“Attention all clueless beings out there. Be on the lookout for crap hitting the fan in the form of a psycho warlock tossing out dark magic like it’s freaking candy on Halloween, and a warlock king who suddenly got an itch up his butt to roast some trolls. These are dangerous times people and we all know what we should do during dangerous times…yes, exactly, drink more hot chocolate, use profanity when completely inappropriate and for the love of all things carnal, make babies people, or at least practice.” ~Jen
“The book store looks like it’s been doing well,” Jacque told her mom as she walked around the familiar space. They had been back in the states for over a month now and though Lilly had been going to the book store nearly daily, the others hadn’t ventured out of the house much thanks to Peri’s interlude with Reyaz. But everyone was getting cabin fever and Sally really wanted to see her parents. Jen knew she was going to have to see her parents as well, but she wasn’t really sure how they were going to react when they saw that their 18 year old daughter was well and truly pregnant. So they made plans to join Lilly at the book store that night to help her with inventory. They ordered pizza, pulled the shades to the windows, turned on music, and tried to forget the outside world.
“It has been doing well, and I’m glad because hopefully that means it will be easier to sell.” Lilly’s back was to the room when she made the statement so she didn’t see the shock on Jacque, Jen, and Sally’s faces.
“What?” Jen finally blurted out. “You’re selling your store?”
“Well it’s going to be kind of hard to take care of a store when I live on another continent,” Lilly said as she continued to unpack the box of books on the floor next to her. It was one of many that would need to be unpacked that night.
“When did you decide this mom?” Jacque asked.
“After I talked to Cypher a week or so ago,” she admitted. “Beside him is where I’m supposed to be Jacque. I know you get that.”
Jacque did get that, as weird as it was to hear her mother say it. She couldn’t argue with her because she knew exactly what she meant. Beside Fane was where she was supposed to be, and instead she was in Coldstone, TX, in a book store. Yeah, life sucked sometimes.
“Well, it’s your store, so if that’s what you want to do, then go for it.” Sally smiled as she looked at Lilly.
“Thank you Sally.” Lilly grinned.
Sally’s smile faltered when her phone began belting out the ringtone Jen had set for her, My Maria, simply because it had the words gypsy lady in it. She pulled it from her back pocket and swallowed hard when she saw her mom’s name pop up.
“It’s the ‘rents isn’t it?” Jen asked.
Sally nodded wordlessly.
“Well, time to face the firing squad.” Jen patted Sally’s shoulder as she walked past her. “Get it over with quick Sal, like ripping off finger nails.”
“Don’t you mean band aides?” Crina asked.
Jen shook her head. “Uh, no. Any time you’re dealing with parents, it’s never like ripping off a band aide. It is always much, much, more painful.”
Crina chuckled. “I am so glad I’ve been a werewolf all this time.”
Sally finally hit the key to answer the phone and put it to her ear.
“Hello,” she said tentatively.
“Sally!” her mother’s voice came shrieking through and Sally had to pull the phone away from her ear.
“Yes, it’s me,” she answered. “How are you?”
“How am I? I’m wondering how long my child has been back without coming to see me? And did you bring that young man of yours? How is school going? Do you like Romania? How are Jacque and Jen?”
“Mom, mom,” Sally’s voice rose as she tried to get her mom to slow down. “Hold on, okay. I can’t answer all your questions at once.”
“Oh, sorry, I’ve just missed you.”
“I know. I’ve missed you too.” Sally was surprised to feel her eyes begin to water but she quickly wiped them before any tears could escape. “Can you and Dad come to Lilly’s book store?”
“Oh, honey,” her mom cooed, “your dad is out of town. He won’t be back for a week or more.”
Sally felt her chest tighten at the guilt of not contacting her parents sooner. If she had, she would have gotten to see her dad, but she had waited and now he was gone. Maybe he would be back before she left. But that thought was a double-edged sword because though she wanted to see her dad, she was so very ready to get back to Costin.
“But I can come,” her mom finished pulling her out of her thoughts.
“Okay, well we’re all here now.”
“We who?”
“Um, well, Lilly, Jen, Jacque and the others,” Sally said vaguely.
