by Quinn Loftis
“Actually,” Jacque said as she wiped the tears from her eyes, “I think we are just so tired that you could add the word penis to anything and we would laugh.”
“But don’t,” Peri said quickly, “we don’t need a verbal vomit of your favorite P word.”
Jacque and Sally groaned as Jen’s smile widened.
“Oh fairy Peri, who told you penis was my favorite P word? They were mistaken. My favorite P word is by far p—,”
“Fire!” Sally yelled interrupting Jen.
Jacque jerked around and looked her. “What?”
Sally shrugged. “I was just trying to keep Jen from saying her favorite P word. You know how I hate that word.”
Jen laughed. “It’s just a word Sal.”
“Not the way you use it,” Sally said with a pointed look.
“You are correct Sally dear. It ceases to be just a word when I use it.” Jen laughed at her blushing friend. “Married, mated, no longer a virgin... and she still blushes.”
“Okay, I realize that the change in time, location, altitude, longitude or whatever has messed with your little brains, but could we please focus?” Peri nearly snarled.
The three girls stared up at Peri in shock. Peri looked down at herself and noticed she was floating off of the ground. She took a deep breath and released it and then her feet were planted firmly on the ground again.
“Now, as I was saying,” she started, “I saw the males. They were making no progress in putting together a plan and when I pushed them on it, Vasile had the brilliant idea that he is going to go see Reyaz face to face.”
“What?” The three gasped at the same time.
Peri nodded. “I know right.” She shook her head and began to pace. “I don’t know why they think Reyaz is going to play nice, or why they thing he is going to leave Lilly alone.”
“If you didn’t think he was going to leave her alone, then why didn’t you speak up before we all left?” Jacque asked her.
Jen let out an exasperated sigh. “Because they have penises. Haven’t you been listening?”
“Thank you Jen.” Peri nodded her approval. “I didn’t say anything because I was hoping they were right.”
“And in the nearly twenty-four hours that have passed since we left, what has changed that made you see that they were wrong?” Sally asked.
“I saw Reyaz,” she said too nonchalantly.
“What do you mean you saw Reyaz? Where?” Jacque asked as she slowly stood from the couch.
Peri shrugged. “In your front yard.”
“Well crap,” Sally retorted.
“You’re sure it was Reyaz?” Alina asked Peri.
Jacque called a house meeting after Peri had made her little announcement. Now, after midnight, nine tired and worried females sat in Lilly’s living room waiting to hear about the crazy warlock who might have been in the front yard.
“It was Reyaz, but it wasn’t Reyaz,” said the fae.
“Explain.” Alina crossed her legs and leaned forward on the edge of the couch where she was perched.
“It was a projection of himself,” Peri told them. “That part I understand. Its dark magic. What I don’t understand is how he accomplished it.”
“What do you mean?” Elle asked.
“In order for something like that to work so specifically he would have to have something personal of Lilly’s or Jacque’s. He knew exactly whose house he was in front of, so it wasn’t a blind projection of himself, or a vague projection. It was very specific.”
“Okay, so this is new to us,” Sally spoke up. “Is this something he can do simply because he uses dark magic?”
Peri nodded. “Yes, like many who crave power but don’t have it, they seek it out and care not how they obtain it or who it hurts or kills in the process. Black magic is fueled by blood and death. So whatever he had to conjure to make that little trick work, something had to die.”
“Life just gets cheerier and cheerier,” Jen muttered as she rubbed her swollen stomach.
“Did he say anything?” Cynthia asked.
Peri snorted. “He said he’d see us soon.”
“Oh snap,” Jacque muttered.
“I think we’re beyond being snapped, Jac. We have moved on to being well and truly screwed,” Jen said as she stood and yawned. “I know that we basically just found out that a crazy warlock dude is planning a visit, but I’m tired so wake me when he gets here.” She waved at the group as she turned and headed back up the stairs to Jacque’s room.
“Don’t tell Vasile for now,” Alina told Peri.
Peri smiled. “Keeping secrets from the wolves. I like your style Alpha.”
Alina chuckled. “Yes well, I don’t feel there is a need to alarm him until absolutely necessary.”
Everyone nodded their agreements and then began making their way back to their designated sleeping quarters. Peri spoke up before everyone could leave.
“Elle and Cynthia, could you two please wait a second. I would like to speak with you.”
Elle shot Cynthia a worried look but sat back down. Cynthia took a seat next to her and they waited as everyone else cleared out of the room.
“Oh good grief, Elle, quit stressing out. I’m not going to dissect your mind or anything,” Peri huffed as she watched her nervous comrade.
“Wait, could she do that?” Cynthia asked nervously.
Peri quirked a brow at her mischievously.
“Honestly doc, I wouldn’t underestimate anything about Perizada. Not anymore.”
“Dually noted,” Cynthia mumbled.
“So ladies,” Peri said dramatically, “my, my haven’t we been busy.” Both Cynthia and Elle squirmed under her gaze. “I take it the block on Decebel’s mind is your handy work?” she directed the question to Elle.
