"There are times when death comes as a relief. Not only for the one dying but for those who love them. It relieves pain, consoles fear, and gives closure. But then there are times when death is more destructive than the most furious storm. It tears through the heart, shreds all hope, and devours the soul of the one left behind." ~ Jeff Stone
Sally couldn't stop smiling. Maybe she shouldn’t be smiling, but she couldn't help it. Here, in their room, sitting on the floor with her mate, was a precious little boy. Because of an awful twist of fate, the boy had lost his parents and nearly his life. But they had saved him and he had walked into Sally's arms the moment he'd seen her. She remembered the words he'd whispered to her as he'd wrapped his arms around her neck, burying his face in her hair.
"She said you would come," the little voice broke through Sally's fear and horror. She slowed her breathing so she could better hear him over the growling and crying of those around them.
"What was that?" she asked him.
He pulled back a bit, just enough so that he could look at her face. There were dirt smudges all over his cheeks and his hair was matted with filth. Bite marks marred his neck and wrists, and it took everything in Sally not to scream in anger at the injustice of it. He shouldn't have had to go through something so horrible. He should have been looking for bugs and crying over fallen ice cream cones. He patted her face gently and smiled; he was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
"The lady with all the light, I think she was an angel. She told me you were coming. She said a beautiful lady with brown hair, brown eyes, and a bright light all around her was coming for me and that she would be my new mommy. And she showed me a man with a happy smile too. I asked her what happened to my old mommy, and she said that she and my daddy loved me very much, but that they couldn't take care of me anymore. But you will take care of me, right? You and the man with the happy smile?"
Tears streamed down Sally's face as she nodded. "Yes, sweet boy, we will take care of you."
"Sally, mine?" she heard Costin’s voice and shook her head to clear her mind of the memory. She looked at her mate and then at Titus who was holding out a piece of paper to her.
"I colored it all by myself. It's for you." He smiled proudly at her.
Sally took the picture and looked at it. It was three stick people, each of them un-proportionate—a longer arm here and a larger foot there. But all three of the stick people faces, misshapen though they may be, were smiling happily.
"Thank you, Titus. It's the best drawing anyone has ever given me."
"Really?" he asked, his smile getting even bigger.
Sally nodded.
"I will get better," he said, his face suddenly falling.
Costin scooped him up and hugged him close. "You already draw better than me."
Titus looked at Costin, narrowing his eyes as if trying to determine if Costin was being truthful. Then the smile returned. "I can help you," he said just before a yawn forced its way out.
"I bet you can, little warrior. But right now I think sleep is what you need. You have to get your rest so you’ll have the energy to help me."
Titus looked around, suddenly very nervous. Sally stood and smiled up at him. "First, we need to brush teeth, okay?"
They'd already given him a bath and he'd handled it really well, though Sally knew her soothing magic was mostly responsible for that. She wasn't consciously trying to calm him, it was just instinct.
Costin and Titus emerged from the bathroom, discussing in-depth just how long a three-year- old should brush his teeth. Sally had pulled back the cover and sheet on their bed and was sitting on the side when the pair came walking in together, hand-in-hand.
She slid off the bed onto her knees and sat back on her heels. Sally opened her arms and Titus went without hesitation. "What will make you feel—" She paused, unsure what she should say. Did she say safe or best? Titus saved her.
"Safe?" he asked.
Sally nodded.
"I'm not a baby, but could a light stay on? And could daddy—" He stopped and looked up at Costin. "You're my new daddy?" He looked unsure and Sally could feel the seeds of fear and doubt creeping into his mind.
Costin knelt down next to him. "I am if you want me to be. I would like that very much."
Titus gave a matter-of-fact nod and she felt a little of the doubt slip out of him. He looked back at her. "Could daddy stay with me?" He quickly added, "You can stay too, but daddy is bigger."
Sally smiled reassuringly. "He makes me feel safe too," she whispered to him.
