Nick, Kale, Ciro, Bannan, and Drayden had been running for two days. Nick was pretty sure they were running in circles. He was also pretty sure the other males knew it, too, but no one wanted to admit it because then they’d have to admit they were lost. Hell would freeze over before a male wolf, with the sense of smell of a bloodhound, would admit to being lost. So instead, they simply ran, hoping that, somehow, they’d find a new trail.

Kale finally came to a halt just as the sun was setting on the second day. He phased and the others did the same. Nick wasn’t bothered by the fact that there were four naked men standing around him. It was the way of their lives. Unless they carried clothes with them, they just had to get used to being in the buff when they phased.

“Any of you ’ave any ideas?” Kale asked, his Irish lilt thick with frustration.

“I feel like the forest is working against us,” Drayden, Nick’s Alpha, said. “It’s like as soon as we begin to attempt to take a new direction, the trees shift to put us back on the same trail. I know”—he held up a hand,—“it sounds crazy.”

“Not entirely,” Ciro, the Italian Alpha, told him. “Magic can have a powerful effect on nature. This forest could very well have been bespelled so that anyone with the specific intent to find something would simply search in vain.”

“Did any of us consider that might happen?” Nick asked, his own frustration coming out in a growl.

“Nick,” Drayden warned.

Nick lowered his eyes. His Alpha was right. Allowing their emotions to cloud their judgment wouldn’t help the wolves get out of the mess in which they’d found themselves.

“You think this is the work of Volcan?” Bannan asked Ciro.

Ciro nodded. “He’s managed to lock the pixie realm. Who’s to say that he can’t bewitch a forest as well?”

“Are we going to be able to find our way back to the veil into Farie?” Drayden asked.

Kale’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know the answer to that. All we can do is try.”

“We’re just going to give up?” Nick asked.

“No,” Ciro told him. “We’re going to regroup and come up with a plan that won’t have us running in circles for days on end.”

Nick knew what they were saying made sense, but it felt as if they were just tossing in the towel. He didn’t want to leave the forest or stop looking for the veil into the pixie realm until he had Kara by his side. But no matter how much he wanted that, it wasn’t possible right now. He had to be smart, rather than act on his emotions.

“Alright, let’s see if we can find our way back to Farie. We’ll figure out what’s next when we get there,” Kale said as they all phased.

Once again on all fours, merged fully with his wolf, Nick stretched his legs as they ran. He appreciated the fact the others seemed to run as hard as they could as well. He was in no mood for easy loping.

The wind moved through his fur like fingers, and it made him wonder what it would feel like to have Kara’s hands stroking his coat. Every day seemed harder. She was beginning to consume his thoughts. He didn’t understand that, since she wasn’t yet of age. Gypsy healers weren’t supposed to feel their mate until they turned eighteen. Why did he feel the bond so strongly with her already? Why was he consumed with thoughts of her?

These were questions that wouldn’t be answered until they were back in Farie. He’d ask Drayden, his Alpha, first. And if he didn’t know, then Nick would have to wait for Perizada to return and ask her. He had to be patient. It wasn’t one of his strong suits, at least not when it came to Kara, but he would try.

Kale was ready to bite someone. Two damn wasted days. They’d accomplished nothing except some impressive exercise. Why hadn’t it occurred to him that Volcan would have other tricks up his sleeve? This was not a one-trick pony they were dealing with. Kale had been foolish to think the dark fae wouldn’t have a backup plan in order to keep them from getting into the pixie realm.

Now they had to get back to Farie and face Lucian, who was bound to be one ticked off wolf. Regardless that some of them were Alphas, they had formed a makeshift pack of sorts when they came to Peri and Lucian’s home, and that made Lucian the Alpha male in the situation. The fact that five wolves had decided to run off on their own was not going to sit well with the Alpha. Kale knew if some of the wolves in his pack had pulled something like that, even as Beta, he’d have them limping for days when he was done with them.

As much as his wolf would want to fight back, Kale would accept whatever punishment Lucian dealt out. He knew Lucian was a good man and a loyal wolf. He would be fair. But that didn’t make the situation any less humiliating.

