by Quinn Loftis
"Fane, stop."
Fane turned his head slowly to find her standing only a few feet away. Peri stood directly next to her. He pulled his lips back and showed her his teeth. It was his kill, his prey, and he would finish it.
"No, Fane. Please, come here," she pleaded with him.
"I will finish it, Fane," Peri told him. She didn't meet his gaze; she wasn’t challenging him. "Tend to your mate. If you recall, she was just in the hands of a sadistic vampire. Perhaps, she would like to be in the hands of her mate now."
Fane looked from Peri to his mate. Jacquelyn was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. She was anxious. He opened the bond wider and felt her worry, fear, and love flow through him. She did need him. She needed him to hold her more than she needed him to rip the heart from her attacker.
Fane looked down at his prey. With a final snarl, he turned and headed for his female. He began to phase, and when Jacquelyn realized what he was doing, she looked over at Peri.
"Little help please," Jacque pleaded.
Peri chuckled but waved her hand so that by the time Fane was standing back in his human form he had a pair of jeans on. One more flick and a shirt appeared in his hands. Fane haphazardly shoved the shirt over his head as he moved closer to Jacquelyn.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he tried to move to touch her. But he didn't realize that he didn't even have his arms through the shirt sleeves.
She laughed and the sound made him want to move mountains for her. "Here." She reached out to help him get the damn shirt on. Her fingertips slid over his skin and Fane felt his wolf calm at the touch.
With the shirt finally in place, Fane took Jacquelyn’s face in his hands and stared intently down at her. "Are you alright?" he asked again, more slowly.
"I'm fine. I meant it when I said he wasn't hurting me," she promised.
He studied her a minute longer before leaning down, closing the space between their faces, and claiming her mouth. Fane wasn't usually one for a whole lot of public displays of affection, simply because he didn't like making his mate uncomfortable. But in that moment, he needed her like he needed the blood flowing in his veins. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, tasting her and reveling in the desire he felt racing through her.
His hands released her face and he wrapped his arms around her, sliding one hand up her back until it was buried in her hair. He moved the other one to her lower back and held her close to him. The image of her in the vampire’s hands flashed in his mind and he pulled back from the kiss. He pressed his forehead to hers as he tried to regain control of himself.
"Better?" she asked him with a shy smile.
He chuckled, which is what she intended. His mate was anything but shy when it came to him.
"Don’t ever do that again," he growled, though it was without real heat.
Her mouth dropped open. "Do what?"
"Get grabbed by a vampire."
Her eyes narrowed and he could see the redheaded temper that he loved so much flaring up. "I did not get grabbed by a vampire on purpose, you overgrown mutt."
"That was weak, Red." Jen’s voice popped the bubble that seemed to have kept the rest of the world out while they focused on one another. "Chick, you're pregnant. You can do so much better than that."
"Jennifer," Decebel's voice joined in.
"What? I'm just saying…if she's going to insult him then she needs to do it right."
"Yes, that is a very important lesson any female should know," he said dryly.
Jacquelyn rolled her eyes before looking once again up at him.
"I love you," he told her softly. Fane wanted nothing more than to take her somewhere away from vampires, away from her mouthy friends and their mates, so that he could show her with more than just a kiss.
"You better," she warned. "I'm not above sitting on your lap while my water breaks."
Fane tried really hard not to make a face. She laughed. Apparently he hadn't succeeded.
"You can't really do that, right?" He looked over her head at Jen and Alina, two women who'd had babies. "She can't really do that, right?" he asked them as well.
Jen shrugged. "I'm convinced my little half blood is capable of anything she puts her mind to. So if she thinks hard enough about her water breaking while snuggled up on you, then yes, yes I think she could do it."
Fane looked down at his mate who wasn't giving anything away by laughing. She was just staring up at him, waiting for him to decide what he believed. Then his eyes narrowed because he could feel the humor through their bond.
He leaned down to her ear and put his mouth right against it as he spoke. "Let us make a bargain, sweet Jacquelyn. You promise not to do this water breaking thing on me, and" —he paused blowing warm air down her neck and feeling her shiver against him— "I promise to…" Fane trailed off, not daring to speak the rest out loud because he knew how well all those around them could hear. So instead he spoke through their bond. Keeping his head bent down to her neck, he pressed a kiss on his mark as he struck his part of the bargain. When he pulled back to look down at her, she was frozen, her face flushed, and her heart beating so hard he could see the pulse in her neck.
Fane was pretty sure she'd make him pay for that later. But the look on her face, as she tried not to react to his words in front of everyone, was worth whatever she dished out.
Jacque's heart hadn't pounded this hard when the vamp had held her, yet the words her mate had just whispered into her mind had it beating painfully.
"You are so dead, wolf-man," she said through the bond once her brain was working again.
"At least you're calling me a man again. That whole wolf-boy thing was starting to give me a complex."
"You'll have more than just a complex when I'm done," she muttered under her breath.
Peri dealt with the vampire Fane had maimed and then called everyone to gather round. Nissa was still gone, so she knew she'd need to check on the fae after she'd gotten the wolves safely home.
