An hour later, I made my way down to the stronghold's main courtyard, where the transport team was waiting. True to his word, Sam had everything ready to go. I was incredibly relieved to see him and Athena standing by the armored vehicles, but my eyes widened with a mix of surprise and pure gratitude when I noticed Carlos and Luke among the few other elite guards checking their gear.
I walked over to the group, offering them a warm, grateful smile. "Hey everyone. I'm so sorry y'all are being dragged into this on such short notice."
Luke let out a boisterous laugh, stepping forward with a wide grin. "Are you kidding, My Queen? We volunteered!" He puffed out his chest proudly, gesturing to the rest of the unit. "There was a whole line of guards that volunteered to go with you today, but At
