“When you are young, life seems so big and full of possibilities. Those possibilities seem endless and limitless and you are fearless. As I look into the faces of my mate, my son, and my pack, I see possibilities, all of them endless and limitless, but for the first time in my life, I am fearful of those possibilities.” ~ Vasile.
“Costin, please come here,” Sally asked him for the eighth time. He had been pacing since they had returned to their room, after Peri had told them the Warlock King and the Elf Prince were coming. All of the males were restless, and upon Peri’s departure, had snapped their mates up, despite their protests and hauled them off to their respective rooms. Sally, Jen, and Jacque had been texting each other, updating one another on the status of their mates and Sally tried to keep from laughing when they had all said the exact same thing.
Sally txt: ur men pacing, growling, snarling?
Jen txt: all of the above
Jacque txt: all of the above
Sally txt: Suggestions?
Jen txt: tried get n naked, no go, so I’m out of ideas
Jacque txt: lol, haven’t tried that one, hold on…
Sally txt: Way TMI Jac
Jen txt: U know u want 2 try it
Sally txt: who says I havn’t?
Jen txt: Hells bells! Did he take the bait?
Sally txt: I was being sarcastic Jen. U know better.
Jen txt: good point
Jacque txt: holy crap, he didn’t even blink
Sally/Jen/Jac all txt: we’re so screwed
Jen txt: Unfortunately not n a good way
Sally/Jac txt: ROFLMBO
The texting had gone on for nearly forty five minutes when Costin had finally acknowledged her.
“What are you laughing about?” He asked as he sat down beside her. She could tell he was still keyed up, but he was trying to get it under control for her.
“Nothing,” Sally told him attempting to look innocent, and failing miserably.
Costin held out his hand. “Let me see your phone, Sally mine.”
Sally shook her head.
“Sally,” Costin growled.
“I was texting with Jen and Jacque,” she tried to sound nonchalant.
“Then why can’t I see it?”
Sally tried to think of something that would keep Costin from really being interested in reading the text. “We were talking about Jen giving birth, you know with all the fluids and blood and how her girly bits will look afterward,” Sally cringed at her own words because truthfully it was not something that she would have discussed with anyone let alone her mate.
Costin’s face never changed. He continued to hold his hand out waiting for her to hand over her phone.
“Doesn’t that gross you out even a little?” She asked, perplexed by his non-reaction.
“It’s a baby, what’s gross about that? I won’t be grossed out when you are giving birth to our baby.”
“Uh, yeah, but that will be me, I’m talking about Jen.”
Costin shrugged. “I don’t know. All I can think about is what a miracle it is that she is pregnant and how exciting it is for them.”
Sally slapped the phone in his hand with a groan. She threw her body back on his bead and dropped her arm over her eye. “Of all the men in the world, I would get the one who is not bothered in the slightest by female fluids or girly bits.”
Costin laughed. “One day, I’ll explain it to you.”
“Please don’t,” Sally squeaked.
Costin was quiet and she knew that he was reading the texts. She wanted to crawl into a hole, but nothing could be done about it now.
“You got naked and I missed it?” He asked, as he turned back to look at her.
Sally didn’t respond, but could feel her face getting warmer by the second as the blood rushed up. She felt the bed shift as he lay down beside her. He took her arm and gently removed it from her face so that he could look at her, but she kept eyes were closed. Costin laughed.
“Look at me Sally.”
Sally shook her head again, squeezing her eyes shut even tighter.
Costin leaned forward and she felt his body press against her side. She felt his lips against her ear and the warmth of his breath against her neck as he spoke.
“If I had known that all I had to do to get you naked was pace around the room like a rabid dog I would have done it a long time ago,” he teased.
Sally tried to push him away as she attempted to roll away from him at the same time.
“No, you don’t,” he teased her as he wrapped an arm around her middle and pulled her to him.
Stupid werewolf strength, she thought.
“I’m sorry I ignored you,” he finally told her. “I wasn’t trying to do it purposefully. I’m just trying to figure out the most efficient ways to protect you if the need arises. My wolf is extremely unhappy about males we don’t know coming here where you are and I’m not much better than he is.”
Sally finally opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. She reached up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Costin leaned into her touch and she smiled.
“No one is going to hurt me, or anyone else. You worry needlessly.”
“You can’t know that,” he argued.
“And, you can’t know that something will happen, so why stress over it? Don’t we have enough to stress over?”
Costin stared into her big, brown eyes and wished that he could put her in a bubble away from all danger, but she was a healer, and it was in her blood to be with those who needed her. And, with an imminent battle on the horizon, there were going to be many who would need her. His job as her mate was to make sure she could do what the Great Luna intended her to. He had to trust that she knew what she was doing when he put Sally in his care.