His paws hit the ground lightly. They were running so fast none of his paws were on the ground for more than a fraction of a second. His wolf was agitated and the exertion was doing him good, though he’d be a lot better if he’d found his mate. He wanted to meet her so badly he could taste it. He wanted to know what she looked like, what she smelled like, and what her voice sounded like. Kale would simply be happy to have her sitting across from him in a room where all he could do was stare at her. That would probably make her nervous. It didn’t really matter how badly he desired that right now, though. The fact of the matter was, she was trapped in the pixie realm, and he was not.

Not forever. His wolf growled at him. He was right. She was not lost to them forever. They were closer to having her than they ever had been. Be a patient hunter. Yes, Kale agreed. The best hunters, the most successful hunters, were the ones willing to wait. The ones who struck too soon, or were paralyzed when they needed to move, were the ones who failed to catch their prey. Kale wouldn’t fail, not when it came to his mate.

Ciro had acted rashly when he’d agreed to go on the hunt for the pixie realm. He was an old wolf. He’d been around for a very long time, and he knew better than to go running off into the forest like an emotional pup on its first hunt. Now, here they were, two days later, lost as a flock of geese. That’s what listening to their emotions had gotten them.

Just want to find her, need to find her. His wolf argued.

You aren’t helping. He growled back at his wolf. Usually, his wolf was the smart hunter, but not this time. This time his beast had been nipping at his heels to do something, anything. He just wanted to be in motion, to feel like he was actively trying to get their mate. But sometimes, motion for its own sake wasn’t the answer. Sometimes, being still was needed. Being still meant being able to focus on whole problem, rather than the single piece that was affecting him. Being still allowed you to separate emotions from facts, so that you didn’t make foolish mistakes and wind up running around in circles for two days. That’s what they needed, to be still and think.

Lucian stood at the veil leading from the human realm to Farie. He’d followed the scent of the wolves that had left Peri’s residence without telling him … or anyone. Sorin and Dillon stood beside him looking as grim as he felt.

“You seem awfully calm,” Dillon, Alpha of the Colorado pack, said. “Aren’t you at all angry that they left without discussing their plans with either of us?”

“Some of them are Alphas,” Lucian remarked.

“That’s not the point and you know it.”

Lucian did know it. He also knew that losing control of his anger or frustration wouldn’t help the situation. There would be consequences for their actions. That was a given, and he had no doubt the wolves knew it. They’d known it when they’d made their decision to leave. They weren’t fools; they understood the pack hierarchy. Whether they liked it or not, Lucian was dominant to all of them. Regardless of their Alpha status, they could not stand up to his wolf. It had to work that way. Wolves could be volatile and territorial beasts, and it was important they all knew their place. It kept the peace.

“Peri would wipe the floor with them, let them heal, and then do it again,” Dillon said.

His words made Lucian smile. “Yes, she would.” His own punishment wouldn’t be quite so violent, but equally as effective. “But I am not so temperamental.”

“Do we even want to know what you’ve planned?” Sorin asked, speaking for the first time since they’d arrived at the veil.

Lucian kept his eyes on the forest, watching for any movement, listening for any sound, and sniffing for any scent that would indicate the wolves were on their way back. It had been two days. Though their intentions had been noble, they were fools for attempting it on their own.

“When their females are finally brought out of the pixie realm, they will be able to see them, hear them, and smell their unique scents. But the men will not be able to get near the ladies and they will not be able to speak to them. The wolves will be within reach of what they long for, but unable to attain it.”

Dillon whistled low. “Damn, that’s harsh. I take it you will have your mate issue that punishment?”

Lucian shook his head. “This is not fae magic. This is pack magic. Just as the females have the ability to keep their mates from touching them, the Alpha of a pack has the ability to keep unmated males at a distance from their future mates. It is rarely used, for obvious reasons. But, occasionally, it is necessary.”

“I’ve never heard of it,” Dillon admitted.

“Nor have I,” Sorin said.

“Hence the rarely being used.”

Half an hour later, though too soft for human ears, the unmistakable sound of paws hitting the ground met Lucian’s ears. He gathered the power he kept suppressed inside of him and began to let it flow outward. Dillon staggered a bit but righted himself quickly. Sorin hit the ground on his knees but was on his feet in the next breath. Lucian could have warned them, but he found he was getting more irritated as the wolves came closer.

