“When I close my eyes I see your face, only your face. Fire rains around us, lightning strikes, and the blood of those we love threatens to be spilled at every turn and yet all I can see is you. You are the touch I crave, the scent I want to drown in, and the air that gives me life. There is nothing that can captivate me as you do. No matter the beauty, the violence, or the intrigue, you are the only thing that holds my every thought, my utter devotion, and because of that, you will also hold my life in the palm of your hands.” ~Decebel
Sally felt his anger, but before she could feel anything else, Costin closed the bond between them. She stumbled and reached out for the wall at the sudden absence of his presence. She looked up around the bookstore to see if any of the other women had felt anything similar. She noticed Crina leaning against the counter with her head down. Jacque had stopped in mid-step and was squeezing her eyes closed. So she wasn’t the only one.
“Sally,” Jen’s voice came from behind her, “you okay?”
Sally shook her head. “Costin closed the bond.” She motioned to the other females.
Jen let out a low growl. “I would know things were going on if my freaking mate would keep our bond open even a little. Do you feel like they are in danger? Did you get any glimpse before he closed it?”
Sally shook her head. “No, it was quick and that’s why it hurt so much.”
“Let’s get everyone home. From the looks of it, none of you are going to be in any shape to be doing inventory or helping annoying customers. Lilly?” Jen yelled.
Lilly’s head popped out from around the corner of a book shelf. “Yes,” she looked at Jen with brows raised expectantly.
Jen pointed at Sally and then at Jacque. “Something’s going down with the males. We need to get the chicks back to your house.”
Lilly’s eyes filled with concern as she took in the group of women and noticed that all but Cynthia looked to be in pain. She nodded to Jen, “Okay, I can get the manager to take over.”
Twenty minutes later everyone was once again gathered in Lilly’s living room. Alina was pacing like a caged tiger. Though she continued to reach out to Vasile, she was unable to get through.
“He has never kept me out this long,” she growled as she ran her fingers through her hair for what seemed like the hundredth time.
“I just don’t understand how none of us can get through to them. That just doesn’t seem likely,” Sally pointed out.
“She’s right,” Jen agreed. “There is no way all of our men would just leave us hanging in the dark. One of them should have checked in by now, and not to mention our pesky little neighborhood fairy. Where is she?”
“Peri has been going back and checking in with Vasile,” Alina explained. “Not just for the males’ peace of mind, but ours as well.”
“Okay, so she’s gone to check on the men who have suddenly dropped off the planet and Peri hasn’t returned. I’m going for Houston we have a problem for $200 Alex,” Jen said dryly.
“Elle,” Alina said suddenly. She turned and looked at the fae, her eyes wide with hope. “Can you go check on them?”
“Crap, that’s right.” Jacque smacked her forehead. “Elle, you can flash too.”
Elle nodded but her face was set in a grim frown.
Jen rolled her eyes with a groan. “Okay just from the look on your face I’m betting that Perizada has done something to make sure your happy little fairy butt didn’t go hopping off after her. Am I right?”
Elle nodded again. “Peri is much more powerful than I am. She informed me I was not to leave you all, and like pack magic, there is a magic that can bind my magic to her words. I’m as stuck as you all are.”
Alina sat down in a huff with a string of Romanian flying from her lips. Each of them looked at each other helplessly, hoping that an idea or solution would simply pop into one of their minds. An hour later they still sat staring aimlessly off into the room. The tension was growing by the minute and by the time there was a knock at the door, they all nearly came out of their seats as the sound reverberated through the stillness.
Lilly started towards the door but Alina intercepted her and gave a small shake of her head, making it clear that she wanted to open the door. Alina stepped up to the door and tilted her head up to take in a deep breath of air. She frowned and sniffed again. There was nothing. No smell of any kind. She listened and heard a heartbeat but other than that, there was only the noise of the breeze through the trees. Just as she reached for the door it flew open and Alina stumbled back. A pair of arms held her steady as she righted herself. Elle let her go and then stepped up beside the Alpha and her eyes widened.