“What are you thinking about?” Sally asked, him as his silence grew.
“How proud and blessed I am to get to be your mate.”
Sally grinned and it was one of those smiles that made his heart dance.
“Funny, that’s exactly how I feel about you,” she turned on her side so she could face him and his hand slipped under her shirt. His fingers trailed softly along her back and he smiled at her as he watched her eyes glaze over.
“Sally.”
“Hmm,” she responded huskily.
“I need to ask you something.” Costin had not planned on doing this now. He had planned on waiting until the time was right, when the atmosphere was romantic and sexy. He had wanted to show her just how much she meant to him and how he wanted to shout from the mountains that she was his. But, sometimes life did not give us the perfect moments that we've longed for and so we had to turn a small part of the messed up moments into cherished ones.
“Stop touching me if you want me to think clearly,” she teased him as her lips turned up in a sultry smile.
“Maybe I don’t want you to think clearly when I ask you this.”
Sally’s eyes snapped open as she heard the worry in his voice.
“What’s wrong Costin? Are you okay, is everything okay?” Sally didn’t like it when she felt the confidence he carried, so casually slip, it made her feel inadequate as a mate when he felt unsure about her.
“Nothing is wrong, beautiful. I just wasn’t planning this, but I feel like it’s the right time.”
“Okay,” Sally said cautiously. She started to sit up but Costin stopped her with his hand on her hip.
“Stay here with me,” he told her, softly. He moved closer to her and raised himself up on one elbow so he could look down at her. She rolled to her back and placed her right hand on his chest, over his heart. She felt his heart beat quicken and frowned when she realized how hard it was beating.
“Costin?” She asked, nervously.
“I love you,” he told her. He released her hip and brushed the wispy hairs from her face. “I never imagined anyone as amazing as you, could ever be mine. But, now that you are, I will never let go. You are mine Sally and I am every bit as much yours. I will forsake all others for you. I will die for you, kill for you, and live for you. You’ve accepted me as your mate, you’ve let me claim you through the Blood Rites, you have my markings, and you bear my bite on your incredibly sexy neck. Now, I would ask that you accept me as your husband and wear my ring.”
Sally’s mouth dropped open when, seemingly from nowhere, Costin produce a small ring. A solitaire diamond, princess cut set in platinum. It was beautiful. She looked more closely and realized that there was an inscription etched into the band. She couldn’t read it though.
“What does it say?”
Costin smiled. “You’re going to make me sweat aren’t you?”
Sally let out an airy laugh, and then blushed when she realized that she hadn’t answered him. “Oh, shi–,” she slapped her hand over her mouth before the word slipped out and stared wide eyed at Costin who was grinning like an idiot, obviously enjoying her embarrassment.
“Sally,” he pulled her hand away, “for goodness sake, love, end my torment.”
“Yes,” she told him.
“Yes, you will end my torment or yes, you will be my wife?”
“Yes,” she answered again.
Costin grinned and then leaned down and kissed her gently. He nipped at her lips when she refused to part them.
“Sally,” he growled.
“Not until you tell me what the inscription says.”
Costin held the ring over her face so she could see it. He smiled roguishly. “You want to know what the inscription on this ring says.”
“I just said that,” she growled and he laughed as it made him think of an angry kitten.
“Calm down brown eyes. I have a proposition for you.”
Sally’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious. You aren’t going to tell me what my engagement ring says without making a deal with me?”
“You’re a sharp one,” he joked and whipped his head away just in time to miss her teeth from biting his chin. “Play nice Sally,” he warned, though his eyes glowed with a different kind of warning. Sally quivered under his hungry gaze.
“I will tell you what the inscription says if you allow me to kiss you.”
Sally thought it sounded too easy, but she brushed aside the apprehensive thoughts and nodded.
“Okay.” She licked her lips in anticipation for what she knew would be a smoldering kiss. Costin’s grin grew impossibly wider.
“Roll over,” he told her.
“What!” Sally tried to scurry away, but Costin caught her ankle.
“Ahh, ah, ah,” he chided, “you made a contract with me love.”
Sally shook her head. “I didn’t sign anything.”
“You agreed verbally, you are bound babe, pack magic.”
Sally balked at him. “You can’t be serious; it was just a playful bargain.”
“Not to me it wasn’t,” his face grew serious and his eyes began to glow. “I want to kiss you.”
“I know that, I was waiting for you to.”
Costin licked his lips and Sally tried hard not to follow the slow motion of his tongue. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she looked up from his lips to his eyes and he winked at her. That damn wink, it was a weapon he wielded shamelessly against her.
