Den of Sorrows

by Quinn Loftis

  Sincaro could feel each and every one of the vampires he'd ever sired. Their magic was connected. He knew when they died and he knew where they were. But second generation vampires—those that were sired by his own offspring—he could not feel. The magic was too diluted by the time it was in the second recipient.

  Fontaine was about to speak but the vampire king held up his hand to halt him. His lips turned up into an evil smile. "It seems the Fates are with us. They are in Washington. See if there are any left and have them kindly invite our adversaries to come join us for a meal."

  Fontaine bowed his head one more time before leaving.

  The vampire king stood and began to pace. It had been so long since he'd been in battle. He could feel the excitement rushing through him at the thought of biting into a mature wolf or, even better, a high fae. If anything, that would make the coming struggle all worthwhile. He turned toward the door, the smile still on his face. In his eagerness for the coming bloodshed, his thirst was growing, despite having fed only a few hours ago. There was a certain female that he suddenly had a taste for. Maybe this time he'd drain her, just to ensure that she wasn't found. Maybe.

  Decebel couldn't believe what he was hearing. The sole vamp they'd left alive was spilling his guts, answering every question they asked in hopes that they would release him.

  "Why are these children still alive?" Vasile asked the vamp.

  Decebel looked over his shoulder at the two, small, terrified boy and girl. His mate, Alina, and now Sally were speaking softly to them. While he, Vasile, Drake, and Cypher were staring down at the pathetic man kneeling at their feet.

  "They're dormants. They have wolf blood," the vampire sputtered.

  Decebel was practically shaking with the need to dismember the vile being before him. The thought of little dormant pups being fed upon and kept alive as a continued food source was a fate worse than death.

  "They heal so much more quickly than humans and, once they reach maturity, they age more slowly. They're really the perfect food source."

  Alina was up and across the space before anyone realized what was happening. The alpha female moved unbelievably fast. One second she was kneeling by the pups, the next she was in front of the vamp, her hands clamped on his head. She twisted it and a sickening crack filled the room. The four males moved to make sure to block the view of the violence from the little ones as Alina threw the body down. "I was done listening to him talk about our young with such heartlessness." Alina met her mate’s eyes. "We got the information we need. They're somehow finding these dormant children and using them as food. So there are more than likely going to be more. We need to speak with Peri about what to do with them."

  "I will finish this," Vasile told her gently. "Go tend to the young. They will feel safe with you."

  Vasile turned to look at the other men. "It's worse than we thought."

  Decebel looked back at Jen. She had been a dormant. She too could have suffered the same fate as these little ones.

  "Don't," Vasile said as he placed a hand on Decebel’s shoulder. "There is no sense dwelling on what could have happened. It didn't and she's safe."

  His old friend was right. He needed to focus on what was happening. He needed to destroy the vampires who would dare touch their pups.

  Peri stood on the sidewalk in front of a cute house in a neighborhood of cute houses. She watched as a man and a woman opened their front door and found their precious child, which they thought had been lost to them, standing shocked on the front steps. They wrapped the little boy in their arms and held him as though he might disappear at any moment.

  When the boy looked back at her, she smiled and gave him a small wave. He smiled and then turned back to his parents.

  "Where have you been? How did you get home?" his mother asked as she looked him over for injuries.

  "My guardian angel found me. She saved me," he answered them. They didn't know what to think about that. After several more minutes of hugs and ensuring that he was in one piece, they took him into their home.

  Peri enjoyed the small moment, knowing that there had been at least one saved. She'd altered his memories, but she hadn’t done so lightly. It was a messy business, poking around in another person's head. But she just couldn't stomach the idea of that little boy living the rest of his life with the horror of all he'd been through. There was no need for it.

  With one last look at the house, Peri flashed to Washington. She appeared directly beside Fane who didn't even flinch.

  "It doesn't bother you when I just appear like that?" she asked him.

  Fane shrugged. "You aren't the female on my radar."

  Peri chuckled. "Good answer, wolf prince."

