Gavin’s POV I could smell them before I could hear them. I knew immediately that something was wrong. Rogues didn’t usually come this close to my territory. Not like this, at least. Not without a death wish. And they sure as hell didn’t move with this kind of purpose. They weren’t wandering; they weren’t hunting for food. They were heading straight for my damn house. I shifted mid-run, muscles cramping, bones reshaping. The wolf took over fast; my vision sharpened, scent exploding in my nose. Two rogues—male, underfed, and desperate. A growl ripped from my throat, so loud it echoed across the yard. I wasn’t the only one who smelled the rogues; Erik was there, as well as a few of my other gammas. They were ready for a fight. I turned to Erik, my wolf’s eyes blazing with pent-up fury. “I need you to check on Judy,” I told him. “And Irene and Matt. I need to make sure my family is safe. There are gammas inside still, but I need someone I trust to keep an eye on them.” “I need to see Irene,” he growled back through our shared mindlink. “I need you to do this for me, Erik. Make sure my mate is okay. Irene is strong and can handle her own for a minute. I doubt any rogues got inside, but I need to be sure that my family is safe. All of them.”Erik’s large wolf nodded his head before he turned and darted towards the villa. I didn’t waste any more time; I turned back towards the rogues. The first rogue lunged towards the steps leading up to the back door. I slammed into him before he got halfway, teeth tearing into his shoulder. He yelped but kept fighting like something bigger than fear was pushing him. The second rogue darted along the fence, and Taylor barreled into him, knocking a snow patch. They rolled, sapped, clawed, and kicked up dirt. I didn’t even realize Taylor had joined the fight until he was there. His wolf was large and prominent as he swung around to face me; blood already in his teeth from a recent rogue he had fought. I stared at my Beta with pride. The rogue I had tackled moments ago twisted beneath me, foam at his mouth; his eyes were glazed over. I finished him fast, snapping his neck cleanly. No hesitation and no mercy. Taylor ended his rogue a few seconds later, panting hard as blood dripped down his jaw. “You good?” He asked through our shared mindlink. I didn’t answer him. I lifted my head, scanning upward until I found the window. Until I found her silhouette. I knew she was watching me, and my heart ached at the thought of her seeing the gruesome scene before her. She was safe… that was all I needed to know, but the fear in her eyes proved that she was shaken. I wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her that it was going to be okay; that I wasn’t going to let them get to her. That I wouldn’t let them into our home… or touch our family. My wolf surged forward, claws scraping the ground, and every instinct screamed the same thing: Protect her. Protect them. I tackled another rogue to the ground, baring my teeth at him. He shifted into his human form, his eyes were still wild, and he continued to snarl at me, but he was much weaker and able to speak with words. I shifted too, and without hesitation, I bared my teeth at him. “Why are you in my territory?” I asked, my voice booming across the yard. His eyes narrowed. “We came for her,” he hissed back. “Who?” “The future Luna. We came to bring her back…” the rogue growled. My blood ran cold. Judy. They came here for Judy. That meant they knew the truth about her… they knew that she was the true Blackwell Heiress. They knew she was the witch and the true owner of the Moon Gem. My heart slammed against my ribcage. Without thought, I snapped his neck, killing him instantly. I turned and ran towards the villa doors, shoving them open; the door rattled on the hinges. My heart was still pounding when I stormed up the stairs, my breath ragged. I burst through the bedroom door, and Judy whipped around from the window, her eyes wide and her breathing hitched. “Gavin?” She asked, her heart pounding so loudly that I could hear it. I rushed towards her and wrapped her in my arms, pulling her into them immiedalty, holding her like I needed the contact just to breathe right. She felt small against me; soft and trembling. “I spoke to one of them,” I murmured against her, kissing the top of her head. “They are here for you.” Her entire body tensed, and she peeked up at me with worried eyes. “Me?” She asked. “Why? Why would they come here for me?” “Whoever tipped them off to your location knows exactly where you live,” I told her, holding her even closer to me like I was afraid she would slip from my grasp at any moment. Her heartbeat kicked faster under my palm. I pulled her even tighter. “Don’t be scared. They aren’t getting close to you… I promise you with my life I will not let them touch you,” I told her, running my fingers through her dark strands of hair. “What about Irene and Matt?” She asked, her heart suddenly skipping a beat. “Are they okay? Did you check on them?” “They aren’t after them, but yes, I sent Erik to them,” I reassured her. “You have nothing to worry about. Our family is safe.” She let out a breath, though her body didn’t relax. I couldn’t blame her for not relaxing, though I wanted her to relax because of the baby inside her belly. She couldn’t handle this kind of stress right now. Inside, the fury was continuing to build rapidly; it was dark and violent as I thought about the hit on my mate. Someone targeted my pregnant mate. Someone had dared to use rogues to get to her. Someone actually thought they could take her from me. I lowered my mouth to her forehead as I spoke to her. “I’m going to find out who did this. And when I do, they are not going to walk away.” She swallowed hard. “Gavin—” “You’re safe…” I said firmly. “You’re not leaving my sight. Not tonight, not tomorrow, not until I know exactly what we’re dealing with.” She didn’t argue, which worried me. I looked down at her flushed cheeks, brushing my thumb along her cheek. “I’ve got you,” I whispered. “No one is taking you from me.” She let out a breath and stood on her toes to brush her lips across mine. “I love you,” she whispered against my lips. I deepened the kiss, brushing my tongue across her bottom lip and sucking it into her mouth. She let out a breathy moan, and the sound went straight to my cock. I knew now wasn’t the time for this, considering there were still some rogues to deal with and a person to find… but having her in my arms like this was all I really needed and wanted right now. I held her tighter in my arms, deepening the kiss even more, needing to be as close to her as possible. A knock on the door made me groan. She smiled against my lips as I pulled back. Neither of us wanted to part, but I already knew the person on the other side of the door was Taylor, and if he was interrupting me right now, it meant there was something serious he needed to tell me. I kissed the top of Judy’s head and nuzzled my nose against her. “I need to get that,” I told her, keeping my tone low so only she could hear me. She nodded, already knowing. She kissed me briefly before she stepped back. I turned away and went to the door, pulling it open to find Taylor standing on the other side. He looked beaten, but I knew the rogues were in worse shape than he was. “What happened?” I asked. He glanced over my shoulder at Judy and looked relieved. “She’s okay,” he said before looking at me. “I checked on Irene and Matt, and they are okay, too. Erik is with them.” I nodded, relieved to hear that. I was going to check on them next, but I trusted that Erik had it handled already. He wouldn’t let anything happen to them, and I could bet my life on that. “Good,” I said in return, putting my hand on his shoulder. I could tell there was something more he wanted to say. “What more do you have to say?” He let out a breath. “Daisy Baldwin is here…” he said, shocking me. “It seems she’s working with the rogues, and she wants to speak to Judy. Lila is with her.”