The cleanup at the Waldorf Astoria took hours. As Daric had explained, the Lycan Security Team had been prepared for an attack, but even though they had run through every scenario, they didn’t expect such a direct assault or counted on any human allies.

They all decided to regroup at The Enclave, in Grant and Frankie’s penthouse, as they were at least sure the magical protections there were still strong. Once again, most of the New York Lycans, plus their allies from San Francisco, were there. They all knew the situation was serious, so even though it was the wee hours of the morning, they all managed to drag themselves there for the debriefing.

Astrid sat in one of the loveseats with Zac beside her, his arm around her shoulders. Nick and Cady were the last to enter and she felt Zac stiffen. She reached over and covered his hand with hers.

“… the good news is that there were no casualties on our side,” Grant said as he continued his assessment of the situation. “The bad news is that the mages are back, in bigger numbers, and it seems that they’ve recruited human allies.”

“They’ve been hiding their presence from us,” Daric continued. “And as we have figured out, they are trying to stop the next generation of Alphas from ascending.”

“That mage said the only way he could become a master mage was by taking my ‘blood’s power’,” Lucas said. “What did he mean?”

“Lucas and Adrianna, as the children of two Alphas, are more powerful than any of us know,” Cross said. “It’s not like us hybrids, but they are unique.”

“Lycans used to have the ability to use magic,” Daric said. “And maybe it’s coming back.”

“How?” Adrianna asked. “We don’t have any witch or warlock blood in us.”

“Love is a kind of magic,” Daric said. “And because you are children of two Alphas, born of a True Mate pairing, your blood is more powerful than you think.”

“In any case,” Grant said. “You both will ascend to Alpha as soon as we can arrange for the ceremony.”

“Adrianna.” Frankie turned to her daughter. “You need to move to New Jersey as soon as possible. Consolidate your power and take control of your territory.”

“Consolidate my power?” she asked. “What do you mean?”

Her mother sighed. “The Jersey Clan has grown so much over the past decades, especially with the open border policy your father and I had when we were married. But aside from that, I’m afraid that I’ve been remiss in my duties and have allowed certain forces to run wild, but no more. Not when there’s so much at stake.”

“Lucas, you also need to choose your Beta,” Grant said. “Someone who can be by your side and watch your back. Someone who will protect this clan along with you and help you make the right decisions.”

“I’m happy to serve as long as you need me,” Nick said. “But you may want someone who could give you a fresh perspective on things. And younger and stronger, of course, who can keep up with you.”

“I’ve thought long and hard about this,” Lucas said. “I wanted someone not only loyal to me and the clan, but who could also be strong enough to stand up to me if I’m not making the right decisions. And needless to say, a person who would sacrifice their life for the clan. And so, I choose Astrid Jonasson.”

“What the fuck?” Astrid would have shot to her feet, if Zac wasn’t holding her hand. “M-m-me? Beta?”

“Yes, you.” Lucas said. “Astrid, twice you’ve saved my life. Yes, tonight you literally put yourself between me and a fireball, but also the other night at Blood Moon, you were strong enough to knock me down, even though I was in bloodlust. I need someone who won’t be afraid of me … or to take me on if needed.”

“I … I don’t know what to say.” Her mind was reeling. She looked over at Zac. At first, she thought he would protest, not wanting her to be in harm’s way, but his face was shining with pride. “Zac? I though you would want—”

“Sweetheart.” He took her hand in his. “I would prefer you to be safe at home, raising our children and never having to deal with all this ugliness. But you and I know that you wouldn’t be satisfied with that. You trained for this. Were born for this. And whatever you decide, I will support you.”

“I don’t know … this is all too fast.”

“Nothing’s set in stone,” Lucas said. “But I do hope you consider it.”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting that,” Grant said, then he let out a deep breath. “But of course, as Alpha, you have the right to choose, Lucas.” He turned to everyone else. “We have already begun our preparations to defend ourselves from future attacks.”

“And not just defend ourselves,” Frankie said. “This time, we are going to actively seek out the mages and put a stop to them once and for all.”

“Tomorrow, we’ll start outlining our plans. Anyone is welcome to join us in this fight, but I totally understand if you are reluctant.”

