Born in Sin [BOOK 1]

Chapter 23

Tamara's ears began to ring as those words echoed in her mind. Murdered.

My mate was murdered by the Sonar?

She stared at the folder in front of her, part of her hoping that if she stared long enough it wouldn't be true, that it would just go away. The other part wished that she hadn't been so stupid, that she hadn't believed the lie when it was first told to her. The Sonar have lied to the public, and to those they were supposed to serve. Why in the hell would she expect them to not lie about something like this? She should have just known.

When they came to her, they told her that her husband had been saving the people deeper in the mines, he had heard the girl and was rushing her out but as the ceiling was beginning to collapse the two guards ran in to try and help. The three of them managed to save the girl, but at the cost of their lives. The girl was then taken off planet, seeing how she had no family in the area and was to be raised in a colony designed for her kind.

The way the snakes had told her had been so convincing... Tamara could even remember the woman who came to help deliver the news crying with her. She slowly reached out and grabbed the folder, her hands trembling. She wasn't sure if she could bring herself to open it. So she didn't. She knew Stephen would tell her.

"He forgot something in the mine and had been returning to go get it when he found two of the Sonar's dogs trying to have their way with one of the kids who worked as a messenger there. He immediately attacked them, forcing them away, and when they threatened to kill him and the girl he managed to disarm them and killed them in the process but one of them had been able to call for back up. They shot him on sight."

Tamara remained speechless, eventually becoming deathly still.

"He had this on him when he died..."

Tamara only then looked over to see a small locket held on a silver chain. Upon closer inspection she could see the dark bronze that colored the chain, which could only have been dried blood. His blood. She felt hot streaks run down her face, her blood going cold.

She held the locket close to her heart, unconsciously thumbing the leather bracelet around her wrist with her free hand.

Stephen was kind and allowed her a moment to mourn until she opened her eyes again.

Stephen had been Kevin's half brother. He knew her pain better than anyone, which was partly why she let him talk about him more than anyone. If it wasn't for his human traits he carried, he would have looked exactly like Kevin. He had his hair, his body build, his skin was paler, more rosy than green. And then his eyes... A bright pale blue. Kevin's had been a dark gold that glowed bright yellow in sunny days. Stephen had a tendency to wear his hair in a high ponytail, unlike Kevin who had always kept it free and brushed. I need to stop comparing the two of them, it won't bring him back... just more pain.

Tamara turned, suddenly feeling wide awake and angry. Angry only being used for lack of a better word. She was seething, her vision was beginning to flicker back and forth to red and normal. She had been working for the Sonar. She had been with them. She even became somewhat close to the woman who had been there to help soften the blow. Close enough to consider a friend. But what if that was a lie too? Were all the Sonar so disgusting? And that commander of theirs... He would be the first to go if she had any say about it and if she didn't before you could bet your boots she did now.

"I see your gears working in there but I hope you're being smart about this," Stephen said.

"It's a personal matter." Tamara almost didn't recognize her own voice, "It's not time to strike yet. But it will be soon."

Stephen nodded, hoping that she wasn't just telling him what she thought he wanted to hear.

They began talking over the recent events with the Sonar and their human trafficking until he told her about the recent attack on Neo's mother.