Elle nodded. “He asked me to.”
“Why?” Peri asked.
“He made us promise not to talk about it with anyone,” Cynthia spoke up quickly hoping to keep Elle from falling under the pressure of someone she obviously considered her boss.
“Doctor Steele, I have the highest respect for you, but I’m going to have to ask you to shut it.” Peri looked back at Elle. “Why?” she asked again.
“He wanted to keep Jen from being able to see into his mind while he is sleeping.” Elle slumped forward once the words were out, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
“How are you involved?” she looked back to Cynthia.
“He came to me first to see if I could help him. When I told him I couldn’t, I thought of Elle. He seemed very distraught and it’s very weird to see Decebel that way.”
“I imagine it is. Probably just as weird as seeing him fidgeting like a four year old.” Peri sat across from the two women and stared at them, but she wasn’t seeing them. She was lost in thought, remembering just how out of character the Alpha had been acting when she had popped in on their meeting. “He’s hiding something very important,” she finally said, “and if I know anything about our wolves, it’s that they will do anything to protect their mates.”
“You think he’s doing something to protect Jen and the baby?” Cynthia asked.
“I think he’s figured out a way to save his child. And he knows his mate would kill him if she knew his plan.”
“What?” Elle and Cynthia asked at the same time.
Peri shook her head. “Let’s just say that if what I think is happening, is really happening, it’s going to get so much worse, and never better.”
“Don’t you mean it will get much worse before it gets better?” Cynthia asked.
“If he’s doing what I think he’s doing doc, then there is no getting better.”
Chapter 10
“Free will is a gift and a curse. It is a gift to the one to whom it is given. They then have the right to choose their thoughts, actions, and beliefs. It is a curse to the one, like me, who grants it. I have to watch when the ones I have gifted with free will make decisions that I know are harmful and d
angerous. And though I can direct and guide, I cannot force, and sometimes when you love someone so completely, you desperately want to force.”
~The Great Luna
She was being called again and there was a jolt of joy inside of her that brightened her spirit at knowing her children called upon her. Creator and created working together as it should be.
“I did not expect you,” The Great Luna stated not unkindly to her guest.
Perizada bowed low before standing back up. “It is an honor to be in your presence Luna.”
“The honor is mine, Perizada. You have ministered to my wolves so long now, and still you do not grow weary.”
Peri laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far. Your wolves frequently make me weary.”
The Great Luna smiled as she walked slowly around the yard.
“This is the home of Lilly.” It was a statement but Peri nodded her agreement anyway. “How is she doing?”
Peri glanced at the house and then back to the goddess. “She’s very resilient.”
The Great Luna nodded her head. “She will have to continue to be so, for there is much more in store for her that will require not only resilience, but strength and bravery. Now,” she turned and faced Peri directly, “what troubles you High Fae?”
Peri let out a deep breath and rubbed her forehead. “Decebel has to be the most devoted mate I’ve known in all my centuries. His love for Jen is at times sickening. You know his plan?”
“I do.”
“And you approve?”
“There is no greater show of love than to sacrifice oneself.”
Peri growled in frustration. “There has to be another way.”
“Are you offering your life in place of the child’s?” The Great Luna’s voice was not condescending or expectant. It was simply a question.
“Is that what you would have of me?” Peri asked, her voice a whisper.
“I would have you do what you were put here to do, Peri. You have always been an ambassador of sorts to the wolves. You offer your wisdom and council when needed. You serve when needed, but the sacrifice in this case is not yours to give.”
“Isn’t it,” Peri asked desperately. “I am the one who snatched Jen from the hands of the Fates. Shouldn’t it be my life and not the child’s that they take?”
“It is not your time, Perizada.”
Peri watched as The Great Luna began to fade. “Wait,” she yelled, “what do I do?”
“You be there for her. When the time comes that she needs you most, don’t let her down.”
“I miss you,” Fane whispered into his mate’s mind. It had been two weeks since the females had left. Two weeks since his father had decided to go and confront the warlock Reyaz. Two weeks since Costin and he had ripped into one another. Two weeks away from his mate and it felt as though he hadn’t touched her in two years.
“I miss you too,” her voice was a caress against his wolf’s fur. His ache for her was a physical pain, not just because of the bond between them, but because he truly hated to be without her. She was the brightest part of his life, and especially now, during these dark times, he needed her light more than ever.
“You seem better,” Jacque told him, “more in control.”
“I am.”
“The fight helped?” he nearly laughed at the skepticism in her voice. How can a man explain to a woman that sometimes you needed to hit something, or in his case someone, for things to be right?
“I wish I understood it myself, Luna, but yes it helped. I’m sorry that I hurt you. I love you more than anything. I want you here with me, where you belong.” Fane imagined he probably sounded a little like a petulant child, but he didn’t care. He wanted his woman.
“Are you going to stomp your foot?” Her laughter warmed the cold dark places inside of him and he couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face.
“Will it make you get on a plane and get your cute butt back here?”
