by Unknown
Cynthia eyed Jen. “Oh, believe me, I am nervous.”
Jen snorted. “Someone has to be the brains in this outfit. We have some serious recon to do.”
Sally groaned. “We are up shit creek without a paddle if she is already using military lingo.” Jen laughed when Costin’s head snapped around to look at Sally.
A small grin touched his lips and Sally blushed under his gaze.
“You guys think you should be worried about me?” Jen asked skeptically. “If Sally’s already cussing, we are definitely in trouble with a capital DS.”
Cynthia cocked her head to the side. “Trouble starts with T,” she said at the exact same time as Sally said, “Don’t ask.”
Jen grinned. “Indeed it does, my doctor friend, but I’m not talking about just any kind of trouble. The kind of trouble we are in is the Deep kind that leads to all kinds of Shit.”
Cynthia made an ‘O’ shape with her mouth while glancing over at Sally.
Sally shrugged. “I told you not to ask.”
“I didn't.”
Before they had a chance to continue their conversation, Costin looked over at Sally and smiled mischievously.
“Shit creek?”
Sally turned bright red at the words he spoke through their bond. He tugged her toward him, leading her behind the bar.
“I’m blaming that one on Jen. She taught me everything I know about cussing, and being around her seems to make me word vomit.”
Costin laughed out loud, earning him some curious looks. He simply smiled back at them and waved, or gave a nod as if he had known them all their lives. Costin was good with people. He made them feel at ease rather than like he was going to rip their head off at even the slightest wrong move.
Sally looked back and saw that Decebel was talking to the others, pointing discreetly, assigning locations. Judging by the look on Jen’s face and the tapping of her foot, she was not happy with what her mate had assigned her. Sally groaned inwardly. When was Decebel ever going to learn? When you put boundaries around Jen she just thought of it as a challenge. Jen loved challenges. Basically Decebel was dangling a steak in front of a caged lion and daring it to find a way to get the meat. Jen always got her meat.
Sally snorted back laughter at her own thoughts. She would definitely have to share that one with Jen.
“I caught that, ya know?” Costin whispered slyly.
“Eavesdropper,” Sally teased, trying hard not to be embarrassed over her Jen and meat thought.
“Do you like meat as much as Jen?” Costin tried to sound simply curious but the wicked gleam in his eye when Sally looked at him told her he was far from just curious.
“Please don’t tell me you’re a vegetarian,” he groaned.
It was Sally’s turn to laugh out loud as she watched Costin grab a towel and tuck it into the back of his pants. Costin caught her watching him and saw the slightly dazed look.
“Definitely not a vegetarian.” He licked his lips and winked at her, causing a bright red blush to heat her skin.
Sally rolled her eyes but her breath caught in her throat when Costin reached around her to stick a towel in the back of her pants just as he had done to his. Costin’s face was less than an inch from her own. Her breathing grew shallow as she watched his hazel eyes begin to glow. Something weird was going on here. Sally could tell by the way the people sitting at the bar grew still and the talking softened to a low murmur.
“Um, Costin,” Sally whispered. “What are you doing?”
Costin moved even closer and she felt him breathe on her neck. Her eyes closed of their own accord but she was able to stop the moan that crept up her throat from escaping.
“Costin, you’re making me nervous. Please talk to me.” Sally’s voice grew desperate as she tried to subdue her response to him.
Costin chuckled out loud but still spoke through their bond. “I’m definitely making you something, but nervous is not it.”
Costin released her when she pulled back. A satisfied grin stretched across his too-handsome-for-his-own-good face.
Sally scowled at him. “What was that about?”
“Just sending a message, beautiful, nothing to get all worked up over.” He winked as he turned and took a drink order from a customer, not even acknowledging the growing irritation Sally felt at being brushed off.
“What message, Costin,” she ground out through gritted teeth.
After handing the customer his drink, Costin turned on his heel and stared at his mate. He watched as her body tensed and her chin jutted out in defiance.
“I was putting my scent on you. Any wolf who gets near you will know that you are taken.” Once again the satisfied smirk was back.
“You couldn’t have done that before we came inside?” she asked as her eyes narrowed.
Costin shrugged. “Doing it publicly only solidified that you are mine.”
Sally rolled her eyes. “Jen is right, you guys should just pee on us and get it over with.”
Costin laughed out loud. As he walked toward her, he pointed to some glasses that were lined up on the back counter. “Get to work, female, and dry those.” He punctuated his teasing order with a smack to her backside.
Sally squeaked and she quickly moved out of his reach. She threw a glare over her shoulder as she reached for the towel he had put on her earlier. Muttering under her breath, she began to dry the glasses, trying, and failing miserably, to ignore her incredibly magnetic mate. This was going to be a long night.
