“Sally, open the damn door.” Jen growled. She’d given her friend space and time, but she was done being considerate. Sally was hurting, and Jen wasn’t going to sit by and do nothing. “And why do I feel like I’ve said that before?”

“Maybe try not yelling at her.” Jacque’s voice came out softer and more hesitant.

Sally was still sitting on the floor of the bathroom where she’d closed herself off about an hour ago. Costin had left. She’d felt him moving farther and farther away from her, but she still hadn’t been able to make herself move from the spot on the cold tile.

“Sally, please open the door,” Jen said again in a much lower voice. Less than half a minute later, her voice came through the door again. “See, not yelling didn’t get her gypsy butt out here. That means yelling and physical violence are the only options left.”

“No physical violence, Jennifer,” Jacque ordered.

“I’m not going to beat her with a stick. Damn, Red. I’m just going to rip the door down and drag her out by her ankles.”

“Oh, well, if that’s all, then by all means, go ahead,” Jacque said dryly.

Sally wanted to smile, but her face wouldn’t work. She wanted to laugh, but the emotions seemed just out of her reach. So, instead, she did the only thing of which she seemed capable. She laid down on the floor, pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. She buried her face in her knees, and she wept. She remembered how Peri, Jen, and Jacque had found her in Ocean Side and befriended her. At the time, Sally hadn’t recognized the women. But when she met them, Sally had felt as though they’d been friends forever. Deep down her soul knew them. Why had she forgotten them? Why did it feel like her mind was fractured? She kept trying to reconcile her time in Ocean Side with her real life, but it was so hard because everything that had happened when her brain had been wiped was real. It was a lie, but it was still so very real.

“Sally, sweetie.” Jacque’s voice came down through the bottom of the door where there was a small crack. Sally opened her eyes and could see her friend’s face through that gap. Jacque was laying on the floor with her cheek pressed to the floor. “I don’t know what you’re going through, but honey, you don’t have to go through it alone. Don’t shut us out. We won’t judge you. We won’t give our advice. We won’t say a word. But let us be there for you.”

Sally held Jacque’s stare as she responded. “It’s too much, Jacque. I thought I could handle it.” Her words sounded choked as she spoke through the tears. “But I can’t. I can’t live like this.” She paused as she tried to work through the chaotic thoughts. “I see Costin, but I hear Jericho’s voice.” A sob broke through. “How sick is that? I hear another man’s voice when my mate speaks. I know Costin’s hands are trying to touch me, but I feel Jericho. I feel his breath on my neck. I feel his eyes when I close my own. I remember everything—every whispered word, every laugh, every touch— and I can’t stand it. I can’t do this.” She breathed out as she lost control of the tears. Her body shook, and she no longer tried to stay quiet.

“I don’t want to live, not like this. I want to forget. I want to stop hurting Costin. I want to stop being a burden to you two. I just want it all to end.”

“Jacque, move.” Jen’s voice was no longer simply her own but was filled with the essence of the Alpha power that flowed inside of her. Sally knew Jacque would have to obey.

She heard the doorknob twist until it gave a loud pop, and then the door was pushed open. It stopped just short of smacking Sally in the forehead. She didn’t look up but simply closed her tear-filled eyes. Two sets of arms wrapped around her, cocooning her in their warmth. She felt both of her friends’ bodies tremble and knew they were crying with her, for her. They spoke no words of comfort, nor did they berate her for her morbid outburst. They simply held her, letting her know by their presence and touch they would be there for her no matter what. Every pat of their hand on her back or stroke down her hair was a reminder. We are here. You are loved. You aren’t alone.

Sally relaxed for the first time in days and allowed herself to slip into sleep. She was exhausted. She’d been holding everything inside, afraid to tell anyone what she was enduring and, finally, it wasn’t her burden to bear alone. For the first time in three days she slept without dreaming.

* * *

“Get Rachel, Alina, and Lilly,” Jen told her mate through their bond as she held her now-sleeping best friend. She and Jacque had been laying on the bathroom floor with Sally for over an hour. The gypsy had fallen asleep and seemed to be in a deep rest. They didn’t want to disturb her, so they simply laid there and held her.

“I didn’t know it was this bad,” Jacque whispered.

