Page 245 of Red Marked

Dr. Pryce comes across the yard in a robe belted over his pajamas, slippers on bare feet. He gets ten steps and stops. His mouth opens. He looks at the pad, at the females, at me. He looks at Fenn in Brian’s sweater. He takes his glasses off and puts them back on.

Flint reaches him before any of the guards do.

“Alastair.” A hand on his shoulder, turning him. “I’ll explain everything. You’re going to be very happy and even more excited when you hear about this.”

“Flint, what in god’s name…? Who are⁠—?”

“The king is going to be thrilled.” Flint has him walking. “So is the Council. And you, Alastair, you most of all. Come with me. There’s a lot to tell you.”

Pryce allows himself to be led. He keeps twisting to look back over his shoulder at us, and each time he does, his face is more bewildered than the last, and each time Flint steers him a little further along.

I watch them all the way to the admin block. The door swings shut behind them, and the light comes on in Pryce’s office a few seconds later.

Scarlet bumps her shoulder into mine. She’s wearing one of the males’ spare shirts. She lifts her brows, looks at the admin block door, and back to me. She knows me almost better than I know myself.

“Don’t.” I shake my head. “I’m far too tired.”

“I didn’t say a word.”

“You didn’t have to.”

She grins.

“I’ll tell you some other time,” I say.

“Fine. I’ll hold you to that.” She hooks her arm through mine. “What about Jett? Did you see him? Did he mate someone else? What happened there?”

It comes out of me as a laugh before I can stop it. Scarlet looks at me sideways.

“It’s a really long story,” I tell her. “You are not going to believe it.”

“Try me.”

“Tomorrow.” I turn her toward the females. “Let’s get everyone inside.”

Flint

The next morning…

Holt sits with his back to the wall and his knees up, in a set of comfortable clothing. The tray by the door has an empty plate on it. Holt is clean but still has overgrown hair and beard. One step at a time.

We got him back safely. We didn’t even have to sedate him.

Star talked him through it and then flew by his side.

She’s fucking amazing, that female.

“I can’t believe any of this.” Dr. Pryce stands next to me at the observation window with his arms folded. “These poor people. Stuck out in that jungle all these years. I can barely wrap my head around it.”

“It’s terrible.”

“I’m still annoyed with you, you know. I don’t mind telling you. You should have confided in me.” His voice goes gruff.

“I explained why that wasn’t possible.” I keep my eyes on Holt. “Nobody needs to know you weren’t aware. As far as anyone out there is concerned, it was all you. You planned it, you kept it quiet, you blew the whole thing open and brought those females home.”

“It will have to be conveyed in that light.” He unfolds his arms and folds them again the other way. “I can’t have the Council knowing I was undermined in my own facility. It wouldn’t look good. They may want you and your little team fired, and we don’t want that after all your efforts.”

“Exactly. It was to keep you safe. More importantly, it was to keep those females safe.”