“What are you doing here?” Elle asked.
“Is that the kind of reception you give to your own kind?” Lorelle asked as she stepped into the house. She sidestepped Alina and Elle and her eyes widened at the room full of females. A wicked smile spread across her lips and her eyes flashed with humor. “This is simply too good to be true.” Lorelle turned and looked at Alina. “Why on earth would you bring all of these females to one location without the protection of any males?”
“Uh, excuse me but we don’t need protection.” Jen stood up and walked towards the fae. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion. “Who the hell are you and why did you just walk your fairy butt up in my friend’s house?”
“Please tell me you’re just fat, because I can’t imagine why the wolves would let you procreate.” Lorelle was looking at Jen like she was slime on her shoe that she was trying to figure out how to wipe off.
Jen let out a low threatening laugh as she stood up from her spot on the couch. “Oh honey, I’m more than a step up from your gene pool. Considering your sister issues, and probably mommy and daddy issues, any child of yours would be the poster child for the fae’s new psychiatric facility. So throw me a freaking bone and keep your procreation remarks to yourself. Unless of course you would like a facelift, which I would be more than happy to assist you with.” Jen gave her a toothy grin as she took a step towards her.
Lorelle raised her hand as if to strike at Jen but Elle and Alina stepped in front of her, blocking her view to the pregnant she-wolf.
“It might be wise not to poke the pregnant werewolf,” Cynthia snapped at the fae.
“Lorelle what are you doing here?” Elle asked again wanting the answer as much as she was trying to get the fae’s attention off of the wolves. She knew what Lorelle was capable of and if she was here and Peri was not, things could get dangerous very quickly.
“I’m here at the request of my employer, for lack of a better term, to get the merchandise he requires.”
“Give me a freaking break,” Jacque growled. “Are you telling me we’re being kidnapped? Because seriously I’ve been kidnapped one too many times in my life and I’m really tired of it. Can’t we do something else? How about a competition of some sort? That would at least be more interesting.”
“Good call, Jac,” Jen spoke up, “kidnapping is so old school.”
“I have to agree,” Sally said. “If your boss wants to be original as a villain in today’s market, he really needs to be more inventive than the run-of-the-mill kidnapping.”
Lorelle’s eyes widened. “Are they for real?” she asked Elle.
“They’re just getting started,” Elle smirked. “Just wait, it gets worse.”
“Are you working for Reyaz?” Alina gently pushed Elle out of the way and met the fae’s eyes. The set of her jaw made it clear she expected an answer.
“We have an arrangement. And as it pains me to hear that you think my methods lack originality, there is something to be said for the rate of success. So I’m afraid that I have to say, yes, this is me kidnapping you.”
“How exactly are you planning to take all of us?” Cynthia asked.
“Good question doc.” Jen nodded and gave her a thumbs-up. “But a better question would be: in what world could you possibly take on this many wolves and a fae?”
Lorelle smiled and it was a smile that said she knew something they did not, and it was an important something.
“I spoke too soon didn’t I?” Jen asked. “I hate it when I do that.”
“Totally takes the bad assness out of it,” Jacque told her.
“I’m pregnant, Jacque. I’m pretty much out of bad assness at this point.”
Lorelle reached into a pocket in the cloak she wore and pulled out a dark stone. She held it in the palm of her hand and it began to glow red.
“Why do I feel like that rock is more than just her pet rock, Earl?” Jacque muttered as all their eyes locked onto the stone in the fae’s hand.
Elle’s eyes widened at the sight of it. She turned and held her hands out to the room and shouted something but Lorelle was faster. She pushed Elle back causing her to stumble and whatever protection she was attempting to cast over the females crumbled. Alina lunged for Lorelle but slammed into an invisible barrier, one much like the kind she had seen Peri conjure.
The room around them began to shimmer and shift and then suddenly it was gone and there was only darkness.
Jen attempted to reach out to Decebel as the darkness swallowed her and the others.
