Chapter 128 — The Night Before the Full Moon
I’ve always respected the full moon. Power shifts when it rises. The air changes. Instincts sharpen. Wolves grow stronger–strong enough to turn the tide of a fight.
Tomorrow night would be a full moon. And if Edward decides to schedule the raid for tomorrow, he would have more advantage. He wasn’t reckless. He would wait for advantage.
I would choose tomorrow night too if I was to raid a place like that.
I sat in my car, fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel.
“Less than three days,” Edward had said.
That wasn’t a timeline. It was just a statement.
Less than three days could mean tonight. It could mean tomorrow. It could mean right now.
The warehouse held too much–gifted Betas, records, and crime. If he found it before I cleared it out, everything I’d built would collapse. And that son of a bitch Jasper will pin everything on me and go Scot-free.
I started the engine of my car and headed out immediately. I had to move first
I got to a mall, parked far from the entrance and walked in quietly, trying not to be notified.
Just another man in a crowd. I stepped into a cheap clothing store and picked up a plain black T-shirt. Faded black trousers. A simple plain black face cap. Forgettable.
At the counter, the cashier barely glanced at me.
“That will be fifteen.”
I paid in cash, picked the items and headed back to my car and headed home from there.
I let the water hit my skin, steady and sharp when I got home.
Felix’s voice echoed in my head.
She’s my sister. And then… Alpha Thorne killed my father and mother.
Everything kept circling back to Edward.
I turned off the water, dried quickly, and changed into the cheap clothes.
When I looked in the mirror, I saw no trace of Damien. Just an ordinary man. Exactly what I needed.
I pulled the cap low and left.
The warehouse rose from the darkness like something alive. Cold metal. Rusted gates. Armed guards. I rolled in quietly in the rented car I got.
Even in disguise, they recognized me.
“Sir.”
A small nod was enough.
Inside, the air was thick–sweat, fear, rust. Chains clinked somewhere in the distance. Low murmurs. A few quiet sobs.
“We’re moving them tonight,” I told the man I put in charge of them.
He blinked. “All of them?”
“All the adults first. Load them into the trucks.”
“And the teenagers?”
“Tomorrow. Move as many as possible tonight.”
He nodded quickly.
Good.
The place erupted into motion–doors unlocking, orders shouted, metal scraping against concrete. Some captives resisted. Some cried. Some stared blankly, already broken.
Efficiency mattered. Speed mattered more.
I walked the hallway slowly.
Then I stopped. Felix’s cell. He was awake this time. Watching. Waiting.
“I thought you said my sister Elara was looking for me,” he said quietly. “Where is she?”
I kept my face blank. “I don’t owe you answers.”
His jaw tightened. “What do you mean you don’t owe me?”
“You’ll be moved tonight,” I said. “Another city.”
His eyes widened just slightly.
“Forget about Elara.”
That landed. I saw it on his shoulders.
“At least tell me if she’s okay,” he pressed. “Is she safe?”
I said nothing.
“Is she locked up somewhere too?” he demanded.
I tilted my head. “No. She’s fine.”
He stilled.
“She’s living in a mansion,” I continued evenly. “The mansion of the man who killed your parents.”
His breathing changed.
“And not just living there. She’s a lover to his son.”
Color drained from his face. “No.”
“Yes.” I quickly said.
His hands gripped the bars hard enough to whiten his knuckles.
“She wouldn’t,” he said. “She knows what happened.”
“People change,” I replied.
His eyes burned. “You’re lying.”
“Am I?”
Silence thickened between us.
“She’s not safe there,” I added. “Edward has many enemies. She’s vulnerable.”
His fists trembled.
“And I’m sure,” I went on calmly, “my boss would be very interested in adding her to his collection.”
“Collection?”
“Slaves,” I said bluntly. “Gifted ones.”
A cruel smile touched my lips before I could stop it.
“I’d be happy to receive her.”
Something shifted in his eyes then.
Not fear.
Not despair.
Something steadier. Harder.
He stood and walked to the bars.
“I know you’re in charge here,” he said slowly.
I raised a brow.
“But I doubt you know what my power is.”
I didn’t respond.
He smiled.
Cold.
“You just spoke about my sister,” he said quietly. “You should brace yourself.”
I let out a small chuckle. “For what?”
“For what’s coming.”
I didn’t take him seriously.
I’ve seen defiance before. It breaks.
I stepped back.
“Load him tonight,” I ordered a guard. “He moves with the adults.”
“Yes, sir.”
Outside, the trucks were lined up.
Engines idling.
Men shoving captives inside. Metal doors slamming shut. Some fought. Some screamed. Most didn’t have the strength.
I stood with my arms crossed, watching every detail.
No mistakes.
No delays.
No witnesses.
My phone rang.
Kian.
My pulse skipped before I could stop it.
“Yes?”
“We need to meet immediately,” he said. “Not over the phone.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
I forced calm into my voice. “Come to my house.”
“On my way.”
The call ended.
I dialed the coordinator.
“I need to leave,” I said. “Make sure nothing goes wrong.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And make sure Felix Landon is moved tonight.”
“No hesitation. “Yes, sir.”
I ended the call, adjusted my cap, and walked toward my car.
Behind me, engines roared louder.
Metal slammed shut.
Orders echoed into the night.
Everything was under control.
Everything was moving according to plan.
I didn’t see the car parked across the street.
Didn’t see the darkened window.
Didn’t see the camera lens aimed directly at me.
Click.
Click.
Click.
If I had looked closer, I might have noticed.
But I didn’t.
And that would be my first mistake.