Chapter 538

Olivia

The water lapped against the sides of the small boat in a soothing rhythm. I leaned over the edge, looking down at the waves. The sea was calm and the sun was bright, and during any normal occasion, I might have been excited for a ride like this.

But today, fear trumped excitement in a heartbeat.

Soon, we would be docking on a remote beach at the border of one of the southern packs. There, we would be taken to the safehouse where Mira was waiting to take in the other escorts who Nathan had been helping escape over the past couple of weeks.

And then, tomorrow, we would execute our plan to take down Dan and anyone else we could get our hands on.

“Ugh. I hate the ocean.”

A soft voice caught my attention, causing me to turn. I saw one of the escorts, a young girl named Erica, coming to lean over the side of the boat. Her face was pale and her hair a little mussed from tossing and turning in her bunk, likely trying to quell her seasickness.

“Seasick?” I asked.

She nodded, and for a few moments, neither of us spoke as Erika drew in deep breaths through her nose. Erika was several years younger than I was—barely past the age of eighteen—and sported a pixie cut of long blonde hair.

I hated how young she was, especially knowing that she had already been caught in the trafficking ring for years. It made me sick to know that creeps like Dan were sleeping with underaged girls. But not for much longer, hopefully.

I realized then, as I watched her trying not to throw up, that I could help. Reaching out, I gently touched her arm and said softly, “You notice you’re feeling better now.”

For a moment, Erica just blinked at me as my Ancient Wolf ability of Suggestion snuck in. Then, the paleness seemed to creep from her face, revealing instead a healthy, tan appearance.

She furrowed her brow. “How did you…”

“Just a trick of mine,” I said, waving my hand dismissively.

“I see.” Erica looked at me for a moment longer before she turned back to look out over the waves. A soft smile now graced her lips now that she was feeling better, and her earlier sickness was replaced with a look of hope.

“You must be excited,” I said, shooting her a sideways glance.

She grinned. “More than you realize. But also terrified, I have to admit,” she said.

“Why’s that?”

Erica shrugged. “I don’t know anything else,” she said. “This life is all I’ve ever known. At least, as far as I can remember.”

I furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?” I asked.

“The amnesia,” she said, turning to look at me with a puzzled expression on her face. “You don’t know?”

“No,” I replied slowly as I straightened my posture.

Erica sighed and chuckled at the same time. “All of the girls have amnesia. None of us can remember our pasts before being taken as escorts.”

“None of you?” My eyes widened.

“Nope. Not a single one.”

As Erica turned to leave, I felt my blood run cold. I watched her fading form, my mind whirling with a million different thoughts. Amnesia… This was the second time I had encountered someone with this affliction in recent history, the first, of course, being…

Clarissa.

Was Clarissa…?

I furrowed my brow even harder as I wondered about her past. But it didn’t make sense; she was Dan’s wife, not an escort. Unless…

…

The warm spring air smelled like spice and freshly baked bread as we ushered through the small alleyway, our hoods up to conceal our identities. Up ahead, a small wooden door sat cracked open ever so slightly.

There was no need for a key or permission to enter. This was our rendezvous spot; the safehouse that Nathan had been painstakingly setting up for weeks now. And after a long journey across the straight and through the winding alleyways of the bustling pack territory, we were expected.

As the girls and I hustled into the small, dark building, we were met with the scent of a crackling fire and the sound of soft music before our eyes could even adjust. We stopped in the doorway, looking around nervously, and then it happened.

Click.

The door shut behind us, and then, rather unceremoniously, the lights turned on. I whirled around to see none other than Mira standing by the door, her chest heaving and a smile spread across her face.

“Mira!” the escorts cooed, circling around their long-lost friend. “Oh, we missed you!”

“I missed you girls, too,” Mira said as she hugged all of them tightly in turn. “And I’m glad you made it.” She turned then, looking at me with an expression of gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you. Truly.”

I nodded. “You’re all safe here,” I explained. “Soon, this will all be over.”

Mira and the escorts seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief, and it was only then that I finally got a good look at the safehouse. It was a small room, only a kitchen with one adjoining bedroom, which was set up with multiple cots.

All of the windows were closed and locked and boarded up from the inside, with the blinds closed and the curtains tightly shut. Mira locked multiple deadbolts and padlocks from the inside of the door, followed by a secondary door that was also locked up in the same manner.

But despite the harsh protective measures, the tiny house itself was comfortably furnished with a long dining table surrounded by benches and chairs, a cozy woodstove, and a comfortable seating area with a couch, a few plush armchairs, and cushions and blankets spread around the floor.

There was also a small television in the corner, a bookshelf, some stacks of games, and a pantry lined with nonperishables.

“Nathan and his envoy here ensured that we could live here quite comfortably for months,” Mira explained as she showed me around. “It’s really quite amazing. I feel safe here.”

“And the guards?” I asked, peering over at the boarded-up windows.

“There is one guard posted in the building across the street at all times,” she said. “But I don’t think it’s necessary. I haven’t had any issues with shady characters or attempted break-ins since I got here.”

“Still, it’s good to be safe.”

“Of course,” Mira replied with a nod.

Over the following hours, Mira, the other escorts and I discussed our plans. Tomorrow would be the day of the ball, a diplomatic event with all of the southern pack leaders in attendance—a few of whom, supposedly, were in cahoots with our plan.

During the ball, Mira and the escorts and I would appear and slowly infiltrate the event. Once we were all in position and received the signal, we would enclose Dan and whatever cohorts he was with.

And then, hopefully, Dan would be arrested and all of this would be over. It was supposed to be clean, simple, and foolproof—but I had learned to know better over the recent months that things were rarely that easy.

Now, all we had to do was wait.