The war room in Haanshil Manor was giving the tension vibe, and Hart was pretty sure he was about to start a fight with an Alpha werewolf over the absolutely non-negotiable fact that he was going on this rescue mission whether Cole liked it or not.
"Six hours," Jethro said, spreading surveillance photos across the massive table.
"That's how long our scouts estimate before Liam executes one of them as a message.
The warehouse is here, the eastern industrial district, third floor heavily guarded by approximately thirty BlackY Wolves."
Hart's hands clenched on the table edge, staring at the abandoned factory complex in the grainy images.
Mira was in there somewhere, probably terrified, and Sera didn't even know werewolves existed which meant she was dealing with a nightmare she couldn't even process.
Lewis looked like he was about two seconds away from either breaking down or breaking something. "We can just go in, and get them out. So what's the problem?"
"The problem is it's an obvious trap," Cole said, his voice carrying that Alpha command that made everyone in the room stand straighter.
"Liam knows we're coming for them, he's counting on it. And if we go in aggressively and stupid, people will die."
"Sera is in there with monsters, and you want me to sit here and plan?" Lewis said, already sounding annoyed. "She's my girlfriend, I'm not leaving her!"
"And Mira is my sister," Hart added before Cole could shut Lewis down.
"So here's what's going to happen. I'm going on this mission, you're going to assign me someone to keep me from dying, and we're going to get them both out.
The only question is whether you waste time arguing with me or we start planning now."
The room went silent. Several wolves looked between Hart and Cole like they were watching a disaster about to happen, and honestly, Hart wasn't sure they were wrong.
Cole's eyes were fixed on him with an intensity that made the mate bond pulse feel hot and uncomfortable.
"You're an untrained human, and exactly what Liam wants. You think I'm letting you walk into a trap designed specifically to capture you?"
"I think Liam wanting me is exactly why I should go," Hart shot back.
"He's obsessed with getting his hands on me and the totem. If I show up, he's going to focus everything on that. Which means your actual strike team can move in from another angle while he's distracted trying to capture me."
Jethro made a considering sound. "That's actually not a terrible strategy, Alpha. Liam thinks Hart is defenseless, he'll underestimate him."
"We use that overconfidence, position Hart as bait while the real extraction team comes in through the service tunnels Jasmine told us about."
"You're suggesting I use my mate as bait," Cole said, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"I'm suggesting we use basic tactical advantage," Jethro replied calmly.
"Liam expects us to try sneaking in. He won't expect Hart to walk through the front door with conditions for negotiation. And that will buy us time to position forces and locate the hostages."
Cole looked at Hart for a long moment, and Hart could feel the war happening through their bond between the Alpha instinct to protect and the practical reality that Hart was right.
Finally, Cole's jaw tightened in a way that meant he'd made a decision he hated.
"Fine, but you follow every order I give without question.
Jethro stays with you at all times, you wear a tracking device, and the second I tell you to run, you run. No heroics, no trying to save everyone yourself, you trust us to do our jobs."
"Deal," Hart said immediately, because he'd agree to almost anything if it meant getting Mira back alive.
"I'm coming too," Lewis said, and when Cole started to object, he pressed on.
"Sera is my girlfriend, I know Veilridge's industrial district better than any of you, and I'm not sitting here while she thinks I abandoned her to kidnappers. I don't care if I'm useless in a fight, I'm going."
Cole studied him, then nodded once. "You stay with Hart and Jethro, document everything on that human stuff on your hand, in case we need evidence later, and when I say run, you run. Understood?"
"Yes, understood, whatever you need," Lewis said quickly, cleaning the front of his phone.
The planning took another twenty minutes, they maps marked with entry points and extraction routes, strike teams assigned.
Hart learned that silver bullets were the only reliable way to kill werewolves, which was deeply concerning given how many guns the BlackY Wolves probably had.
Jasmine BlackY appeared in the doorway, and half the room immediately reached for weapons before Cole raised a hand and muttered. " She's with us."
And a few of the guards murmured as she walked in. Then Jasmine dropped another set of photos on the table, and met Cole's stare without flinching.
"The third floor is rigged with explosives," she said without preamble.
"Liam's backup plan if you get too close to the hostages. He blows the building, and kills everyone inside including your people, then he will blame it on pack violence, and turn human authorities against all werewolves in one move."
Hart's blood went cold. "Mira and Sera..."
"Won't die if we disable the charges first," Jethro said, already adjusting the assault plan. "You can get us to them?"
"I can get you into the underground tunnels that lead to the building's foundation," Jasmine confirmed.
"And I can tell you which of my wolves are there under duress versus actual loyalty to Liam.
The ones who are trapped in this, they'll look the other way if they see me signal. The ones who are true believers, you'll have to go through them."
"Why are you helping us?" Cole asked, his voice dangerously soft.
"Because Liam is using my territory as his war staging ground without permission, threatening my younger packmates to force compliance, and his plan involves destroying any hope of werewolf-human coexistence," Jasmine said.
"I'm many things, Alpha Haanshil, but I'm not interested in extinction. You want your hostages, I want Liam out of my business. We help each other."
Cole considered that, then nodded. "You get us in, get us out clean, and I'll grant sanctuary to any of your pack who wants out of Liam's war."
"Deal."
Twenty minutes later, Hart was in body armor that felt too heavy, sitting in an SUV next to Lewis who was practically vibrating with nervous energy, watching Cole check weapons with practiced efficiency.
"You're terrified," Cole said without looking up from the gun he was loading.
"Obviously," Hart said. "But that doesn't change the plan."
Cole finally met his eyes, and something fierce and protective moved through their bond. "If something happens to you in there..."
"It won't, because you're too stubborn to let it." Hart reached across and grabbed Cole's hand, squeezing once. "We get Mira and Sera out, everyone comes home, and then you can yell at me about danger later."
"I'm holding you to that."
The factory came into view through the windshield, all rusted metal and broken windows, and Hart's stomach twisted.
This was really happening. He was about to walk into a building full of werewolves who wanted to capture or kill him, and his only weapons were a knife he barely knew how to use and the desperate hope that Cole's plan would work.
"Two minutes," Jethro said from the driver's seat. "Is everyone clear on their roles?"
Hart checked the tracker Cole had clipped to his belt and the small blade tucked in his jacket. "Clear."
Cole's hand found the back of Hart's neck, pulling him close enough that their foreheads touched. "You run when I tell you to run. Promise me."
"I promise," Hart lied, because they both knew if it came down to saving Mira or saving himself, there was no question what he'd choose.
"Terrible liar," Cole murmured, but his grip was gentle.
The SUV stopped two blocks from the factory. Cole's strike team moved out first, shadows disappearing into the dark streets toward the tunnel entrance Jasmine had marked.
Hart, Lewis, and Jethro walked toward the main entrance like they had every right to be there.
A massive BlackY Wolf stepped out of the shadows, his smile full of too many teeth. "Hart Santino, Liam's been expecting you."
"Great," Hart said, fighting to keep his voice steady. "Let's not disappoint him then."
They walked through the factory doors into darkness, and Hart tried very hard not to think about all the ways this could end with everyone he loved dead.