Page 203 of Inside the Sun

His spikes have already pulled back under his skin, but the plates are still visible. His clothes are shredded, except for the pair of utility shorts he’s still got on.

Then he leans down and scoops Summer into his arms. The omega doesn't look like he can walk on his own, seems dazed and absent.

Ragnar glances upward.

"It’s really time. I can hear them upstairs. We should move quickly," he hurries us, and both brothers stand up, Eliano still very emotional, Mauro more low-key, but I can see it’s also an important moment for him.

But they know we can’t stay here. So just like that, our group heads toward the exit.

As we rush up the stairs, we hear gunfire in the distance and some weird thuds echoing through the estate.

We quickly make it to the garden. The sunlight hits me and makes me dizzy. I’m barely standing, my head’s spinning like crazy, and my body just refuses to cooperate. Ragnar keeps glancing at me, obviously worried, but I push through the weakness, knowing how critical it is to keep going.

At the gazebo, Mauro crouches next to a bench and hits some kind of button under it, or maybe a lever. The floor lowers, revealing a wide, dark opening underneath.

Moments later, the four of us slip inside, climbing down the narrow staircase.

Mauro leads the way. It’s pitch black, there’s no lighting anywhere, but he moves like he knows exactly where we’re going. The tunnel first slopes steeply downward like a mine shaft, then starts to rise gradually again. It’s long, definitely long enough to lead us off the property perimeter.

Eventually, it curves slightly and ends at a small room with a solid metal door.

Mauro pulls another lever and the door retracts. I notice rocks glued to the other side, most likely camouflage.

We step outside and I realize we’re coming out below a ridge. A rocky slope rises above us, dotted with trees.

I figure we’re maybe two hundred yards from the fortress, toward the coast. On our left, two high cliffs stretch upward. Below us, the rocky incline flattens into a stony beach, where the ocean hums in the distance.

There’s no real road here, just a narrow, barely visible path. Clearly, no one uses it often. But the ground is mostly rocks anyway, so it’s hard to track anything.

Still carrying Summer, Ragnar awkwardly pulls out his phone and makes a call before anyone says a word. He puts it on speaker, since he can’t exactly raise it to his ear with his brother in his arms.

"Hunter, I need your help! I’m sending you our location. Can you get here by car, or at least close?"

He’s trying to keep his voice calm, but it still sounds rough. He’s stuck in that half-shifted state, adrenaline keeping him on edge.

Hunter answers quickly, confirming he can.

"I’ve got Summer and Sun with me. We’re getting out," Ragnar adds.

"Good job, Sergeant!"

A second later, Hunter hangs up, adding before he does, "I’ll be there as fast as I can. Drop the pin."

When the call ends, Ragnar turns to me.

"Sun, send him the pin."

So I do it right away.

Then Mauro reaches out for Ragnar’s phone. I hesitate, then hand it over. He types a short message into the notes app:

"About a hundred yards to the left past the cliff, there’s a tourist road that leads to the beach. Let’s head for it."

"Lead the way."

We walk in silence. Ragnar still carries Summer, and I stay by his side, feeling weak as hell but forcing myself to stay upright. I can’t let myself pass out. Eliano trails behind us, quiet and pensive.

Thankfully, we reach the road quickly, just in time, because I’m about to collapse. It’s a regular public road, paved, with the occasional car rolling by.

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