by Quinn Loftis
“Ainsel, the pixie king, agreed to help send some of Vasile’s males, including Vasile to the In Between.”
“Which is what exactly?” Stella asked.
“A place of hopelessness and torture. Not somewhere you ever want to go,” Sorin answered and the look in his eyes made it clear that he had firsthand experience.
“If Ainsel did something as terrible as that, then why on earth is Peri trusting him?” Stella asked, this time directing the question to Elle.
“Vasile, the most powerful Alpha of the Canis lupis chose to spare the king. Ainsel’s decision to help Mona was not made out of a desire for power or greed, but by the need to protect his people. Though this did not excuse the king’s mistake, neither did it make him evil. Vasile only destroys that which he feels has no hope of being changed for the good.”
The group was quiet as the three healers seemed to consider the information given to them. After several moments Stella stood and brushed off her pants. “Well, I can’t judge because I know that there are times in life when you have two choices, and it’s the lesser of two evils that you must choose from. If Peri says we will be safe there, then that is good enough for me.” She looked down at Anna and Heather. “What about you two?”
Heather stood and Stella held out an arm for the blind healer to hold onto to help gain her footing. “I figure I’ve got two choices myself.” Her Texas drawl made the others grin. “I can keep going deeper into the rabbit hole, or I can head back towards the jaws of the big bad wolf. For some reason, at this moment the rabbit hole—no matter what pixie might inhabit it—seems a tad bit safer.” This brought a chuckle from the two males.
“Smart healer,” Adam praised.
“Well contrary to popular belief, fairy boy, blind does not equal dumb,” Heather snorted.
Elle clapped her hands as she stood up and grinned at Adam. “How come it never gets old when these humans call you fairy boy?”
Adam shrugged, unoffended. “They don’t know any better. They’ve probably never been in the presence of such beauty and masculinity all wrapped up into one and it’s blowing their little healer circuits.”
“Okay, on that note, I think we better get moving,” Heather said and gave Stella a small nudge. “If he continues spouting off that much crap we’ll be knee deep in it in a matter of minutes. I don’t know about y’all, but of all the crap in the world, male fairy crap is the most repugnant.”
Another round of laughter rippled through the group as they once again headed off. Elle assured them that it wasn’t much further, though in truth she didn’t know when they would find the entrance to the pixie realm. This wasn’t because she didn’t know how far away it was. On the contrary, she happened to know that they were basically on top of the veil to the pixie realm, but Ainsel was hiding it from her. He was watching them, letting them walk in circles, no doubt so that he could gain as much information on them as possible before allowing them entrance. Peri had told her that she had spoken to the pixie king, but that with everything that had taken place over the past months he was especially paranoid. She didn’t want to worry the healers. It was bad enough that she had had to tell them about their history with the finicky pixies; she didn’t need to add to any apprehension they might already have towards the creatures.
“Elle,” Adam’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Why are we going in circles?”
“So much for not worrying them.” Sorin’s voice reached through their bond. She smiled to herself at the exasperation in his voice. She should have known he would know what she was doing. As her mate, he was privy to any of her thoughts, though he usually tried to give her privacy.
“Adam is not known for his discretion,” she responded.
“True enough. Might as well let them know, love,” he told her gently.
She let out deep breath but didn’t stop walking as she answered. “The pixie king doesn’t quite trust us yet so he is keeping the veil hidden until he’s ready to let us in.”
“Wait.” Heather came to an abrupt halt. “You mean to tell me that we are just walking around aimlessly until this king decides to invite us in for tea? I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and think that maybe I gave you the impression that as a blind woman I love stumbling through a forest completely unworried about tripping over roots and face planting into some pixie droppings.” Heather ignored the cough covered chuckles. “I am not about to think that you let us walk around for no reason at all because you didn’t want to worry us over the weird pixie king.”
Elle had stopped and turned to look at the blind healer, trying not to cringe at the obvious irritation, though no doubt warranted, in the woman’s voice. She had a feeling if Heather could see she would be staring a whole into Elle’s skull.
“Elle, will this Ainsel let us in when he feels we aren’t a threat?” Anna asked gently.
Elle nodded, still unable to speak after having been thoroughly berated by Heather.
“Then how about we just sit and rest,” Anna suggested.
The group was quiet as they sat and the tension was thick until Heather finally spoke again. “Elle, I apologize for blowing my gasket. I think I’m just tired. But nonetheless, I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
Elle smiled at her and knew that Heather would hear that smile in her voice. “Or it could be that you were taken from your life, tossed into a world of wolves, fae, blood and magic, forced to endure a friend being tortured, subjected to the realization that one day a possessive, hairy male would claim you as his own, and then told that we were going to try and hide you from said male for as long as we could while seeking out the evil that tortured your friend.”
“Naw, it’s definitely just because I’m tired.”
