The first call came while Seraphina was pushing.
Marcus burst into the delivery room without knocking, his face pale with urgency. "Ma'am, we have a problem. Klaus is missing."
"Not now," Dr. Morrison snapped, not looking up from her monitors. "She's crowning."
"It can't wait." Marcus held up his secure phone, speaker crackling with poor connection. "Klaus was taken from his Munich safe house three hours ago. Professional job. No witnesses."
Seraphina gritted her teeth through another contraction, fighting the urge to abandon the delivery and project her consciousness to Germany. "How many attackers?"
"Unknown. But they left a message." Marcus's voice was tight. "Your allies fall one by one, Moon Queen. Soon you will stand alone."
Through their bond, Damon felt his wife's spike of protective rage. Her hands glowed briefly with silver light before Helena stepped forward, placing calming palms on her shoulders.