Costin lay on the bed next to a now sleeping Titus. It hadn't taken long for him to succumb to his exhaustion. His arms were wrapped around a brown, stuffed puppy that Jen had brought him, claiming she'd found it among Thia's toys. Titus had smiled up at her as though she'd just handed him the most precious thing ever. Jen had knelt down and told him that the puppy needed a name and a friend. Titus had nodded and told her he would be a good friend to the puppy and that he would have to think of a good name for him. Once Jen had left and they'd climbed back into the bed, Titus had looked at him and told him he couldn’t name the puppy until he got to know him better.
Costin smiled. He hadn't been around children so he didn’t really know, but Titus seemed to be very articulate for a three-year-old.
"Everything okay?" Sally asked him. His smiled widened. His mate had asked him that every five minutes for the past hour.
"Yes, beautiful, everything is good," he said just as patiently as he had the first time. She wanted to be there with him and Titus, but one of them needed to attend the meeting. Since Titus had specifically requested Costin’s presence, the job fell to Sally.
She was keeping the bond and her mind wide open so that Costin could listen in on the meeting and not miss anything important. Upon hearing Vasile and Peri’s plan to travel to Phoenix tomorrow, which he knew had been inevitable, he felt his chest tighten at the thought of leaving Titus. There was no way they could take the boy with them. And he knew that Sally had to go. Technically, they could alter the memories of the children they found without Sally. But Peri said having Sally there made things much quicker and easier. Costin knew that she would go if they asked her to, but he also knew she'd stay in a heartbeat if Titus said he needed her also. And although extra warriors were certainly needed on the mission, his little healer was crucial. And neither he nor Sally would leave Titus alone, not when the child was still so fragile.
This led to one inevitable conclusion. Sally would have to go without him. He would have to entrust her safety to the others. She would be out of his reach and out of the shelter of his arms. The thought made his gut clench. But as he looked down at Titus who was curled up against his chest, he realized for the first time what it felt like to truly understand that there was something more important than his own comfort, happiness, or desires.
"Thank you," he heard Sally whisper into his mind. He felt her sorrow at leaving Titus—her son. He liked that she already thought of him as hers, as theirs.
"Tell Vasile to hurry up, your mate and your son need you."
Jen sat on the love seat, her legs outstretched and her arm propped up on the armrest of the sofa. Jacque sat across from her in a similar pose, though she looked much more awkward. Once Vasile had dismissed the meeting, she and Jacque had informed their men that they needed girl time. Jen had spent time with Thia before the meeting and now the girl was fast asleep. Decebel tried to give her puppy dog eyes, and when that didn't work, he growled at her. That had almost done the trick, but then Jacque had handed her a mug of hot chocolate. He knew then that he was beat and he pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving for their room.
"Sally seems to be handling this all really well," Jen said just before she took another sip of the warm, yummy drink.
Jacque nodded. "I think, somehow, it's actually helped her…I don't know…like…shed some of the darkness that had been collecting on her. Like a dog shaking off water. Does that make sense?"
"Yah, I get what you're saying. She was losing herself. Titus needs her, needs her light, like Costin did. That brought her back."
They were quiet for a few minutes. Then Jacque spoke. "So, how do you think this Phoenix thing is going to really go?"
Jen snorted. As usual, she and Red were totally on the same page. "Not the way Vasile and the other males think it will. I love how Decebel looked at me when Peri said that it might be best for me to stay behind because I would be the ultimate prize for Sincaro. I'm pretty sure he was contemplating putting me back in that crater that I was so kindly pushed into during the Gathering."
"So here's the thing," Jacque started as she sat up and set down her cup. "They don’t know where the entrance to this vampire king’s coven is. Phoenix is huge. It's not like we can just try every manhole in the city. "
"You know what we need to do? We need to hit up the police stations and find out where most of the abductions are taking place," Jen suggested.
"Why didn’t you say that in the meeting?" Jacque frowned.
"Because Decebel threatened to duct tape my mouth closed, and as tense as he is right now, I actually think he would do it this time."
"Did he think your idea was a good one?"
Jen shrugged. "He said it would be dangerous to draw attention to ourselves. It's not like huge Romanian guys walking around a police station would be inconspicuous."
"So why can't we go?"
Jen busted out laughing. "Oh man, that baby is shrinking your brain and killing brain cells. In what life do you think your mate is going to let you out of his sight or near any vampire coven after having watched a vampire snatch you up and threaten you right in front of him?"
