Human
Chapter 114
…
Kane’s POV
:
The grin faded just as quickly as it came.
I wasn’t in the mood for celebration. Not yet. Not while I could still smell council blood in the air
–
and not the way I wanted.
$7
I started pacing again, slow, deliberate strides down the corridor as my mind ran through a thousand possibilities.
Back–door entry points, contacts who owed me favors in the underground flight circuit, shady smugglers, old routes I hadn’t used in years. I’d need stealth, speed, and zero attention. Not a scratch of my scent on any radar until I was back on home soil.
“We’ll need to break this into stages,” Seth said beside me, falling into step. “The council’s got eyes and ears in at least six major cities. All airports will be red–flagged, and anyone crossing a border with a link to your name is probably already on a no–fly list.”
“Agreed,” I muttered. “I don’t trust any of the main routes. Not unless I want to end up in a silver–lined cell before I even get one claw
back into our territory.”
Seth rubbed his jaw. “What about old contacts? Like the pilot in Romania- the one who smuggled you and Elijah out of the East border during that gunrun in ‘twenty–two?”
“Dead,” I said bluntly. “Shot by the Cartel last winter.”
Seth winced. “Damn. What about Toran? He’s dirty as hell, but he’d sell his mother for the right price. I can reach out.”
I shook my head. “Too risky. Council’s probably already bought half of his men. I want loyalty. I want silence. No leaks.”
Silence stretched between us. A heavy, loaded silence.
I could feel the pressure building behind my eyes— like my wolf was trying to claw his way forward, to do something- rip, maim, tear
something apart. My fists curled at my sides.
I hated waiting.
I hated planning like a fugitive.
But this was war now.
And wars weren’t always won with brute strength. Sometimes, the smartest predator was the one who waited in the shadows until his enemies stepped into just the right position- and then struck fast, merciless, and without warning.
“In the morning we will speak more with Kion,” I muttered. “He might know a route and I trust him fully now. Or maybe he knows
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Chapter 114
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someone who owes him a favor. We need a path out of here that won’t set us back at all something safe for also getting the girls back. I
won’t leave them here in Russia.” I stated firmly,
Seth nodded firmly, but then he paused- his expression flickering.
“What?” I asked.
He glanced toward the closed door at the end of the hall. “What if we left them here with Kion?” He tested as I immediately shook my
head.
“We’re not leaving without them. We came here for them and I won’t let them out of our sights again.” I snapped as Seth sighed heavily.
“I just worry about them getting wrapped up in more mess back home.” Seth admitted, and I knew he had every right to debate whether it
was best or not.
They’d been through hell. Torn from one reality into another, tossed between our world and the scum who’d tried to steal them. And now,
we were about to drag them into yet another war they never asked for.
But fuck me- if the idea of leaving them behind even flickered across my mind, I would have torn my own throat out.
“They stay at our side,” I said. “We get them out safely. No matter what.”
Seth looked at me, eyes hard. “You sure that’s smart? Might be cleaner to send them somewhere else. Out of the danger radius. Maybe a
safe house?”
“No,” I snapped. “They’re already in this. More than either of us. They’re not baggage, Seth. They’re the reason we fight.”
A beat.
Seth looked away for a second- then gave a slow nod. “You’re right.”
I turned toward the door again as it creaked softly, and both our heads turned.
Tessa stepped out, quiet but not unnoticed.
Seth straightened slightly. I went still.
Her eyes flicked between us- then landed on me.
Something shifted in her expression.
Worry. Sharp and immediate.
Damn it. She knows something’s up.
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“What’s going on, Kane?” she asked, voice small but steady. There was a crease between her brows, and her arms crossed tightly, like she
was bracing for something like she knew something was wrong, but was praying we’d lie anyway.
My chest clenched.
I hated that look on her face. I hated that it was becoming a regular one.
I didn’t answer right away. I couldn’t- not with the thoughts still spinning in my head like a loaded chamber.
I forced a breath out through my nose, then turned to Kion, who seemed to tap away on his own phone now. He looked like he’d heard
enough not to need the recap. His sharp eyes met mine, and I gave a curt nod.
“I’ll be in your office first thing in the morning to address this,” I said, tone clipped. “Right now, we need to rest. If I don’t sleep, I won’t
be of any use to anyone.”
Kion nodded in understanding, silent but firm. There was a shared respect between us now–one that didn’t need a lot of words.
I turned to Tessa and extended a hand.
She glanced back over her shoulder- probably saying a quiet goodbye to Erin- before stepping out into the hall and hurrying into my reach. Her palm met mine, small and warm, and it grounded me more than I expected.
Still, I couldn’t afford softness tonight.
Not yet.
We moved together swiftly down the corridor, away from Sasha’s room and the quiet tension that still hung behind us like smoke.
Tessa looked up at me, eyes searching, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked again. “Everyone seems worked up all over
again.”
I debated.
She was already exhausted. I could see it in the way her shoulders slumped, the way her voice lacked the usual bite.
Telling her now–feeding her the chaos I was still trying to sort through myself would only steal the sleep she desperately needed. And it would feed my guilt too.
“It’s nothing too out of hand,” I said, keeping my tone as even as I could manage. “I’ll tell you all about it in the morning.”
“But…” she began softly, brows pinching again as her feet hurried to keep up with me.
“No, Tessa,” I cut her off–sharper than I had intended, harsher than she deserved. “You heard what I said. Right now, we both need to
rest and that’s it.”
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Chapter 114
The silence that followed hit harder than any argument.
:
She didn’t respond, didn’t snap back or question me again. She just nodded once, almost too slowly, and walked beside me in silence,
That silence wasn’t relief- it was withdrawal.
I felt it immediately. Like distance forming between us even as our hands stayed locked.
Damn it, Kane!
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