“You didn’t clarify the location of the kiss my succulent, shy mate,” Costin’s voice dropped to a growl as he crawled towards her on the bed. Sally had reached the headboard and there was nowhere else for her to go. For that moment in time, she understood what those poor little bunnies must have felt like when the wolves were hunting them.
“Worried I’m going to eat you?” Costin asked her as he picked up on her thoughts. Sally’s face discovered a new shade of red in the rainbow as she watched her mate stalk her. She couldn’t believe that she had missed that loop hole. She never missed loop holes when Jen was bargaining, but then Costin’s hands, lips, and eyes weren’t involved when she was bargaining with Jen.
“Where exactly do you want to put this kiss?” She asked, when she finally found her voice.
“I want to see my markings,” he rumbled.
“Then go take your shirt off and look in the mirror,” she retorted.
His smile made her shiver as goose bumps dotted her skin. “When I say my markings Sally, I mean the ones on your body, the ones that are identical to those on my body.” Sally didn’t know how anyone could make the word body sound so sexy, but Costin had found a way.
“So, please, roll over and allow me to look at them.”
“So, you just want to kiss the marks on my back?”
Costin growled.
Sally blew out a breath, causing her cheeks to puff out. She knew how relentless the males of his race were once they were on the hunt, and Costin was definitely on the hunt. She threw her hands up in the air. “Fine, fine, crap. Back up so I can roll over, your crowding me.” She pushed at him, but Costin didn’t move. When she realized that he wasn’t going to, she wiggled until she had finagled herself onto her stomach. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt him pull at the hem of her shirt.
“Shh, Sally, I will never do anything you aren’t comfortable with and I will always honor your wishes, trust me,” he whispered, against her neck.
“I do,” she told him, breathlessly. She had to bite her lip to keep from moaning when she felt his fingers trace the markings from the nape of her neck down until he couldn’t go any farther because of her jeans.
Costin leaned down next to her ear again and tugged it gently with his teeth. “How far does it go?” He asked her and she could hear the desire in his deep voice.
Sally knew that if she opened her mouth she would say something very stupid and Jen like. The possibilities ranged from why don’t you find out, to good grief, would you touch me already, and her personal favorite, I want to have your babies. Since those really didn’t seem like the wisest choices, she did what seemed to be her trademark response to him and shook her head.
Costin chuckled. “Not going to play nice are we? Okay, two can play at that game.”
Sally tried to prepare herself for whatever ridiculously sexy thing he had planned, but there was nothing on earth that could have prepared her for him. He started at the nape of her neck as he kissed her skin softly. She could feel his warm breath on her back and the firm pressure of his lips made her toes curl. Sally was biting the pillow by the time he reached the small of her back. Her hands clenched so tightly that her nails dug grooves into her palms. He kissed her one last time and she started to breathe easier. He pulled her shirt back down and attempted to roll her back over, but Sally couldn’t move.
“Sally?” Costin’s voice in her mind, sounded every bit as seductive as the stunt he had just pulled.
“Shh,” She tried to silence him.
“Why?”
“I can’t concentrate on breathing if you’re talking to me, so stop talking, and don’t you dare touch me again.”
Costin chuckled at his mate who was currently as rigid as a post. He waited patiently as he watched her body slowly begin to relax. When she rolled over, he saw the indentions in her palms from her nails. He couldn’t help the smugness he felt inside at knowing that he made her desire him with such ferocity.
“Wipe that look off your face, you big fat liar,” Sally frowned at him.
“What?” Costin laughed, and tried to tug her to him.
She slapped his hand away. “You said a kiss, as in a single kiss. What was that?” She pointed to her back wildly, her cheeks still flushed.
“You didn’t like it?” He asked, as he attempted to look hurt.
Sally rolled her eyes. “Throw me a freaking bone. I would have to be in a coma to not have enjoyed that. Mother of pearl, even then I probably would have enjoyed it. I mean seriously, Costin, who wouldn’t ENJOY THAT!” Sally’s voice had risen into screechy octaves by the time she was finished speaking and she was breathing heavily.
“Did I scare you?” Costin asked, suddenly worried that maybe she was responding this way because of what had happened. “I’m not rushing you Sally.”
“Costin,” Sally’s eyes softened, “no baby, you didn’t scare me. I didn’t even think about it, there was only you and your lips.” She smiled at him hoping he would see the sincerity there.
“You will tell me if I ever scare you or hurt you,” he demanded, as only a male dominant could.
Sally rolled her eyes. “Bossy much?”