“She didn’t want us to know,” Jen said. “She said herself she thinks she’s a burden to us.”

“She said she didn’t want to live. Do you think she’s considered it?”

Jen frowned. “You mean taking her own life?”

“Yes.”

“A few hours ago, I would have said absolutely not. But now, I don’t know, Red. She’s broken. We all thought she was coping, but she was simply hiding everything.” Jen let out a sigh. “I saw Costin earlier in the hall. He’d come out of their room breathing like a bull about to charge. I tried to get him to tell me what was going on, but he wouldn’t budge.”

“He left her?” Jacque asked.

“I saw him head downstairs. From there I don’t know where he went.”

“For Costin, the most patient of our males, to leave her side after everything she’s been through … that’s not a good sign,” Jacque pointed out.

There was a knock at the door. “Just come in. We don’t want to wake her up,” Jen told Decebel.

She heard footsteps, and then the light from the bedroom was blocked by four bodies.

Jen pressed a finger to her lips and whispered, “Rachel, we need you to work some of your gypsy mojo on our healer. But she needs to stay asleep.”

Rachel nodded as she stepped forward and knelt beside them. She placed a hand on Sally’s head and closed her eyes. Rachel’s hand began to emit a soft glow, and then it faded.

“She won’t wake,” Rachel said.

“Dec, can you put her on the bed, please,” Jen said as she and Jacque climbed to their feet.

“Why do you need all of us?” Alina asked.

“We need moms,” Jen said. “And I don’t mean us new moms who are still walking around like chickens with our heads cut off. We need the kind of moms who have been in the trenches. You’ve endured the horrible childhood hairdo disasters and dragged yourselves through the PMS valleys mixed with hormonal teen emotions. You’ve given advice to young men who needed guidance into manhood and cuffed a few who didn’t take your advice. We need those kinds of moms. That would be you.” She pointed at Lilly and Alina. “Congratulations, but your job isn’t done.”

“Is it ever?” Lilly asked dryly.

Jen deadpanned, “No. Never.” She looked at Rachel. “Can you dig around in her head and see what’s going on?” Jen held up her hand. “And before you tell me how intrusive that is and an invasion of privacy, blah, blah, blah, I’m calling the possible suicide card. Sally was talking like she was ready to walk off a cliff. She’s given us an idea of what she’s thinking, but she’s one of the few people in this world that I will not live without, so if I have to invade her privacy to make sure she keeps breathing, then I will. Can you do that?”

Rachel gave a curt nod. “I care about Sally too.”

“You can’t really know Sally and not care about her,” Jacque said. “She’s like a cute kitten. Can’t not love her.”

“True story,” Jen agreed. “Now.” She breathed out and pointed at Alina and Lilly. “You two, if you don’t mind, join me and Jacque outside. We have plans to make, a life to save, a marriage to restore, and all that noble crap.”

The four women stepped out into the hall leaving Rachel to sift through Sally’s mind. Decebel was the last one out and shut the door quietly. Fane was striding down the hall looking as grave as Jen felt.

“Jacquelyn,” he said as he reached his mate. “Are you alright?”

“I don’t know the answer to that question, wolf-man. Sally is in a bad place.”

“Dec, can you and Fane go and keep an eye on Costin?” Jen asked. “We don’t need him busting in on our intervention and going all caveman on us.”

Decebel leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “She will be alright,” he said softly. “She’s strong.”

“Yes, she is,” Jen agreed. “But everyone has a breaking point. I’m afraid Sally has met hers.”

Once Decebel and Fane were gone, Jen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked at Jacque, then Lilly and Alina. “We need to send Sally home.”

“What?” Jacque asked quickly, even as Lilly and Alina both nodded. Jen had known the two women would get it.

“I agree,” Lilly said. “Sally believed her parents to be dead for months. At first, we thought maybe giving her time before going to them would be wise, but after hearing you say she’s suicidal, I agree she needs a sense of normalcy.”

“To go back to what is achingly familiar,” Alina added.

Jen gave a curt nod. “Exactly.”

“Are we going with her?” Jacque asked.

