“I watch and wait for an opportunity,” I say quietly. “Only if I’m certain of success.”
And how long will it take I have to spend in the king’s bed before he trusts me enough to accept food or drink from my hand?
Logan’s eyes meet mine in the mirror again, and this time I can read the emotion in them clearly: fear. Not for himself, but for me. For what might happen if I’m discovered, if the plan fails.
“You don’t have to do this,” he says, the words bursting from him as if he can no longer contain them. “We can turn around right now. Find another way.”
“Logan,” I say, my voice gentler than I intended. “We’ve been through this. We agreed. There is no other way. Not in time to save Poe and Dani.”
Cillian had argued about staying behind, but he’d been in no shape to fight. We needed to ensure at least one of us to remain behind and lead the Queen Mother’s forces now that her highest-ranking guard has been captured.
“We could still try a direct assault,” he argues, though without much conviction. We both know the odds of success for such an approach are vanishingly small.
“And get everyone killed?” I shake my head. “This plan gives us the best chance. Me on the inside, you coordinating from outside. The rebellion ready to move once I’ve completed my mission.”
“If you complete it,” Ares mutters, but there’s no real challenge in his tone. He’s accepted the necessity of this approach, even if he doesn’t like it.
The car slows as we approach a bend in the road, the headlights sweeping across dense forest on either side. Logan pulls onto a narrow shoulder, killing the engine but leaving the lights on. For a moment, we sit in silence, the weight of what comes next pressing down on us.
“The checkpoint is just around the bend,” Logan says finally, his voice carefully controlled. “A quarter mile, no more. There will be at least four guards, possibly more if they’ve increased security since Poe’s capture.”
I nod, my mouth suddenly dry. This is really happening. After days of planning, arguing, preparing, the moment has arrived. I’m about to walk into the lion’s den, armed with nothing but my wits and a pendant full of poison.
“Time to get this over with,” I say, reaching for the door handle.
Ares’s massive hand covers mine, stopping me. “Wait,” he says, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. “Let me check the road first. Make sure there are no patrols between here and the checkpoint.”
I nod, grateful for the momentary reprieve. Ares slips out of the car, his movements surprisingly silent for someone his size, and disappears into the darkness beyond the headlights.
Alone with Logan for the first time since we decided to do this, I find myself suddenly unsure what to say.
“Maya,” he says, breaking the silence. He turns in his seat to face me directly, his golden eyes intense in the dim light. “If anything goes wrong—if you feel threatened, if you sense a trap—abort the mission. Your safety matters more than anything else.”
“Even more than Poe’s life?” I challenge gently. “Than Dani’s? Than stopping the fertility clinic? Than stopping whatever else your father has planned?”
Logan’s expression tightens. “Yes,” he admits, the honesty clearly costing him. “To me, at least. I know that’s selfish. I know it goes against everything we’re fighting for. But I can’t—“ He breaks off, struggling visibly with the words. “I can’t lose you again.”
The raw vulnerability in his voice catches me off guard. This isn’t the commanding Alpha speaking, not the calculating prince or the reluctant rebel leader. This is just Logan, the man beneath all those roles, expressing a fear that feels startlingly human.
“You’re not going to lose me,” I say, surprised by my own certainty. “I’m coming back, Logan. With information, hopefully with Poe and Dani, and eventually with the king’s head on a platter.”
A ghost of a smile touches his lips. “Bloodthirsty little thing, aren’t you?”
“When I need to be,” I agree, returning his smile with a small one of my own. “The king has taken enough from all of us. It’s time he paid the price.”
Logan’s expression sobers. “Just promise me you’ll be careful. That you’ll put your safety first if things go wrong.”
“I promise to be careful,” I say, choosing my words deliberately. “But I can’t promise to abandon the mission at the first sign of trouble. We both know what’s at stake.”
He holds my gaze for a long moment, then nods once, accepting this compromise. “Fair enough.”
The car door opens, and Ares slides back into the passenger seat, bringing with him the scent of pine and night air. “Road’s clear,” he reports. “Checkpoint is fully staffed—four guards visible, probably more inside the station. Standard procedure for this time of night.”
I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “Then it’s time.”
I push open the door before I can lose my nerve.
The night air is cool against my skin as I step out of the car, the elaborate gown swishing around my ankles. I straighten my spine, lifting my chin in the posture of Omega dignity that was drilled into me at the Enclave. The perfect picture of royal breeding—exactly what will remind the king of how valuable I can be.
