by Quinn Loftis
“I love you. I won’t let anything happen to Slate. I will do anything I have to in order to protect him.” He could hear the fierce determination in her voice, and it worried him. Of course, he wanted her to protect their son, but he didn’t want anything to happen to either of them.
“I love you, Luna. I know you will protect our son. You are so very brave. I have no—”
“Someone’s coming in,” Jacquelyn interrupted, her voice becoming anxious. “I’ve got to go. Don’t do anything stupid, wolf-man.”
“Jacquelyn!” He roared, but the bond was shut down tight. Fane reached for the nearest item, which happened to be a large lamp, and turned, launching it across the room. He didn’t even consider that he might hit someone. He didn’t care. All he cared about was his mate and son and the enemy who was walking into their room. Fane needed to protect them, needed to see them and touch them.
The loud crash and accompanying growls brought his attention back to the room where he stood. His breathing was fast, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession. His hands were curled into fists at his sides, and he could feel that his claws had come out and were digging into his palms. His lip was lifted in a snarl, no doubt revealing his non-human teeth.
“Fane?” Dillon’s voice registered, but it didn’t stop Fane’s wolf from turning his rage on his mate’s father.
Fane felt his wolf’s rage growing inside of him as someone other than his alpha attempted to control him. The hair on the back of his neck rose, and power began to pulse through his body. His eyes lifted and met with the Colorado alpha’s. Fane should have dropped his, but he didn’t feel any submission toward the other alpha. There was no need to turn belly-up because this wolf was not dominant to him. Not anymore. Fane’s power burst outward as he gave up trying to restrain it, and suddenly every wolf in the room, including Dillon, was down, some on one knee, supporting themselves with a hand resting on the ground. Others were on both knees. The only one who wasn’t bowing their head was Dillon, and the strain on his face made it clear he was fighting the need to.
“I don’t answer to you,” Fane’s wolf snarled as a growl rumbled in his chest. “I answer to none other than my mate, and she is not here.”
“Fane.” Decebel’s deep voice rumbled and was filled with agony as if he were in pain. “Your mate wouldn’t want you maiming her father, no matter how worried you are. And you answer to your alpha, your father. You answer to me as your beta.”
Fane didn’t take his eyes off of Dillon as his wolf responded to his father’s beta. “Not anymore. I have deferred to you out of respect for my father, but you and I both know I am not a follower. That is not my future and will not be my legacy.” He paused and slowly let his gaze roam around the room, assessing the kneeling wolves. “They are not the enemy,” he told his wolf. “They are doing nothing to get our mate back,” his wolf snapped in reply. Fane took a deep breath and willed his wolf to let him take control. Whatever power had lain dormant inside of him had awoken. And it wasn’t going back into hiding. But that didn’t mean he was going to be a tyrant. His father and mother had raised him to be better than that. Great power meant great sacrifice because that is what you did for those who were yours to care for. Dillon wasn’t his wolf, but he was his mate’s father and the grandfather of their child. Dillon’s wolves weren’t his, but they were his allies. Decebel was his father’s Beta and also a close friend. As soon as Fane’s wolf was no longer in control, the power seemed to be sucked back inside of him, and there were audible sighs from around the room.
Dillon and Decebel were the first back up on their feet. The others moved more slowly but, one by one, stood up.
“What just happened? What set you off?” Dillon didn’t address the fact that Fane’s wolf had just made him submit. Maybe there was no reason to address it, at least not now. He was Vasile Lupei’s son. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he was more dominant than Dillon or any wolf in the room.
“I was talking to Jacquelyn. While we were talking, she suddenly said someone was coming in and then she shut the bond. I can feel her, or at least what she wants me to feel.” He tried reaching for her again, but the bond was still shut, and unless he pushed really hard, he wouldn’t be getting through.
“They won’t hurt her,” Dillon assured him.
“What makes you think that?” Fane growled. “It couldn’t possibly be because these are reasonable people who don’t like hurting the innocent.”
“I think it because despite Alston’s most recent actions, he’s smart. He knows that you can communicate with your mate, and he knows if he starts hurting them for no reason, he loses our cooperation. He doesn't have all the power, and he’s aware of that,” Dillon explained.
“You mean he’s allowing us to communicate with our mates,” Decebel said. “Alston is powerful enough to lock the mate bond down. Like you said”—he looked at Dillon—“he’s smart. Letting us know that our mates and pups are unharmed is a calculated move, not because he doesn’t have the ability to stop it.”
Fane agreed to some degree. But he didn’t think Alston was smart. He was ambitious. Smart men didn’t take the mate and child of a Canis lupus. Only a man with a death wish committed such an act.
“We’re going to get them back, Fane.” Dillon’s voice filled with a snarl.
“Of course we are,” Fane said, his voice deep and guttural with his wolf. “There’s no other option.”