“Oh, so you brought your young man?”
“No mom. It’s just the females,” Sally cringed as she realized that she had used the word females, which was not something humans said in reference to women very often in everyday conversation. “Oh, mom, can you stop by and pick up Jen’s parents? They don’t know Jen’s here so let’s make it a surprise.”
“Oh! That’s a wonderful idea; see you in a few.”
Sally hit the end key and was already moving before she heard Jen’s voice behind her.
“I’m going to kick your ever loving gypsy ass, Sally Miklos!” Nervous laughter flitted around the store as the others watched Jen attempt to go after Sally.
Peri reached out and snatched Jen’s arm before she could grab Sally’s pony tail. “Calm down Jen or you’re going to go into labor and get Lilly’s pretty floor all bloody with your pregnant body fluids.”
Jen looked at Peri and smirked. “Did you seriously just say pregnant body fluids?”
Peri rolled her eyes. “Yes, I did, and why do you three always insist on asking if someone seriously said something? Do you think that they didn’t seriously say it and therefore feel the need to double check your hearing by asking?”
“Did you seriously just ask that?” Jen asked and the room erupted into laughter.
Peri huffed as she pushed past Jen, “Why the hell did I decide to come with the girls?”
“Because we are entertaining,” Elle told her.
“Yes and so is a cage of chimpanzees. I’m just waiting for you all to start crapping on the floor and then throwing it at each other, all the while squealing and pointing.”
The laughing jumped up a notch and when the knock on the front door of the store finally came, Jen was doubled over holding her stomach as she giggled. She wiped the laugh induced tears from her eyes as she prepared herself for all hell to break loose in a completely different way than she was used to. Put her before a psycho witch, a bossy possessive werewolf, or a deranged warlock and she smirked. But put her before her parents who didn’t know that she was married, let alone pregnant, and she wanted to crawl into the deepest hole she could find.
Lilly unlocked the door and pushed it open. Sally’s mom walked in and squealed when she saw Sally. Jen’s mom was next and then her dad. Her mom’s eyes lit up as they landed on her and then dropped to her stomach.
“Surprise,” Jen said lamely and let out a deep breath when Alina walked up next to her and put an arm around her and then smiled at her parents. Alina’s charms were legendary, but they were about to be put to the test.
“Jennifer.” her mom smiled and moved towards her wrapping her in her arms, effectively pulling her from Alina’s.
“Hi mom,” Jen said and it came out muffled as her mom tucked her head into her shoulder.
“Oh, I’ve missed you!”
“You too,” Jen said as she pulled back and attempted to untangle herself from her mom. Her dad came up next and gave her one of those one arm hugs that were equally awkward and annoying.
“Hey Dad,” she said as she quickly hugged him back and then pulled away.
The room was completely silent after the brief reunions and all eyes were on Jen and her parents.
“Jen’s pregnant,” Sally suddenly blurted out. Heads swung around and eyes landed on her and she slapped her hand over her mouth as if it had acted without her consent.
“Thank you for that,” Jen muttered as she glared at Sally and then looked back at her parents. It was obvious by the looks on their faces that they had really just been hoping that Jen had suddenly developed a love for Pork Rinds and had been eating enough of them to support North American sales all by herself.
“Surprise again!” Jen said in a sing song voice and a shoulder shrug.
Jen’s mother’s mouth dropped open and then closed, only to do it again, making Jen think of a fish that had been taken from water and was desperately gasping.
“How,” she finally sputtered.
“Well, mom,” Jen’s voice took on the patronizing tone that seemed to always tick her parents off, “when two people love each other, they want to show it. And sometimes they show that love by taking their clothes off and going at it like rabbits.”
Jen looked past her now shocked mother to the forms of Jacque and Sally, who were making cutting motions across their necks and mouthing for her to shut up. She simply shook her head. She was eighteen. Her parents could look at her like she had lost her mind, but they couldn’t punish her, not any more.
“You’re really pregnant?” her dad finally asked.
