Page 59 of Lycan King's Claim
“We weren't aware of the bunkers, they are not on the blueprints.” I tell her, and she pauses, her brows scrunching together. She pushes the maps aside, looking for her father's kingdom maps. She shakes her head. “These are old maps,” she states.
“No, these are the ones the Council had, ones the Council mapped out themselves last year,” I tell her.
Carina shakes her head and is suddenly looking uncomfortable. “The bunkers aren't on the castle blueprints because they were built after the blueprint's initial build.” She glances at Toby nervously.
“Carina, if you have information, I need it,” I tell her, and she sighs, chewing her lip.
“My father had them built about 20 years ago. He used to keep all the investor's gold there until he gambled it. That is why he was forcing me to marry you. These investors wanted their money back.”
“He gambled it?” I ask.
“Yes, and my father didn't have it. He intended to state that the bill was in my name, making the debt fall on you.” Carina explains.
“So if he has secret underground bunkers, why do you know about them?” Carina turns all nervous again and glances at Toby, she swallows thickly, and her eyes turn glassy. “They aren't just bunkers for gold, and they also hold the dungeons. It's also where my father let his guard rape me when I misbehaved. It's like a maze down there. Once down there, without the GPS, you can't find your way out. He made that place escape-proof.” I look at Javier.
“I will get a hold of Ridion,” Javier says, stalking off.
“I'll call everyone back.” My father states, and I look at Carina. “Please tell me you know how to get down there? We've had drones and everything all over your father's city, we found nothing,”
“That's because the only way in is through the castle basement. There is a concealed wall.”
“Council is still struggling to get into the basement, its been barricaded from the inside, yet when they checked with thermal imaging nothing appeared to be down there,” I tell her.
“But doesn't it span the city?” I ask her and she nods. “Yes, but the only other way out is from inside, the doors only open from the inside to get access to anywhere else,” she explains.
The weight of Carina's words hang heavy in the air as we gather around a large table. Old blueprints of her father's castle spread before us as Carina maps out everything the best she can, but even she is limited with information, having only been down there when her father would drag her down there. Her revelation about the hidden bunkers send a chill down my spine, and I can see the same effect on Javier and the others who have joined our search party.
“Are you certain about this, Carina?” I question, my voice barely above a whisper. The pain in her eyes is unmistakable, but she nods with conviction. “As sure as I am standing here,” she replies, swallowing hard.
“These bunkers were built after the initial construction, so they won't be on any blueprints the Council has seen.” I clench my fists, trying to contain my anger and frustration. “Alright,” I say, forcing the rage down, focusing on the task at hand.
“Carina, show us where the best place to try to access the bunkers are and all the points of exit since there is no entry. We need to plan our attack carefully.”
“Of course,” she murmurs, her eyes darting over the blueprints, searching for any detail that might help us in our mission. She points to a discreet entrance near the local police station, her voice barely audible as she explains the layout.
“One tunnel I know leads here, but can only be accessed from within the tunnel system, and I’m not exactly sure where, but I heard my father talking about it, once in I can locate her, but not from outside. Once we're inside, there will be a network of tunnels connecting the different sections of the bunker. I can lead us through them, but we must be cautious. There could be traps or guards at every turn.”
“We can get in but we are gonna need explosives.” Carina adds.
“Understood,” Javier chimes in, his expression hardened with determination.
“We'll follow your lead, Princess.” he answers, moving to coordinate with the teams all waiting for command, Carina rubs her temples and I move closer.
“Carina,” I say, locking eyes with her. “Thank you for helping us. I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you.” She nods, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“Just find Sienna, Xandros. Bring her home safely.” As we assign roles to each member of the search party, my heart pounds in my chest like a caged beast trying to escape. With every passing moment, Sienna's life hangs in the balance. My mate, my love, and our unborn child are counting on us to rescue them from Vin, so why do I have this sneaking suspicion I've already failed?
We drive to the entry point when my phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out with a sense of dread. The screen displays an incoming message from King Vin. My heart clenches as I open it, revealing a photo of Sienna, unconscious and battered. Her face is bruised, and she looks extremely pale.
The next second, the phone rings and I growl, answering it.
“Enough with your games, Vin!” I snarl into the phone. “Why is she still unconscious?”
“Ah, Xandros,” his smooth voice oozed through the speaker. “Your precious mate has been out cold since I took her. She's breathing for now. But that won't last if you don't leave my kingdom.”
“Tell me how you found me,” he demands. I grit my teeth and snap a picture of Carina in the back and quickly send it to him.
“Give Sienna back, and maybe, just maybe, I'll let the Council capture you instead of ripping your heart out myself.”
