“We all have our dark secrets. The things we keep hidden in the shadows of the closet that we keep eight different types of locks on. We feel certain that if anyone knew those secrets then there would be no way we could be worthy of their love. We would be outcast. So, we hold tight to those secrets, letting them eat us like a disease, slowly devouring our self-confidence and sense of worth. The saddest part to all of this is that there is a simple cure for this disease; trust. Trust the ones you hold dearest to your heart to love you no matter what, for it is by that love that you are redeemable.” ~ Cynthia
Peri waited until the two males were out of sight before she turned back to the pack. She motioned, and slowly Vasile started towards her and the others fell in step behind him. They moved slowly, cautiously, their eyes darting around and their ears twitching. Peri felt like they were walking a tight rope and at any moment one of them was going to fall off, but instead of plummeting to their death they would cause someone else’s.
Peri glanced over at Adam once they had finally reached her. “How are you holding up, Adam?” The question held none of the usual snarkiness that was common from Peri, but showed true concern for her brethren.
Adam looked tired and tense. She could see that his fingers twitched with the need to reach out and touch Crina and it was killing him that he couldn’t.
“I’m dealing,” he finally told her.
“Good enough,” Peri nodded. She turned around and faced the pack mansion and, with a nod of finality, took a step forward. “Let’s do this,” she said and motioned for the others to follow.
When they reached the door Peri let out a deep breath and found that her hand was shaking. She snorted to herself. The unflappable Peri shaking in her boots¸ she thought. Without further hesitation, she pressed the latch on the door handle and pushed it open. She stepped inside and said a silent prayer. The mansion looked like a ghost town. The foyer was empty, as were the stairs, and the railing above that looked over the living area. She walked further in so that the wolves and Adam could come inside.
Vasile walked slowly into the mansion and it angered him that he was afraid to step into his own home. Not afraid for his life, but for the lives of others. Somewhere inside of him, he knew that things weren’t as dangerous as he thought it to be, but his wolf urged him to get away from the others. If they were alone with their mates, then they could relax, and think about the other imminent problems. They wouldn’t be worried about keeping others away from their mates. He sniffed around, his lips curled back at the unfamiliar scents, but then he caught the scent of his mate and knew that it was because this was a hallway that Alina walked daily. He followed it, not bothering to check to see if the Fae was following him so that she could open the door. Vasile reached their room and finally turned to see if he had been followed. Much to his relief, Peri was right behind him. She reached passed him to the door, turned the knob and pushed the door open. Vasile trotted inside and then pushed the door closed with his hind leg.
“You’re welcome,” Peri snapped. She turned and looked down the hall, watching as each mated pair stood in front of their rooms. Even Decibel, Jen, Costin, and Sally still had rooms in the mansion. She walked down the hall, one by one opening the doors. All except for Adam and Crina’s, he was able to handle that one on his own. Peri stood in the now empty hall, and for a single breath, she felt lost. She didn’t know what she should do, what her next move was to be. She knew that she couldn’t break Mona’s curse on her own. But, the curse would have to be broken if the women were ever to invite the touch of their mates. That left only one choice, and though she knew Vasile would likely not like it, he would just have to get over it if he wanted his mate healed.
Cynthia quickly phased back into her human form as she stood in Crina’s closet. They were close enough to the same size that she was able to borrow some clothes. She knew that she needed to move fast to get each of the women in dry clothes and warmed up. It was likely going to be an unpleasant experience as she dealt with the snarling mates, but then such was the life as a Canis lupus—never a dull moment. And, apparently never a moment when one’s life wasn’t in danger. She grabbed some loose yoga type pants and a t-shirt and made her way out of the closet to see Adam sitting in a chair next to the bed where Crina lay. The pain she saw on his face was heartbreaking. Cynthia could see that the Great Luna had not spared the bond between Fae and wolf; it was every bit as strong as between two wolves. She moved cautiously towards the bed, deciding it was best to treat Adam as she would a dominant mated wolf. He was just as deadly as the males of her race and very possessive.
“Adam,” she said softly. “I need to get her into dry clothes.”
Adam looked over at her. His eyes had the remnants of shed tears.