  Peri's attention was diverted from Fane when Alston suddenly appeared with a small boy in his arms. Her gut clenched and she felt bile rise up in her throat. They’d interrogated one of the captured vampires and learned of the vampires’ strategy of capturing dormants. She knew that there would be more, but seeing them was so, so difficult.

  He set the boy down, flashed again, and was back in an instant with Sally standing next to him. Peri watched as the healer knelt down and opened her arms. The boy walked into them without hesitation, wrapping his small arms around her neck and squeezing with all his might.

  Alina suddenly came up out of the open sewer drain, having used her wolf strength to jump straight up. She too had a child in her arms, a little girl. The Alpha female stroked the child’s hair as she spoke softly to her.

  All those that had been in the sewer began jumping up and out until they were all standing there staring at the two young children.

  Peri walked over to Vasile. She saw the glint of rage in his dark eyes. It was a look she'd seen before, but only a handful of times. "You know about the dormants I take it?" she asked him.

  He nodded. "We managed to keep a vampire alive long enough to extract the information from him."

  "Tyler was able to do the same," she told him.

  "Any children?" Vasile asked.

  "One," Peri answered. "I used his memories to find his family. Once I determined that they were indeed his parents, I stripped his memory, told him I was his guardian angel, and left him on their porch. I waited to make sure they found him."

  Jen must have been listening because she was abruptly beside them frowning. "So we're just going to send the dormants back to their human lives? Don't you think they need to know who they are, what they are?"

  "Maybe if they were older," Peri conceded. "But so young, like that." She motioned to the children in the arms of Sally and Alina. "They are too young to process such information, not to mention they do not need the memories of the things done to them. Peri turned away from them and walked over to where Alina and Sally sat. The others seemed to be trying to give them room, though she could tell it was taking all of Jacque's control not to just wrap her arms around them and refuse to let go.

  Peri noted that Sally was doing a remarkable job of keeping the children calm. They weren't wailing like the boy Peri had found. She knelt down in front of them and placed a hand on the boy’s forehead. She dug through his memories and nearly jumped back when she saw what was hidden deeply inside of him. It was so deep that he probably didn't even know it was there. This little boy had no family to go back to—no parents at least. His parents had been killed by the vampires, right in front of the child. She whispered in her fae tongue and pushed her magic into him, binding the memories. She left some of the memories of the vampire, however; he would need to understand why he was in the company of werewolves after all. He was three years old, still young enough to heal, and Sally would be able to help him deal with the trauma he'd been through.

  Peri opened her eyes and met Sally's. "This one needs to stay with you, Sally." Costin was standing a little behind his mate, unsure of what he should do. Peri looked up at him. "Let Sally introduce you to Titus."

  Costin walked around his mate and knelt down slowly next to Peri. He smiled at Sally an
d then looked at Titus. "Hey, little man."

  "Titus, this is Costin. He's not a bad man. He's a safe man who chases away the monsters," Sally said in a voice that was so soft and sweet that a frightened deer would have trusted her.

  Titus looked up at her and then at Costin. He seemed to be examining the male while all the rest of them were holding their breath.

  After what felt like forever, Titus took a tentative step toward Costin, who stood as still as a statue. Peri watched in awe as the little boy stepped even closer until he was right in front of the imposing figure that was a Canis lupus male. Titus leaned forward as he spoke. "Sally said she would keep me safe."

  Costin nodded, still not daring to move too much. "She will. Sally doesn’t lie."

  The boy looked back at Sally and smiled and then turned back to Costin. "She is small. You are bigger. You can keep us both safe. You won't let the monsters get us." The last part was whispered, as though mentioning them too loudly would cause the monsters to appear.

  Costin looked at the small boy seriously. "I will keep you both safe."

  Titus seemed to be weighing his words and, with a small nod of his head, appeared to come to a conclusion as he walked into the shelter of Costin's larger frame. The dumbfounded wolf wrapped his arms around the boy and tucked him in closer.

