Chapter Twenty-Nine Heimdall

"O ne last time," Loki said, lying naked next to me with his body pressed against mine. "We lead Heimdall to the laundry room that I was breaking into and take him to the heart of the resort where all the utilities are located. There shouldn't be anyone in that part of the resort, even at night. Any explosions there will cripple the building, but not hurt anyone. And Thor will be forced to refund all the guests and send them home, getting them out of the way."

"Okay," I nodded. "That all sounds good. But what if Tyr insists on attacking Thor?"

"We'll set off the explosives early and sound the alarm. With such a small group, he won't want to face down the entire pack when they all come running. It'll force him to flee."

"Do you think he'll suspect us?"

"It's going to go down too fast for him to have any idea. Besides, I have a plan for that."

"You seem confident."

"I know we can do this. And once the war is in motion and Thor can no longer ignore the Skoll pack, then we'll finally have our opportunity to bring it to an end forever."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

It was the one piece of the plan that Loki had been avoiding all morning. We'd been talking ever since we woke up that morning, still wrapped in one another's arms. And while we had a good plan that I was confident would work, there were still pieces missing. How was Loki going to set off the explosives without Tyr finding out? How did us starting a full-on war help us get closer to our goal of saving both packs? And what could we do from this side without rousing suspicion from Tyr?

"Heimdall," Loki said, taking a deep breath. There was hesitation from his end of the bond that made me worry. "I need you to trust me on this. You're my mate, I love you more than anything. But if I get caught, you can't know what my plans are. I won't let Tyr take you down with me." He looked up at me, those brown eyes full of love and worry. "I have to keep you safe."

"What if I want to keep you safe?" I retorted. "What then?"

"Then you are allowed to have your own plans you don't tell me about."

"Loki…" I sighed. "How are we supposed to work together to achieve all this if we don't tell each other what we're doing?"

He reached up, grabbing my face with both hands. "I know. And I will be right here for anything you want to do. But this piece I have to do by myself. It's something only I can do."

I narrowed my eyes, searching his gaze for any hint of what he was up to. "This has to do with your family, doesn't it?"

"Keeping them alive is my first priority. And I'll do everything I can to keep your father alive too. I know how badly you want to save him."

"Sometimes I wonder if I'll be able to reach him at all. Even if all the conflict was gone, what would he do with himself? He thrives in chaos. He might just go insane if this war were to dissolve in front of him."

"We'll deal with that when it comes," Loki said, his thumb rubbing my cheek. "But I can promise you this, I will not be the one to deal the final blow to him if that's what it comes down to. You have my word as your mate. And I will stop my family if they try. If anyone is going to end Tyr's life, it will be your decision or his own doing."

"Do you think he'd really kill himself?" The thought had never struck me before. "I guess if he didn't have any cause to live for…"

"I don't think he'll kill himself," Loki corrected. "But I think he could get himself killed if he's not very careful. Dealing with witches and powerful magic and trapped mages… it sounds like a recipe for disaster. One day all that dabbling in magic is going to come back to bite him in the ass. If he lives long enough, anyway. Maybe he'll see how outnumbered he is against Thor and give up."

I sighed. "We can only hope."

"Come on," he said, kissing me softly. "We've talked about this enough. Let's eat and rest before the raid tonight. We'll need our strength if we're both going to make it out of there before the bombs go off."

"You're sure this is going to work?"

"Trust me," he replied, a sad look in his eyes. "After tonight, everyone in my pack will hate me. And I need them to if Tyr is ever going to let me stay with you."

"I'm sorry–"

"Stop," Loki said, cutting me off. "I love you, Hamball. I'd do anything for you. And if we want to be together, this is what has to happen. My family needs to see me as a traitor so we can bring this to an end once and for all."

The determination in his eyes was infectious. I leaned in close, kissing him once more before I pulled him into my arms.

I was incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful mate, one who would do anything for me. And I promised myself, then and there, that I would make it up to him no matter what it took.

