Nu încap douã sãbii într-o teacã.
When two ride on one horse, one must sit behind.
“I think Serghei has lost his mind,” Alina told her parents as she sat in their small living room holding a cup of tea her mother had made. “He was going on about showing me that Vasile was a liar, and he tried to take me with him—by force.”
“Serghei has let his feelings for you remove his good sense. He is too young to be a male who has struggled over the years wrestling with the darkness and is getting desperate for a mate, but that is exactly how he is acting.” Her father’s brow furrowed as he considered the young male’s action.
“What about Vasile’s parents?” Alina asked. “Does it really matter if they indeed did lie to the pack about being true mates?”
Her mother let out a long breath and leaned back in the chair she occupied. “It should not. Unfortunately, the sins of the parents often haunt the child or children left behind. There will be some who will want to see Vasile endure the punishment for their deceit because Stefan and Daciana cannot.”
“That is preposterous,” Alina huffed.
“While we agree with you, more than likely the majority will not feel as we do,” Petre explained.
“What will happen to Vasile?” Alina did not try to hide the worry and fear that boiled up inside of her. He was hers, and she was stuck there unable to help―unable to ensure that he was well.
“He could be challenged by other males for position of Alpha, or he could be usurped by the Beta who brought all of this out to light. If the majority agrees with the Beta, Vasile would have to step down.”
“He would never do that,” Alina shook her head adamantly.
“No, I have a feeling the only way Vasile would willingly step down is if there are lives in danger. He will not sacrifice others for his place.”
When night fell and Alina’s parents had retired to their room, she still sat where they had spent most of the day pondering what was happening in their pack. A single candle burned casting soft shadows that hopped around the room onto the walls. She watched the dancing images without really seeing them. Her mind was focused solely on her mate. Her mind was as open as she could possibly make it, hoping that he would reach out to her. And as if he had heard her, suddenly, he was there.
“Mina.” His voice was rough with emotion and she could tell how hard he was fighting to keep them under control.
“Are you alright?” she asked him, but what she wanted to say was how much she missed him, how sorry she was, and that she had not understood what she had been asking.
“I am so much better now that I hear your voice and feel you in my mind.”
She waited because she knew he wanted to say more, and she did not want to interrupt him.
“I do not know if you can ever forgive me for how I have behaved. I let my pride blind me and instead of thinking about how you felt and what you needed, I only thought of myself. I am so very sorry, beloved.”
Alina’s heart was beating so hard she could hear it. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she let the love he was pushing through their bond wrap around her and reassure her that he wanted her, that he missed her, and when she looked deeper into his mind, she could see how broken he truly was over his actions. Maybe she should have be angry after the months of silence, but she did not want to waste another second being upset over something that could not be changed. It would not be the last mistake she or he made in their relationship; she did not see the point of dwelling on it.
“I forgive you, Vasile. I will always forgive you because my love for you is unconditional.” Relief flooded through the bond. He had been afraid that he had gone too far, that he had lost her. “You cannot lose me. I belong with you and because of that I cannot belong anywhere else.”
“I do not deserve you, Mina, but I praise the Great Luna that she gave me you.” She felt his fingertips on her face, and her eyes fluttered closed under the assault on her senses. If only he was there, really touching her she would finally feel whole.
“It is going to be awhile before that can happen,” he told her, obviously picking up on her thoughts.
Her eyes snapped open; his touch was forgotten as she remembered the fear and worry from the day. “Why? What is going on? Are you alright?
“I am fine, love. It is you that I am worried about.”
For the next half hour he told her all that had happened. How Emilian had brought his parents bodies to the courtyard, bared his mother’s marks for all to see, and used what Stefan and Daciana had done as a means to get the pack to question Vasile’s honesty and ability to lead.
“I would not step down; I would not leave if there were not lives at stake.” He sounded as though he was trying convince himself as well as her.
“Where are you going to go?”
“For the moment I am going to give Emilian’s hunters a chase they will not soon forget. He has declared that I cannot live; I am too much of a threat to him. And since dying is not on my agenda at this time, I have to make sure that he does not succeed. Then I will have to work in secret to find those in the pack who still support me as Alpha. With numbers behind me, my chances of victory increase.”