“Do you want to know what the inscription says now?” Costin asked, calmly.
“Yes,” Sally grumbled, like a sulky child.
Costin tugged her to him by her hand and this time she didn’t resist. He took her left hand and as he slid the ring on, he whispered in her ear.
“It says, Mate, wife, healer, my one, my only, Sally mine.” Costin pulled the hair that had fallen like a curtain in front of Sally’s face, over her shoulder so that he could see her. Her brown eyes shimmered with tears as she stared at the ring on her hand.
“Are those happy tears?” Costin asked, wearily.
Sally nodded.
“You are a woman of few words tonight love.”
“That’s because all too often, you render me speechless,” Sally told him, as she looked up into his eyes. He saw her heart in those eyes, a heart that she had fully given to him.
“I love you, and I can’t wait to be your wife.”
Costin smiled, flashing his dimple at her. “Oh brown eyes, I can’t wait either.”
Sally could see the wheels turning in his, too handsome for his own good, head. She started shaking her head. “Oh, uh uh, no way, that,” she pointed to where, moments ago she had been lying frozen with need and want, “will never happen again.”
Costin laughed so loudly, Sally was sure the entire mansion heard.
“You are one funny gypsy, my love, I’ll give you that.”
“I’m serious Costin, that, that was,” she tripped over her words, as she stared into his hazel eyes.
Costin leaned forward so that his lips were brushing against hers as he spoke. “That was only the beginning love. I hadn’t even gotten to the good part.”
Q
“I’m going, so you can stop your slamming crap and muttering under your breath. Besides, we have company so quit acting like a total butthead.” Jen sat next to Jacque on her bed, while Fane stood in a very Decebel like pose, leaning against the wall. Jen noticed that something in Fane was different, something in him had hardened, and the once gentle soul was gone. He watched Jacque constantly, attuned to the smallest movement, or even the change in her heart beat. Jen should have noticed it in Decebel as well, except Decebel had always been that way. She had never seen Decebel as young and un-jaded. By the time Decebel had found her, he was cold and thoroughly warped.
Decebel stopped in mid-stride and turned slowly to face his mate.
Jacque’s jaw tensed and she shivered internally as she watched her best friend bare the intensity Decebel’s stare. Fane noticed his mate’s reaction and pushed away from the wall to stand next to her.
Jen held Decebel’s stare and though part of her really wanted to crawl in a dark hole to hide from his anger, she knew it wasn’t really her he was angry at.
“How many different ways do I have to tell you no? How many languages would it take to make you understand that you will not be going anywhere near males that I do not know and do not trust?” Decebel’s eyes were glowing, though that was sort of a normal thing for him now, so Jen didn’t take that to mean he was at his breaking point just yet.
“Do I really have to pull out the, but everyone is doing it card? All the other mates will be there, backing their men up. How am I supposed to feel if you leave me here? What kind of Alpha female does that make me look like?”
“A PREGNANT ONE!” Decebel snarled. “There isn’t a male wolf there who wouldn’t be doing the exact thing that I am Jennifer. You are precious to me, our child is a miracle, and I will not put either of you at risk.”
Jen met his eyes as she stood and walked towards him. She didn’t notice Fane and Jacque slip out. Her attention was for her mate only.
“Don’t you get it?” She asked. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe I don’t want to be away from you, that I can’t be away from you?”
Decebel’s eyes widened and she saw that he really had never considered why she was so adamant about going, other than not wanting to miss out, which admittedly was usually a reason Jen wanted to participate. But, this was something else altogether and it made her sick to admit it.
He took a step towards her and cupped her face in his large hands. Her eyes were tearless, but he had been a fool to miss the terror that hid behind her ever present strength. Decebel forgot that it usually took an act of despair to get Jennifer to admit to anything that she would view as a weakness and because of that, he often didn’t treat her with the care she needed.
“I’m not fragile, Decebel,” she told him, having seen his thoughts. “I’m just struggling with everything. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She was frustrated, because she felt so out of control. She felt weak, because when she closed her eyes she saw their faces, felt their hands. Mona’s curse still reverberated through her mind. She knew it was gone, but it still held power over her and that, above everything, angered her. But, if Decebel was with her, if she could see him, touch him, feel his touch, and then she was okay.
“Okay,” he told her, as he pulled her into his arms, “okay baby, you come with me, but you don’t step a foot away from my side.”
Jen nodded against his shirt as she buried her face in his chest. She was slightly disgusted with herself for needing him the way she did, but she was giving herself a pass because she was pregnant, and she was going to play that card anytime she began to feel crazy, weak, or desperate.
“I need you the same way. Are you disgusted with me?” Decebel asked her.
