Chapter 2

“I feel like I must be prepared for anything and everything at all times. At some point along the way, you’d have thought I would have realized that I am not an all-powerful being and, therefore, cannot be all things in all situations for all people. I am but a dormant female Canis lupus. It doesn’t matter how many times I try to remind myself of this, it still pisses me off when I’m caught off guard.” ~Jen

“They’re gone!” Cyn bellowed as she suddenly appeared in the war room directly beside the table where Jacque and Jen were currently sitting, having just realized that their pack had been betrayed to the Order.

Both girls were on their feet in an instant, their chairs falling to the floor from the force of their rising.

“Who’s gone?” Jen asked, her hands already shaking because she knew what Cyn would say. Call it a mother’s intuition or just the understanding that she’d learned to always expect the worst when someone was running around screaming out thing’s like ‘they’re gone’.

“The pups,” the fae warrior, who was usually so calm and stoic, breathed out around a sob.

Nissa, the high fae Peri had left to help protect the stronghold, appeared a second later. “Alston,” she said through clenched teeth.

Cyn nodded. “Alston and Skender. They blew the door off the nursery, and Alston bound us before we could wield our own weapons or magic. Then they grabbed the pups and left.”

“I felt him,” Nissa said. “But I couldn’t get to him. I tried to flash to his location, but it was as if he had nullified my powers. The sensation evaporated, and I was able to move again. I checked on the children first and then followed Cyn’s magic here.”

Jen felt Jacque’s hand on her shoulder and realized that her friend’s hands had phased to full-on claws and fur. Jen closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm herself.

“They’re just … gone,” Cyn mumbled again, as though she were trying to convince herself there was some kind of mistake.

“Did they say anything?” Jacque asked.

Another fae warrior, Talia, suddenly appeared next to Cyn. “You flashed before I could show this to you.” Talia held her hand out to Cyn. A folded piece of paper sat clenched within it.

Jen snatched it before Cyn could move and quickly unfolded it. She read it three times, her mind frantically trying to grasp the words through the haze of rage and fear. “He says we are to come to Arizona and bring Sally if we want to see our children alive and unharmed,” she read, looking at Jacque, who appeared about as calm as Jen felt.

Before anyone could respond, Sally and Costin came running through the entryway to the war room. Sally’s eyes were the size of saucers, and Costin looked ready to skin someone alive.

“Where are our children?” Sally asked, her words coming out in between gasps of air. She must have run the entire way from the playroom. Gypsy healers, for all their inner strength, simply didn’t have the physical stamina of wolves. “They’re gone, and I thought Cyn agreed to tell us if they were leaving…” She realized Cyn was standing right beside Jen. “Why are you here? Why aren’t you with Titus, Slate, and Thia?” She growled as she glared at the fae warrior. “And why in the bloody pixie babies are you crying!” Jen understood Sally’s confusion over Cyn’s show of emotion. The fae female rarely, if ever, showed any emotion.

Costin wrapped his arms around his distraught mate and pulled her back from where Sally had stepped into Cyn’s personal space. “Answer her,” Costin said, his voice deadly.

Jen was the one who spoke. “Alston and Skender have taken them.”

Sally breathed out in a desperate plea. She looked at Cyn and Nissa. “Why didn’t either of you stop him?” Her eyes focused on the female high fae. “Aren’t you supposed to be powerful like him? What freaking good are you if you can’t protect the most important people in this damn mountain?” Jen began to speak, but Sally whipped her head around and drilled Jen with an angry glare. “Why are you just standing there doing nothing, Jennifer?”

The growl that Jen’s wolf emitted was beyond her human control. The beast didn’t appreciate Sally’s implication—that Jen wasn’t concerned for their little ones. She was worried out of her freaking mind. But she needed a moment to process the situation. Her mate was far away on a battlefield facing an enemy that was forewarned of their plans and prepared for the fight. Now, her daughter was in the hands of that same enemy.