“You know we’re behind you,” Liam Henney, Alpha of the San Francisco clan, said.

“All of us,” Sebastian Creed added. “You’ll have all my resources at your disposal.”

“Good. We’re setting up a command center at a secret location and we will give you more details.” Grant rubbed his temple. “I have more cleanup to do, so those of you who want to rest, can go home.”

Astrid was still shocked, and it took a gentle nudge from Zac to make her stand up. Daric and Meredith, who had recovered fully, came up to congratulate her.

“My baby’s going to be Beta! Can you believe it?” Meredith said.

“Mom!” Astrid said. “I haven’t said yes, yet. Lucas,” she began. “Are you absolutely sure?”

“I am,” Lucas said, his mismatched eyes serious. “I know you’ll do a good job.”

“What about Zac?” she asked. “Shouldn’t he be in line next?”

Zac laughed. “Oh no, not me,” he said. “Even if Lucas asked me, I would have said no.”

“Why not?” Astrid asked, then her heart sank. “Are you going back to London?”

“What? No way.” He slipped a hand around her waist, his hand cupping over her belly. “I’m not leaving you. I’m moving back to New York. Except—”

“Zac.”

Astrid winced at the sound of Nick Vrost’s voice. Beside her, Zac flinched, but turned around to face his father. Nick stood there, with Cady by his side. “May I have a word, son?”

“Dad,” he said in a terse voice. His grip around Astrid tightened. “If you say anything to upset my mate, I won’t be responsible for what I do or say.”

Astrid shivered at the deadly seriousness of Zac’s voice.

“I’ve only come here to ask for her forgiveness.”

Both Astrid and Zac were stunned into silence. “Forgiveness?” Astrid managed to croak.

Nick looked down at Cady, who smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “Your mother reminded me about something. About how, a long time ago, a very stubborn old man with prejudices of his own almost caused me to ruin my own life and leave my mate. And how that same, stubborn old man somehow swallowed his pride enough to ask for forgiveness when he realized he was in the wrong. I always wondered what made Vasili change his mind about your mother, and now I know. Family is the most important thing in the world.”

The tension from Zac’s shoulders seemed to drain away. “What do you mean exactly?”

“Astrid,” he began. “I’m sorry. Sorry that I made Zac hurt you. I told him the truth, but not the whole truth. Yes, Daric was involved with the mages and kidnapped Cady, but he also saved Zac’s life.”

“Right before the Battle of Norway, Stefan kidnapped you,” Cady continued, her voice shaking. “He ripped you right from my arms. Daric was the one who saved you. We didn’t tell you all of this because we thought that the past is past. We wanted to put it all behind us.”

“But, perhaps, we shouldn’t forget.” Nick said. “Forgetting the past is what allowed the mages to come into power again.”

“This is all so confusing,” Astrid said.

“I know, and I’m sorry. We all are.” Nick’s voice turned somber. “I asked your father for his forgiveness long ago. Cady forgave me too, so quickly that I’m still boggled by it. But … I think I have yet to forgive myself for failing to keep them safe and save them in the first place.”

“Nick,” Cady began. “You didn’t fail us. We’re here now. All of us are here because you’ve always protected this clan.”

Nick turned back to Astrid. “You don’t have to forgive me now. And I would be honored if you allowed me to help you transition into your new role as Beta, should you accept it.”

“I … of course,” she said. “And … yes, I forgive you, Nick.” She turned to Cady. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” Cady said. “Well, I did kind of knock some sense into my stubborn husband, but he realized most of it all on his own.”

“And that, son,” Nick said to Zac. “Is why we need our True Mates. To keep us on the straight and narrow. And to help us believe in ourselves when we’re in doubt.”

“Oh my God!” Cady exclaimed. “I almost forgot. Astrid … Zac … Oh …” She launched herself forward and embraced them both. “You both … I’m going to be a grandmother! Nick! We’re going to be grandparents.” She was crying now, tears of joy pouring down her face.

“Wait, what am I missing?” Meredith cried. “What’s going on?”

