"When I close my eyes, all I see is blood—blood on my hands, in my mouth, covering my clothes, and splashed about on the walls. The vampire bodies litter the floor around me, but it isn't enough. It doesn't satisfy the darkness in me. I need more—more death, more violence, more chaos. I know what I really need, what my soul and my wolf are crying out for. Mate. I need my true mate. Until I have her, I will not be okay." ~Drake
Bethany's eyes opened slowly and she had to blink several times for them to clear before she was able to focus. When she was finally able to see, she looked straight up at the dirt ceiling of the maze. She couldn't have been unconscious long if she was still there. Bethany felt something shifting down by her feet and she froze. It wasn’t until she finally gained the courage to sit up, slowly, and peer down at the two massive beasts that were sleeping peacefully at her feet that she realized two things: she could see in the dark relatively well and the beasts weren't eating her. Why weren't they eating her? Not that she was complaining.
She searched her brain for anything that could have happened while she'd been down there that might have caused the beasts to suddenly give up their killing ways. She'd been running through the maze when she realized there were two beasts chasing her. Then she'd decided that there was no point in trying to outrun them. Okay, why the hell wasn't she dead?
Words suddenly filled her mind, and she knew she'd heard them before. “I am sorry, my child, but it is not yet your time. There is much for you to do in this life and many people who will love you. You must endure a little longer.”
Who had the power to decide when it was her time to die? God? But the voice had been female. Bethany remembered the peace she'd felt when the voice had spoken to her. Whoever she was, she'd told her that she had much to do in this life, if you could call her existence a life. What on earth could she possible have to do? Lead a rebellion against the vamps? That nearly made her laugh. Then the last statement hit her. She had to endure a little longer. She didn't want to endure. She was tired of being bitten and sucked on like a juice box. She was sick of being belittled and chastised for things like breathing the wrong air.
Bethany pulled her legs toward her and crossed them in front of her. She had only sat there a few minutes, staring at the sleeping wolf like beings, when she heard the telltale sound of the metal door to the maze being pulled open.
"Come out, slave. Your time is done."
"Guess this is when the enduring a little longer starts," she muttered to herself. Bethany pushed herself up to her feet. Her backside was sore from the tumble she'd taken when she'd thought the beasts were attacking her. She pressed close to the side of the wall, trying not to wake the animals as she inched past them.
Once she was back in her cell, the familiar chain wrapped around her ankle, attaching her to the wall. She sank down to the ground and closed her eyes. She desperately wanted to know who it was that had spoken to her. Perhaps, her mind had finally cracked. Maybe she just couldn't take anymore and so it had splintered, altering her reality. It sounded plausible, just as plausible as the existence of vampires. She didn't feel like she was crazy. But, really, did crazy people know that they were crazy?
Bethany groaned at her ridiculous internal argument. What did it matter if she was crazy? She was the blood slave of a creature that humans believed only existed in books. Sanity was really of little importance at this point. Exhaustion settled over her and she gave up trying to reason things out. She let sleep take her. She hoped for good dreams, because it was only during sleep that she was able to find some semblance of peace.
"He's coming," the female voice she'd heard before whispered into her mind while she slept. Bethany found herself standing in a beautiful meadow. The sun was shining brightly in the sky but she wasn't hot, which she found strange. It was a dream, dork, she thought. How she was conscious of the fact that it was a dream wasn't something she was going to examine at this point.
"Darkness clouds his sight and surrounds his soul. He comes to you for light,” the voice spoke again.
"Who are you?" Bethany asked as she looked around the meadow for any signs of life other than the plants.
"For now, just know that I am watching over you. You have faced such difficult trials and endured such evil, and though I have not delivered you from it, I am with you."
"Why won't you save me?" she asked as she felt the tears begin to build. "Why did this happen to me?"
"There will be others who will need your help and guidance. They will trust you because you understand. They will heal because you have been where they've been. Soon you will no longer be suffering. He is coming for you. Do not fear him."
"Who is he? Why's he coming for me? Why would I fear him?" The questions poured from her quickly, afraid that the entity, whatever she was, would leave.
