Even after hearing that story, I really don’t know why you’d go through all this trouble for me. You said we’re mates,right?”
“Yes,”Isaid.
“Unless you meant that in a loose sense, that’s just not possible,”Nikosaid.
I stared in disbelief, not sure what I washearing. “What?”
“David, I’m infertile,” Niko said, as if he were explaining the most obvious thing in the world. “Even if you did take me out of here, there wouldn't be a point. I’m a uselessomega.”
I had to take a moment to collectmyself.
“There are so many things wrong with what you just said,” I growled. “But I’ll start with the most obvious one. You arenotinfertile.”
Niko simply blinked. “ButIam.”
Whipping towards Virgil, I growled, “Did Gunner do somethingtohim?”
“No, not that I’m aware of,” Virgil said. “Except feeding himmorelies.”
“Another lie?” Niko said softly. His voice sounded distant andconfused.
“Before you were kidnapped, we were thinking about having children,” I confessed to him. Hearing that made his eyes fill with tears. “After I lost you, I never took another mate. I didn’t even want to think about it. You were always - and alwayswillbe - the only oneforme.”
All of this information overwhelmed Niko. He sat down, trembling, and holding a hand to his head. His face flickered through a flurry of emotions. Finally he said, “Yes, I… I want to get out of here. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I want to leave. I’m tired ofthelies.”
The front door creaked open, letting in cold night air. Instantly all of us perked up insuspicion.
Virgil was the first to move. He stood, assumed the same stony confidence he always wore, and looked towardsthedoor.
“It’s Delta,” he muttered quietly to us. “And I think Gunner iswithhim.”
Niko glanced at me inconcern.
“It’ll be okay,” Ireassuredhim.