~
Jen grumbled as she took a seat in the far corner of the room. She slumped ungracefully into the chair and glared at her mate, who was standing along the right side of the wall, no more than two feet from her side. The butthead had the nerve to ignore her. She growled before she could stop herself. Cynthia sat down next to her and smiled gently.
“You okay?”
“He put me in the damn corner. What do you think?” Jen snapped. Then, realizing she was taking her anger out on Cynthia, replied, “I’m sorry, doc. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I just don’t think I have been this angry in a very long time.”
She looked over at her mate, who was continuing to ignore her glare. Jen was hoping that if she stared at him long enough she could zap him, or something.
“Zap me, babe. Really?” she heard him say in her mind.
“I’m going to do a hell of a lot more than zap you when we are alone later. You can wipe that smug-ass grin off your face because you aren’t going to enjoy it. Rest assured I sure as hell will.” Jen’s voice vibrated with anger.
“Language, Jennifer. A lady doesn’t use such vulgarity.”
Jen knew that he was teasing her and she might have enjoyed it had he not gone all Alpha on her.
“I would think from your experience with me behind closed doors that you would've already figured out that I am a far cry from a lady.” She smiled when his head snapped around and he leveled her with glowing, amber orbs.
“That’s enough,” he snarled at her.
Jen’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Oh, believe me, I’m done.” She broke their stare, snapping her head and sliding her body in the same direction, effectively giving Decebel her back.
Cynthia’s head lowered at the power rolling off of Decebel.
“Do you think that was the wisest move?” Cynthia murmured to a seething Jen.
Jen snorted. “What’s he going to do? Spank me?”
“What did he do to make you this angry, Jen?” Cynthia kept her voice low and tried to remain calm, so as not to encourage Jen’s wolf to surface.
“He used his position on me. On me,” she growled.
Cynthia’s mouth dropped open as her eyes widened. It took all her strength not to look at Decebel even though she could feel his eyes on them.
“He used an Alpha command on you?” Cynthia’s voice was full of skepticism.
Jen nodded once.
“What was the command?”
Jen’s eyes roved over the room
as she answered. “He told me not to stand.” Her voice quivered, a momentary show of vulnerability, but then it was gone. She steeled her eyes and regained her indifferent expression.
“He’s just trying to keep you safe, Jen,” Cynthia implored.
“He doesn’t trust me,” Jen told her.
“Jen, you know how the males are. Possessive doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of how they feel toward their mates. All he can see right now is a room full of males. He doesn’t know any of them; he can’t begin to control the possible outcomes. The only thing he can control is you. He can keep himself from worrying about you if you can’t get yourself into trouble.”
Jen snorted. “So he’s assuming that I’m going to get in trouble?”
“Do you blame him?” Cynthia raised a knowing brow at her.
Jen huffed. “Fine, I tend to get myself into some interesting situations, but I always get myself out of them. He could have talked to me, explained that, instead of treating me like a child.”
“I agree, but maybe seeing it from his point of view will help prevent World War Three.”
Jen grinned at Cynthia. “Doc, you don’t know my mate if you think he'd want me to prevent a wicked fight. That’s his idea of foreplay.”
Cynthia closed her eyes, shaking her head. “That was way more information than I needed, Jen. Just saying.”
Jen laughed at the still shocked look on her friend’s face.
She soon felt Decebel trying to push through the wall she had erected in her mind. She refused him entrance and grinned to herself when she heard him huff like a spoiled child behind her.
~
Sorin sat on the far left side of the bar, his back against the wall. Costin handed him a ginger ale, which he took, never taking his eyes off of the room. He saw Drake in the far left corner of the room, conversing cordially with a male from the Bulgarian pack. Sorin had been relieved when Andon had declared this bar neutral ground. Even still, Decebel had notified Victor, the Bulgarian Alpha, of their presence. He had been very amiable about them being in his territory and so far things were moving smoothly. The girls were all behaving themselves, and none of the males had gone – using Jen’s words – into irrationally possessive, incredibly ass-hole-ish mode.
She really does have a way with words, Sorin thought to himself.
So far things were uneventful, just the way he liked it. He should have known it was too good to last.
The door to the bar opened and Peri walked in. Her eyes searched across the room, landing briefly on Drake and then on Sorin. Sorin’s head cocked to the side at the look she had in her eyes. She moved slowly from the entrance, allowing the person behind her to enter. Sorin’s swore his heart stopped beating as he watched Elle, the pink-haired, silver-eyed Fae walk in. He felt his wolf push, for the first time in a long time, fighting the man for dominance.
Sorin took a deep breath, inhaling through his nose and the scent hit made his wolf fight harder. He stood abruptly and – using his wolf’s speed – was in front of her in a flash. Elle stood frozen, her eyes wide.