Chapter 13
“Blood, sweat, and tears. These are three things that you are guaranteed to shed when attempting to save the world.” ~Costin
* * *
“I know why they need me,” Sally said as she paced the room, walking in a large circle around Titus, who sat on the floor. She’d been avoiding the topic for the past couple of hours since she’d been returned to her mate and child because she knew revealing her suspicions would potentially set off Costin’s wolf. When their captors had last brought them food, Tenia, the female fae, had been with them, and she’d brought Titus some coloring books, paper, and crayons. Titus had said thank you and then promptly sat on the floor and began coloring. He hummed a song Sally couldn’t identify and appeared quite content for the moment. She was beginning to wonder if he was in some kind of shock. Tenia had given Sally an apologetic look but hadn’t attempted to speak to her. And Sally hadn’t tried either. The compassionate healer didn’t want the woman getting into any more trouble, despite the fact they were on opposite teams.
“A healer’s magic is very unique,” Costin said. He’d given up on trying to get her to be still and stood leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. Sally was impressed with his patience, considering she kept stepping past him every couple of minutes. She was also extremely concerned about him because he seemed much too contained, especially after having been glued to her side for the first hour since her return.
She could feel the rage inside of him simmering just below the surface. She would have been less concerned if he were yelling and growling, but no, he was simply brooding. Brooding was a Decebel thing, not her Costin’s thing. Sally was worried that at some point the pressure building inside of him was going to fill him to the point that he could no longer contain it. Her mind went back to that day in the bar when they’d come to rescue her and Costin had walked in. His rage had been contained then as well. Until it hadn’t been. Then she had seen a side of Costin that she only thought existed in the males like Vasile, Decebel, and even Fane. But apparently, if you pushed a wolf even as laid back as Costin, you would deal with his beast.
“Your magic is pure. There is no other like it in all of the supernaturals,” he continued. “Unfortunately, that means that it is too tempting for the corrupt to not try and steal it.”
He was spot on, to some degree. It wasn’t only hers that they needed. But it was because hers was unique, like any healer’s. She made sure her mind wasn’t fully opened as she thought about the machine designed to try to literally suck the power f
rom her body. It caused her stomach to churn dangerously and made her wonder if she should ask for a trash can, just in case her previous meal decided to make an appearance.
Costin let out a low growl. “What did they do to you, Sally mine?” He pushed away from the wall and walked to her, forcing her to stand still as he took her face in his hands. “I won’t lose control. I know that’s why you don’t want to tell me. Nor will I let it happen again. I will not let this be your life. Believe me when I say that I will kill every single one responsible for taking you away from me and putting you and our son in danger. I will protect you both.”
Sally wished she could keep the tears from escaping but seeing the pain in his eyes was too much. What she had been through had been horrible but knowing what he had been through because of it, that was worse. She wanted to kill those responsible despite the fact that killing wasn’t really her thing. She was usually more of a “let’s all talk this out and come to a reasonable conclusion” kind of girl. But she was learning that everyone was capable of murder if pushed to their breaking point, and Sally was well past hers.
“I’m so sorry, Costin.” She placed her hands over his. She needed to touch him, as if somehow she could hold him together the way he’d held her together when she’d first gotten back from Ocean Side. “I’m sorry you went through that hell. I would give up just about anything to undo it.” She knew that he understood that Titus was what she wouldn’t give up. Sally could feel it through their bond.
“Sally mine,” he whispered fiercely and then pressed his lips to hers. He wrapped his arms around her, one holding her lower back tight to him and the other grasping her neck in the dominant hold she’d come to love and crave. His tongue invaded her mouth as though he owned her.
“You’re mine,” he murmured through their bond. “I do own you, just as you own me.”
He knew how much she loved it when he got all possessive, especially when he was loving her. His hand started to move farther south down her back, and Sally chuckled as she pushed it back up. “Our child is present,” she reminded him.
“It’s good for him to see his parents are madly in love.”
“But we should keep it PG.” Sally knew that touch was something his wolf was craving. She’d been out of his sight, going through hell unbeknownst to him, and all he’d been able to do was have Morse code conversations with Sally’s crazy best friend who’d, to Jen’s credit, kept Costin in control. It wasn’t a surprise that Costin or his wolf needed something more than just a hug or kiss.
Costin growled and began backing her up toward the door. There was a wall that created a small alcove between the door and the rest of the room. “Titus, Daddy needs a moment with Mommy,” he called out as he pushed her into the small space.
“Daddy and Mommy sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g,” Titus began to sing.
“Did he just spell a word?” Sally started to step around Costin, wanting to ask their son about it, but Costin caged her in.
“If he did, he can probably do it again in a few minutes.” He lowered his face toward hers. The feral look in his eyes was incredibly enticing, and it was hard not to climb him like a cat in heat.
“You can climb me anytime you want,” he whispered against her lips and then stole her breath as he pressed his lips to hers again. He nipped at her lips and then licked them as if he couldn’t get enough of the way she tasted. The feeling was mutual. Sally rose up on her toes to get closer to him, pressing herself seamlessly against her mate. The low rumble that came from him only spurred her on.