“Give me a bloody damn minute to think!” Jen yelled. Jacque placed a hand, which had phased completely back to her human form, on her arm as if to say, “Sally’s not the enemy.” Jen knew that, of course, but she also knew her friend needed to take a step back and think before she started accusing her of doing nothing.

“He said to bring Sally to Arizona,” Jacque said. “Decebel and Fane just showed us the field where they are about to go to battle.”

“Nissa and I can trace Alston’s magic,” Cyn added. “But we need to get back to the room and follow it before it fades.” Cyn looked at Talia. Her tears were now dry, and she seemed to have pulled herself together. “You need to let Alpha Alina know what’s going on. We don’t have time to tell her.”

Talia nodded.

Cyn held out her arms, as did Nissa. Jen and Jacque placed a hand on Cyn while Sally and Costin each placed a hand on Nissa. They flashed and ended up in the playroom. “Don’t let go,” Cyn said, and then they flashed again.

Jen considered for about a second that maybe they should have thought their actions through a little better before chasing after the evil high fae and traitorous wolf, but she dismissed the thought as soon as she pictured Thia’s perfect face in her mind. If there was one hair harmed on her child’s head, Jen would pull Alston apart limb by limb. She’d make Skender watch, so he knew exactly what would happen to him.

When her feet were on solid ground once again, Jen opened her eyes, which she hadn't even realized she’d closed, and gasped as she took in the battle raging around her.

“Do you see them?” Sally asked, her voice full of the urgency that Jen was feeling.

“No,” Jacque said. “Wait, there.” She pointed to the right, and Jen followed the direction. Alston and Skender stood in the middle of the fray, holding the three children in their arms. Alston held Thia, and Skender had Slate and Titus.

Jen’s wolf pushed forward and snarled. “I will end them.” Nissa held out her arm to try to stop her, but Jen was not having it.

“Get in line,” Sally snapped as she and Costin started toward the treacherous wolf and high fae. Jen and Jacque began to run. Jen didn’t know where Cyn or Nissa had gone after she’d stomped past them. But whatever the fae were doing, Jen hoped it helped.

The seconds it took to reach the two males seemed like hours. But when they were finally mere feet away, Jen had to fight her phase. Her wolf wanted free. It needed to rip into the man who held their pup and pull his entrails from his tender stomach. It wanted to wrap them around his neck and strangle him, watching the life fade from his miserable eyes. Thia’s face was red, her eyes puffy from crying and tears rolled down her face. As soon as she saw Jen, she reached out one of her chubby, little hands to her. Jen was so going to disembowel the POS holding her child.

“I’m glad to see you took my warning seriously,” Alston said as he met Jen’s wolf-eyes.

“Give me my pup,” Jen said. Her voice was not her own. The wolf was in full control, and the human could only watch. It took all of Jen’s will to stay in her human form so she could keep speaking.

“Now, now,” Alston cooed. “Let’s not rush things. There is much to discuss. Let me just get everyone’s attention, and then we can talk like reasonable adults.”

“Oh?” Sally’s eyes widened. “And where were you planning on getting these reasonable adults to speak with? Because I don’t see any here. Reasonable adults don’t use hordes of vampires to murder innocent humans. Reasonable adults don’t steal innocent children from their parents. And those parents definitely don’t remain bloody reasonable when their children are in the clutches of psychotic supernaturals!” Sally was screaming by the time she finished, her breaths ragged gasps. It appeared as though she was physically restraining herself from lunging at Skender to get to Titus.

“Wow,” Skender spoke up. “She sure doesn’t act like a gentle healer.”

Jen’s eyes snapped to the male wolf. “You have no right to speak, wolf,” Jen’s inner-beast rumbled. “You are a traitor. A viper in the nest of innocent babes, willing to turn on your own. You’re the lowest of the low, and I will feast on your bones before this is over. Be sure of that. Do not speak of our healer again.”

“Are you really in a position to be making threats, Jen?” The smirk on Skender’s face only enraged her more. “We don’t want to hurt the pups, but we will, if you force our hands.”

