“We are in the city and will hide. You were correct, Miss, Anastasia Noble must be here as her mates are.” I listen to the idiot, and when I peek my head around the door, only one of the three I followed is sitting on the bed, talking into a walkie talkie. “The others have gone further into the city, following the plan.”
“The plan failed,” I coldly state as I kick the door open and raise my gun. “Hands up. Try to run and I will shoot you.”
Of course he tries to run, so I shoot him right in the leg, and he tumbles to the floor, screaming. I jog over and pull his gun from his pocket before kicking him hard in the face to shut him up. Picking up the walkie talkie, I listen as Bethany’s voice comes through the speaker loud and clear.
“I will find you soon. Stay quiet until we invade,” she breathes.
“Sorry to ruin your plan, but your guy is busy bleeding on the carpet under my feet. Don’t come here, Bethany, or I will kill you before you ever get to see your sister,” I sharply say into the speaker. “If you love her, you will never come here.”
The other line goes dead, and I swear under my breath. One down, two more to find. No one is staying in this city when they are not invited.
Chapter 18
Anastasia
Whispers in the dark.
“Do you think Bethany would see reason if I spoke to her?” mum asks me in the darkness of the locked room, her arm pressed against mine and Shadow on the other side of me. Low whispers fill the small cramped room. The only lights are yellow and further down in the room than where we are. “Do you think she would pause this war?”
I sigh, looking up at the dark, knowing my men are fighting out there. My dad too. “Bethany has changed. Aunt Courtney took a lost girl who was desperate for a family. Desperate not to feel alone and helpless, and she poisoned her heart. There isn’t much left of the sister I knew, even if I wish there was.”
“She was not always so cold and lost,” mum starts. “I mean Courtney. When we left the empire, it was not to escape her. It was to escape Clive’s brothers, and we took so many people with us into the human world. So many wanted to leave the city when things were so dark.”
“Courtney still loves you. She told me as much,” I reply. “But then she betrayed me with Bethany.”
“Phoebe told me about Courtney and how close she was to her,” mum tells me, and it doesn’t surprise me that Phoebe would have mentioned it. “I’m happy Courtney loved Phoebe when she needed someone. I’m proud of you for saving her and for how close you keep those you love. You know that, Anastasia?”
“That you’re proud of me?” I whisper back. “No, I didn’t, but I love hearing it.”
“Bethany might be lost, but I won’t give up on her. I won’t give up on any of my girls. You are each the greatest gifts I have ever been given,” she tells me, her voice full of emotion, and I take her hand in mine.
“I love you, mum, and I forgive you for leaving us. I understand you did it to save us, to let us have a normal life not being hunted and to save many thousands of lives. This city is worth it all, I can see that,” I admit, and she bursts into tears. I mean every word. We didn’t have a bad childhood, we had a normal one, and until recently, I didn’t know how special that really was. “I think you and dad are so brave and selfless to give up your children to let them be free. I couldn’t imagine the pain of leaving my baby, and she or he isn’t even born yet. But I know I would do what you did if my baby was in constant danger. At least I hope I could be brave enough.”
“Oh, my Annie,” she replies, kissing the side of my head as I feel my eyes wet with tears.
Loud banging smacks on the locked doors to the room, and the room goes deadly silent as fear crawls up my chest. I climb to my feet even as mum tries to pull me back down with a shaky hand.
“Stay here,” I command her, feeling Shadow at my side as I walk to the steps. The banging gets louder, and I brace myself for a fight as I climb onto Shadow’s back. “We go down fighting. Whoever it is doesn’t get in here.”
Shadow’s whole body vibrates with the growl he lets out. The banging stops, and the doors fling open, the bright light burning my eyes as I blink them a few times, and relief fills my chest when I see Liam and Silver at the top.
“The city is secure. You okay?” he asks. I slide off Shadow and run up the steps, throwing myself into his arms.
Chapter 19
Anastasia
Can I save my sister?
My eyes stay on Alex opposite me, how his large muscular arms are so tightly crossed as he stares down everyone in the room, and my mum is next to my dad. When the plane landed, it was controlled chaos, and they managed to kill all but two of them who have escaped into the city. The city is on lockdown, and everyone is looking out for anything suspicious or anyone new.
“Mason, it wasn’t your fault,” Liam reminds him.
“I should have found the other two when I had them close. The one left alive is useless; he really doesn’t know much,” Mason grumbles,