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Darkness arrived sooner than I would've liked. The skies were full of thick clouds and snow had already been drifting down on the mountains for an hour or two. Snow gathered on the ground, dampening all the noise of the world around us. It was opportune weather. Not only would the snow conceal us as we snuck in, but it would also make us damn near silent. The Hati pack would never see us coming.

My father met us at the edge of the village with five of his best wolves in tow. He gave us a gruff nod and a disapproving look when we arrived hand in hand, but made no comment. Instead, he just scoffed and tossed a heavy backpack at Loki.

"There's the C-4 and the blasting caps. Don't drop it." He grinned, knowing full well that he could've just blown all of us to hell if the caps had gone off in the bag. "Lead the way."

"Yes Alpha ," Loki replied through gritted teeth.

But Tyr smirked anyway, knowing how much it pained Loki to call him by his title. But if Loki wanted to convince him he was part of the Skoll pack, he had to walk the walk and talk the talk no matter how much it hurt. And I had to do the same.

Together, the eight of us set off through the snow. We made quick work of descending the mountain to the edges of Fenris. From there we made a wide berth around town and headed for the backside of the Hati mountain. In the past we could've taken the path near the old woman's farm at the bottom of the mountain. But now, thanks to Thor being mated to her grandson and having the entire farm run by his own wolves, that path was off limits. Instead, we had to trek a long distance to the back of the mountain before scaling the harsh terrain up and over the top. It took over two hours before we'd reached the peak and everyone was sweating, cold, and irritated.

"You're wasting our time," Tyr barked at Loki as we all took a moment to rest. "You're just trying to tire us all out so you can ambush us!"

"I'm taking you the most direct route to the resort if you want to remain unfound," Loki replied. "Or we can go in the front door if you no longer care about your pack's lives." He glanced at the other five who had been glaring at him but were now suddenly wearing worried expressions. "You're ready to die for the cause, right?"

"Stop trying to make me look like the bad guy," Tyr snapped. "It won't work. These wolves are loyal to me , their Alpha!"

"Then stop questioning my methods. None of you know this mountain like I do. I grew up here and I've lived in this resort since I was a pup. If you want to get in without loss of life or bloodshed, then sit down and shut up."

Tyr's face was red and the veins on his neck pulsed as he flexed his muscles. For a moment I thought he was going to wolf out and rip Loki's throat out. Loki did tend to have that effect on people, especially when he was getting annoyed. However, a quick glance at the other wolves and their constant attention on him made Tyr take a step back and flop down in the snow. As much as he had Loki cornered, Loki had done the same to him. Both had to walk a thin tightrope between being the savior and the enemy of the Skoll pack. It was a dangerous game of chess they were playing. But who would win in the end, I wasn't sure. I just hoped it wasn't my father because if I had to, I would kill him to protect my mate. Of that much, I was certain.

Ten minutes passed in cold, snowy silence. Just when everyone was starting to shiver, Loki gave me a nod and stood up to address them all.

"We're going to be sneaking in the back of the resort on the southern side. The heart of the entire operation is there. Not only are the pack offices located in that area, but so are several of the dormitory rooms on the second and third floors. However, our target is the basement."

"The basement?" Tyr scoffed. "I don't give a shit about the basement. I want those traitors dead."

"Then you'll want to cripple the resort," Loki shot back. "Because the moment you start a ruckus, that entire place will lock down so fast it'll make your head spin. Then you'll be surrounded by wolves that will kill you and bury your bodies before anyone even realizes you're missing. If you want to dismantle the security systems, we need to attack the utility hub."

Tyr glared, but he didn't say anything back.

"However, individual alarms will still sound after the explosion. And the building above will most definitely collapse. That means, if we want to avoid fighting, we have to be clear of the resort before the C-4 goes off."

As Loki spoke, I kept my gaze on my father. There was a flash of something in his eyes at Loki's words, something I couldn't quite place. But just because I didn't have a name for it didn't mean I didn't understand what it meant. Tyr was up to something, I just wasn't sure what it was. However, knowing him, it wouldn't be good.

"Well, it sounds like you've got it all figured out," Tyr cooed, a sarcastic tone to his voice. "Let's get it done."