“You could not defeat him in a challenge?” Alina asked.
“I could defeat him; of that I have no doubt. But I am not foolish enough to believe that he would fight fair. The vulnerable in the pack still need protection. Just like he did at the castle, he will attempt to control me through others.”
She understood his reasons, but that did not make it any easier to accept that he would not only have to leave but that he would running for his life as well.
“Not running, Mina, simply avoiding,” he teased. How she had missed his teasing. But in the next instant, his lightheartedness was gone, and she felt something much heavier coming through the bond.
“We must be very careful now. Until you bear my marks, those who support Emilian will not believe you are my true mate. And if I claim you now, you will be in great peril. I cannot let them believe that you are any more to me than another female in the pack. Because of that I have to stay away from you. Please do not be upset. My wolf is howling with rage at the idea of leaving you behind, but I honestly think it is the best way to protect you right now.”
“You will keep the bond open?” She hoped that he didn’t hear the fear in her voice as she thought about losing contact with him again.
“Never again will I close the bond, Luna. All that I am is yours. I am going to need your strength, and I am going to need to know that you are safe. I do not know how long this will take, but please know I am coming back. I will always come for you.”
“I believe you. Please be careful. I know you are Alpha, and your drive to protect those under your care is paramount, but please consider how I will feel if you make reckless choices and are taken from me forever. I love you. I am not ready to lose you again.”
She felt his lips on her forehead, and then she felt his words sear themselves into her heart. “There is no other before you, Luna of Mine. You will always come first. When I consider my words, my deeds, my emotions, or my health, you are always at the forefront of my mind. I want a life with you, Alina. I want to complete the Blood Rites. I want to share with you all the joys and pleasures that come with being bonded true mates. I want to see you glowing with the radiance of being with child, my child, and then I want to watch our child grow up with you by my side. You have nothing to fear because I will not let anyone or anything stand between me and the life I want with you. I adore you, Mina. I treasure the gift that you are, and I love you with every fiber of my being.”
“Thank you,” was all she could manage to reply because of the emotions overwhelming her.
“Get some rest, love. I will be right here on the other side of our bond, and I will never fail to answer your call.”
Alina lay down, feeling a measure of peace that she had not felt in months. There was still fear, but it was for a different reason. She feared for her pack and what the future would hold with someone other than Vasile as Alpha. She feared for Vasile, that Emilian would succeed in taking her mate’s life. She knew that she was going to have to take all of her fear and stuff it away deep inside of her. If she was indeed going to be the female Alpha of their pack one day, then she would have to learn to endure difficult things with grace and dignity and confidence. She might be only sixteen, but she was not helpless. She could fight; she was fast especially in her wolf form, and when it came to protecting those she loved, she was quickly finding that she could be as ruthless as she needed to be.
Vasile kept his mind open and their bond firmly in place as he felt his mate drift off to sleep. His wolf was practically clawing to get out, to run to her, and to wrap himself around her and never let her go. He had not realized just how much the wolf, as well as the man, had missed her. But the man knew that going to her would only endanger her. For now he would have to stay away.
He, Ion, Nicu, and Alin were in their wolf forms running, putting as much distance between themselves and the Romanian pack territory as they could. After the confrontation in the courtyard, they had all gathered the bare minimum of their belongings. They carried one pack a piece clutched in their powerful jaws with a single set of clothing to adorn themselves once they returned to their human forms.
Before they had left, Vasile had pulled Louise aside and asked him to ensure that his parents bodies were returned to their resting place. He would have rather stayed and handled this task himself, but with the lives of the females in the hands of Emilian, he would have to let go of the emotional attachment he had to what was left of his parents. Their bodies had merely been a vessel for their souls. Without that, they were just empty husks. Thinking of them in that way was the only way he had been able to walk away from them.
Vasile had decided that the best way to thwart Emilian’s wolves would be to go somewhere that they would not be allowed entrance even if they could find it. It would take several days to get to the furthest veil to Farie that he knew of and that was if they did not stop to sleep, which they did not. They hunted when they were hungry, stopped to drink from any water they came upon, and then kept on running. He knew that he was probably pushing the others too hard with the speed at which he demanded they go, but his wolf was relentless with the need to get the three males who had committed themselves to him to safety.
