Chapter 158
Lirael
An hour later, thoroughly ravished and running on far too little sleep, I finally managed to call Selene. She answered on the first ring.
"Please tell me you're calling with good news," she said.
"Black Reef," I said simply. "Today. Can you be at the Blackwood estate helipad in one hour?"
The line went quiet. "You're serious. He actually managed to arrange it."
"Apparently," I said, watching Sebastian emerge from the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. "Can you make it?"
"I'll be there," Selene said. "Lira... this is really happening. We're actually going to get them out."
"We're going to try," I corrected. "Just... be ready for anything, okay?"
"Always am," she said, and hung up.
I turned to find Sebastian watching me with that particular intensity. "You're nervous," he observed.
"I'm terrified," I admitted. "What if something goes wrong? What if we can't get everyone out—"
"Then we adapt," he said, crossing the room to pull me against him. "Lira, I've planned every contingency. We're as prepared as we can possibly be."
"That's not the same as guaranteed success."
"No," he agreed. "But it's the best we can do. And sometimes, little moon, you have to trust that the best is enough."
"You can't promise that," I said. "There are too many variables—"
"I promise anyway," he interrupted. "Because I'm an arrogant Alpha who thinks he can control the universe through sheer force of will."
Despite everything, I felt my lips twitch. "You're impossible."
"You love me anyway," he said, and kissed me before I could respond.
---
Selene arrived at the helipad forty-three minutes late, windswept and slightly out of breath. Marcus stood near the helicopter with a tablet, two guards flanked the aircraft, and Sebastian leaned against the railing with me tucked under his arm, radiating controlled impatience.
"Sorry," Selene said, not sounding particularly sorry. "Traffic was terrible—"
"You're here now," I interrupted, because Sebastian's grip on my waist had tightened. "That's what matters."
"Is it?" Sebastian murmured, just loud enough for me to hear. "Because we specified nine o'clock, and it's now nine forty-three."
"She's here," I said firmly. "And she's one of our best tactical minds, so unless you want to fly into Black Reef without her—"
"Fine," he said, but his eyes remained fixed on Selene with cold assessment. "But if her tardiness compromises the mission—"
"It won't," Selene said, meeting his gaze steadily. "I apologize for the delay. It won't happen again."
Sebastian studied her for another long moment, then nodded once. He turned to Marcus. "Everyone's clear on the operational timeline?"
"Yes, sir," Marcus said, pulling up a holographic display. "Security window opens at eleven hundred hours and closes at thirteen thirty. That gives us two and a half hours to infiltrate, locate the targets, and extract."
"And the Council?" I asked.
"Handled," Sebastian said shortly. "I've made it clear that this is a humanitarian operation with my personal backing, and anyone who interferes will be considered an enemy of Clan Blackwood." His smile was sharp. "Surprisingly, that was enough to ensure their cooperation."
"Good enough," Sebastian said, then turned to address the group. "Listen up. We go in fast, we go in quiet, and we don't deviate from the plan unless absolutely necessary. Our primary objective is extracting the elven captives from sublevel three. Questions?"
"Just one," Selene said. "What happens if we encounter Victor Blackwood? If he's on-site—"
"Then he'll learn what happens when someone threatens what's mine," Sebastian said, casual violence in his tone. "But he won't be there. I've made sure of it."
"How?" I asked.
Sebastian's smile turned predatory. "Let's just say I arranged a very urgent board meeting in New York that requires his immediate attention. He'll be occupied for the next six hours, which gives us plenty of time to complete the operation."
"You manipulated your own father," Selene said.
"I outmaneuvered a political opponent," Sebastian corrected. "The fact that we share DNA is irrelevant." He checked his watch. "We're wasting time. Everyone board. We leave in five minutes."
The flight to Black Reef took ninety minutes, and I spent most of it pressed against Sebastian's side while he reviewed tactical maps. Selene sat across from us, pointedly not watching the way Sebastian's hand never left my waist.
"You two are nauseating," she finally said. "I'm happy for you, truly, but also nauseated."
"Jealous?" Sebastian asked without looking up.
"Concerned," she corrected. "About what happens when you two inevitably have your first real fight."
"We've already had our first fight," I said. "Several of them, actually. Remember when he kidnapped me?"
"Those don't count," Selene interrupted. "Those were before you admitted you loved each other."
"We'll be fine," Sebastian said with arrogant confidence. "Lira knows I'm always right, so there won't be much to fight about."
I elbowed him sharply. "I know no such thing. You're wrong constantly."
"Name one time," he challenged.
"Last Tuesday. The security footage from the east checkpoint—you said it was corrupted when it was just encrypted with a different algorithm. I spent three hours fixing your mistake."
"That was a test to see if you'd notice," he said smoothly.
"It was not," I said, fighting a smile. "You were genuinely wrong."
"I'm never wrong," he insisted, pulling me closer. "I'm occasionally surprised by outcomes I didn't anticipate, but that's different."
"That's literally the definition of being wrong," Selene pointed out.
"It's the definition of being adaptable," Sebastian countered.
"There really isn't," I said, but I was laughing now.
Sebastian's response was cut off by Marcus's voice over the intercom. "Sir, we're approaching the insertion point. ETA three minutes."
Immediately, the mood shifted. Sebastian straightened, his expression hardening into the cold, focused mask of the Alpha preparing for battle. His hand tightened on my waist one final time before releasing me.
"Remember the plan," he said. "We go in quiet, extract the targets, and get out. If things go wrong, priority one is protecting the captives. Priority two is your own survival. If anyone tries to stop us, you have my permission to use whatever force is necessary. Are we clear?"
A chorus of affirmatives echoed through the cabin.
"Good," Sebastian said, then turned to me one last time. "Stay close to me. Don't take unnecessary risks. And Lira—" He cupped my face. "—come back to me. That's not a request."
"I will," I promised. "We both will."
His kiss was brief but fierce. Then he was pulling away, checking his weapons, transforming into the predator I'd first met on Black Reef's northern cliffs.
The helicopter touched down exactly on schedule, and as we disembarked, I couldn't help but remember the last time I'd been here—running for my life, desperate and terrified.
Full circle, I thought, following Sebastian. But this time, I'm not running away. I'm running toward freedom.
And with Sebastian at my side, I almost believed we could pull it off.