Jen shook her head. “No. I think she and Costin need to go. Titus can stay here with us, and we can corrupt him. Maybe in a few weeks, we can fly with him to Coldspring. But I think Sally needs to be reminded of where she came from, who she is, and that she is still the same amazing woman. She needs to see her family fall in love with Costin the way we know they will. That way, she will understand he still fits in her life.”

“Do you think Costin will go for it?” Jacque asked.

“He’ll do whatever it takes to get his mate back,” Jen said confidently.

“I’ll call her parents,” Lilly said as she pulled her cell phone from her back pocket.

Jen pulled out her own phone. “I’m booking their flight.”

“Couldn’t we see if one of the Fae could take them?” Alina asked.

Jen shook her head. “Let’s let her do everything the human way. The travel will give her time to prepare herself to see her parents.” Jen looked at the flights and prayed she was making the right decision.

* * *

Rachel sat on the bed next to the sleeping young healer. There were dark circles under Sally’s eyes, and her skin looked drawn as though it were stretched too tightly across her face. She ran a hand gently across Sally’s forehead and pushed back her long brown locks.

“You’re too young to be going through this,” Rachel whispered. “You should be worrying about whether Titus is learning his ABC’s and how to keep Jen from corrupting him too terribly. Not this.”

She knew she didn’t need to stall any longer, but the truth was, she didn’t want to see into Sally’s mind. Not because she didn’t want to invade the girl’s privacy, though that did prick her conscience, but because she was afraid of what she might find there.

Rachel let out a sigh and then pressed her hand to Sally’s forehead. The older healer closed her eyes and let her light and power flow into the young woman. She was met with immediate resistance and fought the urge to pull away. Darkness cloaked Sally’s mind. It whispered to Rachel like a lover, but the words that filled Sally’s mind were poison. Over and over, Rachel heard the hiss of a voice caressing Sally’s thoughts, telling her how unworthy and tainted she was. You are ruined, it crooned. Ruined and stained.

“Lies, Sally,” Rachel said into the girl’s mind. “Reject the lies that so easily entangle. You are precious and loved. You have suffered a horrible injustice, but you are no more tainted than a child who has been abused. You are the victim, and I know that is a horrible label to have to bear, but it does not mean you are tainted. Fight back, Sally. Don’t let this steal your joy and the life you can have.”

Rachel tried over and over again to reach Sally’s mind but couldn’t get past the darkness. She didn’t even know if Sally could hear her in her mind. After several more minutes, she pulled her hand back. Tears streamed down her face as she stood and took a step back from the bed. Rachel wanted to turn and run, to get as far from whatever evil had latched itself to Sally as she could. But she wouldn’t do that to someone she’d grown to care for. Sally needed help. The young healer needed the support and love of them all.

When she finally left the room, Rachel was going over the things in her mind that she’d seen and heard inside of Sally, and trying to determine a way to tell her two best friends. She didn’t want to come across as hopeless, but that’s how Rachel felt, as though nothing would ever be okay again. Everything was falling apart and…

“Rachel?”

Her thoughts were cut off abruptly when Jacque placed a hand on her arm.

“Are you okay?”

“I…” she began but then stopped. Was she okay? She didn’t think so. But what wasn’t okay about her? “Sally’s mind is wrapped in darkness. I’m not sure if it’s magic or her own self-loathing. It’s cloaking her mind. I tried to speak to her, but I don’t know if she heard me.” Rachel took several cleansing breaths before she spoke again. “It was whispering to her. Ugly, horrible things. Almost like it was alive.”

Alina placed a hand on Rachel’s arm. The healer looked down. She hadn’t realized she’d been rubbing her arm. “It feels like my skin is crawling,” she said. “The … darkness, or whatever it is, feels like it tried to crawl into my own mind.”

“What sort of magic was it?” Alina asked.

Rachel thought about the question for a moment and then shrugged. “I honestly can’t say that I could tell. There was just so much malice in it.”

Alina turned to Lilly. “Are you getting any weird vibes about Sally and Costin traveling?”

Lilly raised a brow at the Alpha female. “That’s not how it works. I can’t just make the visions happen. I do have an uneasy feeling, but I don’t think it’s because of Sally or Costin being in danger if they travel.”