Jacque’s face fell. "Ugh, he's going to be unbearable."
"Oh please." Jen waved her off. "They're unbearable already. We only put up with it because they're so freaking gorgeous." She paused then added. "And sexy." Pause. "And stern."
"Ooookay," Jacque said loudly. "I get it. Don't need you going into all the reasons why you put up with Decebel. I concur. Though I do find that we are rather shallow."
"No. We are honest. Besides, we love them. If they were ugly and we loved them, I suppose we'd put up with it. Maybe."
After a few seconds she and Jacque looked at each other shaking their heads and said at the same time, "Nah."
As their laughter died down Jen sighed. "Are we twisted? I mean here we are laughing about having ugly mates and only hours ago we'd found children who had survived being held captive by vampires. How sick are we?"
"I disagree," Jacque said as she met Jen's gaze. "We have to be able to do this. No one else is going to go into the bowels of those cities and face those awful creatures. We are the ones who get saturated in their darkness. We are the ones who see the victims they have brutalized. But even after all that, we have to be able to get up and do it again. So we have to figure out a way to cope. If coping to us is drinking hot chocolate and laughing about the same crap we always laugh about, then more power to us.”
“Jen." The urgency in Jacque’s voice had Jen sitting up. “We can't fall apart. We can't crumble. I think Vasile and Alina are part of the reason we haven't done so already. It's like they hold us together by their sheer will alone. If we fail, if Vasile fails, none of the other packs would be able to fight off the dark magic we've already been saturated in. The unmated males would be consumed and then it wouldn't only be the vampires taking lives."
The air rushed from Jen's lungs. "Damn, Jacque. Way to give a pep talk."
Jacque grimaced. "Yeah, sorry that was more Frodo than Braveheart, huh?"
Jen nodded. "Yep, you totally had me wanting to throw myself over the edge of the cliff like hobbit boy."
Jacque laughed suddenly and Jen rolled her eyes. "Is wolf man talking dirty to you?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," Jacque said as she stood up and waddled her way to the door. "I'm out. He's threatening to come carry me back and you know how I feel about him lifting me in my current state."
"Like he's a bulldozer and you're a beached whale he's trying desperately to get back in the water?" Jen grinned at her friend who was currently giving her the finger. "Night, Red," she called out as the door closed and she was left in the room alone.
Five minutes later, the door opened again. Her mate stepped in, looking edible in a pair of sleep pants and nothing else. Her eyes trailed up his body until they reached his face. He was handsome, so very handsome, and yet he acted like he didn't have a clue.
"Are you planning on sleeping in here?" he asked her as he walked over to the couch Jacque had just vacated. Decebel sat down and stretched his legs out in front of him as he leaned back and laid one arm over the back of the sofa and the other on the armrest. Okay, so he totally knew how hot he was because he was currently flaunting it.
"Maybe," she said rolling onto her back making herself look at the ceiling and away from his enticing form. He chuckled and Jen felt the deep sound all the way to her toes. She bit her tongue to keep from squealing like a damn love struck ninny.
"Playing hard to get again, mate? Pray tell, what have I done this time to earn your ire?"
And there he went talking all proper as if she was a lady and he was her gentleman caller. He knew exactly how much she liked it when he went all eighteenth century on her. She practically panted and fought the urge to say, 'Please Mr. Darcy, yes Mr. Darcy, Take me, Mr. Darcy.’ ”
"Why would you call me Mr. Darcy?"
"Why do you feel like my head is yours to plunder?"
Too late she realized what she'd just walked in to.
"Because, like your body, it is mine."
That was it. That's all she could take. If she stayed one more second she was going to crawl across the floor on all fours and purr at him like a cat. She threw up the walls in her mind before he realized what she intended and was out of the room before he was even getting up from the couch. Jen had gotten very good at phasing in mid-run, even with clothes on. Though this time she happened to pass Peri in the hall, and just as she began to phase, her clothes disappeared. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why you have a high fae as a bff.
The door to the front of the mansion flew open. She threw out another silent thank you to her friend the fae and, when she heard her mate start cussing, Jen knew Peri had done something extra to him in order to give her more of a head start. She was going to have to name her next child after that woman if Peri kept helping her out with her possessive mate.