Astrid had forgotten that her mother had been in the medical wing for the last couple of hours. “Er, well, Mom, so it turns out Zac and I are True Mates.”

“What?” Meredith said. “I thought you guys were just boinking.”

Astrid went red. “What do you mean? You knew all this time?”

“I’m your mother, Astrid,” Meredith said. “I know everything. And you’ll know everything about your kids too when—” And then the realization soon hit her. “Motherfucking truck nuts! I’m going to be a grandmother!” She hopped over to Cady and hugged her. “We’re going to be grandmas!”

Cady just laughed and hugged her in return. “Yes, we are.”

“Can I get the cool grandma name?” Meredith said. “I like Lulu or Gigi. You can be Grams.”

“Whatever you want, Meredith,” Cady said, her face beaming. She looked up at Daric. “I’m honored to be sharing a grandchild with the people who saved my son.”

“Well, old man,” Grant teased as he came up beside Nick. “Ready to be a grandpa?”

“You might not be far behind,” Nick said. “You know these True Mates pairing seems to happen in clusters.”

Grant chuckled. “I can only imagine. I only hope my grandchildren’s arrivals won’t be quite as dramatic.”

It seemed everyone there had gathered and were now crowding around them to offer their congratulations and well wishes.

“A ray of hope and happiness for now,” Aunt Lara said. “Something to look forward to, since we may be facing dark times ahead.”

“But, haven’t we proven that we will always win?” Frankie said. “The mages may be powerful and have magic, but there’s something we have they never will.”

“We have family,” Daric finished. “And we have love. That’s something Stefan never understood and ultimately, what led to his defeat.”

“And we’ll win again,” Lucas said, his face drawn into steely determination. “I’ll do my damned best to make sure it happens.

Zac looked at his friend. “We all will.”

And Astrid knew that she too, would be doing her part to keep them all safe. She already knew what her answer to Lucas’ offer would be. But for now, surrounded by the most important people in the world to her, she would bask in the glow of their love.

Grant had offered to take out the champagne to celebrate, but everyone was just too exhausted. Besides, Astrid realized that being pregnant, she couldn’t stand the thought of alcohol anyway. And so, they all retired, and Zac and Astrid went back to his hotel suite, declining his parents’ offer to stay in Zac’s old room.

“What, you never snuck in girls there?” Astrid had teased as they left The Enclave.

“No.”

She snorted. “Of course not. You were the golden boy, Goody Two-shoes, weren’t you?”

“I’ll show you how much of a Goody Two-shoes I am.”

And so he did, multiple times that night, until she once again begged for him to let her sleep. In the morning, she didn’t even want to wake up and get out of bed. This whole making a human thing was making her tired.

“Astrid, come into the living room,” Zac called. “I have something to show you.”

“Ugh! No,” she protested. “I’m not falling for that one again!”

“I have breakfast,” he said.

Her stomach gurgled loudly and she rolled out of the bed. Apparently, that was another symptom of being pregnant with a True Mate’s pup—increased appetite. Her mother joked that she had nearly eaten them out of house and home for each of her pregnancies.

She reached for Zac’s discarded shirt on the floor and slipped it on. “I swear to God, Zachary Vrost, if you’re standing out there with your dick in your hand, I’m going to—” She sucked in a breath. “That’s not your dick.”

He laughed. “No, it’s not.” Zac was down on one knee, a small velvet box in his palm. When he opened it, she gasped. A huge diamond ring stared up at her.

“Zac … how did you …”

“This ring belonged to my great-grandmother,” he said. “My mother was keeping it safe for me. I asked her to bring it here this morning. So, Astrid, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

She let out a squeal. “Duh! Of course!”

Zac promptly put the ring on her finger and then stood up. “I love you, Astrid.”

“I love you too, you crazy man,” she laughed in between his kisses.

“Crazy?”

“Well, what kind of man would be in love with me? A loony one, I tell you. Hey!” She shrieked in protest as he lifted her up in his arms and brought her back to bed.

“I’ll show you how crazy I am,” he said, as he pushed her down on the mattress.

Their lovemaking that morning was wild and urgent. Last night, Zac had taken his time, as if savoring her and making it last as long as possible. This morning was different, but no less tender or sweet.

