MISSY
I stood at my locker, feeling uneasy as I stared at my books. Holland was restless, and I had a strange feeling in my stomach. Someone bumped into me hard, almost knocking me off my feet. Laughter followed them as they walked away.
I shook my head, trying to ignore the feeling. I grabbed my books and shoved them into my backpack. Closing my locker, I saw Julie and Emmett approaching.
“Why are there so many fake losers at this school?” Julie huffed, looking around angrily.
“You'd think they'd have better things to do,” Emmett said, rolling his eyes. I shrugged; I was so used to the taunting that it barely bothered me. I knew things would be better when Maddox returned.
“You okay?” Julie asked. “You look pale.”
“I don’t know,” I said, biting my lip. “I just feel off.”
“If you need some companionship…” Emmett wiggled his eyebrows. Julie smacked him on the back of the head.
“Are you ever serious?” she growled. Emmett laughed.
“Oh, Jules, if you want me to warm your bed, just ask,” he teased. “I take charity cases too.” I knew he was joking, but it was a little mean. Julie, clearly upset, stormed off to our first class. Emmett laughed and chased after her.
The uneasy feeling persisted, worsening throughout the day. By lunch, I felt nauseous, and Holland was whining constantly. I skipped lunch, ducking my head and heading straight for our table. I sat down, rubbing my temples.
I sat next to Allie and rested my head in my hands. A hand touched my shoulder. “Missy, maybe you should go home,” Allie whispered.
“I don’t know what it is,” I said. “Something’s wrong, but I can’t figure it out.”
“Maybe it’s the mate separation,” Sulien said from across the table.
I jumped as a cold liquid splashed on me. Someone had dumped their drink on our table. Emmett stood, ready to fight.
“What the hell?” Sol shouted.
“Charity cases,” their attackers laughed, retreating.
I sighed, wiping the sticky liquid from my arms. “I’m so tired of this crap,” Emmett grumbled, grabbing a napkin to wipe his shirt.
“Mate…” Holland whined.
“Holland, do you think he’s hurt?”
“I don’t know. Something’s wrong,” she said. A deep sense of dread filled me. I needed to know if Maddox was okay. He said he’d be home soon if things went well. What if they hadn’t?
LANGSTON
Silently searching the secondary building, flashbacks of our last battle with Warwick’s army flooded my mind. This building was above ground, but the sparse conditions and bunks were familiar. Warwick was clearly rebuilding his army, but their whereabouts remained unknown. The building reeked of vampire, yet it was empty. While searching, I intermittently smelled a scent mixed with the vampire stench that made my wolf whine and urge me to leave. It smelled like death and decay, and the uneasy feeling in my chest wouldn't go away. Something was wrong.
“I’m an Alpha, Graham. We can handle whatever it is,” I told my wolf, who was fighting for control.
“Alphas can die too,” he replied sullenly, his voice laced with panic.
I’d never heard him like this before. Whatever I was feeling wasn’t just in my head. My concern grew, and my thoughts turned to Maddox. I was here to protect him. I wouldn’t let Liam’s daughter lose her mate; they’d been through enough.
“Don’t be so quick to make our mate a widow,” Graham growled.
“She’ll understand,” I muttered, ignoring him.
Returning to the building entrance, I froze at rustling from the treeline. Maddox’s head appeared; he was frantically gesturing for me to join him. His panicked expression confirmed something was wrong. Looking around cautiously, I ran to him, arriving more loudly than intended.
“What’s going on?” I asked. Maddox’s eyes darted around wildly.
“I got caught,” he replied, looking down. “I went into what I think was the kitchen, and a woman’s voice told me to leave. She said Warwick would know we were here. We have to go!”
“Don’t be in such a rush,” a voice called from the trees. “I don’t think it’s time to leave yet.”
My heart sank. The unsettling scent was unmistakably coming from the voice. I didn’t know how he’d gotten so close, but the scent of death was upon us.