~
Sally stood next to Costin in the living area of Peri’s home trying not to fidget. She was restless. Since the others had left in search of the pixie realm, the house had felt empty and the lack of distractions only made her mind dwell on all of the difficulties that they faced. Kara was upstairs in the room where the girls had all been staying per Peri’s suggestion. She had wanted to sit with Jewel while she waited to be introduced, but Peri had said she wanted her as far away from the males as possible without her leaving the house. The sound of the door opening had Sally gripping Costin’s hand tightly which made him chuckle, causing her to want to kick him in the shin.
“Why are you worried, Sally mine?” he asked her through their bond as they watched Peri walk in with two males on her heels.
“Oh, I don’t know, could be because we have a sixteen-year-old gypsy healer upstairs, a seventeen-year-old gypsy healer unconscious in the room twenty feet away, neither of them are mated, and two unmated males are walking into this house hoping that they might find their true mate?”
“Lucian, Dillon, and I won’t let anything happen to the females. Quit stressing about it and relax. You know Peri’s about to bust these twos’ balls and it’s bound to be hilarious. You wouldn’t want to miss fully appreciating getting to see her rip into unsuspecting werewolves now would you?” The playfulness in his tone had her biting back a smile.
“OMG, I would never want to miss out on Peri busting balls,” she said dryly. Costin looked at her from the corner of his eye; a mischievous grin spreading across his sexy lips.
“What?” she whispered with raised eyebrows.
“You said balls,” he muttered, attempting to cover his laughter with a cough.
Peri’s head whipped around and her eyes bore into them both at the sound of Costin’s laugh. The look was definitely one of warning.
“Welcome to Farie,” Perizada said to the two males. “This is my mate, Lucian. And this is the Beta of the Serbia pack, Costin, and his mate and gypsy healer, Sally.”
Sally watched as the first man that stepped forward gave a formal bow to Lucian. He was several inches shorter than Lucian putting him at about six foot one. He was big, Sally noted, like most of the wolves she knew and had dark chocola
te eyes, black wavy hair that brushed his collar, and his face was chiseled and masculine. He was handsome, very handsome. His movements were confident and smooth.
“Lucian Lupei, it is so good to see you alive and well. You knew my father, Ramone. I am Gustavo Rivera, Alpha of the Spain pack. This is my Beta, Antonio.” His thick Spanish accent was alluring and rich.
“Could you please refrain from ogling the Spanish wolf, beloved?” Costin growled in her mind.
Sally grinned. “You have nothing to worry about, Costin. Any male that can’t spin a bottle in one hand while pouring a shot with the other isn’t worth a second glance.”
He let out a snort but coughed quickly when Lucian glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
“Thank you for coming, Gustavo,” Lucian said and bowed his head in return. Sally noticed neither male bared their necks to the other. She wondered if that meant that they weren’t sure who was more dominant.
The Spanish wolf then stepped in front of Costin and Sally. “Costin Miklos.” Gustavo gave a curt nod of the head.
“Gustavo,” Costin said and tilted his head to the side bearing his neck ever so slightly. “Thank you for coming. This is my mate, Sally.”
Gustavo held out his hand to her, his head slightly bowed. She fought the urge to giggle like a school girl as she placed her hand in his. To her surprise he didn’t kiss it, but simply leaned a little lower as he spoke. “An honor to meet you, healer.”
“Thank you,” Sally told him pulling her hand away quickly as she felt Costin tense next to her. If Gustavo noticed the tension between them, he didn’t give any indication as he righted himself and turned back to Lucian.
“Where is Dillon?” he asked.
Lucian glanced towards Jewel’s room as though listening for something. “He’s dealing with a pack issue; he will join us shortly.”
“Perizada, thank you for allowing us to stay in your home,” Antonio spoke for the first time. His accent was just as thick as his Alpha’s, though his voice wasn’t quite as deep.
“As much as I would like to say that I would gladly open my home to all the wolves and that you are most welcome here, I try not to lie, unless it will benefit me somehow.” She shot her mate a look when he growled at her. “No offence, Antonio, but werewolves are not my company of choice; they tend to tread on my nerves with their sharp little claws.”
Antonio frowned. “But you are mated to one.”
“Hmm,” she nodded. “Yes, well, let it never be said that the Great Luna doesn’t have a sense of humor.”
“Don’t let her fool you,” Sally smiled. “She loves wolves, especially her big white one; she just likes to have something to complain about.”
“Why don’t we take a seat?” Lucian interrupted whatever it was Peri was about to reply. Sally was sure it would have been laced with colorful words.
Just as they all were seated, the front door opened and Dillon walked in. “Gustavo, Antonio, so glad you made it.” He nodded to the two wolves. Dillon took the remaining seat across from the Spanish wolves leaning his forearms on his knees with his hands clasped in front of him. Sally knew this to be his no nonsense pose. Dillon wasn’t about to exchange pleasantries or small talk. She could see in his narrowed eyes that he was all business.
“Peri, when do you have to go for the next pack?” he asked her.
Peri glanced at her bare wrist as though looking at a watch. “Whenever we are good and ready for the next ones.”