“I know you don’t want her to be touched, but it’s for her safety.” Cynthia continued to take slow steps towards the bed, bracing herself for an attack that could come at any moment. She felt encouraged when she made it to the bed safely, though Adams eyes never left her. She talked to Crina as she touched her, reassuring her that she wasn’t going to hurt her. It was a struggle as Crina fought her and Adam threatened her, but after nearly thirty minutes she finally had the she wolf in dry clothes. Cynthia made her way to the door only glancing back at the mated pair once. Adam was whispering to Crina and she had rolled towards the sound of his voice. It was a heart breaking sight.
Cynthia made her next stop Jen and Decebel’s room. She needed to see how Jen was doing and make sure there were no problems with their baby. She knocked on the door and heard a low growl. Decebel had apparently decided to stay in his wolf form, probably because it allowed him contact with his mate. She pushed the door open very slowly. “Decebel, it’s Cynthia,” she told him, unnecessarily, since he would recognize her scent. No lights had been turned on in the room, which wasn’t a concern for Cynthia because she could see just fine. However, it did make her feel better when facing an unstable wolf to have any and all shadows revealed by the light. So she flipped the switch and squinted briefly while her eyes adjusted. She saw that Decebel was curled up on the bed next to Jen who had her fists entangled tightly in his fur. Cynthia had decided that the best way to deal with Decebel was to be matter of fact. Leave no room for argument with him.
Cynthia made her way to the closet as she spoke. “She needs dry clothes on and since you aren’t able to do that, I will help you. I also need to check on her and the baby.”
Cynthia moved efficiently, gathering dry clothes for Jen. When she came out of the closet, she stopped short, face to face with a large wolf. He growled at her and stepped around her to the closet. She realized that he was going to phase, presumably, so they could communicate. Cynthia waited until he emerged, dressed. She was not about to approach his mate without him in the room. When Decebel walked around her, fully clothed, she followed him to the bed.
“Be very careful,” he told her, with a suppressed growl.
She slowly undressed Jen and Decebel was thoughtful enough to get towels for Cynthia to dry her off before putting the dry clothes on. Jen groaned with every motion and cringed when Cynthia touched her.
“I’m so sorry, Jen. I’m not trying to hurt you,” Cynthia told her, gently. She raised Jen’s shirt and pressed her ear to her stomach. This was yet another advantage to wolf hearing. She didn’t require any special equipment to hear the heartbeat of the baby. She listened closely as she closed her eyes and tuned everything else out. Then she heard it, the steady, fast little heartbeat. She smiled gently and felt a tear slip down her cheek, for there was no sweeter sound than a healthy heartbeat of a baby safe in the womb.
“The baby is alright?” Decebel asked, stiffly.
“Yes, her heartbeat is strong. I will need to get an ultrasound very soon.”
Cynthia looked up at Decebel and saw that his glowing, amber eyes were on Jen. Cynthia decided then that the only way she would ever take a mate is if he looked at her the way Decebel was looking at his mate. She left quietly, not wanting to disturb them any longer.
Cynthia made her way from room to room until all of the females were in dry clothes. All of the males had phased back into their human form and growled at her freely, though she didn’t take offense. Vasile was actually the worst and that surprised her, because he was never out of control; it was never a good thing for a wolf of his power to be out of control.
“Where is Perizada,” Vasile snarled.
Cynthia tried to keep the fear down so that Vasile did not see her as easy prey. She kept her eyes on the floor and her tone very neutral.
“I don’t know Alpha. She left just after all of the mated pairs retired to their rooms.”
Vasile paced the room restlessly, never getting more than a couple feet away from the bed where Alina lay.
“She picked a fine time to leave,” he snapped.
“Alpha, if I might say, I don’t imagine Peri would ever abandon those in her care. Perhaps she is trying to figure out a way to break the curse on the females,” Cynthia explained.
Vasile didn’t acknowledge that Cynthia had spoken.
“How are the others doing? How is my son?”
“They are coping. It was a very smart idea to keep the other wolves far away.”
Vasile turned back to his mate when she made an especially painful noise. Cynthia winced and wished for the hundredth time that she could do something more to help.