She laughed again. Oh how he missed seeing the smile that came with that laugh.
“No, but it would be funny to watch. Stop worrying about me and help your father. We are completely safe here. We’ve been shopping and listening to Jen whine about how big her butt is getting.”
“Sounds fun,” he told her dryly. “And both of those things are things you can do here.”
“Fane.”
“What?”
“Soon.”
Fane growled. “Not soon enough.” He sent her an image of him kissing her, letting her feel through their bond the need he had for her. He heard her breath catch and smiled to himself.
“You’re not playing fair,” she told him breathlessly.
“I never said I would love. I play for keeps.”
“Oh boy.”
He laughed out loud at her words and couldn’t help teasing her just a little more before he told her goodnight.
“Hello?” The question in Costin’s voice made Sally smile.
“Hey,” she said cheerfully.
“Sally mine, why are you calling me on the phone?”
She felt the heat of her blush work up her cheeks as she realized just how stupid her idea had been. But she wanted to hear his voice, not just in her mind. She wanted to hear it physically too. She didn’t even know if that made sense, but regardless she had picked up the phone and dialed his cell, something she had never done before.
“Don’t be embarrassed, brown eyes. I know what you mean. It is different to hear someone in your mind than with your ears. I get it,” he told her gently.
“You do?”
“Yeah, I do.”
She smiled as she leaned back against the couch. It was very late and everyone was asleep. She hadn’t been able to sleep. All she had been able to do was think about Costin, about his hazel eyes, his dimple, his warm sure hands, and confident swagger. Her mate, her husband, and she missed him like crazy.
“Is it supposed to hurt?” she asked him.
“Our bond, our wolves, demand that we stay close. We are one soul with two halves, and they don’t want to be a part. I’m sorry you’re hurting. I don’t want that for you.” She could feel his fingers on her face and she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation she knew was only there because he was sharing it with her through their bond.
“Why did it take you so long to contact me after your fight with Fane?” she finally asked the question that had been bothering her for the past two weeks. They had talked through their bond daily since the fight, but she hadn’t brought it up. Something in her had told her it wasn’t the right time. But for some reason, now felt right.
“I needed to deal with my emotions before I opened up to you. Violence is not something I want to share with you and sometimes after a fight, our control can be a little testy.”
Sally leaned forward. “What aren’t you telling me Costin?” she paused and thought about it for a second. “Wait, if I had been there, would you have felt out of control?” She waited for his answer and when it didn’t come she snarled, “Answer me.”
“Yes, if you had been here things would have been different.”
“Then why did you let me leave?” Sally’s heart hurt knowing now. From what Costin was sharing through their bond, he had been engulfed in rage after his fight with Fane.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t be, Sally mine. It wasn’t your fault. We knew the risks we were taking when we sent you ladies off.”
“Stupid,” she grumbled.
“Probably,” he laughed. “I miss you, brown eyes.”
Sally’s skin heated as she heard the simmer of passion in his deep voice. She knew that tone. She knew before he even sent her the thought that he was planning on turning her skin fifteen shades of red.
He chuckled. “My sweet innocent Sally,” he murmured to her.
“Not so innocent,” she told him boldly.
Costin purred to her through the phone, “Come home and prove it.”
“How are yo
u feeling?” Decebel asked as he listened to Jennifer breath through the phone.
“I’m going on four and a half months pregnant, Dec. I’m feeling fat. How are you feeling?” She didn’t hide the frustration or hurt in her voice.
“I feel lonely baby,” he told her honestly. Every day was becoming more and more painful. Breathing was becoming more of a burden than a necessity and he’d considered giving it up more than once.
“Does that mean you miss me?” she asked.
“More than anything.”
“Good.”
He chuckled at her tone and fought the urge to reach through the phone and pull her to him, if such a thing were possible.
“I’m tired B,” she told him gently. “I love you.”
“Okay baby, I’ll let you get some sleep.”
She snickered, “I don’t think you’ve ever said those words to me.”
Decebel grinned to himself. She was right. “And you like that I haven’t,” he flirted. He shouldn’t be flirting, he shouldn’t be doing anything to strengthen the bond, but he missed her and the pain from it was beginning to drive him mad.
“You are correct, my hot mate; I love that you have never let me sleep. But you’re way over there and I’m way over here, so your incredible hands can’t keep me awake tonight.”
“Wanna bet,” SHUT UP! he thought to himself. What on earth am I doing? I’m flirting with my woman that’s what, he snarled to himself, and I’m freaking talking to myself. Decebel let out an exasperated sigh.
“As soon as you’re home, you won’t be getting any sleep for a while,” he told her suggestively.
She let out an unladylike snort. “That’s just because I’ll have a crumb catcher keeping me awake.”
“Is that my new bedroom nickname?”
This brought a full laugh from her and his wolf wanted to roll around in the joy of hearing their mate so carefree.
“That was a good one, Dec.,” she let out a sigh as the laughter died down. “I really do miss you,” she told him softly.
“I know baby, I know.”
“Night B,” she finally said after several seconds of silence.
