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"No." She pressed her forehead to his. "No apologies for protecting me. Never apologize for that."

Charlotte's chanting reached a crescendo. The circle flared white-hot. Jim's back arched, a sound tearing from his throat that wasn't quite human.

Then sudden silence.

The chalk lines went dark. The candles flickered. Jim collapsed completely, deadweight in Mia's arms.

"It's done," Charlotte said, sagging against the wall. Even she looked exhausted. "The oath is broken."

"Jim?" Mia checked his pulse—there but weak. "Jim, talk to me."

His eyes fluttered open, unfocused. "Did it work?"

"Test it," Jasmine suggested.

Jim licked dry lips. "The vampires... they're trafficking blood to create stable wolf-vampire hybrids. Matthews is..." He stopped, eyes widening. "I can say it. Matthews is working with them. He's not fully wolf anymore. Hasn't been for months."

"We know," Charlotte said wearily. "Or suspected. Your alpha's blood is the key to their whole operation. Without it, the hybrids go mad within days."

"Over my dead body," Jim tried to sit up, swayed, and would have fallen if Mia hadn't caught him.

"That's their plan," Charlotte confirmed. "Kill you, take her, drain her slowly while keeping her alive. A renewable resource."

Mia's wolf snarled. "Let them try."

"Oh, they will." Charlotte pushed off the wall, movements careful. "The twins figured it out. That's why they ran. Matthews killed one of their packmates as a warning."

"During the challenge," Jim realized. "The dead wolf..."

"Was asking too many questions." Charlotte moved toward the door. "You have maybe two days before Matthews makes his move. The final challenge is your deadline—he needs to win legitimately to have legal claim to Mia."

"Or?" Mia asked.

Charlotte's smile was all teeth. "Or he takes you by force and starts a war. Either way, he gets what he wants."

"Not happening," Jim growled, trying to stand again. This time Mia forced Jim to lean against her.

"Show-off," he mumbled.

"My wolf's stronger than yours right now," she said simply. "Deal with it."

Charlotte actually laughed. "I see why he traveled through time for you. Very well. Two days to prepare. I'll gather what allies I can, but the pack needs to be ready. Matthews won't play fair."

"Neither will we," Jasmine said quietly. "I still have contacts. Bertram has angelic connections. We're not without resources."

"Good." Charlotte paused at the door. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. The oath was necessary then, but..." She looked at Jim, cradled in Mia's arms. "Love makes fools of us all, doesn't it?"

Then she was gone, leaving them in the flickering candlelight.

"Let's get him home," Beatrice said softly. "He needs rest."

Mia helped Jim up the stairs, through the vineyard, to their car. He protested weakly the whole way, but she noticed he never let go of her, fingers twisted in her shirt like she might disappear.

"I'm not going anywhere," she told him as she settled him in the passenger seat.

"Promise?" His eyes were already closing.

"What fills with voice yet never speaks?" she quoted back to him.

His smile was small but real. "A promise."

"Exactly. So believe me when I promise—we're going to face this together. Matthews, vampires, whatever comes."

"Together," he agreed sleepily. Then, so quiet she almost missed it: "Mo ghrá."

She didn't know the words, but she understood the meaning. The same truth that had carried him through centuries, through impossible odds, back to her.

Love. Always love.

Two days to prepare for war. But right now, all that mattered was getting him home, holding him close, and letting him know that every sacrifice had been worth it.

Because he was hers, and she was his, and not even death would change that now.

Mia helped Jim from the car, his weight familiar against her side. They'd made it three steps toward the cabin when Gerald's scent hit them—fear-sweat and barely controlled panic racing through the trees.

"Alpha!" Gerald burst from the forest line, chest heaving. "Emergency at the ceremonial grounds. We need all candidates there immediately."

"What kind of emergency?" Mia's arm tightened around Jim protectively.

"The Protection Trial ceremonial weapons have been discovered.

" Gerald's face was grim. "Three pack members are dead.

Their blood... it's been drained. And there's something else—" He swallowed hard.

"Elder Marjorie says the killings match vampire hybrid attacks.

The final trial starts at dawn, ready or not. "

Jim straightened despite his exhaustion, amber eyes sharpening. "Matthews?"

"Present and accounted for," Gerald said. "Standing over the bodies when we found them. Claims he was investigating screams."

Mia felt Jim's body tense, his hand finding hers. Whatever Matthews had planned, it was starting now.

"Tell the Elders we'll be there in twenty minutes," Mia commanded. When Gerald hesitated, she added, "Jim needs to change clothes. He can't show up covered in blood from the oath removal."

Gerald nodded and sprinted back the way he'd come.

"It's starting," Jim said quietly. "Whatever future I saw—this is how it begins."

"Then we stop it." Mia turned to face him fully. "Together."

"Together," he agreed, but she caught the fear in his eyes—not for himself, but for her.

Dawn would bring the final trial. But first, they had to survive the night.