AZALEA

I sat in my office, impatiently drumming my fingers on the desk. Azeron sat in a chair by the door while I pretended to read paperwork from the inn. His scowl each time I glanced up told me I was annoying him.

"Anxious?" he asked after another peek in his direction.

"No," I lied. A knock saved me from further interrogation. "Come in!" I called. Austin entered, holding a small box. He looked skeptical.

"The thing you requested, Luna," he said carefully.

"Thanks, Austin," I replied. He placed the box on my desk and paused before leaving.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

I nodded. "I have a hunch."

"Just be careful. We didn't find anything useful," he warned. Azeron sat up straighter. Austin left, quietly closing the door. I wanted to examine the box immediately, but patience was necessary.

Azeron watched me closely as I returned to the paperwork. I mindlessly scrolled through emails, waiting for my opportunity.

Azeron's phone rang. He answered it. I waited patiently for the conversation to progress as I anticipated. He sighed, stood, and said, "Luna, I need to step into the hall. A personal matter."

"Of course," I said. "Take your time. I won't move an inch." I suppressed a smile; I'd enlisted Azeron's mate to buy me a few minutes alone.

Vlad had given me a passcode to unlock his phone, granting access to his communications with Warwick. His guilt while writing it down suggested he hadn't shared it with Liam or the guards during his imprisonment. The fact that they'd found nothing useful likely facilitated my acquiring it without Liam's knowledge.

Azeron left. I counted to ten before grabbing the box. I quickly opened it, powered on the phone (thankfully, it was charged), and consulted my instructions to unlock it. Azeron's mate had promised ten, maybe fifteen, minutes – precious little time.

I began scanning the messages, searching for a clue, something to explain Warwick's motives or movements. There had to be more to this than a simple race war.

My stomach sank as I reviewed the messages. Poor Vlad. Initially, he'd argued with Warwick, resisting his demands. Later communications showed fewer arguments, but still contained moments of resistance.

The messages revealed nothing about Warwick; they almost didn't seem to be directly from him. Realizing twelve minutes had passed, I saved Vlad's number to my phone before switching it off, returning it to the box, and resuming my pretense of work.

Azeron returned seconds later. "Everything alright?" I asked, smiling.

He nodded. "Nothing important." He scanned the room, searching for any sign of disturbance.

I rolled my eyes. "You wolves take this safety thing to a whole new level," I teased.

"I lost you once," he said quietly. "I'd prefer it not happen again."

"I would too, but that was quite different, wouldn't you agree?" I reasoned. He nodded and sat down.

MADDOX

Our first lead was a bust. We'd searched the city and the outskirts of the nearest pack for the past couple of days, finding nothing – not a single hint of a vampire.

Langston and I sat in a diner, awaiting our dinner. I cracked my neck and massaged my shoulders, easing the soreness from travel. "How are you doing?" Langston asked.

"Alright," I said. I missed Missy terribly and hadn't been able to call her. Langston felt it best to limit communication in case we were spotted. With no vampire sightings, I hoped to call her later.

"Missing your mate?" he asked.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah," I sighed.

"Well, it doesn't get easier with time," he said, stretching and leaning back. "But you do adjust."

"Does the ache go away?" I asked. He offered a commiserating half-smile.

"I'm afraid not. It might get worse," he said. "Depends on the bond's strength. Liam, for instance, spirals quickly when separated from Azalea."

"Yeah," I agreed. "It feels like my chest is empty, like Missy usually fills it, and that's been sucked away."

Langston pointed to his abdomen. "I feel it here. A steady, unrelenting, achy pressure when I'm away from Emma. I coped better in the past, but I think old age is catching up."

"You're much older than most Alphas. Don't they usually retire in their 40s?" I asked.

"Yes, 40s or early 50s, depending on when they find their mates. But Emma can't have children, and I haven't found a suitable replacement in my pack. Though, my Beta's nephew seems capable."

"Then train him to replace you," I suggested. "If he's the most capable, it's an easy solution." The waitress arrived with our food. Langston began eating, chewing thoughtfully before answering.

"While capable, I'm unsure of his confidence to lead. He's a fine warrior, intelligent, but quiet and unsure," Langston explained.

"Maybe that's not the worst thing?" I suggested. "Being Alpha doesn't mean always being right. You have information, training, experience, but that doesn't guarantee good decisions."

"Example?" Langston asked, a glint in his eye.

I cringed, realizing my example. "The first vampire war," I said quietly.

Langston nodded. "Go on."

I took a breath. "Liam's grandfather intentionally harmed pack members to win a war – a war that, I might add, resulted in another conflict for his descendants. He was tasked with protecting his pack, but his actions weren't justifiable. Were they effective? Probably, since we won. Did the means justify the ends? I don't think so…"

Langston chewed quietly, giving me a speculative look. I ate, waiting for his response. "What?" I finally asked.

"What if the ends could justify the means?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Find different means," I replied simply. A smirk touched his lips. Another waitress interrupted.

"How is everything?" she asked, her sweetness forced.

"Adequate," Langston replied.

"My colleague stepped out, so I'll help. Anything else? Drink refills?" She lingered.

"We need to leave. The check, please," Langston said.

"Tempt you with pie? Fresh apple, just from the farm," she offered, her smile overly wide. This felt wrong.

"No, no," Langston assured her. Her eyes flicked to me; I offered a tight smile. "We need to go. Just the check."

"Alright," she said. She left slowly.

We ate in silence until she returned to the order station. "That's not normal," I whispered.

"No. We'll leave and split up. You'll hide and follow our car. See if anyone follows," he whispered. His lips barely moved. I quickly finished my food.

"Got it," I said. "Do you think she's a vampire? She doesn't smell irregular."

"Not sure. We don't know how Warwick's spying," he said. He quickly finished his food and plastered a smile on his face as he looked over my shoulder.

"I guess you boys won't be needing any boxes to go," she said, placing the bill down. "Just let me know when you're ready—"

"Got it," Langston said, barely glancing at the bill. He handed her several bills. "Keep the change." Her smile faltered, then recovered.

He stood; I followed. "Have a good night," she said, waving. The bell jingled as we left. Langston turned, extending his hand.

"Play along," he said, silently mouthing words. I took his hand, acting like friends.

"I'll be right behind you," I said.

"We'll leave town once we know we aren't being followed. If we are, we need to move to a residential area and blend." I nodded, pulling away to wave. I turned, heading away from Langston, who went toward the car. I activated the location tracker on the phone Liam provided (Langston said to only use it when worried about our safety).

I walked a block, turned down another road, and looped back toward the diner. Langston would only linger a few minutes before leaving, so I had to move quickly. Once hidden in the shadows, I ran back. Langston was pulling away.

I waited, hidden next door. A car without headlights emerged from behind the building and followed him. "Shit," I whispered. How had we been found so quickly?

I texted Langston our code word for a tail and followed, staying out of sight. Their tail was clumsy; driving without headlights was more conspicuous than stealthy.

I smiled, realizing Langston's direction. Following on foot while unseen was difficult – impossible if I were human. A few turns later, he passed the city's 24-hour donut and coffee shop, which we'd noticed had lots of police in the evenings. I took another road, putting distance between us.

Looking back, red and blue lights flashed thirty seconds later. Langston had successfully gotten the tail pulled over. I ran, increasing the distance. Langston caught up two miles away.

He pulled alongside, throwing the door open. "Get in," he said. I jumped in, and he sped off.

"Let's get out of here. We can call Liam in the morning," Langston said, checking the rearview mirror.

I sighed. This hadn't been too bad, but it had just become much more real. I silently prayed to the Moon Goddess for safe passage and a reunion with my mate.