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I have to hope this time will be different.
Night falls as we get close to the lighthouse, the beacon unlit and looming over the sea. Kendra's friends stay at my side, Olivia glancing from me toward the lighthouse.
"Do you think she'll make it out of this alive?"
I don't know what to say. I want to believe that we will, that we'll come out of it unscathed, but I can't ignore the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. The ACB is always one step ahead of us, always waiting for us to slip up.
"I don't know," I say finally, my voice low. "But I'm not willing to give up on us. Not yet."
Olivia smiles--a small, sad smile. "You really love her, don't you?"
"I just met her," I admit, "but...yeah, I really fucking do. I felt it from the moment she walked into my shop--that we were meant to be."
"That's how I felt about my pack," Olivia says. "Liam and Phoenix and even Mercer--even though Mercerreallydidn't like me at first."
Her words nag at me. "And your point is...?"
She shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe Maddox actually wants to help her."
I glare at her, and I can feel her mate's eyes on me. Mercer watches us from the edge of the boat, ready to strike if I step out of line. "Maddox is an asshole."
"An ACB agent would be a pretty useful ally," she says. "Just...be careful, but go into it with an open mind. Kendra knows how to bring people over to her side, maybe she's done the same thing with Maddox."
I nod but I can't shake off the feeling of unease. It's not just about Maddox. There are too many variables. Enemies are everywhere, and the ACB might not be the only one with an eye on us. The sea is eerily calm, and the lighthouse looms like a sentinel, the darkness around it impenetrable.
Carson puts his hand on my shoulder.
"We're almost there," he says. "You good?"
"I'm really fucking worried," I say. "This guy is bad news. I can't believe you trusted him."
"I didn't," Carson says, "but I didn't see him coming either...and I take responsibility for that. It's my fault Kendra got taken."
"I should kill you for what happened to her when you promised me she would be safe," I growl.
Carson holds up a hand, a grim expression on his face. "I know. And I get that. But right now, we need to focus on getting her back. And if Maddox can help us do that, even if it's just a little bit, then we need to take that chance."
I hate when he's right, but he has a point. We need all the help we can get if we're going to rescue Kendra and take down the ACB once and for all.
I take a deep breath and nod.
"Okay. But if he tries anything, I won't hesitate to take him out."
"That's fair," Carson says. "Just remember, we're in this together."
We reach the base of the lighthouse and, leaving everyone else on the boat and across the dock to cover us, Carson and I make our way up the winding staircase. The air is musty and filled with the smell of saltwater. My heart is pounding in my chest as we climb higher and higher, each step taking us further up, through cobwebs and around dark, rounded corners.
"Do you think they're already here?" he asks.
I inhale deeply and smell Kendra, along with an alpha male I've only scented once before.
"She's here," I say. "And so is Maddox."
Carson inhales, too, and I hear the vaguest hint of a purr in his chest. Yeah...fuck, he wants her.
He wants her, and there's nothing I can do about it.
Not sure I evenwant to, because if she was under the protection of the leader of the Enclave, she would be safe.