"He is yours. He is coming for you because he will always come for you. The darkness is great inside of him. You've already become very acquainted with the darkness, and seeing it in him might frighten you. He is the one person you never have to fear. I created him for you and you for him. Together you will heal one another."
Bethany didn't know what to say to that. It sounded like a very intense relationship and she had no clue what that would even begin to look like, considering she'd never even had a boyfriend. The dream slowly faded away into a restful, dreamless sleep.
Drake looked at the door from where he sat on the couch in his room. He’d not been expecting any visitors at this late hour.
"It's unlocked," he said, knowing whoever was on the other side would hear him clearly.
His Alpha walked in and closed the door quietly behind him. Drake took in the grim look on Decebel’s face and knew that he wasn't there to talk about mission strategy. He was there to deal with Drake’s wolf.
"How are you doing?" Decebel asked him as he walked over and took the empty seat to the left of the couch. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
Drake wasn't one for lying, so he told his Alpha straightforward, "I'm tired."
"You've been fighting a long time," Decebel offered. "You are allowed to be tired."
Drake knew he didn't just mean fighting physical battles, though, of those, he’d seen plenty. Decebel also meant he'd been fighting the darkness that all of the males of their kind lived with until they found their true mate.
"Can you handle this, Drake—all the killing, blood, and the adrenaline rush from those kills? Is it going to push your wolf over the edge?"
He leaned forward, mimicking the pose of the other wolf. "I'm not feral. My wolf can last a little longer," Drake told him. He watched his Alpha’s eyes for any indication of Decebel’s thoughts. Ultimately it was up to his Alpha as to whether Drake would continue with the others. Drake had not mentioned to Decebel that lately he’d been feeling a call to be included in this mission—that there was something pulling him to the US. He and Decebel hadn't been pack mates long, but Drake respected him and even liked him and trusted him. So why didn’t he just tell his Alpha?
"Then, perhaps, I should ask you whether you want to be in on this mission?"
Perceptive Alpha, Drake thought dryly. "I need to be in on this mission, Decebel." Drake met his Alpha’s eye for a count of three before averting his gaze. "Something is calling to me."
Decebel stared at him for several minutes, just watching him. Drake didn't fidget under the stare. There was no reason to fidget. He knew his place and was comfortable in it. Decebel was more dominant, not by a lot—but by enough. Drake and his wolf were fine with that.
"You will let me know if it becomes too much." It wasn't a question.
"I will," he agreed.
Decebel bid him goodnight and Drake was once again alone with his thoughts. He leaned back and rested his head on the back of the couch. His eyes closed and he let out a long breath. He was tired of being alone. Mate, his wolf rumbled inside of him. Yes, the wolf inside wanted their mate just as badly as the man. Just imagining her, there with them on the couch, wrapped in his arms, chased away a tiny bit of the coldness beginning to claim him. To feel her touch and breathe in her scent as it wrapped around him would be heaven. Drake drifted off to sleep with those thoughts dancing in his mind and he prayed to the Great Luna that his time was coming—that he, like the others who'd found their true mates, would finally be at peace.
"Please," the word was a muttered whisper as he slipped deeper into sleep.
Costin pulled his mate tighter against him as they lay in their bed. They were both beyond exhausted. Sally had been dead on her feet and he'd had to help her shower and dress for bed, not that he was in any way complaining, but he did worry about how worn out she was. His own fatigue was something that he hadn't felt in quite a while.
Though he was tired from the physicality of the day, his mate was tired from the mental strain. She'd found that at some of the larger covens, where there'd been more death, she hadn’t even needed to go into the sewers to feel the residual emotions. If she stood too close to the manholes that led to the underground, the cries of those children who’d departed assaulted her senses. The times that Costin’s group wasn’t fighting, he'd kept her wrapped in his arms using the bond to help block some of the strain. He wished he could take it all, could erase the feelings from her memory, but he couldn't. All he could do was be there for her in any capacity that she needed.
Costin slipped into her mind, wanting to see if her dreams were peaceful. He didn't want her to have a fitful night, knowing that she desperately needed rest. Her sleep was dreamless and for that he was thankful.
