AZALEA

"Alright, here we go," Willow said, pointing to her left. "Stand there and face the other direction."

I followed her instructions. "You'll be able to see him, but he'll look like a ghost—that's the best way to describe it. He'll be able to see you, too, head to toe. If there's anything you don't want him to see, make sure you don't wear it."

"Can he see the whole room?" I asked.

"No, just you," she replied. "I'm pretty strong, but you probably only have ten minutes or so for this spell. I can't tell you how long the other witch might last, though. You two need to get to the point quickly."

"Understood," I said. Taking a deep breath, I stood as tall as I could. I wasn't threatening, I knew that. But I could compensate with confidence and grace.

Willow closed her eyes. "Time to party," she murmured, her brows knitting in concentration as she whispered something. A moment later, the lights flickered and dimmed. A chill permeated my office, raising goosebumps. Suddenly, I had doubts, but I couldn't back out.

A mist formed in front of me, slowly taking the shape of Warwick. As his image sharpened, I saw a smug look on his face. He was seated, leaning against an armrest with one leg crossed.

Finally, the fog seemed to settle. "Well, that took long enough," he commented. "Azalea, how kind of you to accept my invitation."

"Warwick," I acknowledged. He chuckled.

"Not one for pleasantries?" he mused. "I admire the confidence in such a fragile little thing. But that must come from all those lumbering puppies you surround yourself with."

"We're not here to discuss my physical capabilities," I pointed out.

"True," he said boredly. "You're curious about other things." I nodded, waiting. "Tell me, what do you hope to accomplish with this little, secret rendezvous?"

"I presumed you knew, but if I must state it: I want to know how to stop all this. No more bloodshed, no more fighting. Name your price," I said evenly.

Warwick laughed. "Your naive mate doesn't even know you've contacted me, does he? Why have you kept this from him?"

I considered my options. Warwick was making assumptions based on what he knew—that I was an obstinate woman with no respect for my mate, thanks to Gwen. Maybe playing along was the answer. "If I answer your question, I expect an answer to mine," I stated.

"Fair enough," Warwick said. "You entertain me, and I will reciprocate."

"It's simple. My mate is too protective to agree to a compromise. He's trained to solve problems one way, and I don't always think it's right," I explained.

"So you're the brains to his brawn?" Warwick laughed. "A little cliché, girl."

"Not exactly. We just view the world differently," I said.

"So you do," he said. I glanced at the clock. We'd wasted three minutes.

"I answered yours; now answer mine. What will it take to stop all this?" I demanded.

He appraised me. "Do you even know why this rivalry began?"

"Werewolves killing vampires?" I guessed. He'd mentioned the slaughter of his kind when he held me captive, so Liam's great-grandfather was the likely culprit.

Warwick laughed. "While you're not wrong, it runs much deeper. Did you know vampires also have 'mates'? To us, they are our destined. It's a far more precious connection than your mate bond because it's rare. I've lived through much of this world's history, even witnessing this country's formation. I only found my destined a century and a half ago."

"What does that have to do with Liam's great-grandfather?" I asked, wanting him to get to the point.

"It should be obvious," he said with a shrug. "That Blackfur mongrel slaughtered my destined."

I was shocked, and not shocked. It made sense an old vampire would wage war for his beloved's death. But was it provoked?

"I can imagine your loss," I said. "Nothing could ever make up for that."

"The death of your pack, ending with its Alpha, would be a start," he said smugly.

"Surely, you've inflicted enough suffering. There has to be a compromise?" I tried.

He looked at me thoughtfully. Silence followed. I glanced at Willow; sweat beaded on her brow, her hands clenched. We were running out of time.

"Yes," he said. "There is. I'll stop this war, stop my kin from attacking your pack and mate, if you give me two things." He held up two fingers.

"What are they?" I asked quickly.

"Eager little bitch," he chuckled darkly. "I think it may be enough penance if every Blackfur Alpha’s mate was to be taken from them. First, I want the former Luna. Her life will be the second to last death in this quarrel." I froze. He wanted Lyssa? I could never give her up. Before I could respond, he continued. "Then, you will become my replacement destined. Your mate will hand you over, and I will turn you and claim you for eternity."

All the air left my lungs. He wanted Liam to hand me over; he wanted me as his destined.

"You better answer quickly," he said. "This offer expires soon."

"I—I cannot give you Lyssa's life. It's not mine to bargain with!" I said.

"And yours? Surely, you can bargain with that." He looked away, his eyes flashing with anger before he turned back. "Hmmm? Tick-tock, tick-tock."

He didn't actually care about Lyssa; this was a test. He wanted me from Liam. He wanted to watch Liam crumble, and I was the key. Liam would never recover; the children would lose their parents; the pack would lose their Alpha and Luna. I'd watch Liam's devastation. Our bond would break, and there was no guarantee I could withstand it.

"Okay, you drive a hard bargain," Warwick said when I didn't answer. "Forget my first demand. Just the second one. I want you."

"Liam stays out of it," I countered. "He doesn't need to watch his mate taken from him. The bond breaking will be painful enough."

"Hmm," he hummed. "No, I don't think so. He will watch."

"I need more time," I said. I needed time to think; I was sure I could come up with something to compensate for his loss.

"That you cannot have," he said, rising. "Your little spies are creating a nuisance on my property. I must go."

"Wait, what?" I exclaimed, but it was futile. Willow slumped to the floor, and Warwick vanished.

I rushed to Willow and shook her gently. "Willow, Willow, please wake up!" She was panting heavily, her eyes closed.

LIAM

I hadn't heard from Azalea all morning. My mother called, saying Azalea hadn't answered and she was taking Azly to the park. Something was wrong, but I tried to let her be. She didn't always like me hovering.

Gavin sensed something was off, too. It was almost lunch, so I decided to get her; maybe some alone time would help.

I left my office and saw Felix pacing outside Azalea's door. While I preferred him to be with her, they'd found a balance. But I'd never seen him pace like this.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Sir, I don't know," he said quietly.

"You don't know?" Felix always knew. I could rely on him to predict Azalea's actions.

"She had a meeting and asked for privacy," he explained.

"You have a key; unlock the door," I said. He shook his head.

"I tried," he said. "It won't open. I can only hear muffled voices."

My eyes widened. "Who's she meeting?"

Felix looked away. "She had questions about Greyback's watch, the one she retrieved from the bank. I brought an old acquaintance, a witch, to help her."

"A witch is in there alone with my mate?" I asked. I had limited experience with witches.

"She wouldn't hurt Azalea," he said firmly.

"Are you willing to stake your life on that?" I growled. I pounded on the door. "Azalea, open this door!"

I only heard muffled speech. "How long have they been in there?" I asked angrily.

"Almost thirty minutes," he answered.

"And how exactly do you know this witch?" I demanded, pounding again.