“So,” she began, as she looked at the hunk of rock on her finger. They were cuddled up together, Zac behind her, kissing her neck. “What are you going to do now? Are you going to take Lucas’ position at Fenrir?”

“I was about to tell you last night,” he said. “But we were interrupted. Anyway, I plan to quit.”

“Quit?” she asked.

“Yeah, now that my fiancée is going to be Beta of the most powerful Lycan clan, she can bring home the bacon—Ow!” She had slapped him on the arm.

“You’re kidding, right?” she said, twisting around to face him. “I mean, I’m happy with whatever you want to do but, quitting doesn’t seem like you.”

He kissed her on the nose. “Yes, I’m kidding. I mean, not about the quitting part. But there’s something I’ve always thought of doing.”

“And what is that?”

“Well, Vasili always hoped that my father would take over the family holdings. He’s got companies and properties in Europe and all over the world. But all my dad wanted to do was work for Fenrir and be Beta. So, when he died, everything went into a trust.”

“I see.”

“And so, I was thinking, Vasili always wanted a Vrost to run everything, so why not me? I’m going to talk to my father about it as soon as I can.”

“Oh, Zac, that’s a wonderful idea,” she said. “I can’t think why you wouldn’t make it successful.”

“It’s scary, but … I know this is what I want to do.”

“I could always go back to The Vixen Den if you run all the businesses to the ground,” she joked. “The girls there always said I could make a killing with my tits.”

“Oh, ha ha,” he shot back. “Maybe I should work at that male warlock strip club downtown.”

“Uncle Merlin’s place?” she said. “I don’t know, they have very high standards. Hey!” She giggled as he rolled her over and tickled her. “Stop! Stop, Zac!”

“No more talk of strip clubs. Male or otherwise, okay?” he said.

“I … I … no more!” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “How about we talk weddings? What kind of wedding would you like?”

“Whatever you want, sweetheart,” he said. “As long as you’re there and our families are there.”

“Well, of course! I can’t wait to tell—” She slapped her hand on her forehead. “Shit! Deedee!”

He frowned at her. “What about Deedee?”

“I didn’t see her last night at the Alpha’s penthouse.” She chewed on her lip. “We came together to the ball, but then Donovan came to ask me to dance—stop looking at me like that, Zachary, he’s like a brother to me—and then I haven’t seen her since.”

“If Deedee was hurt, we would have known. Sebastian was at the meeting and he didn’t seem distressed.”

“True.” She thought for a moment. “I should check on her.”

“Of course, do you what you need to do.”

After several phone calls, what seemed like a hundred text messages, and enough voice messages to fill her inbox, Astrid was starting to worry that something did happen to Deedee. When it was late afternoon and still no word, Zac drove her to Deedee’s place.

“Dee?” she called as she rapped on the door when she wouldn’t answer the doorbell. She let out a deep breath. “Okay, Deedee,” she shouted. “I’m coming in!” She closed her eyes and visualized Deedee’s living room. Somehow, she figured out that being pregnant with Zac’s baby amplified her powers, so she was able to go more than six feet. Hopefully this would work. Now or never.

When the soft poof sound popped in her ears, she found herself in the middle of Deedee’s living room.

“What the—Astrid?” Deedee cried.

“Deedee!” Astrid collapsed on the couch. “Where have you been? Where did you go? And why haven’t you been answering my calls? And have you been crying?”

Deedee’s pretty face was all blotchy and her eyes were swollen. Her nose was red and her cheeks were puffy. “I … just need to be alone for a bit, okay?”

Astrid looked around her. There were tissues everywhere and the TV was blasting. “What are you watching? Oh my God, is that a documentary about serial killers?”

“I needed something to cheer me up.”

“Cheer you … oh no!” Astrid grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. “Deedee, talk to me. What happened?”

“Astrid,” she sniffed. “I … last night, I spoke to Cross.”

“You did?”

She nodded then wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I thought we were going to die when the mages attacked. Then I saw you and Zac and realized what you guys were … and so I went to Cross and confessed my feelings.”

“What did he say?”