“Yes dad, I’m really pregnant. I’m pretty sure there is no such thing as sort-of pregnant, but I could be wrong. It’s been known to happen once or twice a year―me being wrong, not being sort-of pregnant.”
“Is it this Decebel guy?” her mom asked.
“Yes it is Decebel’s baby.” Jen couldn’t help the huge smile that spread across her face at the mention of her mate. Regardless of all their crap, she was caring his child, made out of love and that was definitely something to smile about. And she had just shocked the hell out of her parents and that was just a bonus, like when you find a couple fries thrown in with your order of tots from Sonic. Bonus fries were the best.
“Where is he?” her dad asked with a frown.
“He didn’t come,” Jen told him.
“He let you travel by yourself in that state?” her dad growled and pointed at her stomach.
Alina stepped forward, and though she had a smile on her face, her eyes told a different story. “Jen is perfectly safe with me, with us,” she amended as she motioned to all the women in the room. “Decebel and the other males had business that required them to stay in Romania, and the girls wanted to take a little break. We have a doctor with us,” she motioned to Cynthia who waved and smiled. “Dr. Steele keeps a close eye on her.”
Jen’s parents continued to stare at her. Their eyes darted every now and then to Lilly, giving her looks that clearly said they blamed her for their knocked-up daughter. The tension in the room was palpable.
“I think Peri’s suggestion earlier of crap throwing and squealing is sounding really appealing right now,” remarked Jen. “So who’s going first, Mom? No, okay Jacque, come on we all know your bowels are irregular. You should have something ready to go.”
A snort erupted from Sally and she turned away as Elle patted her on the back while she and the others snickered at Jen.
Peri coughed as she tried to cover her laugh. “Jen it wasn’t a suggestion, you twit, I was being sarcastic.”
Jen smiled at Peri as a single brow rose. “Oh come now, fairy Peri, you know you love a good crap throw as much as the next person.”
“So,” Lilly suddenly jumped in, “who wants hot chocolate?”
At least three hands shot into the air.
“Bloody hell, that was torture,” Jen whined as she climbed into Jacque’s bed.
“I have to agree,” Sally said as she took the sleeping bag on the floor.
“But hilarious as hell,” Jacque laughed.
“Please, pray tell wolf princess, which part was hilarious?” Jen growled. “Was it the part where my dad asked if Decebel had any other children or a wife or was it when my mom asked if we had been using protection?”
“No, it was when you told your mom that yes you had been using protection and not to invest stock in the flavored condoms because they just weren’t as strong as the box claimed.”
All three of the girls shook with laughter. “And then hot chocolate came out of your dad’s nose!” Sally added breathlessly.
“That was a MasterCard moment,” Jen sighed. “Flight home-$300, cup of hot chocolate- $1.50, Dad snorting up cocoa because of discussing daughters sex life…,”
“Priceless!” they all said in unison and erupted into laughter all over again.
As their laughter died down, another feeling began to pool in their stomachs.
“Is anyone else sick of hurting?” Jen asked.
“Totally.”
“Entirely.”
Sally and Jacque said at the same time.
“Then why are we still here?”
“Because this is where they obviously want us,” Jacque said.
“What do you mean?” Sally asked as she leaned up on her elbows.
“If our men really didn’t want us to be here, you know there is nothing-no amount of screaming, whining, or threatening - we could have done to make them let us. They may have thrown their little tantrums, but some part of them wanted us away and that is why we are here.”
“Ugh,” Jen groaned, “we so got played.”
“Jen, babe, are you okay?” Sally asked softly. “You seem to be a lot worse off than Jacque or I and don’t tell me it’s because of your pregnancy.”
“You know, ever since you got this whole gypsy title, you’ve become very bossy,” Jen told her and Sally could hear the smile on her friend’s face.
“Quit avoiding the question.”
“He’s shut me out completely, even from his sleep,” Jen finally admitted and when the words finally emerged she felt the flood gates give way. She rolled onto her side as the tears began to slide down her cheeks and she bit her bottom lip to keep them from trembling. “I feel like he’s slipping away from me. Like every day, every hour, the thread between us gets thinner and thinner.”
