55. Drova

55

DROVA

D rova's first task had been to send all security personnel to the control room for an "urgent briefing" and stay there with their backs to the balcony doors until told that they could leave. That had gone without a glitch. The room was located on the second floor, and the Guardians had used the trellis to climb to the adjacent balcony. Thralling the human guards was an easy task for the immortals.

Then, it was walking into the house through the kitchen door with Pavel and Theo, who were wearing the stolen uniforms. Pavel had put on a pair of sunglasses, so his Kra-ell eyes were hidden, but hers weren't. The two cooks who were working in the kitchen gasped as they registered her features.

"Walk out through the side door," she said quietly but firmly. "Stand against the side wall and wait until someone comes to collect you."

Their eyes glazed over, and they moved as one toward the door without pausing to turn off the stoves and ovens.

Thankfully, Theo had the presence of mind to take care of that.

Neither she nor Pavel cooked, so it hadn't even occurred to them that, left unattended, it could cause a fire.

Not that she cared if the house burned to the ground after they extracted the children, but Theo quietly explained that the fire could spread to neighboring houses and cause damage and endanger innocent lives.

Through her earpiece, she heard Peter directing the team outside to guide the kitchen staff to the waiting van.

Where had that van come from? She pushed the question aside, focusing on the mission.

From there, the three of them continued through the mansion's lavish hallways.

A guest emerged from a side room, his expensive suit reeking of entitled privilege and other things she didn't want to think about.

Her fangs ached to extend, but she kept her voice steady. "Walk outside through the kitchen door. Keep walking until you are collected."

He obeyed without question, following the same path as the kitchen staff. Two more expensively dressed men appeared, likely drawn by her voice. Drova repeated her quiet command, satisfaction coursing through her as they too obeyed.

"Continuing to basement," she murmured into her comm.

The acknowledgment came as she reached the stairs, Pavel and Theo moving smoothly to cover her descent.

The basement's lighting cast harsh shadows, and the first thing that hit her was the smell—fear, pain, and something else that made her want to kill. But when she rounded the corner and saw the children, all predatory thoughts fled.

They were so small. So young. Tied to metal frames that looked like medical equipment, their tiny bodies showed marks of...

She swallowed bile, forcing herself to focus on the two Doomers who were turning toward her. Before they could speak, she snapped, "Face down on the floor. Don't move."

They dropped instantly, and Pavel rushed to secure them. The sound of footsteps on the stairs announced more team members arriving, and they immediately rushed to free the children.

Drova started forward to help, but the sight of the restraints, the?—

Strong hands gripped her shoulders, turning her away. "You've done your part," Pavel said quietly. "Let's go."

She started to protest, but the words choked in her throat. Tears spilled down her cheeks as Pavel guided her toward the stairs. Behind them, she could hear the Guardians speaking softly to the children, their gentle tones a stark contrast to what those young ones had endured.

"I want to kill," she whispered, her voice raw. "I need to?—"

"I know." Pavel's arms went around her as they reached the top of the stairs. "And you will, but not today. You did exactly what was needed. You got us in clean, controlled the situation, and saved those kids. That's a win. Embrace it. You have proven yourself tonight."

She pressed her face into his chest, shoulders shaking. "How could anyone—" She couldn't finish.

"I know." He stroked her hair. "I know. But you helped stop it. You did good."

The predator in her screamed for blood, while another part wanted to go back and comfort those children. Instead, she stood there crying like a useless little girl.

"You did good," Pavel repeated firmly as if reading her thoughts. "Perfect control, perfect execution. Peter will be proud. Let's get out of here."

She lifted her head. "The children?—"

"Are being taken care of by people trained to handle what they have gone through. They are taking them to the sanctuary. To Vanessa. You know Vanessa, right? My father's mate. That's what she does."

Of course she did. Pavel was talking to her as if she was the one suffering a trauma.

He led her outside through the front door instead of the one they had come in through. "The best thing you can do now is take care of yourself. Take deep breaths and repeat in your head that you did something good. You not only saved these children but probably also prevented Guardian casualties. Thanks to you, everything went smoothly."

She nodded, letting him lead her back to the van.

"That's our girl," Lyall greeted her with a grin and a high five. "You are this mission's hero."

Funny. Drova didn't feel like a hero right now. All she wanted to do was to go home, get in bed, cover her head with the blanket, and never come out.