MADDOX

Missy was quiet when she left Luna's office that night. Langston asked to speak with Liam privately, so I went downstairs and got the girls dinner. I didn't see Azeron in the hall as I left. I chuckled to myself, already knowing Luna would resist Alpha's insistence on her protection.

I brought the food upstairs, and Azeron and I joined Missy and Luna. Missy remained quiet while we ate and offered no resistance when Alpha came to collect Luna, ending the evening.

I closed the bedroom door behind us. Missy walked to the dresser and began pulling out pajamas; I approached her from behind and wrapped my arms around her waist. "You alright?" I asked softly in her ear.

"Yeah," she mumbled.

"Do you miss Azly?" I asked.

She chuckled softly. "Maybe a little, but I'm happy she's back with Lea and Liam." She turned in my arms. "Let's just go to bed," she said with a wistful smile. I nodded and released her so she could change.

—

"You asked for me?" I said, entering Luna's office. She sat on the couch with Azly in her arms, feeding her from a bottle. Missy and I were in the kitchen when Azeron alerted me that Luna was looking for me.

"Maddox, yes," she smiled.

"What can I do for you, Luna?" I asked.

"I told you to call me Azalea or Lea. I want to give you something," she said. She reached over Azly and produced a small object, holding it out to me. I approached her and took it. I examined it in my palm; it was a key. I looked up at her, confused. "Sit down," she said. I sat on the other side of the couch as requested.

"I know about Missy going into heat," she said softly.

"Oh," I said. I was worried. It had been difficult to restrain myself the other night, and thankfully she hadn't flared up since. I feared it would worsen, but we hadn't discussed mating yet.

"Can I assume you know what's going to happen?" I nodded. "By the look on your face, I'm guessing you haven't talked to her much about it yet. This is the key to Missy's house; I'm giving it to you so you two can have a safe place. There's too much pressure in the packhouse."

"So you're okay with…" I couldn't finish the sentence. Even if it was an accepted part of wolf life, discussing it with my mate's mother wasn't easy.

"Yes, Maddox," she said. "Whether it's now or later, it's going to happen. I just want to know she wants it, and that you two are safe."

"Thank you," I said.

"Talk to her," she continued. "I think it makes her nervous, but I don't think she has any reason to be."

"No, Luna," I said quickly. "I would never hurt her."

Luna smiled before looking back at Azly. She said nothing more, so I took my leave. I left the office with a million thoughts racing through my head; I needed to prepare and talk to my mate.

LIAM

"I appreciate all your help," I told Austin sincerely. We sat in my office with Langston, discussing events since our return from the attack on Warwick, including his message.

"Absolutely," Austin said. "I'd do anything for you and this pack, Liam."

"Now, decisions need to be made," Langston said. Austin and I agreed. The smaller packs that helped us rescue Azalea and Missy were still recovering. From what Austin gathered, they remained willing to fight the vampires but felt we were significantly outnumbered.

"We need more," I said. "The vampires outnumbered us easily, and we had no idea. Have we gathered any information on the surviving clans and their numbers?"

"Some," Austin said. He stood and went to the table where numerous papers and files were stacked. He searched until he found what he was looking for. "From what we could gather, two clans were eliminated during previous wars; we thought Clan Warwick was as well, but we were wrong. We've found no evidence suggesting the other two survived."

Austin handed me a thick file. I opened it and began skimming the contents while he continued. "This is all I could get Abraham to help with for now. He's still upset about his son. We know of three other clans on this continent; others likely reside elsewhere. Of those here, one is known to avoid werewolves and keeps to themselves in the far north."

I nodded. If Austin was correct, Warwick had two potential allies.

"Do we know how large these clans are?" Langston asked.

"No," Austin said. "It's difficult to determine. Take Theodore, for example: if we couldn't smell that he's a vampire, you'd never know. They can easily blend into human populations, just as we can."

"Did we get any trail on Warwick after he left the message?" I asked.

Austin shook his head. "I don't think it was him personally. Our tracker lost the scent in the city. They've been searching, but nothing yet."

"We need more wolf power. We need more allies," Langston said.

