Chapter 27

"Vasile, you cannot wait any longer," Peri told him firmly. "You must call the other packs; you must remind them of what happened during the werewolf wars. They have to remember why a witch cannot get her hands on a healer!"

Vasile stood, staring into the dancing flames of the fire. He was still angry over Peri binding him and his wolves. Alina had kept him from doing anything stupid, but his wolf wanted to teach that Fae a lesson: you don't mess with an Alpha or what belongs to him. Alina had told him to look at the bigger picture and to get over himself. He'd snorted to himself and thought, not for the first or last time, that the American girls really were rubbing off on his mate.

"So, you think I should call on them?" he asked her.

"You cannot defeat both Thad and Desdemona without their help."

He looked up from the fire at Peri. The stern lines etched across her forever-young face seemed to be deeper today. She held his stare and he knew she wasn't challenging him - she was imploring him.

"This battle will happen on my terms, where I choose." Vasile had read the history of the wars and knew it would be a tactical error to let his enemy pick the battleground or time.

"Then you had better ready your troops and begin getting your players into position." Peri held out a phone to him. Vasile took it from her and, without hesitating, began calling the Alphas from Hungary, Bulgaria, and Colorado as well. He brought them up to speed on all the happenings over the past four weeks and - with Peri barking in his ear - explained the possible outcome if Desdemona and Thad weren't dealt with.

After an hour-long conference call with the three other Alphas, it was decided they would meet at the tavern in three days' time. That would give Dillon and the members of his pack that he would bring with him time to get there. From the tavern, they would make the final preparations and decisions on where to mount their attack.

Vasile got in contact with Skender, who he had left in charge at the tavern, and explained that the other packs would be arriving and that he needed to help Nicolae set up. A lot of wolves were about to descend on that small building.

Sally stood, wearily looking out the second story window from the room she had been sharing with Cynthia and Crina. She watched as the snow fell and blanketed the landscape - which, despite knowing it wasn't - looked identical to her world. She was tense and worried, wondering what was happening to her friends. She was hurt that they hadn't confided in her that they were leaving. For the first time in the history of their friendship, Sally felt left out, like she didn't fit, and it hurt. She wiped the tear away that escaped her eye.

Suddenly strong arms came around her from behind and pulled her back against a firm, warm chest. She knew she should probably refuse his comfort - she was already going to be nursing a broken heart when Costin lost interest in her - and she shouldn't encourage him, but she needed him. She turned in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck and laid her head against him. She listened to his heart beating and the slow, steady breath that made his chest rise and fall. Something in her reached out to him, craved him, and she was so tired of fighting it.

"Why didn't they tell me?" she whispered.

"They didn't want to put you in a position that would compel you to lie."

Sally pulled her head back to look up at his bright, hazel eyes. "Did they tell you?" Her voice revealed the hurt such a revelation would cause.

"No, Sally mine, they didn't tell me. But I've been around you three long enough to have an idea of how much you guys care about each other. They knew you couldn't go with them. My thought is that they knew Vasile would question you first and they didn't want you to have to lie to your Alpha."

"But shouldn't they have let that be my decision?" Sally tensed in his arms. As if he knew she was going to pull away, he grasped her tighter.

"Maybe. But it's done now. I don't think they meant to hurt you or make you feel alienated."

"How do you know that's how I feel?" She ducked her head back to his chest, not wanting him to see the vulnerability in her eyes.

"I don't really know how to explain it." Costin raised his hand to run through her hair. Then he lowered his head so he could speak directly next to her ear. "Something inside you calls to me," he whispered softly. "It's like my soul is reaching for yours and, like a magnet, you draw me to you. My wolf has claimed you and is tuned in to your every breath. I feel your hurt, I feel your discouragement, and all I can think about is how to make you feel better, or who to kill to make sure you don't ever feel this way again."

"That's a pretty good explanation." Sally smiled against his chest. She appreciated his candidness.

"Costin?"

"Yes?"

"Are you not worried about these feelings that are between us or why they're there?" Sally pulled back again so she could look into his eyes when he answered.

He brushed the hair away from her face and smiled. "No, I'm not worried."

"Why not?"

"Nothing in this world seems to be set in stone. Fairies, werewolves, witches, and the like exist, meaning anything is possible. So why couldn't you be mine?"

Costin's eyes began to glow. She shuddered when she asked, "But what if I'm not?"

Costin pulled her close and leaned down just a little to look into her honey brown eyes. "Until the universe tells me different, you are."

Sally laid her head back on his chest and tried to breathe normally. Her heart was beating rapidly and her stomach was in knots. She wanted to be Costin's, she wanted that more than she cared to admit. She closed her eyes and took comfort in his arms as she worried for her friends and their mates, and for this quiet moment in this enchanted land, she pretended that she was his and he was hers.

