United. (Book 5 of the Lupus Antiqua Series)

One by one the Alphas came forward, some with Lunas and some without. Twenty of them so far have sworn to fight and she'd found their minds true. Once sworn they left. Many of them, she was relieved to see nodded at Endymion in respect.

Abby's attention snagged when a pair came forward. They were both incredibly powerful. The man, a blond fellow who seems a bit unhinged is clearly a Lupus Antiqua. The woman next to him is a rarity. A female werewolf born an Alpha.

"Hello." The woman states, eyeing Abby with curiosity, then grinning at Endymion. "I'm glad to see Endymion has found his mate." Abby can't help but grin up at the tall warrior woman. "Not that I didn't like Melody, but you suit him better." She observes with eyes that see too much.

The male steps forward and clasps Endymion's forearm. "It is good to see you, brother. I am glad you seem to have landed on your feet." Endymion smiles at the male.

"And you?" The question has more weight than it should and Abby realizes the question refers to something specific. The man, Cenric, she realizes from having been in Endymion's memories smiles and arched his head to the side, revealing a mating mark.

"All is well." Endymion grins.

"I am glad to hear it." He states. She'd need to remember to ask Endymion what that was about later. Finally both of them fully face her and Cenric speaks.

"I am Cenric, and this is my Luna, and fellow Alpha, Quinn. We have decided to fight." He states. Quinn nods her agreement. Abby blinks and just like that she's inside both of their minds, the truth of them laid bare before her.

"They are true." Abby announces, nodding at them with a smile, since they seem to be particular friends of Endymion's. They move to the side, hanging back instead of leaving like most of the ones who swore before them.

Abby blinks when the next person steps forward. She's gorgeous, only a little taller than her, with a fit but curvy figure and red hair that falls in gentle waves around her shoulders and down her back. A Lupus Antiqua walks at her side, but Abby barely notices him.

The woman has a shimmering glow about her. There is something luminous in her. Forgetting anything but the strange allure around her, she steps forward reaching forward and palming the moonstone necklace she wears.

Then she looks up into her face, wasting no time in entering her mind, only to slam into a massive maze of shimmering silvery threads that connect the woman before her to...she gasps.

Her Imperium gift stretches to its limits as it tries to chase down each path. She begins to be overwhelmed, the noise in her head becoming deafening. Those threads connect to every female Werewolf and Therian currently alive.

She yanks her consciousness back and stares at the woman with a mix of awe and curiosity.

"You are connected to all females with wolf blood." She states. The woman blinks in surprise.

"Yes. It's pretty recent, actually." Abby glances back towards the High Council, eyes resting on Calliope, High witch of Night. Mysteries such as this are her domain.

The woman steps forward, eyes on the red headed Luna, her senses reaching out to test the woman.

"Fascinating. You Moon Goddess is acting in very powerful ways." The male next to her steps in front of her.

"That is one of the reasons we will not fight. Lily is a Queen Luna. She must be protected at all costs. As it stands, we have a treaty with the vampire Prince Vairos. It keeps my pack safe from interference. I have had this treaty with him for centuries. He may be cruel but he is a male of his word. If we make a move against him, he will feel no hesitation in decimating us."

"How closely to the vampire Prince do you reside?" Calliope asks.

"Within miles of his very castle." Lily states. "He is our ally. We will not break faith. We wish all of you well, but we will not join in the fight. Rather, we will remain neutral. Lily shares a loaded look with her mate, Damian. Abby picks up the name from Endymion's mind, and she enters the male's mind this time, gasping at what she learns.

"High Witch Calliope, harm done to Lily, will harm all female were. Their reason for sitting the fight out is about more than themselves." Calliope grins.

"A Queen Luna indeed? Something that has not existed since before France was call Frankia and England was split into four kingdoms." Calliope grins at Lily. "Just so you know, just as harm to you harms the other females of your race, so too do blessings bestowed upon you, bolster the females of your race. All things are a balance. I do believe Amara would know this." Calliope winks at them before returning to her seat.

Abby grins then, and turns to Lily.

"Amara is not bound by the laws of this council since she was banished. If she is fond enough of you, she may be able to give the entirety of the werewolf race an edge. Do with that information what you will. Amara's help doesn't put you on our side." Lily grins at her.

"If we all survive this I think I'd like to get to know you. You're sneaky." Lily smirks before she and her mate walk away, the brooding male nodding to Endymion in respect.

As more come to swear whether to fight or abstain, Abby can't help but wonder at the way things are moving in the world. It's as if everything went calmly on like a flat calm at sea and now suddenly they found themselves in the midst of hurricane or whirlpool.

Like the ocean opened up beneath them, sucking them down in a free fall and all they could do was swim along with the tide or try in vain to fight it. The world is changing fundamentally, and this calm before the storm, will never last.

**

Yekaterina Nightstorm

Terror. It shows clearly in the eyes of the villagers. She can't blame them. Grey Childe village is under threat from an increased intrusion by vampires. She is back to having to patrol every single night.

She’s never been so glad of Wolfe’s presence. It's getting hard to do it alone. She walks past the town square and catches sight of Vairos leaning against a building, watching her. It isn't the first time she’s caught him at it.

She nods briefly, resisting the urge to speak to him. She did not forget what he’d tried to do to her.

**

Joy Parker

She throws the dagger and grins triumphantly as it finds its target; embedding in the chest of the wooden practice dummy with a ‘thunk’ sound.

Joy is grateful that Yekaterina has taken her in and trained her over the past eighteen years. She walks over to the dummy and yanks her dagger out. She's just learning to use these. She still prefers her Bo staff.

“Mom?” Joy turns and smiles wide as her daughter runs over and hugs her tight. Sirenia grows in power and beauty every day, and to think she will be eighteen soon.

“Sirenia. Have you done your homework?” Joy’s daughter rolls her eyes.

“Do you think Dad would have let me leave our quarters if I hadn’t?” Derrik strolls in and smirks at them both, drawing Joy in for a long, absorbing kiss. “Ick! Get a room!” Sirenia mutters. Joy smiles at her daughter.

“Just wait. You’ll find someone to love soon enough.”

**

Annie Conway

She holds her daughter as she cries, kissing her forehead and soothing her tears. She’s inherited Demiyen’s psychic ability and as a result she has such awful dreams.

She smooths her daughter’s white blond hair and sighs. There is darkness coming for her sweet girl, and she is the one to blame for it.