“DECEBEL!” she screamed at him tugging on the bond that was so fragile and barely there. She needed him, needed his strength and assurance that he would find her. She waited, hoping against hope that he would feel her even though he had shut down their bond. Maybe if she pushed enough, he would feel her. Maybe if she sought him out with everything inside of her, then even he wouldn’t be able to keep her out.
“Please B, hear me!”
“Jennifer?” The sound of his voice in her mind, after so long without it, made her gasp and caused the ache in her chest to intensify. “What’s wrong Jennifer? What’s going on?”
He was angry and his anger spurred hers, pushing away the hurt and sorrow over their breaking bond.
“You would know what was wrong if you hadn’t severed our bond. You would have known that Lorelle showed up at Lilly’s house and calmly informed us that she was kidnapping us. You would have known that we have been worried sick about all of you because we haven’t heard a damn thing from you. That’s what’s going on Decebel. Welcome to the party.”
"You’ve been kidnapped?” he snarled and she felt a shiver run through her. Here she was being taken by a psycho, and she was getting turned on by her mate’s temper. Well she never claimed to be normal, why start now?
“She certainly isn’t inviting us over for a slumber party. So yes B, we’ve been kidnapped.”
“Can you tell me where they’re taking you?”
“Not so much. She’s doing that fae thing where they flash themselves.”
“As soon as you can see your surroundings, I need you to tell me as much as you can about where you are.” He paused and she could barely feel the worry coming off of him in waves. “Are you alright?”
Jen bit her lip. She would not cry. She would not show any weakness, not to him, not anymore. “I’m as good as a pregnant werewolf with a mate bond that’s nearly gone and is being kidnapped can be. As soon as I have some helpful information for you I’ll let you know.” She snapped the barrier down between their minds quickly, hoping that he didn’t sense how much control it was taking her for her to not break down and cry. She hated crying, and yet lately that seemed to be her answer for everything. She wondered briefly if there was such a thing as a tear ductectomy. Probably not, but it was a thought, a crappy one―yes, but a thought nonetheless.
“Sally?” Sally heard Costin’s worried voice and latched onto it desperately. The rich deep tone enveloped her like a warm blanket and she wished more than anything that it was his arms that were enveloping her.
“Sort of have a little problem,” she told him carefully.
“Are you fighting warlocks too?”
“WHAT?” Sally nearly hollered out loud, but caught herself before it left her throat. “Why are you fighting warlocks? Is that why you shut me out?”
“The why isn’t real important at this point and I didn’t shut you out, I thought you shut me out.” He sounded out of breath and for him to sound that way through the bond told her that he was fighting hard. Worry for him threatened to overwhelm her. She took a slow deep breath and kept her eyes closed. The darkness around her was oppressive and beginning to disorient her from knowing which direction was up and which was down. She focused on feeling him through their bond, feeling his warmth and love.
“Sally, can you please tell me what the problem is that you mentioned?”
“We’re sort of going on a trip.” she cringed when she felt the swell of alarm in him.
“What sort of trip?”
“The sort that wasn’t planned and we weren’t exactly willing to go on.”
“You’re being kidnapped?”
“Afraid so.” Sally felt deflated but not scared, at least not yet. “Please don’t worry about us, okay? You focus on fighting the warlocks or whatever it is you’re doing so you don’t get hurt. We can get ourselves out of this mess.”
“Don’t worry? Sally mine, have you been drinking because the only way that you could possibly think that a male would not worry about his kidnapped mate would be if you were so inebriated that you couldn’t walk straight.”
She huffed and tried not to stomp her foot like a toddler. “There is no sense in worrying just yet. Please, just try and stay calm okay? I’m sure once Decebel finds out what’s going on he will freak out enough for all of you.”
“Are you hurt? Don’t lie to me,” he growled.
“No, well, not because of being kidnapped. Being separated from you has been painful, but other than that I’m fine.”
“We will find you, Sally.”