Night had fallen on the third day of their journey when they finally made it to the veil, nestled into the mountain directly behind a waterfall that poured off of the side of the cliff. The veil could only be located by those who knew it was there. Untrained eyes would look right over, even gazing directly at it. Vasile phased and dressed quickly. He waited as the others followed suit and once they were dressed he walked towards the waterfall. Vasile stood on the bank of the small river into which the waterfall crashed. He narrowed his eyes and looked closely until he saw the slight shift in the air that told him the veil was indeed present.
“Perizada, high fae, council member, ambassador, and protector of the gypsy healers, I seek an audience with you,” Vasile called out his deep voice bouncing off of the large tree trunks surrounding them. He was surprised when they did not have to wait long for a response.
The fae he had called stepped through the veil into their realm, and though it had been a long time since he had seen her, she looked exactly the same. She was beautiful, graceful, and captivating in the way that only fae could be. And yet for him, she did not hold a candle to his mate.
“I have been expecting you, Vasile, Alpha to the Eastern Romania pack, mate to Alina Sala, and from what I understand as dominant and dumb as ever.”
Vasile’s lips twitched with the urge to smile. He had always liked this fae, even though she tended to be abrasive and at times quite obnoxious. “As fascinating as I am sure the tale behind that declaration is, I would be much obliged if you would permit us entry into your realm before we talk. It is a matter of life and death, in particular my death.”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest and cleared her throat. “Very well, because I am quite intrigued over the many happenings that seem to be plaguing your territory, I will allow you to cross the veil. From there I make no promises, only that I will listen to your story.”
Vasile nodded. “Fair enough.” He followed her as she turned and walked back towards the veil. Though she walked on the water completely dry, Vasile and his wolves were soaked from the thighs down as they waded through to the waterfall. Yet, they stepped into the waterfall and emerged on the other side in a wooded field, completely dry.
“Now, though I could flash us to my home, I would much rather walk. So begin at the beginning, which I would assume has something to do with the death of your parents. That I will admit distresses me greatly as I had nothing but the utmost respect for them. Now begin, and keep it interesting; I am old and very little is interesting to me anymore.”
“I thought you were going to give him a full day before you pursued him,” Ivan said.
Emilian stared out the window of the office that had once been Vasile’s. He looked out over the courtyard where only hours ago he had changed the course of his future. He was Beta no longer. He would never be second again. Today he had become Alpha and he had dethroned the last in the line of the Lupei dynasty. Now he just had to remove Vasile from the picture all together.
“I lied,” he answered simply.
“What are you going to do with him once you catch him?” Marion asked.
Turning from the window he looked at the two males who would be his Beta and his third. “I am going to do what any smart dominant does and eliminate the threat. As long as Vasile is alive, he could attempt to regain control of the pack. I will not allow that mongrel to take what is now mine.” He let out a breath, calming the anger that suddenly welled up at the thought of Vasile. “Now, I need you two to go spread the word about a pack meeting at noon tomorrow. Everyone is to attend. I want everyone to know who I am and that I am their new Alpha. Based on reactions to the announcement, I should be able to see who is still loyal to Vasile. It will be those members that we will need to keep a close eye on.”
The two wolves left to do his bidding and he was finally alone. It had been almost too easy, he thought. He finally had what he wanted and yet he could not shake the feeling that it should have been more difficult to take Vasile’s pack away from him. Vasile was an extremely dominant wolf and dominant wolves did not let go of those they considered theirs. So why had he given up so easily? Sure Emilian had threatened the lives of the unmated females, but what is a few lives compared to ruling an entire pack?
“What are you up to, Vasile?” he muttered under his breath into the empty room. Whatever it was, Emilian would be ready.
From the number of people gathered in the courtyard the next day, Emilian estimated that nearly the entire Eastern Romania pack was indeed present. He stepped forward on the steps to the front of the castle and looked out over the crowd. As more and more people began to notice him, the murmuring of voices began to grow less and less until at last it was completely silent. The air was filled with anticipation as they waited for him to speak. For a moment Emilian simply enjoyed it. He soaked up the energy that having power over others seemed to give him.