  Peri was pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in their vampire killing party. She wiped her own tears away as she turned to the little girl who had been watching intently. Peri laid her hand on the girl’s forehead and searched for the information she needed. They were too young to know their addresses, but their little eyes soaked up images that were stored in the brain. All Peri needed was a glance—a number and a street name as the girl sat in the backseat while the car pulled into or out of the driveway.

  Once she had the information she needed, Peri flashed, her mind picturing the home and address. She re-appeared in a neighborhood not unlike the one where she'd returned the little boy. The high fae cloaked herself as she flashed into the home. She looked around, needing to verify that these were indeed the girl’s parents. She had her answer in a matter of seconds. The little face that smiled back at Peri in all of the photographs was the one that belonged to the girl currently being held by Alina.

  Once again she flashed, returning to the group still huddled near the sewer entrance.

  "Found her family," Peri said quietly as she stepped up to Alina. The Alpha female took a step back, her jaw tightening.

  "Mina," Vasile said softly, "she has to go home."

  "She's one of us. She should be raised with her own kind," Alina challenged her Alpha.

  "She's also human," he pointed out. "She misses her family."

  "We could be her family," Alina said tenderly as she looked down at the little girl who'd fallen asleep in her arms. "She would be safe with us."

  "It would not be right, mate, and you know it," Vasile said, meeting her eyes and holding her gaze. "Please, give the child to Perizada."

  A tear ran down Alina’s stricken face as she finally relented. Peri reached out and took the small bundle. "Any child would be blessed to have you as their mother, Alina," the fae told her. "But this one is not meant for you."

  Alina nodded but didn't say anything. Peri flashed and, as with the earlier child they’d rescued, she altered the girl’s memories and left her on her parent’s doorstep.

  When it was finished she returned to the group and froze at what she saw.

  "How many more?" Thalion asked Cyn as they stood just outside headquarters of the Colorado pack.

  Cyn thought it was odd to have Thalion, the prince of the Elvin race, standing there in Colorado. Maybe it was because she'd never seen him anywhere but his own realm or the forest in Romania.

  "I do not think Perizada knows the exact number," Cyn admitted.

  His face was hard as he looked down at her. She knew he couldn't stand for her to be in danger, but she was a fae warrior and had been for a very, very long time.

  "Have they addressed the vampires in the region called Canada?" he asked her.

  Cyn shook her head. "We're stretched thin. And even though we have some of the high fae helping, minus Dane and Gwen, our people are still resistant to get involved in any matters outside of the fae realm."

  "What of the warlocks?" Thalion's brow deepened as he watched her. She hadn't been exactly forthcoming on just how little help they had.

  "Cypher is helping."

  "With his own warriors?"

  Cyn shook her head. "Just the warlock king."

  Thalion cursed under his breath. "So there are what, two dozen or so wolves, fae, and a warlock taking on the entire vampire race?"

  Cyn realized just how ridiculous it sounded when he put it like that. After several moments of him simply glaring at her, he sighed and pulled her into his embrace. Ever since she'd agreed to see where their relationship could go, he'd been much touchier.

  He leaned his head down so that his mouth was next to her ear. "Report to Perizada that I will lead my warriors through Canada. We will deal with the vampires there."

  "What about the dormants?"

  His lips turned up. "I guess I will need a fae to join us, just for that reason."

  "So I should let Peri know to send Alston to help you?"

  Thalion squeezed her waist with his hands. "Don’t you dare—"

  Cyn stood on her toes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "I will return." She flashed, nearly laughing at his annoyed face. He hated when she flashed straight out of his arms. It was a skill Peri had taught her long ago. It was a useful skill. If ever an enemy attempted to latch onto her while she was trying to flash free, she wouldn't have the burden of an uninvited passenger. Cyn hadn't realized at the time how handy the skill would be, nor had she known that she'd feel so comfortable with someone that she would want to be playful. Thalion brought out a side of her that she didn't know existed. He had showed her that there was more to life than just being a warrior. And honestly, it scared her.