Jen walked over and looked at Rachel. “I heard a little of what you said. We’ve decided that Sally and Costin need to take a trip to her parents. Maybe it will help her work through whatever pain and lies she’s beginning to believe.”

Rachel nodded. “I think that’s a good idea.” She was about to say something else when she heard her mate’s voice bellow down the hallway.

“Rachel,” Gavril said for the second time, only this time he didn’t yell. “What is wrong? I could feel you. Something is not right.”

“Sally’s being consumed by darkness. She is self-destructing, and your mate went into her mind to verify it. That’s all. Geez, you males can be so dramatic,” Jen bit out.

Gavril’s eyes widened. “What darkness?” he asked Rachel.

“I’m not sure, my love,” she told him. “I couldn’t tell if it was magic or her own psyche.”

“Where is Sally now?” Gavril asked.

Five female hands were immediately in the air, pointing to the door of Sally’s suite. “She’s sleeping,” Jen told him.

He nodded. “It is late. Perhaps we all should follow her example and get some rest.”

Rachel let him lead her away, but she glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes locked on Lilly’s. The warlock king’s mate was hiding something. She’d heard it in the lie the woman had told Peri. Lilly had felt something about Sally and Costin. She knew that Lilly loved Sally like a daughter, so she couldn’t imagine that she would keep something to herself that could put the girl in danger. So what was it the queen was hiding and why?

* * *

Decebel stopped when he felt his mate stirring in his mind. “Is everything alright, Jennifer?”

“As alright as it can be,” she answered, sounding very tired and worried. “I booked Costin and Sally plane tickets to Coldspring. They leave tomorrow afternoon. Lilly has called and informed Sally’s parents of their imminent return.”

“Imminent return?” he asked, unable to keep the humor from his voice. “Since when did you start using words like imminent?”

“Since my life became a super-long battle against one evil after another. Saying that Lilly told them they were coming home just doesn’t reflect the gravity of the situation. And I’ve been reading a lot lately. Let me bask in my growing vocabulary, B.”

“As you wish,” he told her. “You are done meeting with the other females?”

“Yep. Going to check on our rug rat in the flesh. I’ve had the baby monitor connected to my phone, and she hasn’t stirred. Then I’ll see if I can get some rest. Make Costin get his arse home, please. I don’t like Sally being in her bed alone. And as much as you wolves grumble about your mates being by your sides, he needs to practice what he preaches.”

Decebel could feel the frustration rolling off her in waves. She was angry with Costin for leaving Sally, and he couldn’t say he disagreed with her. The males of his race were possessive and protective. It wasn’t right for Costin to demand that Sally stay close to him and then bail on her when things got tough.

“I’ll take care of him and be back to warm our bed as quickly as I can. Behave,” he added before he felt her pull back from his mind, not closing it, rather remaining just in the background.

He began to run again with Fane close at his side. Decebel stuck his nose in the air and breathed in deep. There, to the left, he could smell Costin’s faint trail. Decebel veered that direction and picked up his pace. As they descended a steep slope, both he and Fane had to dig their paws into the ground to bring themselves to a stop. There, next to a small stream, sat Costin. He was in his human form, pulling up grass from the ground and shredding it.

Decebel phased, as did Fane. There were no clothes to don, but only males were present, and they weren’t bothered by the lack of covering. They walked over to where Costin sat and took seats on the plush grass across from him.

“Talk to us,” Decebel said after several minutes of silence.

Costin’s lip curled up in a silent snarl. “This an intervention?” His voice was harsh and bitter. He glanced up at them, and Decebel saw his eyes were glowing bright. His wolf was in control.

Decebel called on his own wolf and let the power that came with being an Alpha flow over him. He knew the minute it hit Fane and Costin because they both bowed their heads instinctively.

“I have not given up my title just yet, Beta,” Decebel growled. “Know your place, or I will remind you of it. I am your Alpha, and, more importantly, I am your friend. We are here because we care about you and Sally. You are pack, family, and we don’t leave our own to face trials alone. Now tell us what the hell is going on.”

Costin’s shoulders slumped forward as the weight of what he was bearing seemed to press down on him. It was his wolf who spoke. “She is ours,” he growled. “Ours to protect, to love, to cherish. Our true mate, but she pushes us away.” Costin’s voice grew deeper as he spoke, and his body began to shake.