Costin’s hands, which had been roaming and attempting to raise her shirt, suddenly left her body and slammed into the wall on either side of her head. She jumped at the sudden movement and loud sound. He slowed the kiss until finally pulling away. His breath was as ragged as her own. Sally pressed her forehead to his and pressed her hands to his chest. “You okay?”
“We’re in the hands of our enemy and I don’t know how I’m going to protect you and Titus, and I feel as though I’m starved for you. My wolf is raging inside of me, but I have to keep him locked down because if I don’t he’s going to kill anyone who comes through that door, damn the consequences. They will not take you from me again.”
“So, not okay.” She took his face in her hands and ran her thumbs across his cheeks. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
He took several deep breaths but never took his eyes off of her. “Don’t let anything happen to you. I don’t think I could handle it again. And don’t tell me what happened until we are out of here.” There was shame in his voice in that last statement. He felt as though he should be able to handle it and felt guilty for not being able to hear it and comfort her, but his wolf was just too out of control.
“It’s not a weakness to admit that, Costin, nor should you feel any guilt or shame,” she said in a firm voice. “I couldn’t stand it if they took you from me. That doesn’t make me weak. And you’re just trying to keep us safe. You know you can’t do that if you aren’t in control. I get it. I do.”
“You couldn’t be weak even if you wanted to,” he said with a small smile, and Sally felt her shoulders relax just a bit.
“I love you.” She pulled him tightly against her.
“I love you more.” His rich, deep voice reached inside of her and warmed every cold place. She knew, as long as they were together, they could face anything. Just as she was about to tell him that very thing, Costin suddenly grabbed her around the waist and stepped back from the alcove while pushing her behind him at the same time.
Sally turned to find Titus. She hurried over to him just as she heard the door open. Sally stood directly in front of Titus with her hand behind her on his back pressing him to her as she glared at the three men who had stepped in. She could see fangs protruding from their ridiculous grins: vampires. Costin stood with his feet apart and his arms folded across his chest.
The male in the center, who appeared to be the one in charge, took a deep breath through his nose and then closed his eyes and let out a low, sensual hum. “I can smell your female’s lust,” the man growled. “It’s delicious.”
It had been awhile since Sally had wanted the floor to open up and swallow her, but she definitely wanted it to now.
“I don’t fault you for noticing. And I agree it is delicious and all mine,” Costin practically purred.
“Umm, do you think maybe we could talk about something else!” Sally snapped through the bond.
“I’m not going to lie, and they’re just trying to get a rise out of me. They want me to react to them. I won’t give them the pleasure. Unless they attempt to take you or touch you or our son. Then I will gladly rip their hearts out.”
He was definitely not as calm as he looked.
“Did you three come just to sniff my female, or is there another reason you’ve graced us with your bloodsucking presence?” Costin asked.
Two of the males hissed, obviously offended at the bloodsucking comment. Sally didn’t understand why they would be offended by something that was the truth. They did suck blood. But whatever.
“We’ve come to get your female,” the middle vampire said. “Ludcarab wants to speak with her.”
Sally swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. She’d just been returned. She wasn’t ready to go back and wasn’t going to go back. She’d somehow convinced herself that they could escape, and she wouldn’t have to face that horror again. And if that wasn’t the case, then she’d convinced herself that she’d be ready. She’d have some time to prepare herself and shore up her defenses. She’d been foolish. The enemy didn’t cater to its captor’s needs or wishes. Not that Alston had asked.
“My female is not leaving this room without me or our son. Period,” he said in a very calm, too calm, tone.
“Do you really think you can take three of us on and protect your pup?” the vampire on the right asked.
“Would you like to find out?” her mate asked with a feral grin.
S
ally had seen her mate fight. She’d seen him rip four werewolves apart in a matter of minutes. She had no doubt Costin could take the three vampires on and keep her and Titus safe. Her mate was a badass.
“Your confidence in me is a turn on,” she heard him say in her mind.
“Less being turned on and more focusing on the three hissing vamps, please.” Sally huffed, giving him a mental eye roll.
Costin’s head snapped to the left as one of the vampires lunged for him. Sally pushed Titus back as Costin reached out a hand that was suddenly sporting very long, very sharp claws. He slammed his hand into the vampires chest. When he retracted it, there was a bloody heart squeezed tight within his grasp. Well, that was gross. Sally tried to keep Titus from looking around her.
Costin dropped the heart to the ground as the vampire's body crumbled beside it. Her mate snarled at the two remaining vampires. “Tell Ludcarab he can come here. You are not taking my mate away from me.”
Whatever they saw in Costin’s eyes, it must have given them pause because they both backed toward the door. “Your days are numbered,” the vampire on the right said.
The leader vamp hissed at his companion. “We can’t kill him, dumbass. Do you know nothing of werewolf bonds? If he dies, she dies. If she dies, we die.”
“What about the pup?” the vampire with a death wish asked.
“Wrong question,” Sally whispered as her mate moved with his wolf’s speed. From one breath to the next, the vampire’s head was gone from its shoulders. Costin held the bloody mass for a second before dropping it on the ground. There was a moment of thrashing and splurting before the body fell next to it.
