Chapter 160 Our Only Hope

Chapter 160 Our Only Hope
Selene’s POV

The moment Lucian’s message failed to send, the small hope I had been holding onto disappeared with it.

He had tried to send our location to Yaris, hoping that even a weak signal might be enough for the message to go through, but the screen showed exactly what we had feared. There was no signal out here. We were still descending over a vast ocean with no idea exactly where we were, and no one on land knew where to start searching for us.

Disappointment washed over me.

After everything we had survived, it seemed almost cruel that something as simple as a phone signal could now stand between us and rescue.

Lucian put his phone away. He must have seen the worry returning to my face because he immediately reached for my hand and held it firmly.

“No matter what happens, as long as we’re together, everything will be fine.”

There was no uncertainty in his voice.

His palm was warm against mine, and somehow it felt as though he was transferring part of his strength to me. Only a short while ago, I had finally admitted that I loved him and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Now, instead of allowing fear to destroy that happiness, I wanted to believe him.

Still, we needed more than hope.

My mind raced through every possibility until a sudden thought struck me.

“I have a way!”

Lucian looked at me, confused.

“Hmm?”

I immediately reached for the necklace around my neck and removed it.

For years, I had worn it without thinking much about its real purpose. It had become so familiar that I sometimes forgot there was anything unusual about it.

I held the necklace tightly in my palm.

Alaric had given it to me on my sixteenth birthday.

The memory returned with surprising clarity.

Back then, Alaric had smiled as he handed me the necklace.

“Sele, I had this necklace custom-made just for you. It may look ordinary, but it has a very special purpose.”

At sixteen, I had been more interested in the gift itself than the mysterious meaning behind his words.

“What purpose?” I had asked.

Alaric had pointed toward the pendant.

“Do you see the plum blossom here?”

I remembered lowering my eyes to study the small engraving. The plum blossom had looked beautiful, but nothing about it seemed particularly unusual.

I had stared at it for a moment before looking back at him, still confused.

Alaric had then explained the truth.

“This is a signal transmitter, and the plum blossom is the switch. If you’re ever in danger, press it, and I’ll receive your distress signal. No matter where you are, I’ll come to rescue you.”

At the time, I had happily put the necklace around my neck without taking his warning too seriously.

Why would I?

There were very few people in this world who could truly harm me, and as I grew stronger, the possibility of ever needing an emergency transmitter seemed even more unlikely. After becoming the Alpha of the Bloodfang Pack, I had almost forgotten about its purpose completely.

I had never once tested it.

But Alaric had spoken with absolute confidence when he gave it to me.

If there was ever a time to find out whether it really worked, this was it.

The only thing I did not know was whether it could transmit a signal from the middle of the ocean.

Still, we had nothing to lose.

I turned toward Lucian.

“This necklace was from Alaric. He told me that if I was ever in danger, I could use it to send him a distress signal. I hope it works.”

Lucian studied the necklace in my hand.

From the outside, there was nothing remarkable about it. Anyone who saw it would probably assume it was simply an ordinary piece of jewelry.

“Give it a try,” he said.

I nodded and carefully pressed the plum blossom engraving.

For one breath, nothing happened.

Then the dull pendant began to glow.

My eyes widened.

A faint green light appeared from within it. At first, the glow was soft and pale, but within seconds, the color deepened until the pendant shone a rich, dark green.

“It actually works!”

Lucian and I spoke almost at the same time.

I stared at the blinking necklace, hardly believing it.

After all these years, Alaric’s gift was finally doing exactly what he had promised.

Excitement rushed through me, but it was quickly followed by another worry.

“I just hope Alaric receives the signal.”

Lucian’s POV

“He will.”

I met Selene’s eyes and gave her the certainty she needed.

Yet as I looked at the glowing necklace in her hand, another thought entered my mind.

I had never seen a transmitter like this before.

The technology hidden inside such an ordinary-looking necklace was far more advanced than I expected, which immediately raised questions about the person who had given it to her.

Wasn’t Selene’s grandfather supposed to be an ordinary old man from a rural town like Firstband?

How could someone like that have access to technology this advanced?

I glanced at Selene again.

My fiancée was definitely not as simple as she appeared.

Then again, I had known for some time that there were things about her I did not completely understand. Sometimes she surprised me with knowledge, connections, or abilities that did not fit the simple background everyone associated with her.