"But we've gathered everyone nearby," I pointed out. "Are we supposed to start recruiting across the continent?"

Langston raised an eyebrow. "That might not be a bad idea. It hasn't been done in my time, but there have been summits where leaders from all packs met to discuss our ways and laws."

"Do you think anyone else would come? Would they even believe?" I asked.

"Even if it's not openly discussed, rumors of the last vampire war and the battle that renamed your pack are whispered everywhere. Some might not believe, but many might. Curiosity alone might bring them."

"Won't Warwick expect this from us? Won't he expect me to find strong allies?"

"Maybe, but surely not the entire werewolf population. Plus, he outnumbered us, but not by enough."

"What do you mean?" Austin asked. "The vampires were easily twice our force."

"Yes, but if he planned to eliminate Blood Eclipse and the Blackfurs completely, wouldn't he have had, say, three or four vampires for every one of us? I don't think he expected you to align with so many other packs; he probably didn't think they'd follow you out of self-preservation."

"True," I said, considering Langston's words. There were many vampires, but if Warwick intended to end us, there should have been more. We won, perhaps too easily.

"So, we send invitations to every pack we can find?" Austin asked, looking between Langston and me.

"I think that's our next move," Langston said, leaning back.

I chewed my cheek, considering. It would be the best way to get agreement; peer pressure would work if we could convince a few.

"Yes," I said. "We'll invite every pack leader we can find. If we're going to eliminate this threat, we need everyone working together."

AZALEA

Maddox left my office, and I sat with Azly. She finished her bottle, and I burped her before changing her diaper. She cooed and kicked, smiling as I cleaned her. I played with her, tickling her and moving her legs while waiting for Theodore.

"Luna," Azeron said from the doorway. "He'll be here in a moment."

"Thank you," I said. Despite my offers, Azeron refused to sit or leave his post. I was tolerating his constant guarding, but things would change once we found and dealt with Warwick.

I got up and placed Azly in her bouncer. She quickly quieted, and her eyelids fluttered closed. Of the three babies, she was the most well-behaved. Junior never let me get any work done at this age.

Theodore entered. "Good afternoon, Luna Azalea. Glad to see you're doing well," he said.

"Theo, no need to be so formal," I greeted him. "It's nice to see you. Please sit," I said, gesturing to the chairs. I sat behind my desk.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm still tired and sore but happy to be up and moving," I said.

"You were fortunate to be found in time. The doctor said he almost lost you in the field hospital," he said.

"Sadly, my memory of my rescue and Azly's birth is hazy," I explained. "But Liam told me Damien was bitten, and that's why I wanted to speak with you."

Theodore nodded. "I figured. You want to know if I could help him?" I nodded. With a sigh, he said, "When Damien reached the clinic, the venom had been in his system for a while. Fortunately, I believe the vampire was at least middle-aged."

"I hoped so, since he's still alive," I said. "But why is he still asleep?"

"I can't be certain. I'm no expert. I extracted some venom, but some remained. I can't say what effects the Beta will have until he wakes up."

"When will that be?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, Luna, but I don't know. Since the battle, I've been searching for information, but my race doesn't document like yours does. They've never cared about the effects of their bites; those who don't bite to feed have no remorse for the consequences."

My face fell. Lily was distraught this morning. Missy said she usually slept by Damien's side. I needed to help my friend and her mate, but I didn't know how.

"Is there anything that can help?" I asked sadly.

"A colleague had a theory. A long time ago, he knew a wolf from a special pack. The wolves were said to be blessed by their Moon Goddess, with extraordinary gifts. He claimed this wolf could heal supernatural wounds. He believed that wolf might have been able to reverse the effects of our venom. But the pack no longer exists, and the wolf would be long dead."

My heart skipped. "Do you mean White Moon Pack?"

Theo furrowed his brows. "Yes," he said. "Are you aware of them?"

"My mother was from White Moon. Some of their members are now in this pack, and some have gifts, including me," I explained.

"Do you know of anyone who can heal? Maybe they have information on their lineage or power inheritance?" Theo asked quickly.

I nodded. "I do," I said. "It's me."