I stand near the display, pulling up reconnaissance data from the team that returned this morning.
“The facility exists exactly where you said,” Viktor confirms. He’s reviewing images on his tablet. Aerial surveillance. Thermal signatures. “Infrastructure matches your schematics. Security patterns you described are accurate. Vehicle movements confirm approximately thirty-five personnel on site.”
“Any indication they suspect surveillance?” I ask.
“None. Standard perimeter sweeps, but nothing suggesting heightened alert.” Viktor looks up. “Your assessment was correct. They’re operating under the assumption of isolation.”
Caleb leans forward. “Vanya’s been analyzing your protocols. She confirms entry procedures match the current Syndicate standard.”
Vanya nods. “Your credentials should grant access. Assuming central command hasn’t flagged you yet.”
“Research facilities operate on delayed notification cycles,” I say. “Unless Vex specifically requests updates on personnel status, they won’t receive automatic alerts about defections.”
My dragon stirs beneath my skin. Agitated. Not because of the mission—because I caught Nadia’s scent in the corridor outside twenty minutes ago. Wolf and woman. Unmistakable to me. Because she’s mine.
Not yours. Dammit.
She’s not here. Hasn’t been anywhere near me since yesterday. But my body knows she’s in this building. Knows exactly where she is, even though I shouldn’t. A bond pulling like magnetic north.
My hands clench under the table. I force them flat against my thighs. Turn my attention back to Viktor.
“We’re proceeding on that assumption,” Viktor says. “Infiltration approach approved. You’ll enter with authorization codes. Disable primary security. We’ll have tactical teams positioned for immediate assault once you signal.”
I pull up the facility layout. Highlight key points. My chest aches. Physical pain that has nothing to do with injury and everything to do with her rejection. Dragon clawing at my ribs, demanding I find her. Demanding I prove she’s wrong.
I ignore it. Focus on the screen.
“Surface entry here. Biometric scan takes approximately eight seconds. Once inside, the security hub is in the east corridor. Two guards stationed. I’ll need to neutralize them quietly.”
The memory hits without warning. Her sweat. Her arousal. The way she smelled when I was inside her. My temperature spikes. I feel heat radiating from my skin before I can suppress it.
Caleb glances at me. Dragon recognizing dragon. Noticing the temperature shift.
I lock it down with effort that makes my jaw ache.
Focus. Twenty-three prisoners are depending on this going correctly. The mission matters more than whatever this is between us.
Except my dragon doesn’t care about prisoners or missions. Just keeps showing me images. Her lips on my skin. Her legs wrapped around me. The way she tilted her head, offering her throat for marking.
The way she walked away.
Tabitha is asking about extraction protocols. I respond with words that sound professional. Answer her questions automatically, even while my body screams for something I can’t have.
“Contingency if the biometric scan fails?” Viktor asks.
“Secondary entry through the ventilation system.” I pull up schematics. Show them. My hands are steady, but fire burns beneath my skin. “Here. The access point is less secure but requires climbing sixty feet of vertical shaft. Noisy. Guards would be alerted.”
“So primary entry is critical,” Dorian says.
“Yes.”
We continue through details. Timeline. Equipment. Communication protocols. Team composition.
Caleb acknowledges my contribution. “Your intelligence has been invaluable. We wouldn’t have this opportunity without your defection.”
The words should mean something. Trust earned. Sanctuary justified.
They feel empty.
