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"Who's coming?" I press.
"It seems the Rogues aren't the only army in our woods," my father says with a sigh, and all of a sudden, he seems so tired. He's always been impeccable and ageless, but now he looks so.... old. "Viktor Massen is coming for me once more. This time, it seems, he's brought his entire army."
I've heard the expression 'my heart stopped' before, but I swear in that moment, I felt it. I feel the ground falling away beneath my feet, like a deer in headlights, punched in the gut with shock, frozen in disbelief, blood running cold in my veins, and all the other cliches, metaphors, and expressions that describe utter and complete horror. They all suddenly feel very, very real.
"What?" I nearly choke on the word.
"I tried to warn you," Tristan says sadly, and I turn to face him with wide eyes.
Yellow tansies. A proclamation of war.
Tristan said they were meant to be a warning, not a threat.
"The Banes are coming?" I'm not sure who I'm asking, but I already know the answer.
"They will be here by sunrise," my father says with an almost apologetic shake of his head.
"So we kill them all."
I hear Mark's angry voice right before he turns the corner and steps into the war room behind my father, followed by Amara and Nico.
"So I take it diplomacy is dead," Amara huffs disapprovingly.
Lucy walks in a moment later, and when her eyes land on mine, she shoves past the others and throws herself across the room to me.
I run to her and meet her halfway, though she nearly tackles me to the ground with the force of her hug.
"You bitch," she mutters in between laughter and tears as she holds me tightly. "I was worried sick about you. Don't you ever scare me like that again."
I return her embrace wholeheartedly, smiling as she scolds me.
"I'm so sorry. I won't."
She pulls away to survey me, scanning me from head to toe and then looking at Tristan over my shoulder.
"You guys look like you're dressed for a funeral. Don't get me wrong, you both look great in black, but what is it with these nightwalkers and their fashion? Are vampires allergic to color or something?"
"I missed you too, Lucy," I laugh.
Helena walks in, glancing at the Rovers with mild amusement before composing her solemn expression and looking back at my father.
"My king, you were right. They are not alone."
"She's right," Tristan says, and any trace of joy vanishes from my face as even Lucy's expression falls. "We've been monitoring the Banes for the past few days. It seems Viktor has been forging alliances with some of the other packs in Silvertoth Peaks in order to grow his forces."
Slowly, my father walks up to the large table in the center of the room. He looks between my mate and me and then pulls out a chair and takes a seat. Helena follows suit, taking a chair across from him.
The Night King watches Tristan as my mate joins them, and I take the other seat beside him.
One by one, we all sit at the table, and I can't shake the sense that history itself is holding its breath, watching and waiting to see what happens next.
A council of four werewolves, a Rogue Alpha, two vampires, and a hybrid. Nothing like this has ever happened before.
"Our scouts were not the only ones who were able to track my mate into your territory," Tristan explains.
"Although we did manage to find her first," Nico points out.
"It seems a spy for the Bane pack discovered that the girl was taken in by vampires," Mark says with a glare. "It seems Viktor has been keeping an eye on the nightwalkers over the years without anyone knowing."
