Three days before the full moon, the invited Alpha's and their people arrived at the Blue Moon pack.

James and Laurel had welcomed them. The higher-ranking werewolves would stay in their house, and the rest in other houses in the pack. James's pack was famous for their hospitality and tried their best to make their guests feel welcomed.

The first two hours passed with strategic plans and a swarm of disagreements.

They had to examine the place Charles indicated as the place where everything would end. Zach's research had proved that this place, indeed, had the vastest amount of energy according to the ley lines. Laurel's mother needed every possible energy source for her plan. Unfortunately, they still didn't know what that plan was. Laurel tried but failed to get inside her mother's head.

They had to secure their men's position and make back-up plans in case something unexpected happened. A lot of werewolves had gathered, but James wished they were more. He knew that the enemy would be ruthless. In addition, he was afraid that on the battlefield he would face many of those who once treated him as a friend. His father's words and the news that the other Alpha's brought indicated that Charles had infiltrated in multiple councils, and many leaders were at his side.

He feared that a bloodbath would occur. One that would severely damage the werewolf ranks and would shake to the core of their entire system.

Laurel, Tyler, Liz, and Asher were working on strength and speed enhance potions. Laurel had made a list of what she needed, and with the help of the pack, they gathered everything. The kitchen, the living room, and the dining room were full of herbs, powders, small glass vials, and test tubes filled with colorful liquids. The potion would last for a couple of hours. They needed every help they could get to stand against the enemies that were enhanced with dark magic.

Zach had retreated in a room with a notepad and a laptop. Chloe had tried to talk to him, but he was lost in his thoughts and scribbles.

"It's terrible," he had muttered and closed the door, leaving Chloe perplexed.

Max's men, who arrived early in the afternoon, had different fight techniques than the rest of the group, so they started exchanging tricks and training together.

They stopped only for half an hour when they installed tables and chairs all over the place, and they brought tons of food so that everyone would have enough energy to keep training.

Thomas was demonstrating to Asher some techniques because the new vampire didn't want to be left out of the fight. Laurel wasn't confident about it, but she couldn't prohibit it.

Several hours passed, and a few minutes after midnight, most people retreated to their houses. Laurel was done with the potions, and Liz and Lena were helping her clean up.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Of course, Asher," she responded to her young friend.

His eyes were darker than usual, and his hands were interlocked in front of him.

''We'll finish here. Don't worry,'' Lena reassured her, and she put some vials in a basket.

Laurel led Asher to her bedroom.

"No one will interrupt is here. What happened?"

"My mother called. She said that she missed me and that I should go home for a few days. I think something happened between her and my father. But I don't want to go. What should I say?"

"Have you talked with your sister?"

"She texted me for the first time in months. Isn't it strange?" He laughed bitterly. "Now I have a new family. I have you and everything I have learned. Even Sara has warmed up to me. She said that we should go on a road trip after this. I don't need them. I needed them for the biggest part of my life, but they needed what I wasn't and what they wanted me to be. I don't know what they expect now," he concluded and sat on the bed.

"Look, I can't tell you what is right or wrong. I'm not the proper one to advise on family issues. But I know what it means to lose a parent. And I'm referring to my father," she added the moment Asher was ready to utter something. "I would do anything to have a few more moments with him. I remember our training, and every time I yelled at him because he attacked me too hard. I remember how he taught me how to climb and how I wouldn't talk to him for two days.

"I had tried to climb on my own, without supervision and ropes. I fell hard on the ground, and he came running to my aid. He stayed by my bedside for two whole days, and when I was better he gave me the worst lecture of my life. I think about these moments a lot. I was so angry at him that I almost forgot our nice moments. I loved my father, and I adored the moments we spent together.

"But no matter what, I will always regret the words I never said and the hugs I didn't give because I was angry. Now, he's dead, and I can't do anything. But your parents are alive. They are healthy and a few hours away from you. Give them another chance because you never know when will be the last time you speak to them."

She wiped away the small tears that ran on her face and looked at the warm eyes of her friend. He was looking at the ground without speaking, and his fingers were pressing hard at each other.

"I have to make a call," he whispered. "I have to give them a chance."

He looked at her, and she faced his watery but determined eyes. She nodded in agreement, and a smile lit her face.

He stood up and started typing a phone number while walking.

Laurel was still smiling when she heard, through the open door, his voice saying: "Hey, mum. I missed you."

"You should rest." He took the rucksack with the weapons from her hands and put it down.

"I'm fine," she hissed.

"You should be more careful," he said and stopped her from picking up some chairs.

"Will you stop? Your blabbering is annoying me. Are you going to keep doing it until it's time?"

"Time for what?" asked James and stood still while watching the scene in front of him.

His sister had her hands on her waist, and her eyes were ready to light a fire. She was pouting, and her mercury grey eyes were narrowed as if she was trying to strike a lighting.

Alex had gathered multiple objects behind him in an attempt to stop his mate from carrying them. Half of the room was empty, while the half behind him was overcrowded with chairs, boxes, and baskets.

"I'm trying to grow some sense into your sister, and she doesn't want to listen," he explained.

"Oh, my love, I listen to you. The problem is that you won't stop talking. I don't need help. I can handle some weight. I'm not sick."

"I never said you were sick!" he raised his voice. "But you must be careful," he added and immediately lowered his tone.

Liz and Alex started talking at a pace that James couldn't follow. They kept exchanging angry phrases between them, and when he tried to stop them, they showed to him with the palm of their hands that he had to stop.

"Are they moving to another house?" Laurel asked when she saw the mess in the room.

"I don't know what's happening. Apparently, Alex is being annoying, and Liz isn't careful and definitely not sick," he managed to say between the couple's fast-paced talk.

Laurel smiled as she understood everything. Liz's behavior, her sudden nausea, and the outbursts of anger, and now Alex was overprotective.

"I think you are going to be an uncle." She nudged him and smirked.

James looked at her petrified, and some words tried to escape his mouth, but it was pointless.

"Okay, lovebirds. That's enough. People need to sleep in this house, and you are bothering them." She clapped, laughing.

She stood between the mates and mouthed a silent "congratulations."

"Why don't you compromise? Liz can do anything she wants unless the doctor of the pack won't allow it. I'm sure he knows more about the subject than us. Don't you agree?" She smiled at Alex while Liz was cheering and shouting "finally, someone with common sense" in Laurel's head through their mind link.

"I guess so. . . . " a defeated Alex mumbled.

"You are pregnant! You are having a baby! I'm going to be an uncle!" exclaimed James, who had, at last, fathomed the big news.

He picked up his sister and swirled her around in joy. Laurel hugged Alex and wished him to have patience.

They started talking about the baby's room and how exciting it would be to have a tiny human walking around and throwing sprinkles of happiness all over the place.

Laurel's phone buzzed from the kitchen, and she went to pick it up.

"Everything is on fire. They are burning, Laurel," an agonizing voice said.

"Thomas, where are you? What happened?"

"The village is on fire. The witches are burning. Your mother was here, and she managed to escape. You must come here now!"

"What happened?" James asked her after following her and seeing the terror in her eyes.

"I. . . " She closed her eyes for a second and tried to gather her thoughts. "The village of the witches is on fire. She wants to burn everything as they burned her."

A village was under attack for the sins of the past and the present.

A fire had started burning, strong and fierce, and no one would survive from it.

The end had come, and, maybe, only a sacrifice could end it all.