"Should I tell James that something is wrong?"

"No, not yet. Let's not worry him."

Thomas had found Laurel lying on the ground senseless when he went to inform her that the food was ready. He tried to wake her up and put her on her bed, but she remained unconscious. James had called her, and Lena lied and told him she was in the shower. Thomas hoped that his friend would be okay and that they wouldn't have to inform her mate.

"Maybe she is tired. She teleported that far in two days, and I'm sure she barely had enough sleep," Chloe suggested, who was always the calmer one among them.

"Fuck! He's calling again," Lena said when James' name appeared on the screen of Laurel's phone. "I won't answer it. Do you think he felt it? Maybe he lost consciousness too? Does their bond work that way?"

"Wait, I think she's opening her eyes!"

Indeed, Laurel opened her eyelids a little bit at first. She closed her eyes and felt her head aching from the fall. She opened her eyes, more focused this time and stared at a familiar face. Thomas was by her side, holding her hand and at the other side was Zach counting her heartbeat.

"How long am I unconscious?" she asked and tried to sit on the bed.

"Around twenty minutes. How are you feeling?" Lena asked her with a shaky smile.

"I am okay. A little dizzy, but okay. Guys, really, I'm fine," she responded when she saw that they didn't believe her.

"What happened wolfie?"

"I saw my mother," she said, simply, and a rush of panic conquered the room.

"What? How? Was she here?" her friends asked simultaneously.

Laurel shook her head negatively.

"Well, yes, but not exactly."

"Are you trying to mess with us or what?" Zach asked her, who made sure that her heartbeat was normal, and her face was no longer pale.

"At first, I thought she was in the room," she explained, "but I was wrong. I fainted, but I kept seeing her. I realized I saw a projection of her or something like that. I saw her in a dark room talking with Charles. I don't know if this is a new power that I knew nothing about or if it a one-time thing. But I could see her, and I listened to them. I know what you think," she said when she saw the disbelief in their eyes, "but I know it was a real scene. I feel it. They were talking about their plan. They didn't say what it was, but they did mention something important. My mother said that everything will be over by the next full moon. I am sure that I saw something real. They are ready to execute their plan and finish it."

"The next full moon is in six days," Zach said, who always counted the dates. 

At that particular night, werewolves were more robust than usual, and their senses were more enhanced. However, they were also more reckless and more prominent to act without thinking. Therefore, nights like this one were important to them.

"I know."

Her phone rang, and Lena gave it to her.

"Last time I said you were in the bathroom," Lena informed her, and Laurel picked up the phone nodding in understanding.

One and a half-hour later and after they had lunch, they went to the Blue Moon pack because James had informed them that his meeting hadn't gone well, and there was some news they needed to learn. They dropped Sara at the campus and headed there.

Chloe ran straight towards Tyler when she saw him with a giant smile on her face, and James kissed Laurel.

"Come with us," he told them and led them to their meeting room.

It was a big bright room with a large table for meetings. Some computers were on top of desks in the corners of the room, and many screens were hanging on the walls.

They had talked with multiple Alphas from packs all around the world, and they were very concerned. Werewolves kept asking for help and assistance. They had reported their people missing and attacks at their borders. Charles' followers were showing their strength and attacked mercilessly. They demanded full submission, and those who denied their demand had to pay the consequences.

Charles had brought terror and death again, and the situation seemed to escalate. The Alphas were asking for James' assistance, and the other members of the International Werewolf Council seemed unable to provide with a good strategy.

"Last time his range wasn't that wide, and yet it was difficult for us to stop him. Now, he has my mother at his side, and I think she has used dark magic to enhance their army's power."

"We need more people if we want to have good chances against them," said Alex while he calculated in his mind their men and the men they could use from other packs.

"I can talk with my old team. They will want to help," Chloe said and waited for affirmation from Laurel.

"Do it. Zach, will you please- "

"I've already sent a message to my tech friends. They will track any abnormality or increase in magic and let us know. Also, I took the initiative to make a list of all high-power places. Your mother will need all the energy she can get. Something tells me the necklace you gave to Charles isn't enough. This way, we can narrow our search at specific places."

"Thank you, Zack. You are amazing!" Laurel kissed him on the cheek.

"I could talk with my mother," Lena suggested hesitantly, glancing worriedly toward Thomas and Laurel, but Thomas immediately denied.

"It's dangerous. You are unwanted there. Even if you make it, she will ask for something in return. You can't go back to her. You left to save yourself from her rage and manipulation that destroyed your brother. Besides, there is a high chance she is working with Charles."

"Her pack is big, and her soldiers would be useful. I can handle her, Thomas. I know I can. I can see through her lies and hypocrisy. Laurel, let me try," she said the final phrase while looking at her friend.

Lena's mother was a Luna of a very mighty pack in Russia. Her older brother was supposed to take over the leadership once he was 18, but her mother convinced him to resign and put their mother in charge. Lena was trained to be an assassin through daunting winters and the fierce Siberian cold. Her training did pay off, and she tried to make her brother realize how weak he was when it came to their mother.

At the peak of her manipulation, her mother made her brother pronounce Lena a traitor because she saw how much of a danger her daughter would be for her. Lena made her mother promise that she wouldn't hurt her son, as long as she could have no claims or power over the pack and the leadership.

Lena took some clothes and her weapons and left her house and the people that were no longer considered hers. She was on her way to find Laurel when Thomas called her to inform her that Laurel was dead.

Laurel considered Lena's proposal for a few seconds. They needed warriors, but was it worth it? Lena would put her life in danger, and still, they weren't sure she would convince her mother. However, when she came back from Irkalla, her friends had taken an oath to always protect the innocent and do everything in their power for it. They were warriors and warriors stopped at nothing. Lena was strong and fearless.

"Go but be very careful. If she denies, come back immediately. Don't stall," she warned her.

"I called Max. He's preparing a team," James informed her. He had left a few minutes ago to make some calls. He had also called a friend to make sure he would help, too.

"Our people are ready. They are waiting for the signal to leave," Alex informed them, who had also just come back. He had gone to the training building where most of their men gathered at that time. There was no time for delays.

"We have an army and the time of the finale, but even with Zach's list, it's difficult to find the place before it's too late. However, there is a way to find it or at least eliminate some options."

"Can you do it again? See into your mother's surroundings?" James asked her without realizing what his mate was considering.

"No, I don't think I can make it work by force. There is someone who can tell me what I need to know. Someone who can't lie to me."