Charis

    By 1 PM, we were packed into a sleek ck SUV—Ramsey, me, Nanny, Kyren, and two other Hollow Kin members whose names I still hadn''t caught. The atmosphere was tense, filled with the kind of anticipatory energy that preceded either great victories or disasters.

    I remained quiet for the entire trip, my hands resting protectively over my stomach as I tried to calm the anxiety that had been building since morning. The twins seemed to sense my unease, moving restlessly inside me as if they too could feel the gravity of what we were about to face.

    "We''re stopping first to meet with our ambassador," Kyren exined, his gaze focused on something outside the window. "He''s been our intermediary with the human world for decades, managing the delicate bnce of keeping our existence hidden while still maintaining necessary contacts."

    I nodded but didn''t trust myself to speak. My throat felt tight with worry, and every instinct I possessed was screaming that we were walking into something dangerous.

    When we arrived at a nondescript office building downtown, I made a decision that surprised even me.

    "I''m staying in the car," I announced as the men prepared to exit.

    Ramsey turned to me with concern. "Hey babe, are you feeling alright?"

    "I''m fine. I just... I need a few minutes to centre myself before we face whatever''s waiting at the police station."

    Kyren looked like he wanted to argue, but something in my expression made him reconsider. "We''ll be quick," he said finally.

    After the men disappeared into the building, leaving Nanny and me.

    "Nanny," I said quietly, turning to face her, "I''m scared."

    Her expression immediately softened. "What are you afraid of, sweetheart?"

    "This whole situation. The killings, this Delia woman, the way everyone is acting like we''re on the verge of something bad." I pressed my hands more firmly against my stomach. "Is this going to be the beginning of another war?"

    The question hung in the air between us, heavy with the memory of everything we''d endured during the fight with the Dark One. The losses, the fear, the constant uncertainty about whether we''d all survive to see another day.

    "I can''t afford to go through that again," I continued, my voice breaking slightly. "I''m still recovering from thest time. My body, my mind, my heart—I don''t think I have another war in me, especially not while I''m carrying the babies."

    Nanny reached over and took my hands in hers. "Oh, my dear girl. You''re borrowing trouble from tomorrow when today has enough challenges of its own."

    "But what if—"

    "What if the sun doesn''t rise tomorrow? What if the Earth stops spinning? What if unicorns suddenly start appearing in downtown traffic?" Nanny''s tone was gently teasing, but her eyes were serious. "We can''t live our lives afraid of every possible disaster, L."

    "This feels different," I insisted. "More dangerous. Like we''re walking into a trap that we can seeing but can''t avoid."

    "Maybe we are," Nanny said with surprising calm. "But if that''s the case, then we handle it the same way we''ve handled every other crisis—together, with wisdom, and with the strength thates from knowing we''re fighting for something worth protecting."

    She gestured toward my stomach. "Those babies you''re carrying represent hope for the future. They''re proof that love can triumph over darkness, that new life can emerge from the ashes of old conflicts. That''s not something to fear, that''s something to fight for."

    "But I''m not ready to be a mother in the middle of a crisis," I admitted. "I wanted time to adjust, to prepare, to figure out how to bnce being Luna with being a mom."

    "Darling, no one is ever truly ready for parenthood, crisis or no crisis. But you have something that many mothers don''t: a mate who will move heaven and Earth to protect you and your children. You have a family that will not turn their backs on you. You''re not in this alone."

    "What if I make the wrong choices? What if my decisions put everyone at risk?"

    "Then we''ll deal with the consequences together and learn from the experience," Nanny said. "That''s what family does. We don''t abandon each other when things get difficult."

    Nanny''s expression grew fierce with love. "You are my daughter in every way that matters. And I will do everything in my power to protect you. I love you more than my own life, L Woond Kincaid."

    The use of my married name brought a smile to my face, despite my fears. "I love you too, Mom."

    "That''s better. Now, take some deep breaths and remember who you are. You''re the Luna of the White Moon Pack, Luna of the whole werewolf and Lycan world, thest Moonsinger, and a woman who has already faced down a 10,000-year-old evil and won. Whatever we encounter today, we''ll handle it."