“You’ve already hurt them. They’re terrified, you imbecile. Why would you think kidnapping them from their home, their families, wouldn’t hurt them?” Jacque asked. “How could you do this?” Her voice was full of disbelief and horror as she stared at him. “How could you turn on your pack?”

“Because our pack leadership is inept. Vasile is in the wrong. We shouldn’t have to hide. The supernaturals shouldn’t be afraid of the humans,” Skender said. His voice sounded bland, as though he was a terrible actor reading from a script.

“As titillating as this conversation is,” Alston cut in, “there are more important things to talk about. One second.” He held up his free hand, and Jen hoped to hell he didn’t drop her daughter.

Alston’s voice magnified as he spoke in the fae language. She recognized it because Peri had used it many times in the spells she cast. Thunder rumbled and clouds gathered as fog enveloped the circle of the battlefield until it built a wall between them and the rest of the world.

“JENNIFER!” She heard Decebel’s voice in her mind, but she couldn’t answer him or even try to find him in the bloodbath that was happening all around her. All she could focus on was Thia and making sure Alston didn’t hurt her girl.

On and on the battle went, and though it felt like it had been hours, Decebel knew from past experience a fight was never as long as it felt. He was moving forward to help Fane with two fae that were attacking him when suddenly he froze as he felt his mate. She was there. He could feel her through the bond so strongly it was as if she were standing next to him. Decebel’s head turned frantically as he looked for her, hoping like crazy that he was wrong. He also realized the frantic feeling inside of him wasn't his own. It was his mate’s.

“JENNIFER!” He yelled through their bond, but she didn’t answer. All of a sudden the world just stopped. He couldn’t move, and as he shifted his gaze back and forth, he saw that nobody else could either. Even their enemy was frozen in their spots.

Finally, he found her. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a tight braid. She stood rigid, her shoulders back and her hands fisted at her sides. Why was she there? How was she there? It didn’t make sense. Why hadn’t she told him she was coming? The questions rushed through his mind as he continued to fight the magic holding him. If this was Peri’s doing, he was going to bite her, hard.

His mate slowly turned, and a second later their gaze locked on to one another. He drank her in like a man who’d been thirsty for decades. He wanted to go to her, needed to make sure she wasn’t a figment of his imagination. The fear that filled Jen’s eyes made his stomach clench. He’d only ever seen her that scared once before, and that was when she thought Thia was going to die at birth.

“Why the hell are you here?” he asked, reaching out to her through their bond.

She didn’t answer. Instead she stepped to the side. She obviously wasn’t bound by the spell that was working over the battlefield. He looked past her shoulder and saw Alston, and in his arms was Thia, his daughter.

Decebel’s wolf lunged inside so hard that he’d actually managed to move just a little but that was it. Rage rolled through him like the building storm of the sprites as he looked back at Jen and then to his daughter again. His helpless daughter in the arms of a monster. Alston had just made the biggest mistake of his long, long life. He’d unleashed a demon in the form of a wolf, and no matter how long it took, Decebel would eventually destroy the high fae for touching his precious child and for the fear he saw in his mate’s eyes.

Alston’s voice drew Decebel’s attention from his daughter, and he looked at the high fae’s face. The smug look was enough to make Decebel want to chew on the marrow of the man's bones.

“It’s time you retreat and lick your wounds.” Alston’s gaze seemed to roam over the space, looking for someone. His grin widened as though happy he hadn’t found them. “After all, you’re beloved hero, Perizada, has deserted you. She was here. I can feel her magic, and yet I do not see her now. Tell me,” Alston said, his voice sounding smug, “how long did she last before she tucked her tail and ran?” He threw his head back and laughed.

Thia jumped, startled by the sound. Her bottom lip quivered, and Decebel swore for every tear that fell down her cheek, he would cut Alston up slowly. Slice by slice, he would cut the high fae until he was just a pile of bite-size pieces to throw to his cousins, the wild wolves.