He buried his face in her neck, loving the way her hair tickled his face. After several deep breaths he finally succumbed to sleep and immediately fell into a dream. He was kneeling and the warmth and power of his Creator flowed over him.
"Peace, child of mine," she spoke gently and Costin felt every muscle in his body relax.
"It is an honor, Luna," he said, keeping his eyes on the ground.
"You have been through much and yet there is so much more to come."
Costin wanted to ask what was to come but waited for her to continue instead.
"You and Sally will be used in a great way. Joy is coming for you, yet it will be lined with sorrow.”
For several long moments, Costin held his breath and neither spoke.
“You have questions," she finally said.
Costin’s head remained bowed as he spoke. "This evil that we are battling is more extensive than anything we've fought before. Even when the witches had grown too powerful, they didn't have these kind of numbers. How can we defeat this? How do we repeatedly run into evil and remain untouched?"
"That is why you were not designed to be alone. On your own, it would be too much. Without your mate by your side, the evil would leave a stain on you each time you encountered it. But I've given you a pack, a family, both in blood and by choice. Together you are stronger. Together you can hold each other accountable. You can remind one another that evil, in whatever form it comes, will do one thing and one thing only—kill you. Maybe not instantly, but eventually. It will reach inside of you and start eating away at your soul. It will contaminate your thoughts, your actions, and remove your ability to see right from wrong. Stand together. Don't allow there to be any division among you. I live in each of you, and, in my light, no darkness can exist. I am always with you."
Costin felt the dream slip away, but the peace his Creator filled him with remained. The danger they were facing was still there. He knew it was going to be more than difficult, but knowing he had his pack, his mate, and the Great Luna fighting with him made it seem like victory was possible.
Alina held a cup of hot chocolate in her hands, enjoying the warmth that seeped into her cold fingers. Her girls, as she'd begun to think of Jacque, Jen, and Sally had gotten her addicted to the chocolaty drink and now, anytime she had things on her mind, she also had a cup of hot chocolate in her hands.
She'd curled herself up in her favorite chair in their suite and stared out into the night sky. The stars that filled the sky were as numerous as the worries running through her mind. But unlike the stars, her worries wouldn't fade with the rising of the sun. They would only grow as they continued to pursue the vampires that had grown too great in numbers. Alina felt as if there would never be a time that she wouldn't be worrying. Would there ever be a time when her family was safe, truly safe?
"We will make them as safe as we can." Her mate’s voice came from directly behind her just before his hand caressed her neck. Vasile kneaded the tension that had gathered between her shoulders as she continued to stare out the window.
"We will," she agreed, just before taking another sip of the hot chocolate.
"Do you think Sally will be alright?" Vasile asked her.
Alina’s chest tightened as she thought about how the healer had come apart in her arms. She'd never witnessed anything like it before, and the frustration of not being able to fight tooth and claw against what it was that hurt Sally had been overwhelming. Alina may have been female with a stronger inclination to comfort than to fight, but she was every bit as much a wolf as her mate and the need to protect ran deep in her veins.
"I don't know, Alpha," she finally admitted. "Sally is strong, but how many times can silver be exposed to the flame before it begins to weaken?"
He made a thoughtful sound. She felt his hand leave her neck and then pull the tie that had held her hair up. Vasile ran his fingers through the loose locks, causing chills to run down her back.
"We will just need to keep an eye on her. Those girls aren't known for showing any sort of weakness." He took the cup from her hand and set it down on the table beside her. "Let's get some rest so we have the energy to worry some more tomorrow." Vasile smiled down at her as he held his hand out. Alina took it without hesitation, as she'd been doing for over two centuries, and let her mate lead them to their bed.
As her mate’s arms came around her, pulling her body close to his, Alina set the worries aside. She thanked the Great Luna for the strong arms that held her, for the new life growing in Jacque, and for getting them all out of the first day’s battles alive. Did those things cancel out the fears? No, but they did make facing the fears worth it.
"Sleep, Luna," Vasile murmured against her neck where he'd buried his face.
She smiled to herself. "I'm going to sleep, but not because you told me to."
Vasile’s breath tickled her skin as he chuckled. "Whatever you need to tell yourself, Mina."