"All of the children found," —she paused and looked at Costin who held Titus in his arms— "save one, have been successfully returned to their families. Cyn, Nissa, and I have taken great care to ensure that they will not remember their time with the vampires. Even though they are dormants, they are too young to understand. So Vasile has asked that we keep an eye on them as they grow up and from there we will see what the Great Luna has planned for them."
When she stopped, no one said anything so she just continued. "It's been a long day and after our visit from Sincaro’s lackey, we have much to discuss. We will get you all back to the Serbia mansion and give you time to clean up and eat." She turned to Vasile and indicated for him to take over.
"We will meet in the library at" —he looked down at his watch— "nine-thirty."
With rumbles of agreement, Peri, Alston, and Cyn began to flash the tired wolves and warlock home.
Once they were all safe and sound, Peri flashed to the Coldspring pack headquarters in search of her fellow high fae. Peri flashed directly in front of the Alpha's home and stood still, trying to get a read on Nissa's mind or essence. When she felt nothing, she marched up to the door and knocked. She decided against flashing inside because she wasn’t as familiar with these wolves as she was the Romania ones. She didn't know how they'd react to her sudden appearance.
The door was opened a minute later by a very tired looking Alpha.
"Jeff Stone." Peri nodded curtly. "Why do you look as though the vampires kicked your ass?"
The Alpha's eyes narrowed. Okay, so he's a little sensitive on the matter.
"There were more than we anticipated," he said through gritted teeth. "But we managed to get them all, and saved four children. Nissa has been returning them to their homes. Two of them were older, perhaps eleven or twelve. She said it would be a little more work to alter their memories."
So that's what had been taking her so long, Peri thought. "Did you suffer any losses?" Peri asked him.
Jeff shook his
head. "A few minor injuries, nothing more."
"Take a day to rest before you follow any more leads. Most of your wolves are younger and the magic left by the vampires will affect them more quickly."
He nodded. Peri could see that there was something bothering the Alpha. She debated whether or not she should ask. She really wanted to see her mate, but damn those puppy dog eyes. "Is there something else?"
Jeff looked at her for several moments before deciding to answer. "They've been taking dormants for centuries," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. Peri knew where he was going with his statement. Vasile and the others hadn't had time to consider what that meant, especially since all of them except Drake were mated.
"Yes," she answered unnecessarily.
"How many mates?" He paused, the emotion catching in his throat.
Peri waited, allowing the man a moment, knowing how hard it was for a dominant male to show any emotion. Jeff Stone was hurting and not just for himself but for his wolves as well.
"How many of my wolves have lost their true mates because of the vampires? How many will we lose to the darkness?"
Peri didn't have an answer. What could she say? He was right. There would be males and possibly females that would never have a true mate if theirs had been one of the dormants taken and bled dry. The guilt came rushing back as Peri remembered so very, very long ago when she'd foolishly thought Sincaro to be destroyed. She had not pursued his body after striking him down, and because of that he lived. And because he lived, hundreds, upon hundreds, have and would continue to suffer.
"I'm sorry, Alpha." Peri bowed her head to him. "I truly am."
Jeff didn’t say anything. He simply gave her one last look and then slowly closed the door. Peri was gone before it was shut completely.
Peri stood outside of the Serbia mansion attempting to get her emotions under control. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to wonder if your mate had been one of the ones taken. How would it feel to wonder if the fight against the darkness was futile? What would it feel like to struggle in vain because your mate was already gone?
"Peri," Cyn’s voice snapped her out of the near panic attack.
"Perizada," Lucian’s voice came just after her friend’s.
"I'm fine, wolf. I'll be there soon."
"There is still hope. Jeff and his unmated males were taken by surprise. They will be alright." Lucian’s voice caressed her tired soul. More than anything she just needed to be in his arms, but that wasn't going to happen, not yet. "I'll be waiting."
Peri wanted to scream. Lucian meant his statement to be a reassurance to her, but what Peri heard was, 'I'll be waiting like I always am.’ It wasn't his fault she felt that way. It was her own insecurity. And that made her laugh out loud. Who would have thought that Perizada, high fae and all around know-it-all, had insecurities? "Will wonders never cease?"
"Peri?" Cyn's voice beckoned again.
Peri turned to face the warrior. "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere."
Cyn nodded in understanding.
Peri cleared her throat. "Is everything okay? And I ask that already knowing that nothing is okay, but you get what I mean."
"I spoke with Thalion today," Cyn began. "He asked me to tell you that he will be taking warriors to the land called Canada. He and his people will deal with the vampires there. He requested that I be allowed to assist so that I can help with any dormants or survivors they might find."
"He's going to take enough elves to handle all the covens in Canada?" Peri asked, attempting to express her disbelief without making the elf prince sound like an idiot. Does he know how many covens are in that land?
Cyn nodded. "He wants to help."
"No, he wants to protect his interests." Peri raised a brow at her comrade.
The warrior shrugged. "Maybe, but at least he's helping."
