Page 15 of Wanted By the Cartel

"Zoren—"

"No arguments," I affirmed while staring into his trembling eyes. "You and these babies are my priority now. Everything else is secondary."

As if to emphasize my point, my phone buzzed a third time. This time I answered it, knowing that I was going to let out my frustration.

"Get me Viktor and the security council. Now. Full meeting in twenty minutes." I paused, then added, "And call Mae. I want her on permanent retainer as our personal physician."

Lyrian's eyes widened at the command in my voice. I'd never let him see this side of me before—the absolute authority that made me Alpha of the Nightshade Wolves. But now he needed to understand that every resource I commanded would be dedicated to his protection.

"You don't have to change everything," he protested weakly, but I could feel through our bond that he was relieved by my response. There were some things he couldn't hide from me.

"Yes, I do," I said, pulling him close again. "These children aren't just our future—they're the future of our entire kind. The first twins born to a moon-blessed omega in generations, perfectly balanced in power... Do you understand what that means?"

He nodded against my chest. "Mae said they could either heal the rifts in our world or become targets. We need to protect them."

"Which is why no one outside our most trusted circle can know about this pregnancy until we have everything in place." My mind was already racing with plans, contingencies, and security measures. The thing I was most frustrated about was that their lives would never be normal. "I won't let anyone threaten what's mine."

The possessive growl in my voice made him shiver, but not with fear. His magic reached for mine, twining together in that familiar dance that now held new meaning.

"I trust you," he whispered, and those three words meant everything.

I kissed him again, pouring all my love and determination into it. When we parted, I pressed my forehead to his, letting our magic pulse together. His skin was warm and familiar.

"Rest now," I murmured. "You need to take care of yourself and our little ones. I have some arrangements to make."

He caught my hand as I turned to leave. "Don't be too hard on them," he said, knowing exactly what kind of meeting I was about to conduct.

They needed to know they couldn't interrupt me when I was doing something important.

I brought his hand to my lips, kissing his knuckles. "I'll be exactly as hard as I need to be to ensure our family's safety."

Twenty minutes later, as I strode into the conference room where my top lieutenants waited, I was a changed alpha. My priorities had shifted for the rest of my life. The cartel would no longer exist purely for power and territory—it would become a fortress, a shield protecting the most precious treasures in my world.

Looking at my assembled commanders, I let my alpha power fill the room. "Gentlemen," I said, drawing everyone's attention to me, "everything changes tonight. We have a new mission, and failure is not an option."

They straightened in their seats, recognizing the deadly seriousness in my tone. Good. They would need that alertness, that dedication, in the months to come.

Because anyone who even thought about threatening my mate or our children would learn exactly why I was fearedthroughout the supernatural world. I wasn't going to hold back against my enemies.

The Nightshade Wolves were about to become the most formidable protective force this city had ever seen. And I would personally ensure that my family remained safe, no matter the cost.

Chapter 9

Lyrian

The memories always came back stronger during the full moon. Tonight, lying in bed with Zoren's protective arm draped over my growing belly, I couldn't stop my mind from drifting to that night thirteen years ago. The night everything changed. I didn't want to remember it, but it wasn't up to me.

I was only eleven when they came for us.

"Run, Lyrian!" My grandmother's voice still echoes in my nightmares. "Don't look back, don't stop, don't let them find you!"

The scent of burning sage and iron wafted in the air as our wards collapsed one by one. I remember the way the moonlight fractured through the stained-glass windows of our home, casting prismatic shadows across the ancient wooden floors. The same floors where I'd learned my first spells, where my grandmother had taught me about our heritage.

I had so many good memories of that place, but then it was gone.

"But why are they doing this?" I had asked her once, weeks before that terrible night. "Why do they hate us?"

She had pulled me close, her silver hair glowing in the candlelight. "They don't hate us, little moon. They fear us. Moon-blessed omegas have always been feared for their power. We can channel magic in ways others can't comprehend. We can birth children of extraordinary potential. And fear... fear makes people do terrible things. It's always been part of history."

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