Page 44 of Lycan King’s Claim (Lycan King’s Reign Duet #2)

LATER THAT AFTERNOON

E verything was moving fast, I messed up by handing over Anita, without Carina we had no leverage against King Vin.

I am running out of time. Every time Vin has mocked and taunted me with Sienna, she's been unconscious and without the bond in full swing; I can barely feel her, and that's if I am feeling her, I am unable to differentiate my emotions from that of the frantic bond to Sienna's.

Ridion has King Vin's kingdom in lockdown, mine is in lockdown, and so is every town and city between the kingdoms, the Council has every available resource out, my father has even organized other kingdoms to join the search.

Everyone with the same goal. Find Sienna and take down Vin.

And I know, deep down, that I am running out of time.

Drone propellers cut through the dim evening, their infrared cameras scouring the sprawling metropolis below.

The central plaza buzzes with activity, skyscrapers reflecting the bustling command center below.

Satellite images shift on large screens, showcasing urban landscapes, subways, and dark alleyways.

Javier flips through different feeds, his fingers a blur on the touchscreen.

“We've activated every available feed,” Javier's voice crackles with urgency.

“Every Interpol, every major intelligence agency is on this. Plus, we have influencers amplifying our message, keeping the public's eyes peeled.”

My phone buzzes in my pocket, its light cutting through the dim surroundings. Carina's name. Relief, sharp and immediate, courses through me. Finally, where the heck has she been.

I answer the phone immediately. “Xandros,” comes a voice that pierces through the chaos, snapping me back to reality. “What's going on? I heard rumors about Sienna being missing.”

“Carina,” I sigh with relief, my voice shaking with barely contained rage and desperation. “Sienna is gone. Kidnapped by your father, we've been trying to reach you for days.”

“Wh-what?” she stammers, her fear palpable even through the phone. “Oh gods, Xandros, I'm so sorry. What can I do?”

“Help me find her,” I plead, my voice cracking as I fight to hold back my emotions.

“I know you're afraid of your father, but we don't have much time….” I pause, deliberating how to tell her that her being gone only gets worse. “Sienna's pregnant, Carina. She's carrying our child.”

Her gasp is audible, “Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Xandros, had I known I would have come straight away,” she gasps, and her voice chokes. “I'll be there as soon as I can. We'll find her, Xandros. I promise.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, my gratitude mingling with my worry. As I end the call, I turn my attention to the search party I have organized. The faces of my guard and local authorities stare back at me. “Listen up,” I bark, my voice ringing out loudly.

Four hours Later

Everything is in place, and the convoy is about to pull out as we do a final search of this city before moving on. We've scoured six so far, and after finishing here I struggle to think of where else. About to climb in my car with Javier and my father, I hear my name called.

“Xandros!” stopping, I look over the roof of my car. It's Carina with Toby, I shut my door, and she rushes over, giving me a hug

“What is going on, where are we headed?” she asks, “last city, then the Council is taking over. I've breached many alliances forcing entry, they're worried it will start a war.” I tell her.

She nods and Toby comes over to stand by her, he gives me a nod, but I couldn't care less about his presence when my mate is missing, any extra hands and eyes are welcome. We need them.

“Okay, so they checked the city and bunkers, what about the old mill?” Carina asks, plucking the screen from my hand.

She moves toward the tables and lights to go over the maps, while I am stunned into silence by her words.

I glance at Javier over the roof. “What bunkers?” I ask, and she glances up at me from the table.

“My father's, of course, you've searched those? Honestly, I am shocked that isn't where he went, it has access to the entire city in his kingdom,” she says, tapping the screen. I move toward her.

“We weren't aware of the bunkers, they are not on the blueprints.” I tell her, and she pauses, her brows scrunching together. She pushes the maps aside, looking for her father's kingdom maps. She shakes her head. “These are old maps,” she states.

“No, these are the ones the Council had, ones the Council mapped out themselves last year,” I tell her.

Carina shakes her head and is suddenly looking uncomfortable. “The bunkers aren't on the castle blueprints because they were built after the blueprint's initial build.” She glances at Toby nervously.

“Carina, if you have information, I need it,” I tell her, and she sighs, chewing her lip.

“My father had them built about 20 years ago. He used to keep all the investor's gold there until he gambled it. That is why he was forcing me to marry you. These investors wanted their money back.”

“He gambled it?” I ask.

“Yes, and my father didn't have it. He intended to state that the bill was in my name, making the debt fall on you.” Carina explains.

“So if he has secret underground bunkers, why do you know about them?” Carina turns all nervous again and glances at Toby, she swallows thickly, and her eyes turn glassy.

“They aren't just bunkers for gold, and they also hold the dungeons.

It's also where my father let his guard rape me when I misbehaved.

It's like a maze down there. Once down there, without the GPS, you can't find your way out. He made that place escape-proof.” I look at Javier.

“I will get a hold of Ridion,” Javier says, stalking off.

“I'll call everyone back.” My father states, and I look at Carina. “Please tell me you know how to get down there? We've had drones and everything all over your father's city, we found nothing,”

“That's because the only way in is through the castle basement. There is a concealed wall.”

