Page 71 of Beta Lies and Cursed Lives
Aubrey pulls her into a tight embrace, presses his lips to the top of her head. “I’d give you anything you want.”
I hum in agreement. “And when we take the academy, we’ll do everything in our power to ensure you have a safe space to build your nest.”
“And for us to build a family,” Colton adds as he joins us. “Some day.”
When the three of us embrace our Omega as one, Mira snuggling into our chests, nothing has ever felt so right.
Miranda
“Tenebrosa is here,” Willow points to a circled location on a large paper map. “And this city is here.” Another circle southeast of Tenebrosa’s location. “At dark, you’ll take the vehicle we’ve prepared and head straight there. You’ll park here,” she points to a black X, “and keep hidden as you move until you get to the gate.” She looks up at us, blue eyes stern yet alight with excitement. “We’ve sent word to our people inside that you’re coming. That’s where you’ll come in.” She looks at Colt and taps her temple.
Colt nods, his demeanor serious. “I’ll pick out friend from foe.”
“Exactly,” Willow continues. She pulls out another large paper roll and straightens it on the tabletop, this one a set of floor plans. “You’re going to burst through the front gate here, which will alert everyone to your assault. My people will convene with you and watch your backs. You’ll enter the facility here,” she points to a side door, “and go through this corridor to the main lab here. That’s where Doctor Song will meet you. She will direct you to Mira’s father, but she has another mission inside that facility.”
“What is it?” Rai asks, his voice hard.
Willow considers him a moment. “Vera’s job was to infiltrate the facility, put an end to the disgusting experimentation, and wait for a distraction to destroy all the logs and data within.”
“We’re the distraction.” Aubrey states it, doesn’t ask.
“You are an opportunity,” she corrects. “We had planned to send a unit of our own to stir things up there so Vera could complete her mission and we could extract the prisoners, but now that you’re all here, that team will be on the front lines to save the children at the juvenile facility.” Her arms cross. “This is a coordinated attack planned for years. You’ll attack the lab, drawing GBE reinforcements away from other outposts tonight, then tomorrow night, we will knock down the gates at the academy and juvenile facility at the same time.”
My head is nodding, jaw set. “We split up and reconvene at the academy after.”
Willow smiles. “Precisely. Our teams on the inside will do what they must to disable the collars just before we strike.”
Caius approaches with a big box in his grasp, placing it on the table beside the papers. “I know Rai will get use out of these,” he says, gesturing at it with his chin.
Rai, looking intrigued, sorts through the items, a grin playing on his lips. “I’ll test some ideas before we leave. Thanks.”
Caius nods. “So, which one of you kids knows how to drive?”
Before I can respond, Colt claps his hands. “That would be me,” he says, sporting his giant smile.
“I, too, can—”
“Oh, no,” Colt cuts Rai off. “You don’t know how to drive, and after the helicopter incident, let’s not test using your power to control the car, hm?”
Rai acquiesces, looking a little like he might be pouting.
Aubrey chimes in. “Is destroying the data in that place going to be enough?”
Willow frowns slightly. “I don’t have a direct line to Vera, it’s too dangerous right now. But I will admit that my desire is to wipe that place off the map, if possible. Only if it’s safe.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“There were reports of...chemicals. Maybe some other toxic materials.” She sighs. “Ask Vera for her input and follow her direction. She will know best.” She looks back at the maps. “Study these. Memorize them. Sundown is in seven hours.”
“I thought I might find you in here.”
Willow’s voice carries like a song through the topiary. The plant life here is calming, and I found myself drawn to it, trying to find some peace before embarking on our mission to save my father. To save everyone.
This has become so much bigger than me and my family, my pack. I guess it always was.
I give her a weak smile. “I hope it’s okay.”
“Of course it is.” She joins me, sitting lotus-style on the ground, surrounded by greenery. “Once we take the academy, as I said, it will be our new base of operations. I’ll need to find a suitable location for my friends here.”