"You can run, Jennifer." Decebel's voice in her mind had her legs pushing harder as she bolted out into the cold night air. The snow was beginning to melt as the days grew a little warmer and the ground was soft under her paws. It gave her purchase as she made sharp turns, attempting to use her agility against her much larger, and much faster, mate
"How perceptive of you, mate, considering I am indeed running," she responded without slowing down. She knew sarcasm would only spurn him on. And in some sick twisted way she liked taunting him.
Jen stretched her legs and headed for the cave that she'd come to think of as theirs. No one, not even Jacque or Sally, knew about it. She and Decebel had begun going there once a week just to get some privacy from the others. Rachel and Gavril often kept Thia for them, and she and Dec would go there and talk, among other things.
"What other things?" Decebel taunted.
She ignored him and tried to push herself faster. She could hear his breathing and knew he was very close. Just as Jen rounded a tree and saw the cave come into view, she heard her mate’s growl. She felt him cover her, but instead of a furry body, his human arms came around her. Jen phased as they flew through the air. Decebel turned their bodies so that he would land on the ground and she would be cradled against him.
When they were no longer airborne, Jen turned so that she was facing her grinning mate.
"You're pleased with yourself?"
"I'm naked, and my mate is naked lying on top of me. How could I not be pleased with myself?"
Jen couldn't help it. She laughed loud and long. So rarely did her mate look like a boy who'd gotten away with snatching cookies from the cookie jar, but in that moment, he did.
When she finally got control of herself, her laughter died until just a smile was left. "So, you've caught me. Now what?"
"Do I really have to spell it out?" he asked as he nuzzled her neck.
"Maybe not spell, but feel free to provide a monologue. There's nothing better than your deep voice, Romanian accent, and dirty talk."
Decebel's laughter filled the forest. "Dirty talk, huh?" He pulled her down and gave her a toe curling kiss and then whispered against her moist lips. "I'll see what I can do about that."
Jacque reached down for her nightshirt that had been tossed to the floor by her overzealous mate, but as soon as she got it in her hand, it was plucked away again.
"You don't need that," Fane growled as he pulled her back across the bed and wrapped himself around her.
"Okay, I'll just walk to the kitchen naked. Bet my father-in-law would love that," Jacque huffed.
"What do you need from the kitchen?"
"Food. I'm a little hungry," she answered and her stomach backed her up by growling at that precise moment.
He chuckled. "Did you work up an appetite?"
Jacque rolled her eyes. "Tomorrow you are going to face down some bad ass vampire king and you're worried about your ability to wear your mate out in the bedroom?"
Fane’s breath against her neck was warm. "Love, it wouldn't matter if the world was burning to the ground—a man needs to know he can please his female."
"I'm pleased," she said dryly. "And hungry. Either go get me food or let me put on some clothes so I can go get me food."
Fane growled. But five minutes later Jacque was happily munching on a turkey sandwich and chips.
"So tomorrow," Fane began as he lay on his side propped up on an elbow watching her.
Jacque’s eyes narrowed and she paused in mid-bite. She spoke without removing her mouth from the sandwich. "Wu aboot tamrow?"
Fane grinned at her. "That's sexy."
She shrugged her shoulders, chewed, and swallowed, before speaking again. "What about tomorrow?" she asked again.
"I don't want to ever see a vampire with his hands on you again—ever," Fane told her.
"Okay."
He sighed. "I wish you would just stay here."
"I can't."
"I know." His brow drew tightly together. "What could be so important that you need to be in the US?"
Jacque shook her head. "Don't know, but I trust my mom."
"I do to. But it doesn’t mean I like it."
Jacque finished off her food, brushed her teeth for the second time, and then climbed into bed next to her mate. She felt their baby move and grinned as she took Fane's hand and placed it on her stomach.
Fane's eyes lit up when he felt their child kicking inside of her.
"Won't be long now," she told him.
At that he groaned and rolled onto his back. "Female, telling your mate that it won't be long until your child is born, the day before leaving to face off against a vampire king, isn't reassuring."
Jacque leaned over and kissed him gently and then snuggled up against him. "I told you when we started this whole thing that you'd never be bored."