After lunch, the parents stood and offered their final words of encouragement before returning to their estates. Leo lingered at the door, waiting, uncertain.
Sam approached him, took his hand, and smiled.
"I heard everything," he said. "And I still love you."
Leo's throat tightened. "You always did make me cry the easiest."
They hugged tightly before Sam returned to the others. Oliver pulled him upstairs, wanting time alone, and the two disappeared down the hallway.
Meanwhile, the rest of the mates gathered in the sitting room.
James sat at the edge of the couch, pulling something from his pocket. A small silver flash drive.
"I know you were going to start digging into what happened at the party," he said. "Save yourselves the trouble."
He tossed the flash to Noah.
"Everything's in there."
Noah's expression didn't change, but his aura darkened.
"You found them."
James nodded. "Name, family, connections. Shipment locations. Everything."
Noah stood slowly. "Bring them to me."
Lucien cracked his knuckles. "Burn their business?"
Noah smirked. "Burn everything. No one touches what's mine and walks away."
"You sure you don't want to wait a few days?" Max teased. "You're still limping."
"I'll limp to war if I have to," Noah said without hesitation.
Silas sighed and pushed him back into the couch. "You're not going anywhere tonight. You'll rest—with Sam."Lucien nodded. "We'll handle the rest."
And they did.