Alston’s laugh died down. “I have to admit I am quite taken aback. I was truly expecting to face the great and mighty Perizada here today. Ludcarab even brought out his pet.” He motioned toward the man sitting on the dragon that hovered in the air about forty feet behind Alston. “We were expecting a more challenging match.” He shook his head as though disappointed.

Decebel’s gaze roamed the battlefield, because he couldn’t move his damn head, only looking away from his mate and child for a second to verify what Alston said. He didn’t see Peri anywhere. Why would she leave? Or was she taken? It wouldn’t be beyond Alston to have done something in order to deceive them.

He tried to move forward again, but he couldn’t budge. It was a binding spell like the one Peri had put on them in the past. In that moment, Decebel despised the fae’s magic.

The thunder still rumbled, but it wasn’t as loud as when the battle had been raging. The lightning was now completely gone, and everything suddenly felt even more dangerous than when his foe had been attacking him with the intent to kill.

“The only thing I’m going to be licking is his blood from my muzzle,” Fane snarled next to Decebel. He apparently wasn’t concerned about Perizada bailing on them, if that was in fact what had happened.

Decebel realized that whatever was holding him must have backed off enough to allow them to speak, though they still couldn’t move their limbs.

“What do you want with the pups, Alston?” Vasile asked.

“The pups serve no other purpose than to control you and your females. There’s no way you will strike against us while we have them.” The high fae smiled, and the evil behind it sent a chill down Decebel’s spine. This was a man who would do anything, kill anyone, even a helpless child, to get what he wanted.

“I knew you were a fool,” Vale, the male fae warrior who had joined them, spoke up. “But even this shocks me. They will have no mercy on you for endangering their children. You know how sacred they are to the Canis lupus.”

“Ahh, Vale,” Alston purred, ignoring his words. “I am shocked that your father would let you out of farie. But I am not surprised he is not here. None of the high fae, save Nissa and Perizada, have what it takes to be warriors. They are cowards. Perhaps there is hope for you yet.”

“You speak of cowardness, and yet you’ve chosen the weak path. It is much easier to follow the wide path of evil than to stay on the narrow path of justice. You might have won this battle,” Vasile said, “but the war is far from finished. We aren’t just going to go away and hide simply because you tell us to.”

“You will do exactly as I tell you or the children die,” Alston snapped. His face had reddened at the alpha’s words. Apparently he didn’t like hearing the truth.

Jen snarled at the man holding her child. The baby was sucking in quiet breaths as tears fell down her cheeks. She put out her little hand to Jen. His mate looked ready to rip out Alston’s throat. Decebel felt his wolf reaching for her through their bond. He didn’t want her to do something that would get her or their pup hurt. Their mate ignored them. He wasn’t surprised.

“We will regroup,” Vasile said. There was a rumble of growls and curses from the warriors around them.

“Vasile,” Tyler, the Missouri pack alpha snapped, his disapproval clear in his glowing eyes.

“We don’t back down,” Jeff Stone, the Coldspring alpha said through gritted teeth.

They didn’t want to back off. Like Decebel, they wanted blood. They needed the children safely out of the enemy’s hands. The tension was thick, and Decebel knew that had Alston not been holding them back, one of them would have moved to do something. And it would have been a foolish decision. Vasile was not backing down because he was afraid or because he thought Alston and his Order was superior. He was backing off because nothing was worth losing the pups. Vasile kept his attention on Alston. “But do not consider for a minute that we are conceding defeat.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourselves to make you feel better. I’ve no doubt we will meet again, but it will be with you on your knees, offering fealty to the Order.”

“If it saves the lives of the pups, then yes, I would do it,” Vasile said, his voice so calm that anyone who didn’t know him wouldn’t realize that he was at his most dangerous state. “Though you would spend the rest of your existence looking over your shoulder because we live a very long time, and I am a patient hunter. Make no mistake, Alston, former high fae, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth. You will never sleep in peace again.”

“No offense, Alpha,” Jen growled, “but I plan to be the one to rip his intestines from his stomach and strangle him with them. You won’t have to go on your hunt.”