She looked up at him and, as usual, his good looks were nearly painful to look at. His amber eyes glowed possessively at her as his hand stroked up and down her back.
“You’re a dude, you’re supposed to need me,” she reasoned.
Decebel chuckled. “If we’re going to go with that logic then I think you would win in the needs category.”
“Why, because I’m a nympho?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you complaining?”
Decebel leaned down and kissed her gently, enjoying the privileges that came with being a mate and husband. “I would be happy to show you how not complaining I currently am.”
Jen laughed. “I think we’re supposed to be meeting in the gathering room remember? Just a second ago you were all ready to go ape shniz on some dudes.”
“Ape shniz?” Decebel smirked.
“I’m trying to curb the tongue since we’re going to have a rugrat running around repeating everything I say.”
Decebel smiled wickedly at her. “I’m sure I can find a way to keep your tongue busy so there is no chance of slipups.”
“I totally walked into that one,” she laughed.
“Totally,” he agreed, as he pulled her to their bed.
“Dec, really we’re supposed to go, like, now.” Jen struggled, uselessly against his hold.
“I told you when I took you as my mate that you would always come before the pack, before all others. Look at me and tell me you don’t need me.” Decebel watched her closely.
Jen looked down at her feet in a very uncharacteristically submissive act. Decebel tugged again and this time Jen went without a fight.
“I totally did not admit anything,” she told him as he kissed her.
“I know baby. I’m glad to take one for the team until you’re ready to admit that you need me with the same desperation that I need you.”
Jen laughed. “Take one for the team, that’s classic.”
“Jennifer,” Decebel growled as he tugged at her shirt.
“What?”
“Shut up.”
Jen started to speak but snapped her mouth shut when Decebel’s hands did what they did best.
“What do they do best beautiful?”
“I forgot, I think you should remind me.”
Decebel soaked up his mate’s laughter like a plant soaks up the rain after a long drought. For that sound alone, he would be late to any meeting no matter the importance.
Q
“Fane, are you alright?” Jacque watched her mate as they stood in the gathering room. It was slowly filling up with more and more males and Fane’s posture grew more tense with every minute.
“I’m fine Luna.”
His face, his voice, his whole everything, told Jacque he was lying. He was anything but fine.
“Why won’t you talk to me?”
Fane turned and looked at her, glowing blue eyes bore into hers.
“This is not the time for words. Stay near me please.”
Jacque knew that look and that clipped tone. Fane’s wolf had taken over. She took a step closer to him and placed her hand on his back. He subtly leaned into it and that gave her a small amount of peace. He had grown exceedingly distant as the day had worn on and, to her surprise, hadn’t even tried to keep her from coming with him. She had tried several times to engage him in conversation, but each time he had simply grunted at her or given her one word answers. He hadn’t been mean to her, and he had been just as touchy as normal, if not more so, but Jacque and her wolf could feel that something was off in their mate and it was rubbing them the wrong way.
She continued to stand close to him, reassuring him of her presence as the room filled. She caught Sally’s eye when she and Costin walked in. Jen and Decebel were just behind them. Both males looked ready to rip some one’s head off with their bare hands. And, as curious as the other packs were about the females, one glance from Costin or Decebel and they dropped their eyes. Jacque hadn’t noticed until then that not a single person was facing her direction. Fane was obviously giving the males the same challenging look and it was working rather well.
Jacque gave a small wave to Crina and Elle who were standing across from her with Sorin and Adam. She hadn’t gotten to spend much time with them and hoped that they were recovering all right. They had both kept to themselves since they had returned and she figured that it was to have a chance to spend with the mates they had barely had time to get to know. Rachel and Gavril moved in beside the two couples and she saw Gavril give Fane a slight nod.
“How are things?” Jacque asked Jen as the two mated pairs came and stood next to she and Fane.
Jen glanced up at Decebel and then back at Jacque. “I’ve promised to be on my best behavior.”
Jacque smiled. “For once, I actually believe you.”
Sally laughed. “I guess there is a first time for everything.”
Sally’s laughter brought the rumbling room to complete silence. Everyone froze and their heads turned as a collective whole to where the three girls stood. Low growls rumbled in Costin, Decebel, and Fane’s chest, but the fascination with a gypsy healer was too great to be dissuaded by growling mates.
A flash of light and thunderous boom at the front of the room snapped the attention to the front where Peri stood, smiling at her grand entrance.
“Saved by the fairy,” Jen muttered, under her breath.
“Word,” Jacque and Sally whispered back.
Their attention was drawn to the front along with everyone else’s at the sound of Peri’s voice.
“FOR THE PACK!”