More tears poured down her cheeks. “I … he …” She let out a hiccup. “He said, ‘I’m sorry, Dee. I love you, but only as a friend.’”

Astrid’s heart dropped. “Oh, no. Dee. Dee! I’m so sorry.” She wrapped her arms around her. “I’m so, so sorry.” She wanted to cry too. Well, she wanted to kill Cross first, and then cry. “This is my fault,” she said. “I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard.”

“Astrid, this isn’t your fault.” She blew her nose into a fresh tissue. “I shouldn’t have let my feelings grow so deep. It was good I found out now anyway.”

“I just … Deedee, you’re my best friend,” she began. “I don’t have any sisters, and I just thought it would be so cool if you were my best friend and my real sister too.”

“Astrid, you silly girl. You are my sister.” She let out a resigned sigh and then took Astrid’s hand. “The moment I saw you in your crib when I first came to visit, I knew it. I told your mom that I was going to be your big sister. You’re my sister, Astrid, not by blood, but one that I choose.”

“Stop, Deedee, you’re really going to make me cry.” She reached for a tissue. “Sorry, this must be what they say about pregnancy hormones.”

“It’s all right, Astrid.” Deedee hugged her close. “And don’t feel bad about what you have with Zac. It’s one in a million finding someone like that. I’m so very glad for you both.” She turned Astrid’s hand over to look at the ring. “And congratulations.”

“Thank you.” She couldn’t help but feel sad, despite Deedee’s words. Her best friend’s—no, her sister’s—heart was broken into pieces and here she was, waving her giant engagement ring in her face. “Maybe Cross just needs time and—”

“No, Astrid,” she said. “He was pretty clear last night. Believe me. Hey, it’s all right. I promise, I won’t let things get weird and I’ll be your maid of honor.”

“You will?”

“Of course!” She put on a bright smile. “I’ll never forgive you if you choose anyone else.”

“Never.” Astrid squeezed her hand. “Sisters. Forever.”

“Sisters,” Deedee replied. “Now, when do we start the wedding planning?”

“Zac and I haven’t made real plans, but we can wait. Oops.” She had nearly forgotten about him waiting outside. “Actually, give me a minute. I need to call him to let him know he should go home.

“Go home … Astrid, is he out there? Don’t make your mate wait out there in cold,” she said.

“He’s got heated seats in his Porsche,” she retorted. “He can wait a while longer.”

They talked some more about wedding planning, but when Astrid started fussing over Dee, she declared she was tired of Astrid’s mother hen routine. “You’re worse than my mother,” she said as she escorted Astrid to the door. “Go. Get out.”

“Fine. But you call me, anytime, okay?”

“Yes, Mom.”

After one final long hug, Astrid left and headed to where Zac was parked in front of Deedee’s building.

“Everything okay?” he asked as he stepped out of the car. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” She told him everything, and he pulled her into an embrace. “I’m sorry,” he said, kissing her palm. “Dee’s my friend, too. I don’t want her to suffer like this.”

She pressed her cheek against his wool coat, taking in his yummy Christmassy scent. “I’m just so mad, you know. How could Cross do that to her?” she fumed. “He’s just been acting so weird lately. I thought maybe that now he’s back, he and Dee could live happily ever after too, and, you know, it’s nice to be with the person you love.”

“It is,” he agreed, then leaned down to kiss her on the lips. “But, sweetheart, if he doesn’t feel the same way, you can’t force him to love her.”

“I know. I just wish …” She looked at Deedee’s door. “I just hope she won’t do anything drastic.”

“Deedee’s a smart, level-headed girl,” he said. “She’ll be fine. We’ll look out for her. She’s not just our friend. She’s family.”

“Thank you,” she said. “For being here.”

“Of course.” He reached down to rub her stomach. “Let’s go home. You must be hungry.”

Her stomach gurgled on cue. “Starving,” she laughed.

“We can’t let our baby get hungry.”

She leaned into him, enjoying the feeling of his arms around her, warming her up on this chilly winter morning. The street was unusually quiet for New York, so all she could hear was the sound of his breathing and his heartbeat. “Take me home, Zac.”

“With pleasure.”