There was a collective rumble of growls of approval that rippled across the field.

“Your bravery is commendable,” Alston told her. “Foolish. But commendable.”

Decebel couldn’t take his eyes off his mate as Alston motioned some of his fae warriors over. They each placed a hand on their prisoners and Skender. In the blink of an eye they were gone. Then, in another blink, the rest of the Order warriors, except Ludcarab, disappeared. The elf glared down at them, then without a word, he turned his draheim around and flew toward the large compound.

Decebel stumbled as the binding spell vanished, and he was able to move again. He started forward, but then stopped as he swung his head around, his eyes moving wildly. He knew he wouldn’t see them—they were gone—but that didn’t stop him from looking. Fane was doing the same thing. His blue eyes glowed bright with his wolf. Decebel had no doubt his own eyes would be a bright amber.

“There’s nothing you can do, wolf,” Vale said as he stepped in front of him. “We have to make a plan. You can try busting through the door. It won’t work, and you’ll wind up getting yourself killed, which would kill your mate and leave your pup without parents. Stop and think.”

Vasile spoke up, his eyes on Fane. “That goes for you, too,” he said to his son. “We can’t be rash. If we go in without making a plan, we will just get ourselves and our people killed.”

“We need to go to the Keep and check on our pack,” Vasile said as he turned to look at the warriors waiting on instruction. The other alphas, as well as Cypher, Thalion and Adira, were looking to Vasile for leadership. “Once we check on our respective packs and people, we will meet in the sprite realm.” He paused and looked at Andora.

The sprite queen stepped forward. “That will be fine. We can use the same hall as before. It will hold all of us. We’ve managed to keep our wards strong enough that no other supernatural has breached them for centuries.”

“Is anyone going to address the fact that Peri left us high and dry?” Jeff asked.

“Was she injured?” Dillon asked, his voice thick with emotion. Decebel sometimes forgot that Jacque was his daughter. Of course, he was emotional. His mate, Tanya, stood beside him. Blood streaked her cheeks and neck, but she appeared unharmed. Her hand was clasped in her mate’s and she leaned into him, offering her touch to comfort him. Decebel would give anything to have his mate leaning against him.

Nissa stepped out of the crowd. “Injured or not, Peri would not have left unless it was absolutely necessary. She doesn’t abandon those in need.”

Vasile looked at the high fae. His eyes that had been fierce only moments ago now looked tired. “Can you trace her?”

“I’ve already tried,” Cyn spoke up. She looked shaken. “I can’t even feel her.”

“Does that mean she’s dead?” Lilly asked.

“Not necessarily,” Nissa answered.

“That’s not very comforting,” the warlock queen said with some bite in her words. Cypher placed his large hand on her shoulder.

“Easy, love,” he said to her gently. “We will get them back.” He was reassuring her about Jacque and Slate. Lilly was hurting as much as he and Dillon, and she was taking her fear out on whomever she could. Decebel could relate.

“As some of you know,” Vasile said, “Peri has been dealing with another foe. She is stretched thin, and the fact that she was able to be here at all was simply by chance. I do not think she would have left in the middle of a battle unless she had no other choice. The healers under her protection must have needed her.”

“I agree with you,” Cyn said. “I’ve known Perizada for a very long time. She wouldn’t have left without good reason.”

Drake spoke up. “I’m playing the devil’s advocate here. But it seemed convenient that she disappeared just before Alston showed up. Could he have somehow trapped her?”

“Why the hell does it matter?” Fane suddenly barked. “Peri can take care of herself whether here, with the Order, or with her charges. They”—he pointed to the compound—“have my mate and child. That’s what matters.”

“And my daughter and grandson. They are who we need to focus on.” Chris Morgan stepped forward. Decebel had completely forgotten the human male had joined them. His focus had shifted from battle to protection mode the second he’d seen his mate and child.

“We will keep trying to trace Peri,” Nissa said gently. “Your son and the healer’s father are correct. You need to think about how you will rescue the females and their young.”

