Chapter 130

Harper’s POV

My energy was depleting with every passing minute, but I pushed myself to keep moving. I had no idea where I was at that point. I was forced around too many corners and halls to gain any sense of direction.

“The security room,” I muttered.

That was where Lucas and the others were brought to.

Against my better judgment and interest, I turned back to face the guards and began searching each of them. I managed to swipe a map off of one of them, along with another decent-looking blade.

I unfolded the map and struggled to make sense of all the different colored lines that led in all various directions. My head was pounding and I felt terribly disoriented. Through the mental haze, I recalled that one guard mentioned this was hall 119.

I scanned the map and swiftly located the number. From there, I traced numerous color-coded lines that would have led me all various directions. When I found the security room, my heart did a minor flip.

Hugging the side of the wall, I made off in that direction despite my weakened state. A few times, I had to keep to the shadows in order to avoid being seen by any other guards. It wasn’t as though I had the strength to fight any of them off. Even Erie was exhausted beyond her limits.

With the arrow still deeply wedged in my side, all my energy was placed on merely staying on my feet. I almost let out a joyful cry when I saw the control hub up ahead—even more so when I heard the distinctive voice of Lucas.

I was overcome with a mixture of elation and apprehension. Beyond those double doors sounded like an all-out war had broken out. I felt deflated, knowing I didn’t have the stamina to offer much help.

In fact, I could hardly bring myself to step away from the wall. It was my only form of physical support, and without it, I knew I would most likely end up tumbling to the floor. Dizziness and a trembling wave of lethargy

No. I can’t close my eyes. I can’t let myself pass out in such a compromising place.

That damned arrow...

My vision grew tunneled. The last thing I could vaguely make out was the frightened sight of Lucas reaching out for me.

Lucas’s POV

My nerves had remained on edge ever since I lost sight of Harper back in the hallway.

The journey to the main control hub was torturous as my train of thought was heading toward the edge of a dangerous place. All because I tore that one bastard’s throat out did not mean that the plan to bring her to the prisoner wing.

What would they do to her? Would they try to steal her wolf again? Try to put her up for auction like some trinket?

The fact that they took her away with an escort of four guards was enough to rub me the wrong way.

“If anyone of them tries so much as to touch her,” Levi snarled in the back of my mind.

I felt someone nudge my arm. Snapping my head to the side, I saw that it was Mason. The look on his face told me that I needed to keep a level head. Yes, Harper had been well-trained to defend herself.

Should any of those morons make the mistake of trying to touch her, she would give them hell. I was counting on it. In the meantime, I had re-centered my focus.

Our mission was to get to the gallery and free anyone who was being held hostage, as well as confiscate any stolen objects. Then, we were directed to uncover whoever was behind this vile organization.

The first stage of our plan had been stopped, but that didn’t mean that phase two couldn’t be implemented. If we could manage to bring down the person responsible for it all, then at least this whole mission would have been worth something.

But I should have known to let my hopes reach too high. As soon as we got to the security room, the place was empty. Well, nothing but a few low-level guards that hardly looked as though they knew how to throw a proper punch.

Goddamnit!!

The true person we were after wasn’t even here! What a complete waste of time!

A bitter growl tore from the back of my throat. My patience snapped.

Without wasting another minute, I turned on the guard who kept me at gunpoint and snagged the end of the weapon. Probably wasn’t the smartest move, but I was able to turn the end of the gun away from myself and go for the guy’s throat.

All that worry and anger I tried to keep repressed in spite of not wanting to concern Harper had finally come rushing to the surface. I truly felt as though I willingly put her life in jeopardy—and for what?!

A new plan began to form in my mind. Screw the council. The protocol we were sent to adhere to had become null en void.

“Find Harper and kill anyone who gets in the way,” I said to Levi.

My wolf snarled in agreement and brutally surged forward in a manic rage. The rest of my team swiftly followed suit. Hell had been unleashed and I didn’t care if I ended up covered in blood from head to toe from it.

“Mason!” I called out. “Hack into their system and lock everything down.”

I watched him take out the last small guard that dared to cross his path with a single blow to the face. He got behind one of the panels and began typing away with the end goal of bringing the very life of this place to a crashing halt.

“Lucas!”

I turned around to find another pair of guards charging right for me. Curling my hands into fists and striking the one on the right directly in the jaw while bringing the other guy to the ground from striking with the point of my knee.

I trusted Mason to handle the technical side of things. I saw that the rest of the team had everything else well under control. I needed to find Harper.

While my anger was still burning through me like a wildfire, I charged through the double doors we initially came in through. When I entered that hallway, I half expected to find another group of guards waiting for me. But no.

Huddled on the floor, no more than ten feet away from me, was Harper.

I could hardly believe it. Then again, this woman had proven herself time and time again that she was never to be underestimated.

However, something was horribly wrong. “Harper?”

She didn’t respond. I rushed to her side to get a closer look. I gently reached out to cup her face. My heart dropped into my gut. Her eyes were barely open, and a thin, cold sheen of sweat coated her skin.

Just as I tried to pull her into my arms, she let out a pained cry. My eyes widened in paralyzing fear when my gaze locked on the ugly metal rod that was lodged in her lower side.

Is that a fucking arrow??!

I sucked in a sharp breath between my gritted teeth. The urge to pull it out and ease her pain was consuming. But I easily knew that if I did such a thing, Harper would bleed out.

God only knew how much blood she had lost already. I had to get her out of here now.

“I’m going to get you out of here,” I whispered to her.

I faintly heard the doors to the security room open behind me. Mason’s voice filled the air.

“Sir, all the systems have been locked,” he informed me.

I took Harper in my arms and lifted her off the ground, careful not to disturb the wound that threatened her life.

“Good. Alert the council,” I told him. This mission no longer concerned me. “I’m taking my mate out of here.”