"Follow me then," Loki sighed. "And stay low. The snow will give us some cover, but I don't want to be discovered until we're on the way out."

The others pushed themselves up and fell in line as Loki and I led the way. I stayed closed to him, his fingers laced through mine, lending him all the silent support I could without drawing the ire of my father. It was only a few minutes before the resort came into sight, barely visible through the snow that began to fall harder and harder as midnight approached.

"I'll be right by your side the entire time," I whispered, glancing over at him. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

He gave me a quick smile, the pressure of the situation wiping it away faster than I would like.

"I love you, Dinky."

"I love you too, Hamball." Loki took a deep breath and signaled for the others to follow knowing full well that his family would despise him after tonight. But it had to be done if we wanted to clear the resort before the real fighting began. "Let's get this over with."

Together we crept down the hill, between the boulders and trees, and right up to the backside of the resort without hardly a sound. There were several floodlights in the back of the building, but the Loki had led us to was still shrouded in darkness. And there, centered perfectly in the dark, was a solid metal door with a deadbolt and nothing else.

"How do we get in?" I asked. "We don't have a key."

"We don't need one."

Loki crouched down and pushed his fingers through the snow until he found the edge of something and pulled it up. As the snow fell away, I saw the thick doormat made of coconut coir lift free. It looked like it was in rough shape and half rotted, but that wasn't what caught my attention. Instead, it was the silver glint of metal on the concrete pad underneath that drew my eye.

"Really?" I scoffed. "A key under the mat?"

"You wouldn't believe how many of the staff use this door for smoking breaks and lock themselves out. We got tired of them getting stuck out here all the time, so we put a key under the mate." Loki picked it up, letting the mat flop back into the snow. "Lucky for me that they haven't removed it yet."

He lifted the key and slipped it into the lock. The bolt turned over easily, and he pulled the door open, gesturing for everyone to get inside.

"You first," Tyr said, nodding toward the door. "So I know this isn't a trap."

"If it was, why would they attack me?"

Tyr turned his gaze on me. "Fine. Then you go."

My heart sank and I knew I shouldn't have been surprised by his flippant disregard for my life. It wasn't like he thought of me as his son anymore anyway. That was easy enough to tell from the way he treated me. But there was no use getting upset about it. Nothing would make him love me again. Nothing except freeing him of this extremist cage he'd built for himself.

"I will," I said, trying to sound more confident than I was. "Loki will go right behind me. All of you stay close so we don't get lost. I don't want to have to search for wolves when there's a bomb ticking down."

I gave Loki and nod and headed inside. Just as we planned, there was not a soul to be seen. The building was dark in that area, and everything was quiet thanks to the late hour. Even the laundry facility was quiet. That was a good sign that our plan was still on track.

Loki came in behind me, gesturing for the others to follow. He took his place at the front and as soon as the door was shut, led us through the maze of winding corridors toward the heart of the resort.

The place reminded me a bit of the cave we'd survived. It was cold, dark, and in some places, we couldn't see more than a few inches in front of our faces. More than once, I had to reach out and take Loki's hand so he could lead me through the dark like he had back in the cave. It made my heart beat faster to trust him like that, knowing my life was in his hands just like it had been back then. In fact, I felt a weird sort of nostalgia for that cave. There we'd been alone without a care in the world except our own survival. I supposed here was no different in that regard, but we were no longer alone. And there were those, mainly my father, that sought to move against us.

Things were much more complicated now.

Eventually we came to another metal door and a set of stairs leading downward. I stayed right behind Loki the whole way down and when we reached the landing, I found myself standing in the middle of a large concrete room covered in pipes and wires. I could see the electrical panels on the walls and all the gauges on the pipes denoting pressure or temperature. It really was the heart of the resort. Any damage there would bring its operations to a screeching halt.

"All right," Loki sighed, pulling the backpack off his shoulder. He placed it gently on a bench and opened it up. "We only need to hit a couple main spots to bring everything down. You wire it up and I'll place the explosives. Then we'll set it on a timer and get the fuck out of here."