It was quiet for a moment before Cyn spoke. “The fae can flash everyone where they need to go, Vasile. As soon as we’re ready to meet in the sprite realm, contact us via cell phone, and we will come to retrieve you all again.”

Vasile nodded. “We thank you for your help.” He looked around at each of the fae. “All of you. Truly.” The sincerity in his voice was strong, and Decebel knew it was one of the reasons he was so respected. Vasile held power not simply because he was strong, but because he respected others, and they in turn respected him.

“Wait,” Decebel said quickly. “I’m sorry, Vasile, but I cannot go with you. I won’t leave my mate and my child on a completely separate continent.”

“Decebel, there is nothing you can do at the moment,” Vasile pointed out.

“If you get yourself injured or captured, Jen will have you building hundreds of doghouses,” Cyn warned. “Not just the two.”

Decebel shook his head, his jaw clenched tight. “I don’t care. I’m not leaving. I’d build her a damn doghouse every day of the week if that’s what she needs.”

“I’m staying, too,” Fane joined in.

“Of course you are,” Vasile said, sounding resigned.

“They can stay with us,” Dillon offered.

Dillon glanced at Vasile and then looked at Decebel and Fane. “You both agree to be under my leadership?”

“Yes,” Decebel and Fane said in unison.

Vasile let out a tired sigh as he met Decebel’s eyes and then Fane’s. “I will allow you to stay because I understand, but I am ordering you both to go to the Colorado pack. You cannot stay here. You will wind up doing something impetuous.”

Decebel’s wolf wanted to lash out at Vasile, but the man kept him from doing so. “I will agree to that. We need to figure out a plan. I cannot stand the idea of my mate and pup in the enemy’s hands.”

Vasile gave a sharp nod and then turned to Fane. “Are you going to be alright?”

Fane’s eyes had not stopped glowing with the presence of his wolf. “I won’t do anything stupid. I know that’s what you’re really asking.”

“Your history doesn’t exactly instill confidence,” Cyn pointed out.

“Filling in on Peri’s role of smart-ass comments?” Fane growled at the fae.

“Simply reminding you to keep your beast in check. There is too much riding on this for you or Decebel to go feral,” Cyn responded calmly.

Decebel met the warrior fae’s eyes and gave her a sharp nod. He agreed and would fight his wolf’s need to go after their mate and child.

“Chris,” Vasile said as he looked at Sally’s father, who was staring at the compound as if he could will himself inside of it. “Are you going back to the sprite realm to be with your wife, or do you feel the need to stay close and go with Dillon’s pack?”

Chris finally looked away from the compound and turned to Vasile. “I imagine Cindy is already aware of what has happened,” he said. He must have been talking about the seer sprites. They didn’t interfere, but they saw the future. “But I need to be with her. Sally has her mate with her and she’s strong.”

“That she is.” Vasile nodded. “Very well. We will see you soon.”

Vasile gave his son a brief hug and then placed his hand on Vale’s arm. The rest of the wolves in Vasile’s pack moved to Riven, Nissa, Cyn, and the other fae warriors who held out their arms.

“Fae warriors who aren’t transporting Vasile’s wolves,” Nissa said, her voice loud enough that it would carry across the battlefield, “please work with the other leaders to get everyone where they need to go. I think it would be wise to be training while you wait to hear from Vasile.” She flashed, with the others right behind her.

Decebel turned to look at the large building that Dylan said headquartered the Order of the Burning Claw. He sought out Jen through their bond. It was weak but still there. “Are you alright?”

“I have Thia back, so I’m not going on a killing spree. They’ve got us locked up in a room. They’ve separated us.”

“Whatever you do, stay alive,” Decebel urged. “Our daughter needs us.”

“I know. I won’t try to be a hero. I love you.”

Decebel closed his eyes as the words and emotions of his female washed over him. He hated being separated from her and Thia. It was going to be the greatest test of his self-control to keep from going after them until Vasile gave the order. “I love you, baby. I’ll be coming for you both. Very soon.”