“Thank you Cynthia for your help; I know this isn’t easy for you. Please let me know the minute Peri is back.”
And just like that, she was dismissed.
Q
Peri stood before the council in the great meeting hall. The walls were tall, and white polished stone. The ceilings were so high that it was hard to know if there really was a ceiling at all. The floor beneath her feet gleamed under the soft glow of the Fae lights that floated throughout the room. She felt a strong sense of dèjá vu as she stared at the other members of the council. It didn’t seem that long ago that she had stood before them, petitioning for their help. Once again, just like on that occasion, they were feeding her a load of crap.
“We have told you, Perizada, that we have played our part. We did what the Great Luna asked of us. We called the packs.” Alston’s tone was dry and bored, and it made Peri want to slap him.
“Do you honestly believe that is all she intended for you to do? All hell is about to be loosened upon their world and you think that all you are required to do is use a rock to call on the wolves?” Peri’s voice rose with every word.
“Don’t you think you are being a little dramatic?” Lorelle asked.
Peri’s eyes snapped over to her and they narrowed. “You would know of dramatics wouldn’t you Lorelle?”
“Come now, Peri, let’s not let family feuds cause any more problems. Since you seem to think the sky is falling it would be wise not to add to your predicament.” Alston brushed his long hair back from his face and stood from his seat. “I think this meeting is over. We have told you what we have done, the part we have played. Now Peri, since you have always been the ambassador to the wolves, it’s your job to take it from here.”
Peri’s mouth dropped open at the audacity of the highest member of their council. She was hoping that at any moment the Great Luna would drop a bolt of lightning on his head.
“Okay listen up ass hat,” Peri’s voice boomed throughout the meeting hall. “I realize that you may not believe this, but your crap stinks too, just like the rest of us. You aren’t any better than the next person in line, human or supernatural. Pretty soon, all of the races will need each other’s support—even the Fae.
"I’m telling you now, if you keep this up, all of you are going to end up standing alone covered in ashes, bruised faces, singed air, bloodshot eyes, looking from left to right saying, “what happened, where’d my eyebrows go?” And, you know what my answer is going to be? They went down the toilet bitch, along with the rest of the world. So how about for just a tiny blink in your completely undeserving long lives, you think about someone other than yourselves and step up to help? Can you try that for me?”
The six council members stood with their mouths agape, staring at Peri as if she’d grown a third arm. Finally, Lorelle cleared her throat and schooled her face. “And if we don’t?”
Peri smirked at the one and only sister she had. “Then I will save Mona the trouble of having to fry your butts. I’ll take you out myself.”
Alston snorted. “Be realistic, Peri. You don’t have the power to challenge us. Not unless you possessed all of the Fae stones.”
Peri pulled both hands from the pockets in her robes and held them out, fists clenched and palms upward, to the Fae arrayed before her. She slowly unclenched her fists, revealing the five Fae stones, two in her left hand, and three in her right. The Fae stones, which only appeared in times of greatest need, lay ominously in her outstretched hands.
“How do you like me now bee-otch?” She grinned, wickedly.
“What do you need from us?” Dain finally spoke up.
“Why, Dain, thank you, it’s so nice of you to ask,” Peri’s voice dripped, with false congeniality. “I have this small, teeny, tiny problem. You see the nasty old witch has put a spell on the mates of the wolves, well seven of them to be exact. They are experiencing the very same torments that their mates experienced while trapped in the In-Between.” Peri didn’t bother to tell them that their mates couldn’t touch them. There were just some things that were need-to-know, and these Fae didn’t need to know. “I can’t break the spell by myself and the two healers are also under the spell so I cannot ask for their help. That leaves me with you bundle of joy.”
“We will come with you,” Dain nodded, “we will help these wolves who obviously mean so much to you.”
Peri rolled her eyes. “I’m glad that you all have decided to come to your senses. But, I do hope that you are acting for the right reasons. And, don’t expect someone to bow down at your feet and kiss your toes for saving the day. Saving the world is the most thankless job ever. If you don’t believe me, then go ask the humans who do it daily.” The Fae continued to goggle at her. Peri clapped her hands together and rubbed them as if they were cold and she was trying to get them warm again. “Enough with all of that, let’s get down to business.”