Sally’s breath caught at the pain she heard in Jen’s voice. She crawled up into the bed on the other side of Jen as Jacque took the opposite side so that they had sandwiched her in. Both girls wrapped their arms around her and just held her as she cried. There were no words spoken, no false promises that everything would be fine. The reality was that more than likely nothing was going to be fine. So instead they simply took comfort in knowing that in everything they had been through, they had always had each other. Their friendship had stood the tests of life, death, bloodshed, war, and love, and it would continue to do so.
Sally pressed her hand to Jen’s head, brushing her fingers through the blonde locks. She slipped silently into Jen’s mind, trying to keep her friend from realizing what she was doing. As she closed her eyes and opened her spirit to Jen’s, she had to bite her tongue to keep from gasping. Jen’s bond, the thin chord that linked her to Decebel, was stripped, like a rope that had been shredded until there were only a few strands holding it together, so was Jen and Decebel’s mate bond. She could see the emptiness in Jen where Decebel’s soul should be, the other half of hers now nearly gone. Sally was surprised that Jen didn’t simply lie around groaning in pain. It was a miracle that her wolf hadn’t taken over in a desperate attempt to get back to her mate. Sally took her hand away from Jen and rolled onto her back and listened to the slow even breathing of her two best friends.
What did it mean? What could be doing this to their bond and was that why Decebel had been acting so out of character? She didn’t know, but she had an idea of who might. She slid out of the bed, careful not to wake Jacque or Jen and then hurried quietly from the room.
She knocked on the spare bedroom door and was surprised when she heard a muffled, come in. She wasn’t expecting anyone to be awake. She pushed the door open to find Cynthia sitting up in the bed with a book in her lap. She glanced up at Sally before looking back at the book and slipping a piece of paper in the pages to save her spot.
“Sally, is Jen alright?” she asked quietly. Of course she would assume that something must be wrong with Jen because of her state, but she didn’t answer right away.
Sally walked over to the end of the bed and sat down without saying anything. She tried to gather her thoughts but then decided there really wasn’t any easy way to break this.
“Jen and Decebel’s bond is dying.” She watched the doctors face for any sign of outrage, surprise, or shock, but there was none. “You knew?” Sally asked with a frown. “And still you let her come?”
Cynthia laughed bitterly. “Like anyone can keep Jen from doing something she wants to do. And no, I didn’t know, but I had my suspicions.”
“What’s going on doc? What’s wrong with Decebel?”
Cynthia pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them as her eyes met Sally’s. “I don’t really know any more than you.”
“How is Decebel keeping Jen out of his mind while he sleeps?”
“That is a question you should be asking me.” Sally turned at the sound of Elle’s voice and saw that Peri was right behind her.
“Sorry to bust up this little sleepover, but if you want answers, Healer, then you need to go to those in the know.” Peri leaned against the wall, looking more awake than anyone at that hour should and definitely looking like she was in the know.
“So what happened to Decebel?” she asked again, this time directed at Elle.
“He asked for me to make it so that when he slept Jen could not get past his barriers.”
“Why?”
“Do we really have to go through this again?” Peri groaned. “Because he has…,”
Sally held her hand up stopping the fae from going on. “I know, I know, he has man parts. I get it, but that doesn’t fully answer my question.”
“He has a secret and he doesn’t want her to be able to go snooping and find it,” Peri told her and appeared very put out at having been interrupted.
“Decebel isn’t the type to keep things from Jen,” Sally argued.
“People will often become very different from who they really are when life and death matters are at hand,” said Cynthia.
“I thought that people showed who they truly are when they are in life and death situations.” Sally’s eyes narrowed at the doctor.
Peri waved her hand as if batting away a fly. “Sally, really, do you think we can possibly unravel the workings of the alpha male Canis lupus, especially starting with Decebel?”
Sally didn’t answer; she simply stared at Peri as if everything she wanted to know was going to explode out of her head at any moment. Then the words hit her again.
“You said life and death,” Sally pointed at Cynthia. “This has to do with their baby, wait,” Sally gasped and covered her mouth. “He wouldn’t,” she muttered around her hand, not speaking to anyone but simply staring at the ground as her mind tried to grasp what she was realizing. “Oh,” she whispered slowly, “but he would. They all would.”