“I know you will,” her words came out as a whisper and though she wanted to sound strong and confident for him, she was tired, and she didn’t feel all that strong.
“You’re very strong love, I have faith in you.”
“I love you, Costin. Please be careful.”
“I love you more.” She felt his lips on hers briefly and then she closed the bond so that he could focus on fighting the warlocks. Her chest tightened at the thought and she kicked herself for not pressing him harder about what was going on, not that he would have told her.
Jacque felt the bond between she and Fane open suddenly and relief flooded her like a dam being opened.
“Fane!” she said his name desperately, as if the mere sound of it would save her.
“I’m here Luna,” his voice came through deep and strong into her mind and she wanted to climb into his lap and press her nose to his neck so she could breathe in his familiar scent.
“Reyaz is working with Lorelle and she came to my mom’s house.”
“Are you alright?” She could feel his fear for her and his desperate need for her to be safe.
“I’m fine. She’s flashing us somewhere. Are you alright?” She felt his reluctance to answer. “Spit it out wolf-man.”
“Cypher has attacked, or attempted to attack, the trolls. So we are sort-of fighting the warlocks.”
“Sortof fighting? What the crap does that mean sort-of fighting? How do you sort-of fight, Fane? What are you slapping at each other like girls?” Jacque felt as if she couldn’t breathe as the implications of Fane’s words hit her. Cypher was attacking the trolls. Why would he do that? Was he alright? Crap, what was she going to tell her mom?
“It’s sort of a long story.”
“Well gee, I’m being kidnapped so I sort of have all the freaking time in the world,” she snapped, not really meaning to be harsh but the worry for him was making her impatient to know how bad things really were.
“I’ll explain it to you, Jacquelyn, but not right this minute. I’m literally in battle as we speak,” he told her and she realized that she could feel how tired he was.
“Bloody hell man, then stop talking to me and focus,” she nearly yelled at him. “I love you.”
“As soon as you know something about your whereabouts, Jacquelyn, I had better know it as well,” he warned her.
“Well snap, I was planning on keeping it all to myself because I love being kidnapped by crazy, psycho fae and warlocks.”
“Jacquelyn,” Fane warned.
She started to answer him but suddenly he was gone.
“Fane.” She reached for him like she had a hundred times, but there was nothing.
“I’ve delivered what you asked,” Lorelle said as she walked into the cave where Reyaz had built his home. Though he lived in a cave, it looked like anything but. He had afforded himself every creature comfort; he even had a fire place. It was protected by powerful magic, dark magic that caused chills to crawl up her spine and a whisper in her ear that told her to run as fast and as far as she could. “They are in the dark forest of my realm, just as you instructed. The magic there is too strong for their bonds to work between mates so they will not be able to contact them.”
“What about the fae girl?” Reyaz asked.
“Elle cannot flash; I made sure of it. Although I think my sister might have already bound her powers.”
Reyaz stood from the chair he had occupied. He walked slowly around the room as he held his hands steepled together. His mind wandered to the mates of the females Lorelle had captured for him. He nearly laughed at the thought of their reactions once they realized their females had been taken while they fought the warlocks. But he relished even more the thought of his brother’s pain when he realized that his mate had been taken because he had sent her away, unprotected. He would have to live with the knowledge that his woman had been taken because of his foolishness.
“That will be all,” he told Lorelle absentmindedly.
“Our deal changed when I agreed to this, warlock. I expect you to uphold your end.”
He looked up at her and his lip curled. “You will get what is coming to you. But you will be patient because things that get rushed get ruined.”
“As long as you follow through.”
Reyaz watched as the fae flashed, leaving an empty spot where she had been standing. He stared at the vacant space for several minutes as he considered what his next move should be. So much of his plan had been changed and now he found himself in the possession of not just one mate, but seven, plus an unmated female. One of those mated females just happened to be the mate of the most powerful Alpha in history. For a moment he thought that it was either the stupidest thing he had ever done or the bravest. He figured the answer to that would come if he found himself at the other end of the Alpha’s jaws.