“Council is still struggling to get into the basement, its been barricaded from the inside, yet when they checked with thermal imaging nothing appeared to be down there,” I tell her.

“But doesn't it span the city?” I ask her and she nods. “Yes, but the only other way out is from inside, the doors only open from the inside to get access to anywhere else,” she explains.

The weight of Carina's words hang heavy in the air as we gather around a large table.

Old blueprints of her father's castle spread before us as Carina maps out everything the best she can, but even she is limited with information, having only been down there when her father would drag her down there.

Her revelation about the hidden bunkers send a chill down my spine, and I can see the same effect on Javier and the others who have joined our search party.

“Are you certain about this, Carina?” I question, my voice barely above a whisper. The pain in her eyes is unmistakable, but she nods with conviction. “As sure as I am standing here,” she replies, swallowing hard.

“These bunkers were built after the initial construction, so they won't be on any blueprints the Council has seen.” I clench my fists, trying to contain my anger and frustration. “Alright,” I say, forcing the rage down, focusing on the task at hand.

“Carina, show us where the best place to try to access the bunkers are and all the points of exit since there is no entry. We need to plan our attack carefully.”

“Of course,” she murmurs, her eyes darting over the blueprints, searching for any detail that might help us in our mission. She points to a discreet entrance near the local police station, her voice barely audible as she explains the layout.

“One tunnel I know leads here, but can only be accessed from within the tunnel system, and I’m not exactly sure where, but I heard my father talking about it, once in I can locate her, but not from outside.

Once we're inside, there will be a network of tunnels connecting the different sections of the bunker. I can lead us through them, but we must be cautious. There could be traps or guards at every turn.”

“We can get in but we are gonna need explosives.” Carina adds.

“Understood,” Javier chimes in, his expression hardened with determination.

“We'll follow your lead, Princess.” he answers, moving to coordinate with the teams all waiting for command, Carina rubs her temples and I move closer.

“Carina,” I say, locking eyes with her. “Thank you for helping us. I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you.” She nods, tears shimmering in her eyes.

“Just find Sienna, Xandros. Bring her home safely.” As we assign roles to each member of the search party, my heart pounds in my chest like a caged beast trying to escape.

With every passing moment, Sienna's life hangs in the balance.

My mate, my love, and our unborn child are counting on us to rescue them from Vin, so why do I have this sneaking suspicion I've already failed?

We drive to the entry point when my phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out with a sense of dread. The screen displays an incoming message from King Vin. My heart clenches as I open it, revealing a photo of Sienna, unconscious and battered. Her face is bruised, and she looks extremely pale.

The next second, the phone rings and I growl, answering it.

“Enough with your games, Vin!” I snarl into the phone. “Why is she still unconscious?”

“Ah, Xandros,” his smooth voice oozed through the speaker. “Your precious mate has been out cold since I took her. She's breathing for now. But that won't last if you don't leave my kingdom.”

“Tell me how you found me,” he demands. I grit my teeth and snap a picture of Carina in the back and quickly send it to him.

“Give Sienna back, and maybe, just maybe, I'll let the Council capture you instead of ripping your heart out myself.”

“Bold words, Xandros,” Vin sneered. “But you should know I have enough supplies down here to last decades, and this bunker is impenetrable.”

“Then it's a good thing we have your daughter with us,” I spit, anger and frustration boiling beneath my skin like molten lava.

“We're coming for you, Vin. And when we do, you'll wish you never crossed me.”

“Good luck, Xandros,” he replies, the line going dead just as we pull up at the police station.

“Alright, everyone,” I say, turning to face the assembled search party. “Every minute counts. We need to cover as much ground as possible and find Sienna before it's too late.”

The Council members work in tandem with us, while we try to locate exactly where the tunnel is at this location, Carina knows the locations, just not the exit points.

Advanced tech teams deploy, using ground-penetrating radar to detect any underground anomalies around the suspected sites. Social media's role becomes pivotal; the online community rallies, sharing any and every potential lead.

Then, an anonymous tip on a digital portal catches our attention: a blurry photo of Sienna, unconscious.

My heart lurches at the sight. Instantly, a digital team works on enhancing the image, trying to pick out any identifiable markers in the background, like the markings on the old pipes along the ceiling. They look for anything.

Vin's confidence is evident when he sends a mocking text, Vin: You won’t find her, not with all the tech in the world .

In a moment of anger, I send back an image of Carina, a subtle reminder of what I have on my side: You underestimate us, but most of all, you're underestimating what your daughter knows.

“Xandros,” Javier's voice crackles through the radio.

“We found it. The entrance to the underground tunnels. It's hidden, but it's here.”

“Good work, Javier,” I reply, hope flaring in my chest like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

“Carina and I will meet you there. Be ready.”

As we race to the location, my mind churns with fear. What if we were too late? What if Sienna didn't make it? But I couldn't allow those thoughts to consume me. Not now. Not when we were so close to finding her.