“Today is your first pack meeting under the reign of a new Alpha.” Immediately there were whispers that rippled across the crowd. “I stand before you as one who was not raised by a pair that lied to their pack for centuries. I stand before you as one who was willing to do what was necessary, no matter how difficult, for the good of the whole. From here forward we will begin to heal from the damage your former Alpha pair caused, and we will rise from the ashes like the phoenix, stronger than before.” The faces stared up at him. Some were in shock, some nodded their head in approval, some narrowed their eyes in mistrust, but all were still on their feet. He had sent out a wave of power but it had not brought them to their knees the way Anghel was capable of doing with his pack. So Emilian did the only thing he could think of to prove that he was powerful enough to lead. He knew it would not last long because as soon as Anghel realized what he was doing, the bond between Beta and Alpha would be severed. He pulled on the power of the Alpha of the Western Romania pack, something that mates could do and usually Betas as well. He felt it filling him up and as quickly as he had grabbed it, he released it over the courtyard filling it with his intent and forcing the entire pack before him to their knees.
Within a matter of seconds, the power was gone and to cover up his inability to hold them there he said, “I will not hold you on your knees before me. That is something I want you to give willingly. But I needed you to know that I am powerful enough to do it if forced.” Emilian had to prove this power in order to discourage other males from challenging him. If he showed any sign of weakness, or inability to control the dominant wolves, then he would be challenged. He was hoping that by showing that much power, then the dominant wolves would not even attempt to approach him. He could handle one or two of them, but he knew that he was not the most dominant wolf in the bunch, and in order to keep those more dominant than him from noticing, he would have to keep their attention averted from him.
“Ivan, my Beta, and Marion, my third, will be assisting in getting the villages the resources they have lacked because of Stefan’s inattention. I know that this is all a shock and that it will take time to adjust. I will be patient and I ask that you be the same.”
He dismissed the group and claimed that he had urgent matters that required his attention, leaving Ivan and Marion to deal with any inconvenient questions.
It was done. He was Alpha and now everyone knew, including his former Alpha who no doubt felt the intent of the power he drew from him. His steps echoed on the stone floors of the castle as he walked towards his office in his castle and towards a future that promised power. And it was power that he would reach out and grab with both hands. His rule was just beginning and as the high continued to grow at the realization of his destiny finally being fulfilled, he knew that he would do anything in order to keep that rule.
“What are we going to do?” Alina asked walking beside her parents as they returned from the pack meeting that had just changed their entire world. For the first time in a very long time someone from outside of their pack had become Alpha.
“Vasile told you that for now he just needed to lay low did he not?” her father asked.
Alina nodded. She had woken up that morning after having heard from Vasile and told her parents everything.
“Then we will do the same. We will continue on with our day-to-day lives. You said Vasile was concerned that Emilian might target you if he thought that you were Vasile’s mate. So in order to make sure that he has no reason to believe such a thing, you need to look as uninterested in the changes as you can. We get up, we work, we go to sleep, and then we do it all over again.”
“For how long?” she asked fearing she already knew the answer.
“For as long as it takes,” Petre answered.
“Vasile?” She reached out to him needing to hear his voice and his response was instant.
“I am here.”
“Emilian gathered the entire pack today to inform them that he was the new Alpha and to make sure they all knew about your parents.”
“How did they respond?” he asked.
“No one spoke out against him or challenged him, but that does not mean everyone agrees with what has happened.” Alina pictured the meeting in her mind so that Vasile could see exactly what had taken place. “My father says we just need to continue on about our lives as though nothing has changed.”
“He is right, beloved; that is the best way not to draw attention to yourselves.”
“That is what he said,” she responded somewhat disgruntledly. She heard his chuckle and felt his amusement at her irritation.
“I know you want to do something, Mina. That is the dominant in you―the need to take action when a wrong had been committed. That is what will make you an amazing Alpha female one day.”
He was right; she did want to do something. Sitting by while her mate was having to fight for his life and her pack was being taken over by a tyrant did not sit well with her or her wolf. But she understood that sometimes inaction was the best course of action. “Are you safe?” she finally asked, not wanting to talk about how she could not help any longer.