Q
Costin lay next to Sally on his bed. He was as close to her as he could get without touching her and yet it felt like they were worlds apart. Her eyes would flutter open occasionally and the lost look that glazed over them nearly broke him. His Sally was shutting down. She was escaping into herself to get away from what she was going through, even though it wasn’t really happening. She didn’t have a wolf to turn to for strength and help; she only had the deep recesses of her mind to run to. She was trying to get as far away from the bad things as she could, but it also took her far away from Costin. He continued to try to speak to her using their bond, but she had effectively severed it. The only thing that he knew to do at that point was to talk to her, to share with her, his heart, his love, his longings.
“Sally mine, I know you are in there. I know that you are protecting yourself, and I’m glad for that. I miss you. I miss your skin, your hair, the way you smell when I touch you. Did you know that you smell different when I touch you? I don’t know if Jacque or Jen ever explained that to you, but as your mate, you respond differently to me. There’s a desire that isn’t there with anyone else and that causes you to give off a different scent. It’s the most alluring scent in the entire world. But, because I can’t touch you, it’s gone. I miss the way you blush when I flirt with you and how soft your lips are when I kiss you. You know what’s crazy? Not too long ago, I didn’t have any of those things and I was still able to live. Sure, it wasn’t a great existence, but I was alive. Now, that I have you, I can’t live without those things, Sally. Not just because of the Blood Rites, but because I couldn’t go on without you being in this world. So you see, when this is all over, you have to come back to me. Whatever it takes, my sweet love, I will do it. I will take away every nightmare, every soul haunting memory, and replace it with my love. Do you hear me Sally?”
Costin’s voice filled with the unshed tears that he had been fighting and he unconsciously reached out to touch his mate only to withdraw his hand quickly. “You have to be okay,” he whispered. “You have to, because I am not okay without you.” He let his mind drift back to the quiet moments that he had been given with her, his brown eyed girl, so many soft laughs, and sweet smiles. He thought about the night that he had held her in his arms as she slept. It was the first time she had ever slept in a bed with a male, and it was the best night of his life. He had been awake for hours after she fell asleep. He had listened to her heartbeat and the rhythm of her breathing. It had all been music to his ears.
He smiled when he remembered the night he had taught her how to bartend. She was so easy to be around and he knew that he constantly had a ridiculous grin plastered on his face because of her, but he didn’t care. As long as his Sally was happy, healthy, and safe, he didn’t care about anything else. Yet, here she lay next to him, and she was none of those things. How many times could a man fail the woman he loved, before it became too much? He didn’t know the answer to that question, but he did know that if there was anything that he couldn’t handle in this world, it was watching his mate suffer, and not being able to do a damn thing about it.
“I will make it right, Sally mine,” he whispered, into the room, his quiet voice mixing with the sound of her occasional whimpers. “I will make it right, and kill the one who made it wrong.”
Q
Decebel paced the room like a caged animal. His breathing was rapid and he was holding back his wolf by a thin thread. His eyes continually darted back to the woman on their bed and with every glance his heart broke all over again. He knew that the other males were feeling exactly the same, only he had one thing they didn’t, a child. A child made in love with the woman who completed his soul. There was nothing more that he wanted in this world than to hold his baby girl in one arm and his female in the other and he swore by everything he could think of that he would do that very thing.
“Think, Decebel, think,” he muttered to himself, for the thousandth time. His brain was a fog of rage and worry. His heart felt as if hundreds of needles were puncturing it, stabbing over and over with every desperate sound from his mate. Every thought was out of his grasp, every breath was a struggle and he was beginning to wonder if he and Jennifer would ever have a happy ending. They had been through so much since they had met and he just felt it was a matter of time before they didn’t make it out as they had so many times already. He turned abruptly when he heard his name.
“Dec,” Jen whispered. He was at her side in the blink of an eye.
“I’m here baby,” he told her, gently. He looked at her gold locks and longed to sink his fingers deep into the strands, like he had so many times before. He needed to see the spark in her blue eyes and hear the sharp slash of her tongue when she snapped her sarcastic remarks at him. Some might be hurt or annoyed by it, but he knew that was how his Jennifer showed her love. If she ignored you, then that was when you should be hurt. He watched as her lips tensed and her eyes squeezed shut. He knew when her body shuddered that she was in pain, or at least she thought she was. Decebel knew first hand just how powerful the mind was and how it could make the body feel.
