Den of Sorrows (21 page)

"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.”

F
ane 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 be 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.

"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.

J
acque'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.

P
eri 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."