Chapter 127
Harper’s POV
My heart slammed in my chest as a rush of heat swarmed my lungs. My body was buzzing with an overwhelming feeling of devotion and admiration I never thought I could experience.
I wordlessly circled my arms around his waist and basked in the warmth that I had grown familiar with. The ugly shadows of our past history felt like they’d finally been put to rest. All the distrust and uneasy feelings had dissolved, leaving room for only affection, and dare I say...Love?
Erie had persistently made her feelings toward Lucas known since the two of us had been reunited. But even then, I wasn’t fully prepared to trust Lucas the way I was now. It felt like my entire being was finally on the same page.
“You are my everything, Lucas,” I told him from the bottom of my heart.
There was so much more I could say to him, but now wasn’t the time. We had to leave and carry out this mission. But I made a mental note to myself that once this whole mess was dealt with tonight, Lucas and I would spend some much-needed time together.
I wanted to lose myself in him. Physically, emotionally—every which way that would leave me breathless and panting for more.
Until then, I raised myself up on my toes and pressed a longing kiss to his lips.
“Let’s go.”
The two of us climbed into our own car and followed the procession of other vehicles. I fought to ignore the growing pit in my stomach and kept trying to remind myself that I knew what I was walking back into.
It wasn’t as though I was any fair stranger to that monstrosity of a place. It needed to be dismantled and brought crumbling to the ground. Still, part of me had somehow hoped that I would never have to return to it.
Sensing my minor discomfort, Lucas tugged me closer to his side and rested his chin on top of my head.
By the time we all reached the outer perimeter outside of the Domain, dusk had fallen across the sky. If my instincts were correct, a new group of buyers for the upcoming auction was due to arrive within the coming hours.
I stepped out of the car and closed my eyes. I let Erie’s presence push to the forefront of my mind, giving her the chance to pick up any possible changes. My eyes darted to the same areas we’d marked down before to check if there were any new changes to their security detail.
Lucas came up beside me. “Anything new?” he asked.
My eyes darted around to the far left, where I quickly spotted two guards—same as last time. From there, I checked the roof and was glad to discover that it was still lacking any sort of security.
I shook my head. “Nothing.” Our way in remained a clear path.
All the teams regrouped and readied themselves with equipment and weapons. My nerves were coiling with each passing minute. A mixture of worrying and anticipation.
“Here,” Lucas started. “I want you to have this on you at all times when we’re in there.”
A brief blush touched my cheeks as he proceeded to kneel at my feet. I watched in wrapped fascination as Lucas tied a leather holster around my right thigh. Along with it held a small sheathed dagger.
The corner of his mouth pulled upward into a knowing smirk. “Don’t be mistaken by the size. The dagger may be on the smaller end of some of the other knives we have with us; however, it’s just as effective.”
“I hope I don’t have to use it,” I admitted.
He fastened the small buckle and lifted himself back to his feet. He crooked his fingers underneath my chin and lifted my head up to meet his gaze.
“Neither do I. Think of it as an extra precaution.”
Darkness had overtaken the sky, and all of us had become seeped in shadow. Once the last potential buyer arrived, we knew it was time to move in.
Team B began their descent. The first pair of men crossed through the foliage and came to the side of the building. We agreed beforehand that the guards on the outside were to be dealt with mild tranquilizers.
Lucas figured that there was zero point in causing any unnecessary bloodshed, especially when the real threat likely awaited us inside.
Muffled, distorted groans were heard along with the sound of unconscious bodies hitting the ground.
With the area secured for our arrival, Lucas and I took to the small ladder and climbed to the top of the building. We were quickly fitted into our harnesses while the top metal grate to our window inside was drilled off.
They dropped the rope, and Lucas lowered himself through first. When it was my turn, my stomach swooped as gravity dragged me through the opening and toward the tiled floor. If the blueprints were correct, then we should have been inside the building’s storage room.
Everyone else had followed in after us. “Team B, take the left wing. Team C, take the right. The rest of you, follow us and remember to keep a low profile. The less attention we gather, the better.”
As we traveled through the dark hallways, I was thankful I could rely on my wolf’s vision in order to see clearly. “Come on, this path should lead us to the auction gallery,” I whispered.
Based on my sheer memory of my experience here, as well as having studied the map, I was fairly confident in my sense of direction. Navigating through the various hallways was done with ease until we started to grow closer to the gallery room.
A large guard stood at the next corner we needed to turn down. Lucas fearlessly stepped out of the shadows and crept up behind him in silence. He took the guard out with ease. From watching that entire scene unfold, I felt Erie purr and snip with approval.
“Let’s go,” he husked.
Just as I stepped around the corner, I heard a few distant voices shouting from down the neighboring hall.
“What’s going on down there?”
“Hey, you’re not supposed to be down there!”
Lucas gave me a knowing look, making me spring into action. He opted for the guard on the left, leaving me to deal with the one on the right. The man had an average build but was no less of a challenge.
He tried to knock me on my back by sweeping my legs out from under me. But I was quick to lock my ankle around the crook of his knee and sent him crashing to the ground. I curled my hand into a tight fist and struck him hard against his jaw. The man was out cold in seconds.
A rough grunt caught my attention. I turned to glance back at Lucas to find the second guard slumped over on the floor.
An amused smile curved his lips. “Well done, love,” he hummed.
There was no stopping the fervent noise that slipped from the back of my throat. Heat blossomed in my chest as I rejoined Lucas’s side. His hand engulfed my own and led us down the hall.
An invigorating spark of life jolted through me, leading me to believe that he and I could face anything—any obstacle. As long as we did it together.