“Control yourself,” Decebel said in a low, fierce voice.

Costin took a deep breath, and, when he looked up at Decebel, his eyes were no longer glowing with his wolf’s anger. “She won’t let me touch her. She hardly speaks to me. Every minute of every day, she pushes me a little further away. Her mind is completely closed off to me. I don’t know if she even wants to be mine anymore.”

“She’s been through something very traumatic, Costin. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but you need to give her time,” Decebel said. “She’s your true mate. She cannot live without you. You aren’t going to lose her.”

Costin let out a humorless laugh. “I could tell myself that all day long, Alpha. But that doesn’t change reality. I am not going to lose her. I have already lost her.”

Fane growled. “No, you haven’t. She’s still there in the mansion, asleep in your bed.”

“Her physical body,” Costin snapped. “But this”—he pounded his hand against his chest, just over his heart—“I don’t have hers anymore. She may not have given it to that other wolf, but somewhere along the way she decided it was too broken to give even to me, her damn mate.”

“You’re both hurting. You’ve been through so much for the past four months. I can understand all the doubts, but I will not stand by and watch as you two give up. You are her true mate. There is no one else on earth who can love her as you can. Let me ask you this…” Decebel shifted restlessly, hating to broach this subject, but hoping it would help. “Remember how you felt in the In Between?” As expected, Fane sucked in a sharp breath, and Costin’s body grew rigid once again.

“It’s not something I allow myself to dwell on,” Costin said.

“I’m sure you don’t, but for this lesson I need you to think about those feelings. Think about how you felt when your mind conjured up those fears. Remember how the pain and shame from it threatened to rip you in two. Remember how you felt undeserving of your mate, regardless of the fact that none of those things you saw or experienced actually happened. Comparing your feelings to what Sally is experiencing is like comparing a paper cut to third degree burns. But…” He held up a finger. “It should allow you to have a tiny taste of what your mate is enduring.” Decebel let out a resigned sigh before continuing.

“I never thought I’d see the day that I’d have to order a true mate to fight for his female.” Decebel narrowed his eyes on his Beta and friend. “Costin Miklos.” The power that came with being Alpha surged forward into his words as he spoke. “You will return to your mate. You will set aside any doubts, any fears, any anger you may have, and stand by her side, where you belong, until she is through this dark time. You’re scared of losing her, and we understand that, but running from her isn’t going to help you keep her. You need to fight for your mate. Fight for your relationship, because if you don’t, then Jeremiah and The Order win. Regardless of whether they were able to keep Sally under their thumb, if you let this destroy your marriage, then they win. You will do this.”

Costin bared his neck to Decebel. “Yes, Alpha.” He paused and then met Decebel’s eyes for a couple of seconds before dropping them. “What if I fail?”

“You won’t. Failure isn’t an option when it comes to our mates. Suck it up, Costin. You were created for her and she for you. Start acting like it.”

* * *

Costin shut the door of their suite quietly and walked to the bathroom. There were no lights on, but with his wolf’s sight he had no trouble seeing. He needed a shower before he went to his mate.

His Alpha was right and, even without the Alpha command, Costin would have returned to her prepared to fight for what was his. He was hurt. He was lonely. He was terrified. But he wouldn’t lose her, not even to a memory. His Alpha had been right to remind him of the In Between, though it sucked dragon balls to think about. He did remember how he’d felt. He had thought himself unworthy of Sally in every way. It made him nauseous to think that she now thought herself unworthy of him.

The water rushed over his body, washing away the dirt and sweat. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it soothe him and cleanse him. He needed to remember who he was when she met him, confident and sure of himself. He had every right to be close to her, to talk to her and have her talk to him, to touch her. She needed him desperately, and she didn’t even realize it, but that was going to change. Sally was about to get what she deserved, a mate who would show her how much he loved her, wanted her, and was prepared to fight for her.

He dressed quietly and then stepped into their bedroom to find her sleeping more peacefully than she had in days. She looked serene. His hands itched to caress her skin and tunnel through her hair. His body ached to be close to hers, fitting her against him where she belonged. It had been days since he’d felt her, and he was done waiting.

