Chapter 130 — The Night Before the Full Moon
I drove faster than I should have. The road blurred beneath my headlights, but I didn’t slow down.
I needed to get home before Kian.
I couldn’t afford to slip. Not even once.
The steering wheel felt cold under my hands, but my palms were sweating.
Edward had said three days.
And now Kian was moving like someone who didn’t see a need to wait. I tightened my jaw.
By the time my house came into view, my mind was still back at the warehouse.
Were they moving fast enough? Did they realize that if anything goes wrong, everything would collapse?
I parked quickly and stepped out of the car.
The night air was cool, but it did nothing to calm me.
I walked inside, switched on the lights, and barely had time to remove my jacket before I heard another car pull into the driveway.
Right on time. Kian.
I exhaled once, steadying myself.
When the knock came, I opened the door. “Kian.”
He looked serious. “Damien.”
He stepped inside without wasting time. We moved to the living room.
“Drink?” I offered casually.
“No,” he said. “This won’t take long.”
I nodded and sat down across from him. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
“We’ve made a decision,” he said.
My heart skipped–but my face stayed calm.
“About the raid?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Kian,” I said carefully, “Don’t tell me you and Elder Rowan set a date for the raid without involving me?”
“Don’t really blame us, you’ve kind of been absent these days.” He replied.
“So when will the raid take place?
He didn’t hesitate. “Tomorrow.”
The word hit harder than I expected.
“Tomorrow?” I repeated.
“Yes,” he said firmly. “It’s a full moon.”
My stomach tightened. I leaned back slowly.
“That’s too soon,” I said.
Kian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"We need to monitor the place." I continued, keeping my voice steady. “ Watch their movements. Confirm routines. Make sure we’re not walking into a trap.”
My mind was racing. If they went tomorrow, they would find the remaining slaves.
Kian shook his head. “The earlier, the better.”
I didn’t respond immediately.
He continued, “Elder Rowan said if we don’t act immediately, the information might leak.”
My pulse quickened.
“And the raid will be compromised,” Kian added.
“The man who tipped us off,” Kian continued, “has already given us detailed information.”
I forced myself to stay relaxed.
“What kind of details?”
“Number of guards. Shift patterns. Entry and exit points. We believe we can work with it,” Kian finished.
That meant the tip was serious. Someone had really been watching.
I remained silent for a few seconds, pretending to think. Inside, I was calculating. How long would it take to move them all?
How many vehicles? How many men? My jaw tightened.
I couldn’t push too hard against the raid.
If I kept objecting, it would look suspicious.
Finally, I nodded slowly.
“You are right. Tomorrow is fine.”
Kian studied me.
“You’re okay with tomorrow?”
I forced a small nod.
“Yes,” I said calmly. “It’s a good plan.”
He relaxed slightly.
We discussed a few more details. I contributed where necessary, careful not to say too much, careful not to say too little.
All the while, part of my mind was screaming.
Move them now.
After nearly an hour, Kian stood. “I’ll inform the others,” he said.
“Alright.”
He stepped out and got into his car. The second his car left my gate, I grabbed my phone.
I didn’t waste time.
I called Garrett–the guy I left in charge at the warehouse.
He picked up on the second ring. “Sir.”
“We move all of them tonight,” I said immediately.
“Tonight?” He repeated.
“Yes. Every single Gifted Beta slave.”
He inhaled sharply.
“Sir, that’s…”
“I don’t care what it is,” I cut in. “Move them all.”
“Sir, we weren’t prepared for…”
“You are now.”
He hesitated.
“It might not be possible,” he said carefully. “It’s short notice. We don’t have enough...”
“Make it work,” I snapped.
Silence.
“You have a few hours,” I continued. “By morning, that warehouse must be empty.”
He was breathing harder now.
“This is risky.”
“So is getting caught,” I said coldly.
He swallowed. “Yes, sir.”
“And Garrett?”
“Yes?”
“No mistakes.”
The line went quiet for a second.
“Understood.”
I ended the call. My chest felt tight.
I had done everything I could.
Now it depended on Garrett.
I walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower. The water hit my skin, but it didn’t relax me.
I shut my eyes tightly. I tried to calm my thoughts.
When I finished showering, I dressed in loose clothes and lay down on my bed.
The room was dark. But my mind wasn’t. I stared at the ceiling. Eventually, exhaustion pulled me under and I slept off.
Then, the dream came quickly. I was back in the warehouse. But it wasn’t the same. The walls were closing in.
The lights were flickering. And Felix was standing in front of me. Only he wasn’t chained.
He looked stronger than before. His eyes burned.
He grabbed me by the collar. Suddenly, I was the one chained. Metal wrapped around my wrists. My ankles.
I tried to pull free, but I couldn’t move.
“Was everything you said about Elara true?,” he asked.
His face twisted with anger.
“Answer?” He screamed.
I tried to answer, but no words came out.
He stepped closer and pressed something cold against my throat.
I struggled. I felt like I was drowning. The warehouse began to fill with shadows.
The chains tightened. I couldn’t breathe.
Felix’s face was the last thing I saw before everything went black.
I woke up gasping. My chest rose and fell rapidly. Sweat covered my skin.
For a few seconds, I didn’t know where I was.
Then I saw the ceiling. My room. It was just a dream. I ran a hand over my face.
My heart was still racing.
I reached for my phone on the nightstand to check the time. 3:17 AM.
And that’s when I noticed the missed calls. Multiple. From Garrett.
My blood ran cold. Why would he call me this many times? Something must be wrong. I immediately pressed redial.
It rang. No answer. I called again and again.
Finally, he answered.
“Sir.” His voice sounded different. Breathless. Panicked.
“What happened?” I demanded.
There was silence for a second. Then he spoke.
“Some of them escaped.”
My entire body went still.
“What?”
“Some of them,” he repeated. “They escaped.”
The words felt unreal.
“How did this happen?” I asked sharply.
“It happened during the transfer,” he said quickly.
I stood up from the bed.
“How?” I demanded.
“They overpowered the guards. It happened fast.”
My mind was racing. My jaw clenched so hard it hurt.
“How many are missing?” I asked again.
“About fourteen,” he said quietly.
Fourteen gifted slaves. Out there. Free.
First, I thought of all the possible things Jasper could do to me. Also what Edward would do if he found them.
Everything would burn.
“Find them,” I said coldly.
“Yes, sir.”
“Before sunrise.”
The line went silent. My hands were shaking. I dressed up and drove out.