“Let my friend go, and you and I can discuss this,” I said, my throat tight as Graham clawed at my mental defenses. He was desperate, sensing the danger.
“I think not,” the voice answered, stepping into view. “You both should stay.”
This wasn’t good. The scent and my body's reaction suggested he was their equivalent of an Alpha—a Sire, as Theodore had called them. With so few Sires, I wondered if they were more powerful than Alphas. I decided to stall, buying time to get Maddox out. I’d face my death alone; Maddox wouldn't die here. He needed to get intelligence back to Blood Eclipse and return to Missy.
“EMMA!” Graham roared.
“Shut up,” I demanded.
“I take it you’re a Sire?” I asked, hoping to gain information.
“Ah, yes, you can tell, can’t you?” he laughed. “My name is Harlan Bygrave, Sire of the Bygrave Clan. And you are?”
“That’s not important right now,” I replied, unsure how much to reveal.
“Oh, come now, don’t be rude. Proper etiquette dictates a reciprocal introduction. Are you all without manners?” Harlan teased, his smile not reaching his eyes.
I glanced at Maddox; he was ready to fight. His intense gaze was fixed on Harlan. I cursed my inability to link with him; it would make things easier.
Placing a hand on Maddox’s arm to calm him, I answered Harlan, “My name is Langston. I am the Alpha of Serenity Waters Pack. This is my Beta, Hendrix.”
“An Alpha and a Beta. At least you came yourselves, rather than sending a proxy. We should be honored, shouldn’t we?”
“We don’t intend to desecrate anything,” I said, urging Maddox to run. I hoped not revealing Maddox’s connection to Blood Eclipse would make him a less appealing target. “We’re camping nearby, and we followed the scent.”
“Your deceit is unbecoming, Alpha Langston,” Harlan declared, his eyes narrowing. “It’s not even a good lie.”
“You caught me,” I laughed nervously. “You’ve been killing our wolves. I hoped to parlay with Warwick. I don’t care about your conflict with Liam; it’s not our fight.”
“My, my,” Harlan laughed, his tone relaxing as he clapped. “That…that is a much better lie.”
“The truth,” I offered.
“Even if it were,” he said, looking sadly between us, “I disagree with Bancroft’s handling of this. Nethercote is no better. Wolves killing vampires creates an environment where your kind believe they aren’t inferior. You think you’re at war with us, but war requires equals. This is a fruitless skirmish between our superior race and you upstart mutts who can’t understand the order of the world.”
“I don’t wish to be at war with you, and neither does my pack,” I said. “We didn’t ask for this.”
“All the same, you cannot be allowed to exist,” Harlan said, his tone serious. “Warwick has been too lenient. That’s why I volunteered; we’ve known you were here since you parked. Warwick wanted to capture you as bait. I have no such illusions. Your kind must be eliminated. Only then can this end.”
I sighed, looking at Maddox, who was seething. Hopefully, his rage would drive him to Blood Eclipse. Graham was calm, resigned. He knew I wouldn’t run, and we probably wouldn’t succeed if we tried. Our only option was to fight.
“I assume there’s no way to resolve this?” I asked, stalling for time as I moved Maddox behind me.
“I’m afraid not,” Harlan answered, rolling up his sleeves.
“Maddox, listen,” I hissed. “I’ll keep him busy. You need to run.”
“No,” he insisted, pulling away. “I’m not leaving you!”
“Get back to the pack. Tell them where we are. I’ll buy you time.”
“I’m not leaving you,” he repeated.
“Get back to her,” I said. “She’s waiting for you.”
He seemed to snap out of his rage, looking at me in despair.
“Just go,” I demanded, feeling my body shift, fur sprouting. “Tell Emma I’ll wait by the Moon Goddess’s side for her.”
I have made numerous improvements to the grammar, punctuation, and word choice, aiming for a more polished and professional style suitable for a novel. I've also replaced the asterisks with more appropriate words. Remember to always be mindful of the content you're sharing, especially when posting online.