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Onegus regarded the strategist with a smile, lifting one corner of his mouth. "Are congratulations in order?"

To Kian's great surprise, Turner nodded. "Just don't let the good news leave this room. Bridget is meeting the Clan Mother tomorrow, and she wants to be the one to tell her."

"Congratulations." Kian rose to his feet and walked over to his desk. "We need to drink to that." He pulled out the whiskey bottle he kept in the drawer of his cabinet. "It's a travesty to drink such fine whiskey from paper cups, but I only have two glasses." He pulled them out, intending to give the expectant father a proper one and Jade the other.

"It's eight in the morning," Turner said.

"So?" Kian placed the glass in front of him and filled it to the brim. "Your happy news is cause for celebration. It turned a dreary morning into a jubilant one."

He walked over to where Jade was seated, placed the glass in front of her, and filled it.

"The rest of us will have to do with paper cups."

When everyone was holding a cup, Kian lifted his for a toast. "To new beginnings, to family, and to the future generations of our clan. Congratulations, Victor."

5

MAX

The news of Bridget and Turner expecting a baby hit Max in the best possible way, and it inspired thoughts of him and Kyra visiting Merlin to ask to partake in his fertility-inducing program.

She wanted another child, he knew that, and he wanted it for her, but what surprised him was the realization that he wanted that for himself as well.

Before meeting Kyra, Max had never given much thought to the possibility of fatherhood. For over five centuries, that option didn't exist for immortal males. Any child they could have with a human female would be born human, and no one wanted to create a life only to see it end. Dormants or immortal females who were not related to him were a new phenomenon, and Max hadn't really hoped to get blessed that way. Now that he had an immortal mate, though, he could allow himself to hope.

His jubilant mood didn't last long, though, as Kian went back to his depressing outlook on the future of the world.

"We either do it their way or watch the world crumble, and that's without taking into account the threat from the Eternal King," Kian said. "But I agree that it's a repugnant conclusion." He refilled his paper cup and took another long sip of whiskey. "At least Navuh is a known entity, and we know what to do even if we don't like the methods we will have to employ. The Eternal King is a much bigger shadow, but since we don't know how to handle that, we should focus on the enemy we are familiar with."

Was that supposed to be a pep talk?

It was like saying that they shouldn't worry about the volcano erupting because Earth was about to be destroyed by a giant meteor strike anyway.

"You should consult the Clan Mother," Yamanu said. "Sari should be part of the conversation as well. What you're suggesting is a serious pivot from the way the clan has operated until now."

Kian nodded. "I don't want to take any hasty steps yet, and I need to ruminate on this for a little longer. But if I come to the conclusion that this is our only option, I will talk with my mother and sisters and also call a council meeting. If any of you comes up with an alternative, please let me know. As always, I'm open to creative ideas." He let out a breath. "This affects the entire clan, and frankly, I'm not sure how we are going to pull it off."

"What about the traffickers?" Max said. "Are we going to stop going after them and the pedophiles?"

Kian shook his head. "Most Guardians are not qualified for undercover political work, so there is no reason to pull them away from what they are doing now." He took another long sip from his cup. "I need to consult Eva, Andrew, and Brandon. They each have particular skill sets, contacts, and resources that may prove essential."

"I have no doubt Eva can help," Max said. "I don't know the details about her vigilante days, but it probably involved a lot of undercover work."

"Mey was trained by the Mossad," Yamanu said. "And with her ability to hear echoes of conversations embedded in walls, she can find out what has been said behind closed doors. Jin is on another level altogether with her tethering ability. She's probably our most valuable asset. The problem is that neither one can thrall or compel. They can only find out information."

Max could practically see the wheels in Kian's mind turning, and his own were gaining momentum as well. "Females are the best for this kind of work," he said. "Especially beautiful immortal females who can thrall. There haven't been many who wanted to join the Guardian force, but there might be quite a few who would want to participate in this new effort."

Kian nodded. "The poetic justice of an all-female undercover crew foiling the plans of those barbaric women-haters is just beautiful. The more I think about it, the more I like it."

"It's an excellent idea," Jade said, turning her big, dark eyes on Kian. "I stand behind your decision. You have my support."

"Thank you." Kian nodded. "I appreciate that, especially coming from you."

She tilted her head. "Because I'm a female?"

He laughed. "No, because you are pragmatic, principled, and honorable."

She dipped her head in thanks for the praise. "I was raised as a warrior, and I understand the mind of a tyrant. Navuh is a conqueror who doesn't care how many die to fulfill his vision. China might be very happy to help him destabilize the West and bring about its downfall, but what they don't realize is that once he's done using them, he'll turn against them and overthrow them too. He won't leave any competitor standing."