Jen held her sleeping daughter in her arms as she sat in the dark nursery. The only sound was the whispered whooshing of the fan, which they ran to help Thia sleep. From the minute Peri had flashed them back to their home, Jen had picked Thia up and not put her down, except when Decebel made her take a shower. She'd needed the tangible proof that she was fine. Their daughter hadn't been snatched by the vampires. Their daughter hadn't been tortured and sucked dry. Their daughter was safe.
Jen didn't notice the tears on her cheeks as her arms shook. She didn’t hear her mate come into the room. Though he knelt in front of her, she didn't see him. All she saw was faceless bodies of children.
"Jennifer," Decebel’s deep voice rumbled through the quiet room. "Let me take her, love." He started to slip Thia from her arms but Jen snarled and jerked her back. Her stoic mate didn't react. He stared back at her with compassion and love.
"I have to hold her. I have to," Jen began, but her words faded as the tears flowed faster. "Why is our child safe and those children are not? Why did something so utterly horrific happen to them? How do I know she will continue to be safe and why can’t we keep the others safe?" Her voice broke and this time, when Decebel reached for Thia, she relinquished her.
Decebel stood and placed Thia in her crib. Her face was as beautiful as her mother’s, and he loved watching her sleep, just as he loved watching Jennifer sleep. He looked on as she turned her little body over onto her stomach, tucked her legs underneath her, and wiggled until she was comfortable. She was safe and he would make sure she stayed that way.
He turned back to his tired, hurting mate. She'd done a remarkable job of holding herself together, but seeing Thia after what they'd been through that day had just ripped something open inside of her. Decebel had let her have all the time she wanted with their daughter, and he'd hoped it would help, but it seemed to just be making her more upset.
"I don't know the answers to your questions. I wish I did," he admitted to her. He got back on his knees, pushing himself in between her legs and wrapping his arms around her. Their faces were close, and he could see the dark circles that marred her fair skin. "It's an ugly world, baby. We know that better than most."
"But children? It's not right." Jennifer shook her head and closed her eyes as if by closing them she could block out the revolting things in the world.
Decebel leaned forward, closing the small gap between them and pressed his forehead to hers. He flooded their bond with his love and comfort. He had no words, no solutions, no answers. He couldn't fix this. He couldn't tell his mate that everything would be okay because he didn't know if it would be.
"Come. You need rest," he told her as he pulled back from her and held out his hand to her.
Jennifer shook her head. "I'm not leaving her."
"Jennifer," Decebel started but her stern whisper cut him off.
"No, don't ask this of me, Dec. I'm sleeping in here until we have to leave in the morning."
He could tell in the stubborn set of her jaw that she wouldn't budge. And she needed this. This was something he could do.
"Okay," he said quietly. "Okay."
On the floor, in the dark of their infant’s nursery, Decebel wrapped his arms around his mate. He held her shaking form as though he could somehow keep her from falling to pieces.
Fane couldn't sleep. His wolf was restless, pacing inside of him. After taking out five covens, all of them fairly small, he didn’t see how they could possibly eliminate all of them on their own. Fane had overheard Peri mention to his father that the pixies had found at least thirty covens in Canada alone. How had they grown to such number without any other supernaturals noticing? Had they all truly become so self-absorbed, focusing on their own races problems, that nothing else mattered? It wasn't really a question that mattered anymore. All that mattered now was dealing with the evil that had unknowingly been festering.
Fane glanced down at his sleeping mate. She was curled up on her side. Her face was usually peaceful in sleep, but tonight, worry seemed to pinch her brow. He ran a thumb across her forehead, hoping his touch would ease some the tension that was still coursing through her. Jacquelyn moved closer to his touch and his lips tugged up in a small smile.
The smile didn't last, however, as his thoughts shifted to the memory of the fear on her face when they'd heard Sally’s screams. His mind was torn about having her with him. He wanted her by his side because then he could protect her. But having her by his side also meant deliberately putting her in harm’s way. His wolf wanted to tuck her as far away from the vampires as he could, but putting her in a cage wasn't the answer, no matter how appealing it was.
After another hour of sitting in the dark thinking too much, sleep finally saved him from himself.