He walked purposefully to his side of the bed and pulled back the covers. Without pause, he climbed in and slid closer to her, rolling onto his side. Costin wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back against him. Before everything had happened, they’d slept like this, every night. He felt his wolf settle for the first time in days as he let the heat from Sally’s body seep into his. He had to convince her that this togetherness would get them through this troubled time. They needed to stand beside each other, lean on each other, and love each other. That would get them through all the pain and sorrow, and he knew they’d come out whole on the other side. But he had no idea what he could do, short of tying their waists together.

He knew he should sleep, but he didn’t want to. He was afraid to miss a moment of finally having her back in his arms. She started to shift, and he wondered if she was waking up, but she simply rolled over and moved closer to him. She buried her face in his neck and let out a contented sigh. He held the other half of her soul. And he knew it was her soul that was reaching out to him in that moment. It was reaching for comfort, acceptance, and safety.

“I’ve got you, Sally mine. I’ve got you, and I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered into her hair.

“Don’t give up on us.” Her voice spoke into his mind, and he knew it was her soul speaking to his.

“Never,” he promised.

When the sun began to rise and his mate started squirming restlessly, Costin debated whether he should let her go and give her some space or keep holding her. To be completely honest, he was sick of space between them. He wanted her to crowd him. He stayed right where he was. Her legs had tangled with his sometime in the night, and half of her body was laying across him. It would take a thousand wolves to move him from that spot in that moment. He didn’t even think his wolf would obey an Alpha command to move. He pulled her tighter against him and rubbed his hands down her back and up again. He wanted to touch so much more of her, and he wanted it to be skin on skin, but he wouldn’t push her to be intimate with him now. He didn’t want to scare her. However, he wasn’t going to allow her to push him away any longer.

“Costin?” Sally’s tired voice broke through his thoughts.

He tensed as she started to pull away from him. “No, Sally, I’m not letting go.” His voice was firm, and his wolf was pushing forward, eager to help him make her understand.

“You shouldn’t touch me,” she said, not raising her head to look at him but looking down in a submissive manner. “You can’t.”

“Yes, I can.” He cut her off. “I am your mate. I love you. I am not going to hurt you. I am not ever going to stop wanting you. I cannot let you go, not even if you believe that’s the best thing for us. I cannot continue to let you push me away. I’m done, Sally mine.” He placed a finger under her chin and forced her head up until he could see her eyes. “Listen to me and listen good. We are going to get through this, but we are going to do it together. You are no longer going to withhold your touch from me or keep me from touching you. We need that touch. My wolf is desperate for your skin to be in contact with mine. You are going to talk to me and let me back in.” He gently tapped her forehead. “The monster who hurt you is dead, and if we let this tear us apart, they win.” He repeated Decebel’s words and felt with more conviction that his Alpha was right.

“Tell me again.” Sally said the words she’d said to him their first night back from Ocean Side. She’d allowed him to make love to her, and then he’d told her over and over how much he loved her and how much she meant to him. Costin had said he would tell her all day, every day, if that was what she needed.

“I love you. You are mine. You are precious. You are beautiful inside and out. I need you desperately. Every part of me, from my physical body to my soul, is aching for you.”

A sob broke loose from her as the tears that had been gathering in her eyes began to fall. “Again,” she said.

He felt her mind open, and the bond between them was complete again. He reached for the intimacy of speaking to her through their bond instead of saying it out loud. “I love you, Sally.” His voice was even deeper as he spoke into her mind. “You are a treasure I don’t deserve, but I’m too selfish to give you up. You give my life so much meaning and light. Even now your light is reaching into me to keep my darkness at bay. You are mine. Say it.” He growled.

“I am yours,” she said through her tears.

“Again,” he said.

“I am yours.”

“You’re damn right you are,” he said before leaning his head down and pressing his lips to hers. He wanted to take the kiss deeper, to push her onto her back and blanket her body with his own. But he could feel she was conceding, and he didn’t want to push too hard.

Her cheeks were flushed when he pulled back, and her lips swollen from the force of his kiss.

“You want me?” she asked.

Costin didn’t answer. He simply sent her his thoughts. He made it perfectly clear through the images in his mind that he wanted her in every way.

