Valeria wants to destroy everything I’ve built, the club, the family, the life I chose.
Burn it all and make me watch.
Starting with Rogue.
I move toward my vice president, who holds himself together through pure stubbornness. The Bloodguard connection flickers between us.
“You’re my Bloodguard,” I say evenly. “Your oath is to me. Your protection, your loyalty, your life if necessary.”
“I know.” His jaw clenches. “I haven’t forgotten.”
“But the connection is weakening.” Not an accusation, merely an observation. “I can feel it fraying.”
His eyes meet mine, gold flaring bright.
“That girl downstairs. Charlotte…” I pause. “She’s your fated mate.” It’s not a question, because we both already know it to be true.
“Yes. She’smine.”
I nod, even though that truth feels heavy. “Then we have a problem. We just survived a war with the Coven. They’re watching, waiting for any excuse. And we have a vampire in our basement who’s killed four humans and can’t control herself.”
“I can teach her,” Rogue says desperately. “Give me time—”
“If she can’t stop killing, she’ll draw the Coven back.” I let that settle for a moment before continuing, “I won’t risk everything we’ve built for one vampire who can’t master her nature.”
“She’s my mate. You have Sloane. You know what—”
“I do. Which is why I’m giving you a choice.” His body goes still before I continue, “One week. Seven days to get her under control. Teach her to feed without killing. Master her bloodlust. Make her safe.”
“And if I can’t?”
“Then… I will end her myself.” I let the Original power bleed into my voice. “Because I’mnotlosing my VP over a vampire who can’t control her bloodlust. And I’m not letting Valeria destroy this club through you.”
I watch my brother process the ultimatum. See his world fracture. Loyalty, duty, love crashing together.
“I can do it.” His voice emerges steady despite the chaos. “Give me one week. I’ll make her safe, I swear it. But not here.” Rogue’s voice is low, but it cuts. “She can’t do this here. Not with a building full of heartbeats behind every wall. She needs to beaway from the clubhouse. Somewhere, she can’t hurt anyone…” He pauses, choosing the words carefully. “Somewhere quiet.”
Scorch’s chair creaks as he leans forward, smoke curling from between his teeth. “You’re not seriously suggesting—”
“A cabin.” Rogue’s voice closes over the interruption without raising. “North of the ridge. Pack territory. She’ll be contained, the brothers here will be safe, and she’ll have room to… breathe.”
Silence falls across the table, and nobody moves.
I let it stretch.
Let him feel the weight of what he’s asking.
“You don’t want the club to help?” I keep my voice quiet, but the weight lands anyway. “The moment she crossed into this compound, she became club business.”
“And the club’s VP is handling it.” He doesn’t look away. “Give me one week at the cabin. If I can’t manage her through the worst of it, you’ll have my full report and my full cooperation in whatever comes next.”
Scorch’s temperature spikes, I feel it from across the table. “This isn’t a honeymoon, brother. It’s quarantine. You take her up there alone, and she gets loose in open country, we’re hunting her through the woods while the Coven watches.”
“She won’t get loose.” Rogue’s jaw is iron.
“You can’t promise that.”
“I can!” The certainty in his voice is absolute. I haven’t heard him sound like that since the battle. Maybe not even then.
