Page 118 of Rescued By the Alpha SEAL

The thought stings more than it should.

Once, we were forged in the same fire. Carved from the same steel. I remember the way Logan would clasp my shoulder before a mission, the weight of trust in that grip.

The way Knox's silence spoke volumes. How Caleb's discipline pushed us to do more. Eli's steady hands. Asa's quiet efficiency. Ryker's raw power.

We weremagnificent.

Until Logan broke rank.

Until he chose a stranger's life over the mission.

Until he made me choose between loyalty and brotherhood.

Something flickers in my peripheral vision—Sloane's hand, diving for snow.

Amateur move.

She flings it at my face like a child throwing sand, desperate and uncoordinated.

I move before she finishes the arc.

Three steps, two breaths:

First, sidestep the snow.

Second, trap her leading arm.

Third, sweep her legs.

She hits the ground with a shocked gasp. I lock her joints with practiced precision—the same holds we drilled for years. The same techniques that kept us alive in places where mercy meant weakness.

"Sloppy," I mutter, pressing until she stops struggling. "Is that what passes for training these days?"

She tries to buck me off, but there's no technique behind it. Just panic and pride. I apply more pressure—not enough to break, just enough to remind her who's in control.

Her consciousness fades like a dimming light.

Good.

Unconscious targets are easier to transport.

I bind her wrists and ankles with zip ties—military grade, tested in worse conditions than this. The snow is falling harder now, obscuring our tracks almost as fast as we make them. Perfect cover for what comes next.

Slipping her limp form over my shoulder, I start the trek to my secondary position. It's a long walk through dense forest, hovering just inside Iron Hollow's border. Far enough to stay hidden, close enough to keep watch.

Speaking of watching...

I check my surveillance feeds as I walk. Multiple cameras positioned around The Forge's perimeter, each one streaming data to my tactical tablet. My special modifications keep them invisible to Asa's systems.

Right now, they're probably discovering her absence. Logan will be the first to notice—he always was annoyingly observant.

I imagine his face when he finds the empty bed. The cold sheets. The silence where her breath should be.

Will he panic? Or will he fall back on training?

Either way, it won't matter.

Because I've been planning this since the moment I learned she was in town.