Chapter 236
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“The situation is dangerous,” I continued, not looking up from my task. “Someone is targeting our family specifically. We need to separate to make it harder for them to find us all.”
I paused, reaching for the framed photo on the dresser–the three of us, taken just days after Lucas was born. My fingers lingered on Dominic’s face before I wrapped the frame in a blanket and tucked it into a side pocket of the bag.
“Sofia, I’m asking a lot, but I need you to take Lucas somewhere safe.” I finally looked up, meeting her eyes. “I need you to delete all your social media accounts, turn off location services on your phone, and disappear for a while.”
Sofia’s expression grew serious, but she nodded without hesitation. “Of course.” She attempted a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
I zipped the backpack closed and turned to Diana. “Diana, I need you to make sure nothing in this room indicates where Lucas has gone. Can you do that?”
Tears slid down Diana’s cheeks, but she nodded firmly. “Of course, Ms. Rebecca. I’ve served this family for thirty years. I would die before letting harm come to the young master.”
I squeezed her hand again. “It won’t come to that. I promise.”
I closed my eyes, reaching out through the mate bond. “Dominic, are you safe? Luna with you?”
The response came faintly, as if from a great distance. “Being tracked. Leading them away. Keep Lucas safe. Will find way to you.”
Relief flooded me–he was alive, still fighting. I opened my eyes to find Sofia watching me intently.
“He’s okay?”
“For now.” I moved to a decorative panel on the wall, pressing a hidden mechanism to reveal a small safe. “But we need to move quickly.”
I extracted a burner phone and a USB drive from the safe, holding them out to Sofia. “Use this phone to contact me–it can’t be traced. The drive contains offshore account information, enough money to disappear completely and start over if…” I couldn’t finish the sentence.
Sofia took the items, then grabbed my hand. “Don’t you dare talk like that, Rebecca Sterling. This isn’t a goodbye. This is just a temporary measure until you and Dominic deal with whoever is behind this.”
She shifted Lucas to her other arm and pulled me into a fierce one–armed hug. “I swear on my life, I’ll protect him with everything I have. But you and Dominic better come back to us, understand?”
I hugged her back, breathing in the comforting scent of my friend mixed with the sweet smell of my son. “We will. I promise.”
I reluctantly pulled away, glancing at Diana. “Can you help Sofia get everything ready while I prepare a few more things?”
Diana nodded, taking the bag from me. “Of course.”
As they busied themselves gathering the remaining items Lucas would need, I slipped into the master bedroom. Moving quickly, I opened the hidden safe in our closet and retrieved emergency passports, cash, and another encrypted drive containing sensitive pack information.
I changed out of my bloodstained clothes, opting for dark jeans, a black long–sleeved shirt, and sturdy boots–clothes I could move and, if
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Chapter 236
necessary, fight in. I tied my hair back lightly, securing it at the nape of my neck,
Pausing at the dresser, I reached out again through out bond. Dominic?
Nothing. The silence was more frightening than any response could have been. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I gripped the edge of the dresser to steady myself.
“Moon Goddess, I whispered, unfamiliar words rising from some primal place within me. “Protect him. Please don’t let my son lose his father.”
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