The group of wolves slowed their pace as they approached. They trotted cautiously now, though none of them cowered or tucked their tails. They wouldn’t, regardless of the fact that they were less dominant than Lucian. All would, however, avert their gaze, but that was about as much submission as they were going to give. It didn’t bother Lucian. He did not require their full submission to stroke his own ego. Lucian knew his own power and was secure in it.

“Shift,” he said, pushing an Alpha command into the word. All of the males were in their human form in a matter of seconds.

Lucian simply stood there, his eyes moving from face to face, meeting glowing eyes briefly before moving onto the next male. When he’d met each of their gazes in turn, his wolf issued a low growl, asserting his dominance. Apparently, the wolf was not feeling quite as generous as the man.

“What did you hope to accomplish by hunting the pixie realm?” Lucian finally asked.

Ciro, the most dominant of the group, though not by much in regards to Kale, stepped forward. “We wanted to see if, since the magic that had been used to seal the veil out of Farie had been lifted, it was also removed from the pixie realm. With Peri gone, no one has checked.”

“Did you stop to think that Adam and Elle, both fae and able to flash, would know if they could leave the pixie realm?”

All of the wolves were quiet.

“So, in your haste to take action, you didn’t stop and consider all of the players and options?” Lucian growled.

“We just want to get our females to safety,” Nick said.

“I understand that. But what if, in the haste to execute your half-baked plan, Volcan had decided to focus his attention on you?” He motioned to all of them. “What good would you be to your mates if you’re carcasses were littering the ground?”

Silence again.

“I cannot let this careless, not to mention disrespectful, act go without appropriate consequences.”

Each of them bowed their heads.

Lucian walked up to Ciro and laid a hand on his head. “Ciro, Alpha of the Italy pack. You have chosen to disobey my order, and for that, you will endure until I lift this magic. You will see and not touch, you will smell and not taste, you will hear and not answer the one who is to be yours.”

Ciro’s eyes widened, and he bared his teeth at Lucian but could not hold his gaze. “This is how you will punish us?” He snarled.

“You punished yourself when you chose to act alone. All wolves must work together now. There can be no lone wolves or rogue packs. We face a danger that will consume us if we are not united. It is important to all of us that you find your mates, but not just for your sakes. Your mates are gypsy healers. They are vital to every pack member, and it is your responsibility to keep them safe. You are given that charge. You cannot do that if you let yourselves get killed. You must understand that going forward. Your hunt was unauthorized. Your mates were your prey. Therefore, they will be withheld from you until the lesson is learned. Perhaps you will think twice before acting in your own self-interest before considering the needs of your pack. We are pack and we must act as such. Without order, we will resort to chaos. Chaos will make us vulnerable to the enemy.”

One by one, Lucian stepped up to each male and spoke the magic over them that would keep them from claiming, or even interacting,with, their true mates. When it was done, he had five very pissed off wolves glaring at him. He shrugged. They could glare all they wanted, but they would obey.

As they turned to cross back into Farie, Dillon muttered, “Remind me never to get on your bad side. I always thought Peri was the twisted one. Turns out you might just rival her.”

Sorin covered his laugh with a cough.

Lucian chuckled softly. “Or she’s just rubbing off on me.”

Dalton sat on a hill that overlooked the stretch of land between the veil and Peri’s home. He saw the rogue wolves cross through, just behind his Alpha and Lucian. They looked thoroughly chastised, but even more than that, they looked enraged. He wondered what Peri’s mate had done to cause such anger. Whatever it was, it was warranted. They knew better than to disobey an Alpha, or Peri, for that matter.

He turned his head back toward the veil. He’d been staring at it for days. Every second, he hoped that he’d see his Jewel walk through it, but every second passed with disappointment. He had no idea if she was okay. He had no idea where she was or what she was doing. He didn’t even have Gustavo to ask, since his mate, Anna, was with Jewel. He just needed something, anything, to tell him she was unharmed.