But I had no intention of forcing answers from her.

If Selene did not want to talk about those things, I would wait until she was ready.

I loved her for who she was.

Her real identity, family background, or whatever secrets she might be carrying would not change that.

Besides, we had finally confessed our feelings to each other while thousands of feet above the ocean. After waiting so long for her answer, hearing Selene say she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me had been enough to make everything else seem unimportant.

Still, I had to admit that the Moon Goddess had an interesting sense of humor.

Why did our mutual confession have to happen at a time like this?

I turned my attention back toward our surroundings as the parachute carried us steadily lower.

The ocean beneath us was becoming clearer.

Then something appeared in the distance.

I narrowed my eyes.

Islands.

Several of them.

Hope immediately rose inside me.

I gently nudged Selene and pointed ahead.

“Sele, do you see those islands over there?”

She followed my gesture, and her eyes brightened.

“I do! I was just about to tell you the same thing.”

A quiet laugh escaped me.

I leaned closer.

“Does this mean we’re perfectly in sync?”

Before she could answer, I lowered my head and lightly brushed my lips over her earlobe.

I could not help myself.

After finally hearing her accept me, I wanted to remain close to her every second.

“Stop messing around,” she scolded softly.

She turned away from me and focused on the islands again, but the reaction was enough to make my smile deepen.

Selene’s POV

Lucian’s kiss made my heart flutter, and somehow, even while we were still suspended high above the ocean, I felt secure in his arms.

But I could not allow myself to forget our situation.

We had escaped the plane, but we had not escaped danger.

The islands in the distance gave us hope, though. If we could reach one of them and find fresh water, our chances of survival would improve.

The problem was reaching them.

How long would we have to swim?

Would the food and water Lucian had brought be enough to sustain us until we reached land?

More importantly, had Alaric truly received the distress signal?

Could he actually find us in the middle of such a vast ocean?

My thoughts became heavier until Lucian’s voice interrupted them.

“Do you know how to swim?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

Lucian reached into his backpack and pulled out a life vest. He carefully helped me put it on, checking it properly before speaking.

“Once I turn into a wolf, you’ll ride on my back. I’ll carry you while we swim toward the island.”

I immediately shook my head slightly.

“Alright, but Frieda can swim too. We can take turns. That way, we’ll conserve our energy.”

“Okay.”

That was our best option.

Neither of us knew how far away the islands truly were. Distances could be deceiving over open water, and exhausting Lucian before we reached land would only put both of us at greater risk.

Silently, I prayed for one more stroke of luck.

Perhaps a ship would pass nearby.

Perhaps someone would see the parachute before we hit the water.

Perhaps Alaric’s people were already searching for us.

Any of those possibilities could save us from having to swim all the way to the island.

Our descent continued.

The ocean grew larger beneath us until it seemed to fill the entire world.

Wind swept across the surface, stirring the water into powerful waves. White crests formed over the swells before disappearing again.

My heart tightened.

Being able to swim did not mean the ocean was safe.

Frieda and Lucian’s wolf were powerful, but nature did not care whether we were humans, ordinary werewolves, or Alphas. The open sea could hide countless dangers, and there was no telling what would happen once we entered the water.

Lucian looked below.

“We’re about to hit the water. Hold your breath!”

I immediately prepared myself.

He untied the rope securing us together and made sure my life vest was properly in place. Then his hand closed firmly around mine.

I drew in a deep breath.

Seconds later, we plunged into the sea.

The impact shocked my body.

Cold water surrounded me, and before I could properly hold my breath, I gasped and accidentally swallowed several mouthfuls of salty seawater.

I coughed as soon as I reached the surface.

The bitter, briny taste filled my throat and left me deeply uncomfortable.

I struggled to steady myself with the life vest keeping me afloat.

Then movement caught my attention.

Lucian had already shifteddddddd.

His powerful white wolf swam toward me through the waves. The instant he reached me, his strong paws helped hold me securely above the water.

He lowered himself slightly, clearly signaling for me to climb onto his back.

Despite everything, warmth spread through my chest.

I reached forward and kissed the white wolf gently on the forehead.

“I’m alright. Thank you.”

There was no need for formalities between us anymore.

I climbed onto his back and wrapped my hands firmly into his thick fur. Once he felt that I was secure, Lucian pushed forward.

His powerful limbs sliced through the water as he began paddling toward the distant island.