“Jennifer,” he murmured as close to her as he dared. “Come back to me baby. Hear my voice. Know that what you feel isn’t real. We are real, and I am real. Remember us, remember our love, and remember my touch and no one else’s. I know it’s hard. I know what you see and feel seems so real, but it isn’t.” Decebel fought to keep the growl out of his voice, but it was so hard because he was beyond frustrated at being so helpless. “This must have been how you felt when I lost my memory,” he told her, “to know that the one person you would do absolutely anything for, is the one person that you can’t do anything for. Sometimes life truly sucks,” he chuckled, “that sounds like something you would say.”
Decebel knelt on the floor beside the bed and laid his head down. He breathed in her scent and tried to keep from losing his control, which was about as likely as Mona becoming a nun.
Q
Jacque was still, too still for Fane’s peace of mind, but he supposed that it was better than the uncontrollable shaking and screaming. He knew that she was experiencing the things he had seen while in the in-between. He didn’t think it was ever possible to be as scared for her as he was when she had been taken by Lucas, but at that moment in time, he had passed scared a few hours back. He thought briefly about going to check on his mother, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave his mate. He knew what Jacquelyn would want him to do, but she wasn’t able to boss him around. He was going to do exactly what he needed to do, and that was be as close to her as the stupid binding words would let him.
As he stared at her, he considered something that he hadn’t really thought of. Since meeting Jacque, he couldn’t really remember a time when he was truly mad at her, but he was now. He was so mad that she would keep his touch from her, that she would take away that comfort for him. Fane knew that his desire to touch Jacque so often might eventually make her uneasy, so he had explained the deep meaning of touch between wolves. It hurt deeply that she knew what touch meant and was still willing to take it away from him. He didn’t want to be angry, but sometimes that was a much easier emotion to process than fear or pain. So, he latched onto that anger, clinging to it like a life raft to keep from drowning in the turbulent sea of his anguish.
“Why would you do this Jacquelyn? I know you were angry at me for not being more open, but can you see now what I was trying to protect you from? Can you see now that I didn’t want you tainted with images of such brutality and hurt?” Fane closed his eyes briefly as he tried to calm himself. He knelt down close to her ear. “This is not acceptable my love. Never again, do you hear me? Never again, will I allow such foolishness. I told you that I would protect you, even if it was from yourself. You need me, you need my touch right now, and because of your rash, emotional decision, I can do nothing but sit here, useless and frustrated. I’m angry with you love.” For some reason he needed her to know that, not because he wanted to hurt her, but because he needed her to understand just how much he loved her and needed her. “Don’t you see? Haven’t I shown you since the day I took you as my bride just how much I need your touch? How many nights have I simply reached for you, for no other reason than to feel your skin on mine? How many times have you found comfort in my arms, skin on skin?” Fane wanted to snarl, wanted to throw something or hit something. He had so many emotions inside him and no way to get them out.
He fell to his knees and threw back his head, letting out a mournful, angry howl. It welled up from the darkest place in his soul and crashed its way through his lungs and out of his throat. He knew his eyes were glowing and his canines had lengthened. His wolf was as angry with their mate as he was and wanted to hunt something and tear it apart. Soon he would feel the blood of a witch, warm in his mouth as he tore her flesh from her bones. She would answer for this crime against his mate. She would answer for all the evil that she had brought on their race and her death would not be quick and certainly wouldn’t be painless.
Q
The howls shook the mansion as one by one the wolves joined in the somber cry. The packs that had been moved to the furthest side of the mansion from Vasile and Alina and the other mated pairs were restless as they heard the utter hopelessness in their brother’s call. They stood outside on the grounds, some phasing to their wolf form, others staying in their human flesh, but all of them answered his call.
Drayden, the Alpha of the Canadian pack, walked over to where Dillon stood, a silent sentry watching over the wolves.
“What would cause a man to sound like that?” He asked Dillon.