Dalton hadn’t slept since the day she’d left. He’d only eaten a few times. He hadn’t bothered to phase back to his human form at all. Dillon had talked to him several times, trying to persuade him to do all three. As Dalton’s Alpha, he could have commanded him, but Dillon respected his right to pine for his mate.

Dalton didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t hunt her because he had no idea where to begin. He had no mental bond to her, so there was nothing that could even point him in the right direction. She’d promised to come back to him, and he was trying desperately to hold onto that promise.

When she’d returned from Volcan, Jewel had been worried the darkness in Dalton would grow because of the spell the dark fae had cast over her. She didn’t understand that being away from her mate would be the thing that actually caused the darkness to increase. It was already pushing at his wolf, urging him to tear into something. He wanted to kill something. Truthfully, he wanted to kill Volcan, but that wasn’t currently an option, and there wasn’t a whole lot to kill in Farie. There was a rabbit here or there, but no large game. What he needed was a massive grizzly bear with which to wrestle. He’d even allow the bear to get a few swipes in before he killed it. The physical pain would be so much more bearable than the emotional pain that was swamping him.

Maybe he could persuade Dillon to let him go into the human realm forest to hunt. Maybe that would help him keep the darkness at bay. Maybe. But if it didn’t, then more than grizzlies would need to worry about his teeth and claws.

He stood up and gave himself a good shake before taking off at a run toward Peri’s home. Dillon was standing outside, leaning against the house and watching him. He looked a little pre-occupied, which told Dalton he was probably communicating with Tanya, his mate who was back in Colorado. Dillon had only seen her a handful of times since all of this had begun. Peri had flashed him to Colorado to give the mated pair some time together. Now that she was mated to a werewolf, she understood the powerful link between mates and how hard it was to be apart for any length of time.

When Dalton was a few feet away, he sat on his haunches and waited. A few minutes later, Dillon straightened and looked at him.

“Everything okay, Dalton?”

Dalton huffed, annoyed that he’d have to phase in order to talk. “I want to hunt something bigger than bunnies.”

Dillon narrowed his eyes on him. “You want to go into the human realm?”

“Just to hunt something I can wrestle with before I kill it.”

“What if it kills you?”

Dalton wanted to snort. He was pretty sure there was very little that could meet his wrath and survive. His wolf was more enraged than it had ever been, even more so than when the bond had been broken. Then he’d been more scared than angry. Now he was simply seething. “I imagine the world will keep spinning even if I’m not in it.”

“What about Jewel’s world?” Dillon growled. “Do you care what would happen to her world if you weren’t in it?”

Dalton snapped his teeth together. “Yes, I care, but considering she seems able to survive just fine without me at the current moment, I think she’d eventually be okay.”

“Don’t start that pity crap,” his Alpha huffed. “It doesn’t suit you. Anyone who has seen the way she looks at you, even without the bond, can tell she adores you. She’s doing what she has to in order to survive and protect those she cares for. Do not belittle her choice by acting as though she doesn’t need you.”

Dalton was not in the mood to discuss Jewel. He just wanted to kill something, dammit. Was that too much to ask? “Are we going to hunt or stand here and talk about our feelings all day?”

Dillon phased, allowing his clothes to be shredded. Dalton phased seconds after him and found himself flat on his back with his Alpha’s teeth sinking into his neck. Not enough to break skin, but enough to remind him of his place. After several heartbeats, Dalton finally turned his head, bearing his neck and submitting. With one final jerk, Dillon released him and waited for him to roll to his feet.

His Alpha took off at a dead run, heading straight for the veil. Dalton was right behind him. He shed his worries, pain, and fear as he let the wind flow through his fur. His claws dug into the ground as each paw hit the ground, propelling him forward. Faster and faster he pushed himself.

They passed through the veil and were hit by the scents of the human realm: moist dirt, dead leaves carpeting the forest floor, and animals hiding in their holes. There was the faint smell of rain on the air, and Dalton found himself hoping they would be caught in a torrential downpour. Hunting large prey would be challenging, but it would be even more challenging if they were nearly blinded by a thunderstorm.