I nodded, trying to communicate with my eyes how sorry I was that we had to do this to his home. He seemed to understand, nodding back. Then, with a sigh, he took the brick of C-4 out of the bag and went to work.

For the next ten minutes we darted about the room placing explosives, wiring it up, and bringing everything back to a central location. Thankfully Tyr had thought to get a timer for the detonator because the room was too far underground to do it remotely. Once we had everything put together and functioning with the help of the other wolves, we were all set to go.

"Ten minutes should be enough to get out of the resort and back up the mountain before it goes off," Loki said, setting the timer. He glanced up at me. "Ready?"

I nodded. "Ready."

Loki took a deep breath and pressed the button, the tiny high-pitched beep echoing through the room.

"Right. Now let's get the fuck out of here."

"I'll lead the way," Loki said, turning back to the others. "I know the hallways can be confusing…" His words trailed off as he stared at everyone else.

"What's wrong?"

"He's fucking gone."

I didn't have to ask who he meant because at that moment I heard an explosion above us, deeper into the resort. My father had run off while we weren't looking, and it seemed he had other plans besides the one Loki and I had come up with. I should've known better. Tyr never would've agreed to breaking into the Hati stronghold if it meant not getting a chance to shed his enemy's blood.

"Fuck…" I groaned, staring up at the ceiling.

"I can't turn off the timer, Heimdall," Loki said, holding the tiny contraption in his hand. "It's gonna go off in ten minutes whether we're here or not."

"You five," I said, turning to the others. "We'll lead you to the exit. We promised no loss of life on this trip, and I intend to keep that promise."

"What about the Alpha?" one of them asked. "Won't he need our help?"

"If you want to see your wife again, Serk, then you need to get the hell out of here. All of you do." I hesitated for a moment but decided to speak my mind. "Your Alpha can sacrifice his own life if he wishes, but I won't let him sacrifice yours because he can't contain his anger."

They all looked rather uncomfortable with that statement. Probably because they knew it was the truth.

"Nine minutes," Loki warned. "We need to go."

"Make your decision," I called, grabbing Loki by the hand and heading for the stairs. "There's no time to waste!"

I left the five behind, trusting they would follow as Loki and I sprinted toward the exit. By the time we reached the door and threw it open, I was happy to see my instincts were right. All five ran out the door and up the hill, clambering over boulders as they headed for the top of the mountain. However, both Loki and I hesitated. Behind us we could hear shouts and cries. Tyr was wreaking havoc, and it sounded like blood might have already been spilled.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," Loki growled. "What the fuck is he doing?"

"Risking everything and everyone, just like he always does." I grabbed Loki's hand, intending to pull him out the door. "Come on. Let him fight his own battle. As much as I don't want him to die… it… it's an easy way out of this war."

The words made my heart drop, the image of the father I once knew flashing through my mind. But I couldn't let that hold me back. Not when the man I loved more than anything in the world was at risk. He had to be clear of that place before the explosives went off. I wouldn't let anything happen to him. Not now and not ever.

However, Loki didn't budge as I tried to leave. He stood fast in the doorway.

"Come on, Dinky," I said, hoping the pet name would wake him up. "We have to go."

"I… I can't," he replied, his voice shaking. "I need to make sure my family is okay." He stared at me, his eyes begging me to understand. "I can't let Tyr kill them… they're all I have left."

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. My heart was racing, and adrenaline was pumping through my system. Every fiber of my being was telling me to run, to get as far away from this place as I could. I had to protect my mate.

But I knew Loki wasn't going to budge on this and I couldn't blame him. If I had a family worth saving, I'd go after them too.

"Okay," I said, gripping his hand tight. "Three minutes. That's it. Then we run."

Loki nodded. "There's a back way out on the other end where the real dormitories are. We can get out there. And we have to stop anyone from going this way too."

"I'll do my best."

"Heimdall?"

"Yeah?"

The fear in Loki's eyes faded as he stared at me, his hand cupping my cheek. "I love you more than anything."

I leaned into his touch, knowing that if the next few minutes didn't go well, this could be our last time speaking to one another.

"I love you too."

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