Sloan stared at him. “That’s what set Katrina off?”
“No.” Sid rubbed a hand down his face. “Not exactly. She thought I was questioning Becky.”
The room stayed silent, everyone waiting for Sloan to explode.
Sloan’s body went completely still. “Were you?”
“No.” Sid’s answer came fast, his eyes locking on Sloan’s. “Hell no. I wasn’t questioning Becky. I was questioning everything else because none of this makes any fucking sense.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Sloan said, his gaze moving over each of them. “And I get that. I do. But Becky doesn’t need to be the one who pays because none of us can wrap our heads around it.”
“I know,” Sid said, and for once, there wasn’t a damn bit of smartass in his voice. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
Sloan stared at him. “Then how the fuck did you mean it?”
Sid opened his mouth, then closed it.
“That’s what I thought.” Sloan’s gaze moved over the room. “Becky is upstairs sick as hell, trying to wrap her head around something none of us understand. So, until we do, every damn one of you better choose your words carefully.”
Sid’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “I fucked up.”
Sloan went over and grabbed a pack of crackers and a water. He walked to Jill, handing them to her. “Can you take this to Pam? She’s in the room off the office with Becky. Tell them I will be there in a minute. And tell Slade to come to the kitchen.”
Jill nodded, then left the kitchen.
Sloan turned toward his men, his eyes landing on Sid. He knew his men as well as he knew himself. Sid could say some fucked-up shit, but Sloan knew in his soul, or what was left of it, that Sid would lay down his life for Becky. That was why he was still alive at the moment.
“We are VC Warriors,” Sloan said, his eyes leaving Sid to look at everyone else. “We do not kneel. We do not fold. Right now, our mates are under attack from not just one enemy, but many. That is what is important. Not if you have to wear a fucking rubber to fuck your mate.”
Sid actually cringed, as did a few other Warriors.
“I know this news is something we never thought was a possibility, but here we fucking are. Every single one of us has had infusions of Golden Blood because I ordered it done to save your asses. We don’t know if this is permanent or if it will fade if we don’t receive any more Golden Blood. As a matter of fact, atthis very moment, we don’t know jack shit. What we do know is our mates need to be protected.”
Sloan paused when Slade entered, then looked at Raven. “Raven, I want you to spread the word to all the mates that they need to see Slade and then Pam. I don’t know the first damn thing about female... stuff. But from here on out, any female issues need to go through Slade, who is obtaining a doctor to treat that.”
Raven nodded, then looked at Slade. “I suggest you get a female doc for the women.”
“I already have one coming,” Slade replied with a nod.
“We will deal with this like we deal with everything that comes our way.” Sloan’s gaze moved over every Warrior in the room. “But I will tell you one thing. After I leave this fucking kitchen, if I hear of anyone questioning my mate about what has happened to her, I will personally beat your ass and bury you. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” the men said in unison.
“I know you have questions. Fuck, I have plenty of them myself. So instead of sitting around the kitchen talking out your ass, talk to Slade. If he doesn’t know the answer, he will find it.” Sloan gave Slade a nod. “And for the record, Daniel has not been wrong about anything. I take him at his word.”
“Yes, sir.” Again, every Warrior answered in unison. When shit got real, the Warriors stepped up, even if they had a moment of what the fuck.
“As soon as Becky is feeling better, I’m going to be making a trip.” Sloan’s eyes turned black just thinking of getting his hands on the doctor who dared touch his wife. “I expect every singleone of you to protect her as you would your own mate, as I would yours.”
Every single Warrior, with fisted hand, thumped their chest in a silent pledge to do just that.
Sloan gave them a nod, then walked out of the kitchen, anxious to get back to Becky. He had wanted to lose his shit on Sid, hell, on all of them, but he knew they were just as confused as he was. But he meant what he said. Anyone questioning or doubting his mate would pay a hefty price.
“Sloan.” Sid jogged up to him, stopping when Sloan turned. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean anything against Becky. We all think highly of her, and well, fuck, man, this is messed up. I never thought out of all the shit we’ve dealt with, having a kid would be one of them. It’s fucked with me a little.”
Sloan could relate because hearing that the child Becky carried was his had more than fucked him up. He was pretty much functioning on autopilot right now, but he would be damned if anyone would know that. If he lost his shit, then everyone would lose theirs. He was the leader, and by damn, he was going to lead and be the man Becky needed right now.
“Next time, I will bury you. Best keep that in mind,” Sloan said, his voice low.