Sorin took a step closer, his dark eyes beginning to glow as he uttered a single word.
“Mate.”
Elle’s breath caught in her throat as she felt the intensity of Sorin’s emotions wash over her. Everything and everyone in the room faded into nothingness and it was as if only she and Sorin were there. The uttered word hung between them. He seemed to be waiting on her – waiting for what, she didn’t know.
Elle had known of Sorin for some time, but had never really had a conversation with him. She knew that Sorin was not as large as some of the males of his species, but his dominance, coupled with her small frame, made him appear huge to her now. She took a step back from him, trying to get room to breathe. He let out a low growl and she froze again.
Trembling, she wanted to look at Peri for guidance but she was too afraid to look away from the penetrating gaze of the male before her. Afraid that if she broke eye contact, even for a second, he might pounce on her. When he took another step toward her, she did what no animal should ever do when it meets another predator – she ran. Well, technically, she flashed. She went to the first place her mind grabbed onto. She opened her eyes and found herself standing just outside the veil to her realm. The forest was quiet as the night wrapped it in the arms of the warm glow shining down from the moon. She felt a sharp pain in her chest and an ache so deep it brought tears to her eyes.
Pressing her back to a tree, Peri slid down to the ground, attempting to take slow breaths. All the while, her soul felt like it was being torn in half.
~
One minute she had been standing before him, inches away, the next she was gone. Sorin growled and began to shake, seeming seconds away from a violent outburst.
Decebel was already in motion when Costin made eye contact with him; the quick nod he received from his Alpha confirmed his actions. He turned and looked at Drake, who was waiting for orders. Costin gave him a nod and then Drake was quickly moving toward Sorin.
Costin turned to Andon. “I’m sorry to cut this night short, but I’m afraid Decebel is going to need my help dealing with this.”
Andon nodded. “It’s no problem. You are welcome to come back tomorrow.”
Costin gave him a quick handshake. Sally followed behind as he headed directly for Jen. When he reached her and grabbed her hand, to Jen's surprise she was able to stand. Costin didn’t pause as he pulled the girls toward the door.
Peri caught his arm as he passed her. “I’m needed here,” she said. “So you will need to stay with the females.”
Costin nodded, his mouth in a tight line. “I figured you would be the best to deal with this.” He lifted his chin in the direction of Sorin, who was barely being held back by Decebel’s power.
Costin continued on, girls in tow. Sally and Jen tried to keep their footing as he moved.
“Costin, did he say what I think he said?” Jen asked, pulling her arm from his and keeping up on her own.
“Mate,” Costin repeated Sorin’s uttered word. “He called Elle his mate.”
“Is that good or bad?” Sally asked tentatively as they made it to the hotel, pushing through the doors, never slowing their steps.
“If it’s real, then it’s good,” Costin answered. “But if it’s real and she ran, well, that’s....”
“JUBAR,” Jen finished for him.
Costin looked over his shoulder at Jen, his eyebrows raised in question.
“Jacked Up Beyond All Repair,” Jen explained. “I do try to curb my potty mouth,” she rolled her eyes, “sometimes.”
Chapter 13
“Sorin and Elle, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes bonding, next comes the bite, then a roll in the hay that lasts all night.
Who says I can’t hold a tune?” ~ Jen
Sorin paced the room from one wall to the other. His claws had partially extended and his canines lengthened. Everything inside him was telling him to go after her. He didn’t have a clue where she was, but his wolf didn’t care – he was confident he could find her anywhere.
His clothes were beginning to feel too tight, his skin sensitive with the need to phase. In response, he hastily pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor. As he made another pass from one end of the room to the other, he crossed in front of the bathroom mirror of the hotel room. He froze.
His was skin tingling on the right side of his back and neck and down the back of his right arm. My markings, he thought to himself.
Sorin slowly turned, looking over his shoulder at his back in the mirror. His breathing halted as he watched the markings on his skin – which had been there since puberty – change before his eyes. They were already elaborate because of his position in the pack, but now that he had found his mate they were even more ornate.
The black swirls and lines climbed from below the waistband of his jeans up to the back of his neck, right at his hairline. Then they swirled down and sli
d over his tricep and elbow, continuing around to the inside of his arm to his wrist. The markings never moved to the front of his body because, though he was dominant, he was not an Alpha.
Even after the markings finished changing, he simply stared over his shoulder. When Elle fled, Sorin had thought that maybe he was mistaken about her, maybe his wolf was mistaken and she wasn’t their mate, but now he had no doubt. She was his. After 135 years of waiting, 135 years of the darkness consuming him piece by piece, finally he had found her, only to lose her in an instant.