She blushed and ducked her head, pressing it into his chest. But he didn’t relent, despite her embarrassment. Costin continued to assault her mind with memories of their time together and desires that he wanted to fulfill with her and her alone. She needed to understand nothing had changed the way he saw her. Nothing that had happened had caused him to lose his need or want of her. He could feel her insecurities, and most of it stemmed from her fear that he would be disgusted by her.

“I’m not going to stop until you no longer doubt me,” he said quietly.

Her eyes widened. “You can’t go around putting those thoughts in my head all day.”

He smiled, and it felt so damn good. “Is that a challenge, Sally mine?”

She shook her head. “No, no, you idiot, of course I know you can, but I mean you can’t because I’ll look like a freaking tomato all day.”

“No one will know what I have running through that beautiful head of yours, unless you tell them.”

“Where is this coming from?” she asked him. “You’ve been quiet for the past few days. I know you’ve been giving me my space.”

“That wasn’t working, so I’m trying a new tactic. It’s called seduce my mate until she’s a puddle at my feet, begging for my touch.” He knew his face must have been plastered with smugness because she was giving him an irritated look. He’d take it. It was better than her looking at him like he was her past and not welcome in her future.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel that way,” she said softly, picking up on his thoughts. “Something is wrong with me, Costin. I’m scared—no, I’m terrified of losing you.”

He shook his head. “Not possible. The world will break apart until all that is left are tiny particles before I would leave you.”

She stared up into his eyes, and he knew she was searching for even a tiny lie in his words. She would find none. Decebel would let Jen strip in a room full of single males before Costin would let go of his mate.

“Can I tell him you thought that?” she asked with a small smile.

“You can do whatever you want if it will put a smile on your face,” he said in all seriousness.

Before she could respond, there was a loud pounding on their door and then Jen’s voice. “Wake up! Y’all need to pack and then spend some time with your son before you go to the airport. If you’re late and miss your flight I’m going to be ticked.”

“Um, Costin, what is she talking about?”

He was as confused as his mate. “I have no clue.”

“DON’T MAKE ME COME IN THERE! Oh, and I have your kid. I kidnapped him earlier when Thia woke me up. Y’all need to think about some sort of security if you sleep so deep that I can steal your son,” Jen yelled.

Sally started to bury her head in his chest but then redirected for the pillow. Costin wasn’t having it. He moved her shoulders so that her forehead landed on his sternum. “You lean on me, Sally. Got it? From here on out, you lean on me.”

She nodded after a few heartbeats. “You. I lean on you,” she repeated.

He kissed the top of her head. “Good girl. Now…” He gently pushed her back and rolled her over. “Let me go deal with your best friend before she breaks down our door. I’ll find out what she’s done with our kid and then we can get ready.”

She smiled up at him. It wasn’t her usual big smile, but it was a start.

Costin snatched a robe from the back of a chair as he headed toward the front door of their suite. His steps felt lighter than they had the night before and, though things weren’t entirely fixed—not by a long shot, he finally felt as though they were moving in the right direction.

He pulled the door open to find a perturbed looking Jen staring back at him.

“You walk too slow,” she said coolly.

“What is this about packing and a flight?” he asked, ignoring her comment.

“Sally is one of my best friends. I would do just about anything for her. Seeing her in a broken heap on her bathroom floor last night was not cool, dimple boy, not cool at all. Now, based on your relaxed face, I can tell there’s been some mending done between the two of you. That’s good. But I still pulled rank on you and made the decision, along with Alina, Lilly, and Jacque to send you and Sally on a little trip. I’ll fill you both in downstairs. Hurry it up.”

He started to respond but Jen pushed him back far enough into the suite that she was able to grab the door and slam it closed in his face.

“Get a move on DB, daylight’s a wasting.” He heard her yell through the closed door, her footsteps getting further and further away.

Costin rubbed his face as his wolf growled. He didn’t like being touched by another female, no matter how brief. Having gone without Sally’s touch for so long, hers was the only one he desired.

With a final grumble he headed back to their room, willing to humor Jen, but he wasn’t about to rush any time he had with his mate. He’d rather endure Jen’s wrath than sacrifice a second with Sally.