“He’s going to sacrifice himself. But he can’t do that if their bond is intact,” Sally finally spoke up loud enough for everyone to hear.
Peri smiled like a proud parent. “I knew she was the smart one in the bunch. Didn’t I tell you Elle,” she nudge the other fae. “Didn’t I say that the quiet, innocent one is the smart one?”
Elle nodded. “Yes Peri, you did,” she said dryly.
“Jen’s going to kill him.” Sally’s eyes locked with Peri’s.
“You can’t tell her, Healer,” Peri’s face suddenly went very serious. “It is not the place of any of us to meddle in the Alpha’s business.”
“She’s my best friend, Peri. That makes it my business,” Sally argued.
“No,” Cynthia spoke up. “If she were only your best friend, then yes, it would be your business. But she isn’t only your best friend. She’s Decebel’s mate, Sally, his wife. There are some things that are between husband and wife that the friend card no longer holds any sway over.”
Sally glared at Cynthia while hearing her words, hearing their truth, and hating them. She knew that there were some things that weren’t her business because Decebel wasn’t just Jen’s boyfriend, he was her husband and that did make it different.
“But he’s making the wrong choice,” she whined. Way to be real mature Sally, she thought to herself.
“That is not for you to decide,” Peri told her, the words of the Great Luna echoing in her mind. “The Fates will ultimately decide whose life they will accept. There is so little we control in this life, and as much as we would like to think life and death is one of those things, it just isn’t.”
Sally let out a deep, resigned sigh. She couldn’t tell Jen. In fact, she couldn’t tell anyone.
“This freaking sucks,” she grumbled.
“So goes the story of our paranormal lives,” Peri agreed.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” the Great Luna said softly to the wolf in human form before her. The warm night air blew through her shimmering hair and the moonlight made her skin glow.
“You knew I was coming?”
“Yes, and they have agreed to hear you.” She motioned for the wolf to follow her. She walked into the forest. As the trees swallowed her, the wolf paused just for a second before following the goddess inside.
They wound through the trees until there was a canopy of limbs that hung over an opening to a cave. Light flickered at the entrance as if a fire burned inside and the flames danced, tempting them to enter and seek its warmth. The Great Luna stepped aside and motioned for the wolf to go into the cave. “This is as far as I go,” she told the wolf who continued forward, following the beckoning light.
The wolf walked deeper into the cave until a voice said to stop.
“We have agreed to hear your petition.” The three figures of the Fates suddenly appeared before the wolf. “What is it you ask for?”
“I come to offer my life in the place of one that you have claimed. I ask that you allow the child to live and let me fulfill the debt. Let my blood wipe clean the slate.” The wolf’s voice was full of sincerity.
“Why would you offer yourself as a sacrifice for this child? It is one thing for the father to do so, but who is this child to you that you would lay down your life?”
“The child is pack. She is family and she is loved. What greater way to show that she is loved than to give my life for hers?”
Silence filled the cave as the Fates watched the wolf, and then they finally spoke again.
“We will consider your sacrifice, but you will not know our decision until the moment it is due. You must tell no one of your choice. For true sacrifice does not seek approval or crave attention. You will do this and no one will know until you have left this life and passed on to the next.”
The wolf left the cave and walked into the arms of the Great Luna.
“Can you restore what has begun to be broken?”
The Great Luna’s eyes filled with moisture as she shook her head. “I cannot. They still might choose him. If their bond was restored, then she would die also. I am proud of you, but I hurt for you as well.”
“It is what should be,” the wolf told her.
The Great Luna nodded. “Just because it is right, does not make it easy.”
“No, but it just might atone for my wrongs.”
“Oh child, all you need do is ask for forgiveness and the wrongs are wiped clean.”
“I want to believe that,” the wolf looked into her eyes, “but there is a part of me that feels that I can never be forgiven, that I will never be worthy of it.”
The goddess took the wolf’s face in her hands and held it gently. “You are not worthy. Not on your own, but I have made you worthy. My love for you has made you worthy.”