“We are safe but I do not want to tell you where I am. It will be better just in case you are ever asked if you know my whereabouts that you are able to tell the truth and tell them no. I love you; please stay safe.”
“I will,” she told him knowing he needed to hear it. “I love you too.” She did not say more because she knew that he could see in her mind everything she wanted to say but could not. She knew that her emotions were flowing freely from her like a raging river straight into him; no words were necessary.
The next morning Alina woke, dressed, and went about her daily chores as if her heart was not breaking at the separation or worry for her mate. She spoke with her neighbors, met with Sisily at their spot next to the river, and sat around the fire in the evening with her parents. Late at night while she lay in her bed she talked to Vasile through their bond. He reassured her that he was safe and she told him about her day. He listened as though what she said was the most fascinating thing he had ever heard, and before he told her goodnight, he asked if any of Emilian’s wolves had come into the village. She did the same thing the next day and the next. So it was with her life from then on. Day in and day out she pasted on a smile when all she really wanted to do was fight. She wanted to fight for her mate and fight for those in their village who would not fight for themselves. Some days the only thing that kept her from doing just that was Vasile reassuring her that their time would come, evil would not win, and he would not give up. And because she was determined to be his equal, to be a mate he was proud to call his own, she would be patient and not give up either. She trusted him to keep his word. He would come back, and when he did, nothing would be able to protect those who had taken what was his from the wrath he would unleash.
“Your world is changing,” Perizada told Vasile as they stood looking out into the forest in the human realm just beyond the veil. It had been several weeks since they had requested her help in hiding from their enemies. He felt like her statement was putting it mildly. His world had been flipped upside down and then flipped again.
“It is,” he agreed. “You know as well as I do, ancient one, that there is only one thing I can do.”
She nodded. “Adapt or die.”
“I cannot stay here much longer. Emilian’s men will not give up until I am dead or I kill them. I do not wish to ask for help because I do not want to drag anyone else into a battle that could turn very deadly for any involved.”
“You know that I would offer you more assistance if I could, but the council is adamant that we stay out of the human realm. They are tired of the fighting.” Peri’s lips tightened as she spoke. “I do not agree with their decision, but for now I must abide by it. I have a feeling that there may one day come a time when I have to challenge them. But for now you will have to handle this one on your own.”
“I will be victorious, Perizada of the fae. I have to be, because the alternative is too terrible to even imagine.” He felt the heavy weight of the task ahead of him settle squarely on his shoulders. The time of peace was over. The effects of his father’s madness was worse than he could have ever imagined, and yet having found his true mate, he understood why his father had done what he did. After losing his true mate so very young, all Stefan could see was a future full of darkness and loneliness. Vasile had never truly understood how frightening that was until he had laid eyes on Alina. The light she brought to his life was something he had never experienced. He knew if he lost her, he never would see that light again.
Yes, he would be victorious. He would take back his pack and help them heal. He would claim his mate and bond her to him. He would secure a future full of hope for all of them. He had to believe that the Great Luna had not created him to be Alpha only to have him fail before he ever truly began. He had to have hope because the absence of hope meant his enemy had already won.
“I want you to remember something, Alpha,” Peri interrupted his thoughts. “On the darkest of nights, when you cannot see the stars or even the moon, when you do not feel your Creator, when your enemies are closing in and their victory appears imminent, and you are sure that all those you love are lost to you, remember that true defeat only comes when those who are able to act, stand idly by while those in need are cast down by evil. Do not forget that. If you do, I will come and kick you in the head until you remember it.”
Vasile let out a huff of laughter. “I had forgotten how eloquent you were with words.”
“I strive for truthfulness; eloquence is for liars and thieves. Both of which I have no tolerance for; remember that as well.”
“Anything else you would like me to remember, oh great high fae?”
She tilted her head slightly as she looked at him, mild amusement glinted in her pale green eyes. “As a matter-of-fact there is, if you do fail and all those who do not need killing end up dying because of your failure, know that I will drag you back from the grave so that I can torture you myself. Because I will probably be the one who will have to clean up the chaos and mess that will result in your defeat. Moral of the story, Alpha—do not die.”