They’d been running less than fifteen minutes when he got his wish. His lips spread into a wolfish smile as the thunder rolled across the sky and the clouds moved in. The sun was covered, turning day into night. Periodically, the sky and forest around them would be lit by flashes of lightning. The ground would shake as the bolts made contact, and he could feel the jolt up through his legs. The rain came down in sheets as the huge drops pelted his fur. Most of the water ran off, but some penetrated the thick coat and made contact with his skin.

He reveled in the violence of the storm as it seemed to grow more volatile with his own mood. The wind picked up, and the trees danced to the violent music as their branches swayed. The leaves that rustled only added to the eerie sound, as if they were applauding nature’s rage. Dalton threw his head back and let out a loud howl as he ran, his voice joining with the display.

They ran harder, and Dalton could tell the storm was pushing his Alpha as well, almost challenging them to try and survive all that nature could throw at them. Suddenly, a bolt struck only fifty yards in front of them, and a huge tree began to fall. They picked up their pace and shifted, hopped, and ducked, as the branches closed in on them. They’d barely made it through the last branch when the tree hit the ground with a deafening crash. The giant trunk would have crushed a small house, much less two running wolves. Something inside of Dalton laughed that they’d just beaten death. He recognized it as the morbid part of him that was willing to play chicken with the grim reaper and knew he wouldn’t have been so eager had Jewel been nearby.

Dillon stuck his nose in the air and took in a deep breath. Turning his head in all directions, he continued to sniff the air until he whipped to the right and took off at a dead run. Dalton followed, picking up the scent as well—wolves, natural wolves. What was Dillon doing?

Surely, they weren’t going to attack their own cousins? He continued to follow until they came to a ridge that overlooked a valley. Dalton stopped beside Dillon. They stared down at the pack of wolves, which had recently brought down a large elk. Dalton couldn’t help but be a little jealous.

The wolves, having caught the werewolves’ scent, turned their own heads up toward the sky. One by one they each tilted their heads, showing their necks. Dillon let out a loud howl, and the pack joined in.

They sat and watched as the few pups in the pack played and the Alpha pair watched over them. It all seemed so simple. Why couldn’t their lives be that simple? Why couldn’t they just live, hunt, love, and play? It was not their lot in life. They were meant to be protectors, to help those weaker than themselves. And many times, that meant significant sacrifices on their part.

The rain still hadn’t let up and they still hadn’t killed anything, yet Dalton felt a small measure of peace. Maybe it was the run or being a part of the storm. He wasn’t sure, but he felt clearer headed than when they’d set out.

They ran back, this time at a slower pace. Dalton thought about Jewel and about the day he would play in the valley with his own pups. He dreamed of the day when he would hold her as they slept and would wake her with a kiss. He would make many sacrifices in order to keep others safe, but letting go off Jewel and the future he wanted with her was not something he was willing to give up.

The next time he saw her, when she came back to him as she promised, he would tell her. He was willing to help her, support her, fight for her and with her, but he wasn’t willing to lose her.

* * *

Elle paced the length of the living room. She felt stuck. She knew Peri wanted her to keep an eye on the new wolves, but she felt useless babysitting a bunch of fur balls that acted like bored toddlers.

“Are you alright?” Sorin’s voice came from the entryway into the kitchen.

“We shouldn’t have left the pixie realm. We should have stayed with them.”

“If we sit around and think of all the things we should have done, then we are no use now.”

She felt her ire rise. “What good are we now anyways? I’m sitting here doing nothing. I’ve never felt useless, Sorin, in my very long life. I’ve never felt like there was nothing I could do to help.”

“Sometimes the best way to help is simply by being ready when it is time to act,” he said gently.

She didn’t know what to say to that. It sounded reasonable, but she wasn’t in a reasonable mood.

“Have you tried flashing to the pixie realm?”

She nodded. She’d tried a hundred times, and each time she was met with an invisible wall. “I feel like he’s winning and there’s no way to defeat him. He’s so much more powerful than what we’ve faced in the past.”

“But he’s not immortal,” Sorin reminded her. “He has weaknesses. He can be killed. We just have to be patient.”

“But in being patient, how many will suffer at his hands? Jewel, Anna, and any others they manage to change into witches. Must we sacrifice them in the meantime?”

“You know the answer to that question.”

“That’s not good enough, Sorin. It’s time we come up with a different answer.”