  She linked briefly with Peri's mind to determine her location and then appeared next to the high fae. Cyn started to speak but realized Peri was staring—no she was glaring daggers at someone. Cyn turned and followed Peri's line of sight. Her body tensed. It was then that she heard the low rumblings of the warning growls coming from all of the males around them.

  "What happened?" she asked very, very softly.

  "I leave for five damn minutes and this is what I came back to. I don't know how many times I have to tell those girls to stay out of trouble."

  Cyn shook her head. "I don't think this was Jacque's fault, Peri."

  "Maybe not, but I'm too pissed to care."

  “Are you going to do anything?” asked Cyn.

  Peri shook her head. “Not yet. He claims he has something to say. So I’m attempting to be diplomatic and listen. Just an FYI, Cyn, diplomacy sucks.”

  Fane was going to phase. There was no way he could hold the wolf back, not while his mate was in the hands of a filthy vampire.

  "Give her to me," Fane snarled for what felt like the fiftieth time.

  The vampire had Jacque pulled tight against him with her back to his chest. His mouth was entirely too close to her jugular. One hand was holding her neck, the other was resting on her stomach.

  "First, listen carefully to my words. Then give me your word that when I release her, you will let me leave," the vampire said as his eyes bounced around trying to figure out who exactly was the leader of this group.

  "She is my mate. It is my word you need and you have it. Speak what it is you have to say and then release her." Fane was shaking with rage.

  "I'm fine, Fane," his mate attempted to soothe him.

  "You are in the grip of a murderer. How exactly does that make you fine?" he bit back.

  "I meant he isn't hurting me, you butt head," she growled back.

  Fane couldn't talk to her and focus on the man who was holding Jacque’s life in his hands at the same time. He needed to b
e ready to lunge as soon as Jacque was released. There was no way in hell he would let the vamp live not just for being what he was but because he'd touched and threatened his mate.

  "Sincaro has a message," the vampire spoke up. "He wishes you to come to Phoenix, to dine with him. He invites you as guests."

  Peri laughed. "How generous of him. Is he getting nervous?"

  The vamp didn't seem to know how to respond to that. "He said to stop killing his vampires and he would negotiate with you regarding the prey he's been collecting."

  When he just stood there not saying anything more, Fane took another step forward. "You've said what you needed to. Now. Give. Me. My. Mate." Fane felt his teeth elongating as his wolf pushed harder.

  "Now would be a good time to let me go," Jacque suggested.

  "I'm letting her go," the vamp warned. "You gave me your word that I could leave."

  Fane wasn't sure why the vampire was reminding him of something that happened only five minutes before. He wasn't sure why the male was still speaking and not releasing his mate.

  Fane caught Decebel’s eye and the Alpha gave him a subtle nod. He knew Fane’s intent and he had the younger wolf’s back.

  The vampire shoved Jacque forward, hard, which Fane had guessed he might do in an attempt to give himself time to get away. Decebel lunged forward and caught Jacquelyn. Knowing his mate was safe gave Fane the ability to pursue her attacker. He heard Peri's voice yelling at him to catch the vamp before it reached the road. They were running through a wooded area that divided up two busy interstates. Fane knew that if Peri wanted him to catch the man before he reached the road, then it meant that her glamour, or whatever it was she was doing to shield them from the humans, ended there.

  Fane’s wolf didn't care who saw them. He would take down his prey regardless of who was watching. The vampire had put his hands on his mate—his pregnant mate. The thought of his pregnant mate caused a fresh wave of rage to course through him, urging him to run harder. He jumped as hard as he could, phasing in the air. Fully transformed into his wolf’s form, Fane landed on the vampire’s back. The wolf sunk his teeth into the neck and shook until he heard it snap. He then rolled the man over with his muzzle and was just about to tear into the monster’s chest with his teeth and claws in order to get to his heart, but he froze at the sound of Jacquelyn's voice.