Peri couldn't argue with that. The elves were worse than the fae about leaving their own realm to assist other supernatural races, which meant that they just didn't. Not until Cyn had convinced Thalion to help on a previous occasion. Perhaps, it was going to become a habit.
"Frankly, I don't care if he is simply hoping that if he kills enough vampires you'll finally let him in your pants. Just try and hold out until they're all dead, just in case."
Cyn's face didn't even twitch. "I will do my best."
Peri snorted as the other fae flashed and left her standing there alone. She looked up at the mansion in front of her. One more meeting and then she could spend the night letting someone else be strong.
Chapter 13
"There are times when death comes as a relief. Not only for the one dying but for those who love them. It relieves pain, consoles fear, and gives closure. But then there are times when death is more destructive than the most furious storm. It tears through the heart, shreds all hope, and devours the soul of the one left behind." ~ Jeff Stone
Sally couldn't stop smiling. Maybe she shouldn’t be smiling, but she couldn't help it. Here, in their room, sitting on the floor with her mate, was a precious little boy. Because of an awful twist of fate, the boy had lost his parents and nearly his life. But they had saved him and he had walked into Sally's arms the moment he'd seen her. She remembered the words he'd whispered to her as he'd wrapped his arms around her neck, burying his face in her hair.
"She said you would come," the little voice broke through Sally's fear and horror. She slowed her breathing so she could better hear him over the growling and crying of those around them.
"What was that?" she asked him.
He pulled back a bit, just enough so that he could look at her face. There were dirt smudges all over his cheeks and his hair was matted with filth. Bite marks marred his neck and wrists, and it took everything in Sally not to scream in anger at the injustice of it. He shouldn't have had to go through something so horrible. He should have been looking for bugs and crying over fallen ice cream cones. He patted her face gently and smiled; he was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
"The lady with all the light, I think she was an angel. She told me you were coming. She said a beautiful lady with brown hair, brown eyes, and a bright light all around her was coming for me and that she would be my new mommy. And she showed me a man with a happy smile too. I asked her what happened to my old mommy, and she said that she and my daddy loved me very much, but that they couldn't take care of me anymore. But you will take care of me, right? You and the man with the happy smile?"
Tears streamed down Sally's face as she nodded. "Yes, sweet boy, we will take care of you."
"Sally, mine?" she heard Costin’s voice and shook her head to clear her mind of the memory. She looked at her mate and then at Titus who was holding out a piece of paper to her.
"I colored it all by myself. It's for you." He smiled proudly at her.
Sally took the picture and looked at it. It was three stick people, each of them un-proportionate—a longer arm here and a larger foot there. But all three of the stick people faces, misshapen though they may be, were smiling happily.
"Thank you, Titus. It's the best drawing anyone has ever given me."
"Really?" he asked, his smile getting even bigger.
Sally nodded.
"I will get better," he said, his face suddenly falling.
Costin scooped him up and hugged him close. "You already draw better than me."
Titus looked at Costin, narrowing his eyes as if trying to determine if Costin was being truthful. Then the smile returned. "I can help you," he said just before a yawn forced its way out.
"I bet you can, little warrior. But right now I think sleep is what you need. You have to get your rest so you’ll have the energy to help me."
Titus looked around, suddenly very nervous. Sally stood and smiled up at him. "First, we need to brush teeth, okay?"
They'd already given him a bath and he'd handled it really well, though Sally knew her soothing magic was mostly responsible for that. She wasn't consciously trying to calm him, it was j
ust instinct.
Costin and Titus emerged from the bathroom, discussing in-depth just how long a three-year- old should brush his teeth. Sally had pulled back the cover and sheet on their bed and was sitting on the side when the pair came walking in together, hand-in-hand.
She slid off the bed onto her knees and sat back on her heels. Sally opened her arms and Titus went without hesitation. "What will make you feel—" She paused, unsure what she should say. Did she say safe or best? Titus saved her.
"Safe?" he asked.
Sally nodded.
"I'm not a baby, but could a light stay on? And could daddy—" He stopped and looked up at Costin. "You're my new daddy?" He looked unsure and Sally could feel the seeds of fear and doubt creeping into his mind.
Costin knelt down next to him. "I am if you want me to be. I would like that very much."
Titus gave a matter-of-fact nod and she felt a little of the doubt slip out of him. He looked back at her. "Could daddy stay with me?" He quickly added, "You can stay too, but daddy is bigger."
Sally smiled reassuringly. "He makes me feel safe too," she whispered to him.
Costin lay on the bed next to a now sleeping Titus. It hadn't taken long for him to succumb to his exhaustion. His arms were wrapped around a brown, stuffed puppy that Jen had brought him, claiming she'd found it among Thia's toys. Titus had smiled up at her as though she'd just handed him the most precious thing ever. Jen had knelt down and told him that the puppy needed a name and a friend. Titus had nodded and told her he would be a good friend to the puppy and that he would have to think of a good name for him. Once Jen had left and they'd climbed back into the bed, Titus had looked at him and told him he couldn’t name the puppy until he got to know him better.
Costin smiled. He hadn't been around children so he didn’t really know, but Titus seemed to be very articulate for a three-year-old.