Dillon’s eyes didn’t leave the field where the packs roamed as he spoke. “That is the sound of a man who has reached the end of his rope. His sanity is hanging on by a thread and his wolf is ready to tear apart the first piece of fresh meat stupid enough to walk in his path. That is the sound of a male whose mate needs him, and yet he is unable to be what she needs.”
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Drayden asked.
“Pray,” Dillon, said somberly. “Pray that we are victorious, and that the mates of these males are restored, because the wrath of a witch is no match for the wrath of even one male Canis lupus whose mate is beyond any hope.”
Wadim and Skender walked silently through the mansion, both restless because of the state of their Alpha, and both needing to do something.
“Should we go see if he needs anything?” Wadim asked.
Skender would like to say that he knew the answer to that question, but he was truly at a loss. He didn’t know how Vasile would respond to them, even though they were pack and he was Vasile’s fourth. But, like Wadim, he felt like they should do something, anything.
“Where are you two headed off to?”
Skender and Wadim whipped around at the sound of the feminine voice, both in battle stance. They were definitely on edge if they couldn’t even distinguish the voice of one they both knew so well.
“Peri,” Skender nodded as he stood up straight. Wadim followed suit.
Peri walked towards them and, from the shadows behind her, six other forms stepped forward.
“Who have you brought into our territory Perizada?” Skender asked with sudden formality.
“Pipe down Skender,” she told him with a flick of her wrist. “These are the other members of the Fae council. They have come to help me break the curse on the females.”
Wadim’s eyes widened with hope. “Can you really do it?”
Peri looked offended. “Do you poop in the woods?”
Wadim laughed. “On occasion.”
“Then on occasion we can break curses.”
Someone cleared their throat behind her and Peri rolled her eyes.
“Skender, Wadim allow me to introduce you,” she turned and pointed to each Fae as she called their names. “That is Disir, Gwen, Lorelle, Nissa, Dain, and lastly the highest among us, Alston.”
Skender and Wadim didn’t know if they should bow, or what, so the both just gave short, sharp nods.
“Now, if we all feel our egos have been sufficiently stroked, could we please go and fix these females so that we don’t have a bunch of feral males killing everything that dares to breathe in their direction?”
Skender turned to lead Peri towards Vasile’s room. They hadn’t taken two steps when suddenly growling, snarling, and yelling came from the direction where Skender had left the other packs.
Peri rolled her eyes with a huff. “Well, don’t just stand there, let’s go stop them before they all kill each other and leave us in a worse state than we are now, which honestly would be hard to do considering I thought hell was as bad as it got.”
They started running towards the far south door that would open into the field. Skender crashed through the door first and stopped so quickly that the others crashed into him. They all stood staring at the chaos in front of them, frozen at the site.
“What the hell,” someone yelled from their right. Skender turned to see Dillon in his human form holding off another wolf that had phased. “Don’t just stand there, do something,” he yelled.
Skender and Wadim ran into the fray, separating fighting wolves, throwing bodies far from each other. Skender was able to make some submit, others he had to fight in order to get them to back off. With every fight he broke up, another ensued. The wolves were out of control Fane’s howl had stirred the darkness in them and the combined presence of so much dominance was only stoking the fire.
Victor ran full speed towards his second, Andrei, who was in hand to hand combat with Tyler, the Springfield Alpha from America. Victor knew his second couldn’t win against the Alpha if he decided to do more than make him submit. He crashed into the pair and grabbed Andrei by the back of the neck. His second turned on him with a deep snarl.
“Peace Andrei,” Victor growled and pulled on his Alpha power. Andrei fought the command for several seconds before he finally submitted. Victor turned back to Tyler who was still in a battle stance.
“We don’t need to do this, we are all on the same side,” Victor told him.
Tyler’s eyes were wild and Victor could see just how young this wolf was, especially for an Alpha.
“I am not giving you a command, I am simply asking you to tell your wolf to step aside. You are not in any danger here.”
Tyler stood up fully and his shoulders relaxed. He looked around at the battle going on around them and with a smirk looked back at Victor. “You were saying?”
Victor chuckled. “Well, you aren’t supposed to be in any danger, at least not from our race. Let’s get as many of them under control as we can before they do any permanent damage.”