    Momentster, the men returned to the car. Ramsey slid into the seat beside me and immediately took my hand.

    "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

    "Better," I said, and meant it. "Ready to face whateveres next."

    The drive to the police station was short, but my anxiety began building again as we approached the government building. A uniformed officer was waiting for us at the entrance.

    As we exited the SUV, the officer stepped forward with his hand extended toward Kyren. "Mr. Kyren? I''m Officer Patterson. Chief Morrison is—"

    Kyrenpletely ignored the offered handshake, his eyes cold with impatience. "Where is the crime scene?"

    Officer Patterson''s hand dropped awkwardly to his side. "Well, sir, we can''t take you to the scene just yet. Chief Morrison is waiting to speak with your team first. We''re following standard protocols."

    "Standard protocol?" Kyren''s voice dripped with disdain. "We didn''t travel hundreds of miles to sit in an office discussing bureaucratic nonsense. People are dying while you waste our time with paperwork."

    "Sir, I understand your urgency, but—"

    "No, you don''t understand anything," Kyren interrupted sharply. "You''re a small-townw enforcement officer dealing with something far beyond yourprehension. We are here to solve your problem, not to navigate your red tape."

    The officer''s face flushed with embarrassment and anger. "Look, I don''t know who you think you are, but—"

    "Kyren," the Hollow Kin ambassador interjected smoothly, "perhaps we should respect their procedures. A few minutes with their chief won''t dy our investigation."

    Ramsey stepped forward. "Officer Patterson, we appreciate your chief''s thoroughness. We''re happy to meet with him before proceeding to the crime scene."

    Kyren shot Ramsey a look that could have melted steel, but he didn''t argue further as we were escorted into the building.

    We were led down a corridor lined with wanted posters andmunity outreach bulletins to a corner office marked "Chief Morrison."

    The first thing I noticed when we entered wasn''t the chief behind his desk, but the woman sitting in a chair in the corner. She was dressed in a flowing, nearly transparent dress, sipping coffee from a delicate cup while flipping through what appeared to be an academic journal.

    Her auburn hair caught the fluorescent lighting, and when she looked up at our entrance, her eyes held an intelligence that I couldn''t ce.

    Instantly, I knew it was Delia Pier. It had to be.

    Chief Morrison rose from his desk, his eyes widening with what looked like admiration as he took in our group. He was a middle-aged man with greying hair and the soft build of someone who spent more time behind a desk than in the field.

    "Gentlemen, ma''am," he began, stumbling slightly over his words as his gaze lingered on me, "wee to our... our humble station. I''m Chief Morrison, and I want to thank you for... foring all this way to help us with our... our situation."

    His nervousness might have been endearing under different circumstances, but Kyren had no patience for social niceties.

    "We don''t have time for pleasantries," Kyren said coldly. "Take us to the crime scene. Now."

    That''s when Delia stood up and walked directly toward Kyren. When she spoke, her voice carried a coldness that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

    "How can we trust that you''re even supernatural in the first ce?"

    The room fell silent. Kyren turned to Chief Morrison with a frown. "Who is this?"

    Chief Morrison hurried around his desk, flustered. "This is Dr. Delia—"

    Before he could finish, Delia shot out her hand toward him in amanding gesture that made him stop mid-sentence. "I''m Delia Pier," she said, her eyes never leaving Kyren.

    When Kyren made no move to acknowledge her introduction, she turned to address the rest of our group. "It''s nice to meet you all, but I need some proof that you''re supernatural beings and not disguised as one."

    One of the Hollow Kin elders, cleared his throat.

    "Is it possible for someone toe in here iming to be a supernatural? Is that how shallow humans think?"

    "You cannot imagine what the media would do toy their hands on ssified information, old man," Delia replied rudely. "So, show us proof."

    "What do you want us to do?" the elder asked. "Transform into our Lycan forms right here in a police station?"

    Delia nodded. "Maybe."