“Very well.” He looked at Gustavo. “I don’t like to have to repeat myself a hundred times so how would you feel about letting Peri retrieve the remaining packs and then allowing me to fill you all in at the same time?”
Gustavo’s lips twitched and Sally could tell he was trying not to smile. “What Alpha does like to repeat himself?”
Dillon chuckled. “Good point.”
“We are fine to wait, Dillon. There is no sense in wasting time speaking with each of us separately.”
Dillon looked over at Peri again. “Do you mind bringing all the wolves now?”
“Oh, sure, wolf delivery service, that’s me.” Peri plastered on her sickest fake smile before rolling her eyes and disappearing.
“She’s a tad moody this evening,” Sally muttered.
“Oh, like that’s different from any other day?” Costin laughed.
“I thought she would be less moody now that she has Lucian,” she said as she looked over at Peri’s mate.
Lucian’s face remained blank as he responded. “She is less moody, just not with the general public.”
Costin grinned. “Sally mine, if I didn’t know any better I’d think Lucian just made a joke.”
“Guess it’s not true that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
Gustavo’s brow rose. “Are they always like this?” he asked Lucian.
Lucian shook his head. “Worse.”
An hour later Sally’s foot bounced restlessly as she sat next to her mate and her eyes darted around the packed room. All of the huge male bodies reminded her of her time at the Gathering when Vasile and the other Alphas had attempted to find mated pairs by bringing all the unmated members of the twelve packs together. Yeah, that had been one big happy party. Deep voices rumbled as the males introduced themselves to one another in various accents and languages. Most of them seemed to know one another, which Sally realized shouldn’t be surprising considering they were all probably older than dirt.
“Depends on which layer of dirt you are referring to, love,” Costin’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Do you know who the oldest in the room is?” she asked him as she glanced from male to male.
“Lucian is probably the oldest; although the one who probably runs a close second isn’t here yet. That would be Kale, the Ireland pack Beta.”
“Does their age have anything to do with how powerful they are?”
Costin nodded as he answered through their bond. “Yes, generally the older the wolf the more powerful, but being mated makes a male stronger as well.”
Sally started to respond but stopped when Peri appeared once again in the living room with two more men. She wasn’t surprised to find that they were both at least six feet tall.
“I’m just going to go out on a limb and say that there are no small male werewolves,” she muttered to Costin through their bond.
Costin didn’t turn his head away from the new males as he answered. “Not that I have ever seen.”
“Good to know,” she whispered as she smiled at the newcomers.
Peri left again without bothering to make introductions, and by Sally’s count this would be her last trip. As they introduced themselves, Sally tried to take note of their names and faces, as well as their pack locations, because she knew the other healers would be asking her for details. There was Drayden, the Canada Pack Alpha, and his Beta, Nick. Drayden was blonde and blue eyed with classic good looks. He had an intriguing scar above his right eye that Sally was sure held an interesting story. Nick, his Beta, was the epitome of the biker bad boy, in looks at least. He was tall and broad in his chest and shoulders. His head was shaved, though not smooth like with a razor, but just down to the shortest he could get it with clippers. His eyes were black with a sheen to them that reminded her of obsidian. The black t-shirt and black boots only added to the overall effect. His eyes had a calculating look that slightly unsettled Sally.
The next ones brought by Peri were the Italian Alpha, Ciro, and his Beta, Aimo. Both of them had olive toned skin and dark chocolate hair. Ciro had light brown eyes, whereas Aimo had hazel eyes that were similar to her own mate, Costin. Again they were tall, but instead of being bulky, they were leaner and reminded her more of Adam in build. Both were very handsome and Sally had decided that the Great Luna had made the males of their race nearly irresistible in looks because it certainly wasn’t going to be their personalities, with all their demanding grunts, that won their true mates over.
“I heard that,” Costin
told her as he listened to the Ireland wolves introduce themselves.
Sally ignored him as she looked at Kale, the Ireland Beta, and Banan, his third. Kale had dark hair but the goatee and mustache on his handsome face were a deep red color. His eyes were bright green framed in long eyelashes. She frowned as she thought how unfair it was that a man should have such beautiful eyelashes. As his eyes met hers, he smiled and two deep dimples appeared causing her to smile back. He was a charmer and the accent only added to his appeal. Banan was more what she would consider a classic Irish look. He had red hair and freckles, which in no way subtracted from his manliness. He had a boyish face with round cheeks, and his green eyes seemed to dance in delight as though he knew something no one else did. Sally liked him immediately.
“Maybe you should go check on Jewel,” Costin suggested coolly.
“Maybe you should get over the fact that you aren’t the only hottie in the room. Regardless of that fact you are the only hottie that I want.”
“You try my patience, Sally mine.”
“You’ll live.”
Dillon took a deep breath as he prepared to explain to the males that had joined them just what they were up against. Introductions had been made. They were short, but then they weren’t here to find out each other’s favorite hobbies. They were here because the unsuspecting world needed them. Vasile had put it best when he said, if not us, then who? Dillon completely agreed. If they did not step up and fight the evil, who would?