Q
Vasile felt wave after wave of power flowing through the air. He knew that power; it was Alpha power, lots of Alphas. He stood from where he had been kneeling by his mate’s side. He paced, as his wolf grew even more restless. If there was that much power being released it meant one thing, the packs were fighting. He couldn’t have that, not now, not here. His mate was helpless and the last thing he needed was a bunch of feral wolves running around like crazed idiots. He grabbed the cell phone from his bedside table and dialed Cynthia’s number.
“Alpha,” she answered on the first ring.
“Please come to my room.” He hung up without ceremony.
Less than three minutes later, Cynthia knocked at the door. Vasile swung it open, trying not to rip it off its hinges.
“Please watch her. Keep her safe. If anything happens to her I will kill you.”
“Yes Alpha,” Cynthia told him as she bared her neck to him. He stormed out of the room and the walls shook when he slammed the door shut behind him.
Cynthia stared at the closed door and knew that the wolves that had begun to fight, were in over their heads. They had never felt the full force of Vasile’s power. She smiled to herself as she thought about how much she wished she could be out there when he had them all on their knees.
With every step Vasile took, his anger grew. He continued to feel the power that shouldn’t be present and his wolf raged at those who would dare come into his territory and act in such a manner. He was their host, and it was his hospitality they were trampling on by acting like animals.
He reached the door and pushed it open stepping out into the mess. He felt his wolf pushing, wanting, and needing to join the fight, to make someone’s blood flow. Vasile reined him in. He needed order, not more anarchy. He pulled power from his pack and watched as all of his wolves engaged in the fight dropped to their knees. He pushed that power out as he roared. “THIS ENDS NOW!” Vasile’s eyes glowed and he felt the claws on his hands grow, his skin tingled with the need to phase, but he held it together. He continued to force his will on all those who dared to disobey. He forced those who had phased into their wolves to regain their human form. His eyes traveled over the large group, meeting eyes as, one by one, they fell. In less than a minute, men kneeled where wolves had just raged. The sudden silence fell over the field like a blanket smothering fire.
“Who do you think you are to come into my home and spit in my face with such a display?” Vasile words were controlled, and those who knew him knew that that was a bad sign.
“Angus, Artur, Victor, Dragomir, Jeff” he called out the Alpha’s names with an authority they could not ignore. “Ciro, Gustavo, Drayden, Tyler, and Dillon stand.”
Each Alpha stood and walked forward, weaving around the other kneeling wolves.
“The rest of you are to go to the rooms that you have been given. I will let your Alphas decide your punishment. Be glad that it is not me meting it out. My wolves, your behavior is inexcusable. You will be dealt with. You have pulled me away from the side of my mate, which frankly pisses me off.”
There was a snort of laughter towards the back of the kneeling group. As he recognized the sound of one of his wolves, Ciro, the Alpha of the Italy pack, tensed.
“Is there something funny?” Vasile asked as he stepped around the Alphas who stood in front of him.
“No disrespect Alpha, but your more concerned with staying in the bed your mate warms for you, instead of taking care of your pack?” A chorus of coughs, growls, and snarls flowed over the group and before the sound could die down Vasile had moved more quickly than the wolves could track. He had the offending wolf by the throat on his back. His face was less than an inch from the wolf’s and Vasile fought harder than he ever had for his control.
“What is your name?” Vasile asked.
“Rico,” the wolf gasped from the hold Vasile had on his neck.
“Rico,” Vasile repeated slowly, “you forget your place. It will be my pleasure to remind you.” Vasile jumped back and ripped his shirt off. “Get up!” He spat.
“Vasile, please do not do this,” Ciro asked, cautiously.
Vasile’s eyes narrowed as he turned to look at the Alpha. “My allotment for mercy has been exceeded today. I am sorry, Ciro. But, I will not let an offense such as this go. I will not kill him.”
“That is all I ask,” Ciro nodded resolutely, accepting that he would not change Vasile’s mind.
Vasile looked back at Rico who had finally gotten to his feet.
“I don’t want to fight you,” he told Vasile.
