CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

L ance was half in flight when he felt four hands grab him and pull him back.

“Stop,” Craig ordered. “Breathe. Right now.”

In and out, in and out.

“High chance she will die right now if you go in there without your head. You hear me?” Craig growled and Lance nodded.

Brayden appeared beside them. “Do you need to leave?” the prince asked him roughly.

Lance looked around at three of the faces he trusted the most. These males were the most highly trained vampires on the planet. Hell, that included him. But not if he was out of his mind.

And it wasn’t something he could turn off.

“Maybe,” he admitted, cursing.

Fuck, he hated he could be the reason Sofia didn’t get out of there alive. But if he had to stand down and let them retrieve her, he would. Goddamn it, he fucking loved her.

“This is so fucked up,” Kurt said.

Brayden growled. “Her cover is blown. We need to get her out of there and hope we uncover some information now we know this is his new residence.”

Lance glared across at the rebel leader as his hands lay on his mate.

Goddamn fucking Stefano.

They would get her out. There was no other option. If he had to, he would go in and die trying.

“Let’s get in there,” Brayden ordered.

“Kurt, notify the black team to teleport in,” Craig commanded. “What are we facing in there?”

“Doesn’t matter,” the prince said. “If they’re vampires and willing to harm or kill one of us, then their lives are over. We go in hard, and we get De Luca’s mate out. Got it?”

As they all answered in the affirmative, Lance took one look at Craig. The guy was the most loyal vampire he knew. He understood how difficult it must be for him to accept Sofia. Hell, he himself was as loyal as they came, and if she hadn’t been his mate, he might have felt the same.

Craig caught his eye and shook his head. “We’ll get your girl, Lancelot,” he said, slapping a hand on his shoulder.

And damn if he didn’t nearly shed a fucking tear.

Brayden gave him a long look. “Get your comms piece in and go with Kurt to scope the property. Find us the best way in, then report back in five.”

Wise move. They were keeping him busy. If he sat in this tree a moment longer, he was going to snap.

“Roger that.”

Brayden held his stare a moment longer.

“You don’t need to say it,” he responded.

Kurt gripped Lance’s arm and nodded at Brayden. “We’ve got this, Captain.”

Lance took one more look across at his mate, swallowed, and then teleported to the ground and ran into the shadows once more.