Peri stood just outside the room Sally and Costin were talking in. She had come to check on Sally, knowing she must be worried and upset. When Peri heard Sally ask Costin how he felt about their feelings toward each other, she was curious to hear Costin's answer. Costin seemed like a very content spirit, a comfortable person to be around, one who set others at ease. He was a good match for the healer. She was not surprised to hear him tell Sally that he wasn't concerned about what seemed to be going on between them. Peri imagined Sally was confused because, from what she knew, only Canis lupus could mate with each other. She didn't know about the gypsy healer loophole. It wasn't time for either of them to know.

Peri wanted to speak with Jen to see if Rachel had divulged that information to her while she'd been in Rachel's care and, if so, to make sure that Jen didn't tell Sally or Costin. Peri knew the consequences would be severe if Costin tried to claim Sally before it was time. She eased away from the door when they grew quiet and left them to comfort one another as only they could - though, they didn't know that yet.

Decebel pushed himself faster, feeling Fane just behind them as they ran through the dark forest. The snow glistened wherever the moon hit it through breaks in the tree cover. His breathing was even and he could see it fog into the air as the heat met the cold. Upon starting out from the tavern, he had called on his wolf to use his sight, hearing, and speed. They had been running for hours, and though Decebel imagined he should be tired, he wasn't. All he could think about was getting to Jennifer. He could feel her when he reached out for her mind, but he didn't want to distract her in case she was having to battle the witch's minions. Peri had said she would make sure that Jennifer and the others would have help and, although Decebel's wolf still wanted to eat the Fae for binding him and allowing their mate to run off, he trusted her.

"How are you holding up?" Decebel spoke low, knowing that Fane's wolf hearing would catch his words.

"Will be better when my mate is where she belongs."

"Shackled to your side?" Decebel teased, only somewhat joking.

Fane chuckled. "And just what do you plan to do with Jen?"

Decebel growled. "I haven't decided yet, but so far none of the things I've thought of would be approved by our Alpha."

That brought a snort of laughter from Fane, which was abruptly cut off when they saw a flash of light fly through the air. Decebel and Fane came to an abrupt halt and listened.

"Do you hear that?"

"Sounds like beating wings. Lots of them," Fane answered.

Decebel took a deep breath in through his nose. His eyes snapped open and a loud howl broke free. He lunged forward and Fane was right behind him. The two wolves hit the ground in stride and headed toward the sound of battle and the scent of their mates.

"Bloody hell, if I never see another bat again it would be too soon," Jen snarled as she sliced another black-winged devil from the sky. Her arms were aching from being raised and her head felt like lead weight on her exhausted neck.

"Seriously," Jacque agreed breathlessly.

Elle and Adam were steadily doing the fireball thing and still looking as fresh as the moment they had walked into the small cave nearly twelve hours ago. Periodically, Rachel, Jen, and Jacque would take turns running into the cave and resting. Jacque and Jen would run past each other and slap each other's hands, joking about tag teaming. Rachel kept giving them looks that made it clear that she wasn't sure if Jen had retained any brain cells through her ordeal. Gavril continued to fight in his wolf form, and Jen and Jacque had both made comments to Rachel about him having amazing stamina for his age. To their surprise and Jen's absolute delight, Rachel responded with a sly, "You know what they say about a wolf's stamina in battle..."

Jacque had choked on her laugh and Jen had winked at Rachel and said, "I don't know what they say but I'll bet it has to do with s-e-x." She had spelled out sex in a singsong voice. Rachel had blushed but smiled and returned the wink.

Jacque decided that this was all way more humorous to them because they were deliriously tired and aching all over - that, and things often seemed funnier when you didn't know if you were going to live to see the next day.

Jen was taking her turn in the cave when she heard a howl pierce the pre-dawn darkness. She ran outside. She knew that howl, would know it anywhere.

Soon she stood out in the forest with the others, holding her breath. She squinted, trying to look through the trees for her mate. When a bat would dive at her it was nearly second nature to raise her arm in the air with the knife clasped in her hand. Then, like an avenging angel, Decebel in his wolf form tore through the trees with Fane on his heels. They both lunged into the air snapping at the bats and tossing them from their mouths as they crushed them one after another. Jen watched in awe as her mate's strong form moving with such agility for one so large. Deciding that they would be out here forever fighting off these stupid bats, she whistled. When everyone looked in her direction, she motioned toward the cave. It was going to be a tight squeeze, but they would make do.

"Come on, fur ball. We need to talk," she told Decebel as she headed into the cave, followed closely behind by Jacque and Rachel.

The three wolves trotted inside and Adam and Elle brought up the rear. They cast some sort of fire shield at the opening of the cave that kept the bats from entering.

"Hey, that's pretty freaking handy." Jacque motioned to the shield.

"Being Fae has its perks." Adam winked.

Fane growled at him and stepped in between Jacque and the Fae.

"Chillax, wolf-man," Jacque told him out loud. "He's on our side and he and Elle saved our bacon, so don't go threatening him."

"Are you unharmed?" Fane asked her gently as he continued to eye the unknown male.