“I didn’t ask what you wanted and you are not high enough in any pack to tell me what you want. You will learn your place. We are facing an evil like the world has never known. I cannot afford to have disobedient wolves under my command, nor can your Alphas. You made your choice when you spoke disrespectfully of me and my mate.”
Vasile lunged and phased in midair. Rico jumped back just in time to keep from being tackled by the huge black wolf. Rico phased and bared his teeth at the Alpha. Vasile was much larger than the other wolf, though Rico didn’t seem the least intimidated. That was his first mistake.
Vasile circled the smaller wolf. His lips pulled back from his teeth and his body shook with the effort to hold himself back. He was waiting; he knew that the younger wolf would grow impatient and make a hasty decision. He didn’t have to wait long. Rico threw his body into Vasile, his shoulder caught Vasile in the throat temporarily cutting off the Alpha’s air. Vasile laughed to himself. If this pup thought that air is what kept him alive, then he knew not of what it was to be mated. The only thing that gave him life was the woman lying beyond his reach in their bed. Next to her, air was optional. He spun around out of the shoulder that had been pressed into him and grabbed Rico’s back leg. He crushed his jaws together and heard the snap in the bone. A collective groan vibrated in the background, but Vasile shut it out. He quickly let go of the leg and jumped back. He circled again, then lunged forward, quickly biting hard into the young pup’s flank. He tasted blood in his mouth and his wolf wanted to howl for the victory of first blood. Over and over, Vasile lunged, bit, and jumped back. Rico never got close to Vasile after that first lunge. Once Vasile saw that there wasn’t an inch of Rico’s fur that wasn’t coated in blood, he lunged a final time and grabbed the other wolfs throat. He pulled his head back and Rico’s body went up and over Vasile’s head as he slammed him on the ground. A loud grunt rushed out of the wolf’s lungs. Vasile tightened his hold on the pup’s throat and growled. He waited. Finally the wolf closed his eyes and stretched his head back fully exposing his neck. Vasile released Rico and snarled a final time. He stepped off of him and phased back into his human form. He stood, oblivious to his nakedness, and howled. The wolves all joined in and when he stopped, so did they.
“I will have order. Anyone who feels the need to exert their dominance please let me know, and I will remind you why that is not a good idea. This had better not happen again.” He walked back over to the Alphas, effectively dismissing the other wolves.
“I’m not going to ask how you let this happen because I understand that controlling dominant wolves in this setting is difficult at best. What I am going to ask is what are you going to do to prevent it from happening again? We can’t afford to be at odds with each other. If Desdemona figures out a way to divide us, she will exploit it. Don’t give her that ammunition; she has enough without our help.”
“Alpha,” Vasile heard from behind him. He turned to see Peri standing there with the other members of the Fae council.
“Have you been standing there the whole time?” He asked her.
She nodded nonchalantly.
“And, you didn’t think to help?” A low growl slipped through with his words.
Peri stepped forward, not the least bit intimidated. Or at least if she was she didn’t let it show.
“Excuse me, but I was trying to focus so that I could save your mate, as well as the others, from the spell that has been put on them. So no, I didn’t consider helping. Not to mention, it’s quite a show watching healthy young men phase back and forth. You know, there’s that whole naked thing going on.” Peri, looked at him pointedly.
Vasile rolled his eyes. “So glad to know that you were so concerned that you felt the need to watch the fight instead of trying to stop it.”
“I pick my battles, Vasile. And, far be it from me to stop fine men from getting naked. If it ever comes to that, just shoot me.”
“I may just shoot you now and get it over with,” Vasile grumbled. “You say you can take the spell off of Alina?”
“I believe we can,” she motioned to the other Fae.
“Let’s go,” he turned to go but stopped and looked over his shoulders at the Alphas. “Deal with your crap, or I will.” Then turned and walked away.
Peri looked back at the Alphas and grinned. A few of them were naked from their phase. She raised her eyebrows suggestively. “If any of you need help dealing, by all means, let me know,” she told them with a laugh as she watched a few of them blush. She followed Vasile and left the blushing wolves. She had work to do, but that much needed breather had helped clear her head of all the worry that had been cluttering it up.
“So how do we break the spell?” Vasile called back.
“Not a clue,” she volleyed.