Page 51

Orion took a long, deep breath.

"We'll take two boats," he ordered as they reached the dock. "I want a team on each side of the island. Radio silence until the signal."

Chance nodded. "And the signal is?"

Orion's smile was all teeth, predatory and ancient. "When you hear the senator screaming, that's your cue."

Orion soon stood at the bow of Tristan's speedboat, the ocean spray kissing his face as they cut through the turquoise waters toward Iverson's island. The salt air filled his lungs but did nothing to calm the storm brewing inside him. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the railing, each minute of separation from Seraphina like a physical wound.

"ETA three minutes, Your Majesty," the shifter at the helm called out.

Orion nodded curtly, his jaw clenched so tighly, he tasted metal. The mate bond pulsed beneath his skin—no longer just a whisper but a thundering drum that guided him toward her. Through it, he felt her fear, her determination, and something else... hope. She knew he was coming.

"I need eyes on security positions," he barked to the team huddled behind him.

One of his elite guards handed him binoculars. "Six human guards patrolling the beach perimeter. More inside, no doubt."

Orion scanned the white mansion perched on the cliff like a vulture surveying its domain. Pristine and gleaming in the afternoon sun, it masked the corruption festering within. His wolf snarled at the thought of Seraphina trapped inside those walls.

"Remember," Chance said, appearing at his side, "we're here to extract her, not start a war." His dark eyes held a knowing gleam. "Yet."

Orion's lips curled into something resembling a smile. "I've exercised restraint for several lifetimes, old friend. What's another hour?"

"That's what worries me." Chance tapped the comm unit in his hand. "Team Two, head for the west shore and await orders."

The speedboats separated, curving around opposite sides of the island. Orion's boat approached a small, secluded cove partially hidden by overhanging vegetation. Perfect for a stealth landing.

As they killed the engine and drifted silently toward shore, Orion closed his eyes, focusing on the bond.I'm here, sweetheart. Hold on.

The sensation that returned was electric—a jolt of recognition as if she had heard him. The bond was strengthening with each mile closer he got to her.

They disembarked with practiced efficiency, three pack members securing the boats and establishing a perimeter while the rest followed Orion and Chance into the dense tropical foliage. The humidity wrapped around them as they moved silently through the undergrowth, communication reduced to hand signals and knowing glances.

"Two guards, northwest corner," one of his men whispered, pointing ahead.

Orion inhaled deeply, catching their scent on the breeze. "Human. Not shifters." Easier to take down, but also a complication—humans meant potential witnesses, potential exposure of their kind.

"Allow me." Chance disappeared into the foliage with another guard, returning minutes later in a security uniform two sizes too large. "Christmas came early. Got enough for the team."

Orion slipped into the dark blue uniform, his nose wrinkling at the human smell clinging to it. "The senator spares no expense, I see." The material was high-quality and the gear top-of-the-line.

"The man's got aspirations beyond the Senate, clearly." Chance adjusted his earpiece. "Ambition like that makes men dangerous."

"So does taking another alpha's mate," Orion growled.

As they approached the mansion's rear entrance, the mate bond flared so intensely, Orion had to stop, bracing himself against a tree. Images flooded his mind—metal biting into Seraphina's wrists as she struggled against handcuffs, the gleam of the senator's too-white teeth as he leaned over her, demanding she use her powers to advance his ambitions.

The wood splintered beneath Orion's grip.

"She's in the east wing. Underground level." He straightened, eyes flashing gold before he forcibly reined in his wolf. "He has her restrained."

Chance placed a steady hand on his shoulder. "We'll get her out. But we need you sharp, not feral."

Orion took another deep breath, centering himself. "I've been king for quite a long time. I think I can manage ten more minutes of self-control."

"Sure you can." Chance's skeptical tone was accompanied by a knowing smirk. "Just like that time in Barcelona when?—"

"Not helping."