"I'm fine. Just tired. Adam is also fine. He's just a flirt."

"Well then, I shall teach him how not to be," Fane snarled.

Jacque rolled her eyes at her mate and tugged hard on his tail. Fane snapped his head around and growled at her. She raised her hands in surrender. "Behave if you don't want your tail pulled." She glared at him.

Jen sat down on the ground, her body aching all over. Decebel came over and sat down right in front of her. In his wolf form, with her seated, his head was taller than hers even with him sitting on his haunches. His eyes met hers and he lifted a lip in a snarl.

"You will never leave me again," he told her through their bond.

Jen leaned into him and wrapped her arms around him. Decebel let out a low grumble in his chest.

"I'm sorry, Dec, I really am. I'm so tired. Can you change so you can hold me?"

"There is nothing more that I would love to do than hold you, but I have no clothes to put on once I change. We need to discuss what Vasile has asked us to do."

Jen released his neck and sat back a little. She looked at each wolf and then the others.

"Okay, I understand that you guys will be naked when you change. So, we girls will look the other way while we all talk because, frankly, I'm too tired to repeat everything Dec tells me and I'm sure Rachel and Jacque are just as exhausted. We all in agreement?"

Everyone nodded their heads and the wolves each let out subtle woof-like noises. Rachel, Jacque, Jen, and Elle all stood and faced the back of the cave while the men phased.

Jen nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Decebel's lips on her neck and his arms come around her.

"Crap, man! I survived the stupid BAWBs and the bats and you're trying to scare me to death?"

"Sorry, baby. I couldn't just stand there looking at you and not touch you. You've been gone two days. I didn't know -" Decebel was growling again. "Never again.," was all he could finish with.

Jen turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked into his glowing amber eyes. "I think we've established that I am never to pull this kind of stunt again. Anything else you want to say to me, babe?"

Decebel leaned down and kissed her gently. He nuzzled her nose with his and whispered, "I love you."

Jen smiled. "Much better."

Adam cleared his throat and Jen looked around Decebel to see that Fane had Jacque in his arms and Gavril had Rachel in his. She winked at Decebel and then pushed him until his back was against the wall. Then she turned in his arms again so her back was against his chest.

"Now nobody can see your manly bits," she told him with a smile.

Decebel chuckled and shook his head. Each of the other couples assumed similar positions and finally everyone was facing each other, but all-important body parts were covered.

"Now that the reunions are done and everyone has so graciously clothed themselves with their mates -"

Adam was interrupted with three low growls. He held up his hands and smiled. "Kidding. Geez, I forgot how touchy Alpha males are," he said, looking at Elle.

"What's the plan, Dec?" Jen asked.

Decebel pressed his nose into her hair and took comfort in her scent before he spoke.

"Vasile has asked us to meet him in the village back at the tavern. Before I left, he mentioned that he might call in the other packs for their aid against the witch and Thad."

Jacque stiffened. "Is he going to call my dad?"

Fane pulled her tight against him. "Probably, Luna."

Jacque nodded, knowing that if Vasile was willing to endanger the other packs, it was because there was no other way.

Elle stepped forward and kept her eyes averted from the males as a show of respect as she spoke. "I think the girls need to rest before we leave, even if just for a few hours. Adam and I can keep watch here at the entrance."

Decebel nodded his agreement. "We can spare a few hours for them to sleep."

Jen's head fell back against Decebel's chest as she let out a slow breath. "Thank goodness."

On that note the males phased back into their wolf forms. Jen curled up on her side, laying her head against Decebel's warm wolf body. Jacque and Rachel did the same and all were asleep in a matter of moments.

Half a world away, Dillon Jacobs kissed his mate before he boarded the chartered jet.

"I love you," Tanya told him firmly.

"I love you too, Luna. I know you want to come but I need you here with the pack." Dillon brushed her hair back from her face and placed another gentle kiss on her forehead.

"No, you just need me away from danger."

Dillon chuckled. "Well, that too. I will stay in touch," he told her as he tapped his forehead, indicating their bond.

"Just keep Jacque and her friends safe."

"I have a feeling that if it's up to Fane and the other males in his pack, those girls will be in lock down as far from battle as possible."

"Yes...but, mate," Tanya purred, "how often do the males in our race win in a battle of will against a female?"

Dillon grunted, understanding Tanya's point. "You're right, those three will probably be leading the battle charge. I will do anything it takes to make sure no harm comes to them. Vasile explained to me what has been going on since we left." Dillon told Tanya what Vasile had told him and saw the sorrow in his mate's eyes as she heard of the struggles Jen had endured as well as the others. Now more than ever she wanted to go with him, but Dillon couldn't handle having all the women he loved in danger. If he could at least protect one, then he would do it.

"You stay safe, Dillon Jacobs," she told him firmly.

"Yes, ma'am." He winked at her and gave her one more fierce kiss before boarding the plane and joining a select few of his pack members inside.