“I am sorry that we were not able to stop her, Perizada,” Dain spoke up, his deep, cool voice breaking through the stillness that had descended after the magic had dissipated.
Peri didn’t look at him but simply waved him off, too irritated to placate anyone at the moment.
“I’m sorry as well, Peri,” Elle spoke up gripping her side where one of Lorelle’s spells had made contact. “I told Heather to go inside. I told them to stay inside. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her.”
“It’s not your fault, Elle,” Sorin said softly as he pulled her into the shelter of his arms.
Crina came limping over, still in her wolf form and whined at Peri’s feet. Peri stared at the she-wolf and her gut clenched at the injury her sister had caused. Here was another one hurt while under Peri’s protection. If anyone had failed, it was her. The fae stared at the ground at her feet, unblinking.
“Sally, fix Elle and Crina up please,” Adam said after a few moments had passed in silence. “I’ll get these four wolves some clothes so they can phase back.”
Adam jumped up the steps and was through the front door and back in a flash, bringing some T-shirts and wind pants, which the wolves took between their teeth. They trotted in a line around to the side of the house. Barely a moment later, four men came jogging back fully clothed.
“Where are the other healers?” Dillon asked breathlessly, scanning the house and the surrounding area, a slight look of panic in his eyes.
“Dillon, I understand that you are concerned for the healers,” Adam began in a calm voice. “Obviously, the implications are staggering.” A low rumbled rolled out of the three wolves that belonged to Dillon.
“Easy, boys,” Adam said slowly. “You can’t go barging in there salivating over them like they are a couple of pieces of prime rib. It’s been explained to them that they will have a mate, but who that male is could take time to find. They haven’t had any time to adjust to this world. We need to bring them along slowly. Let us go in first and prepare them, give them the respect they deserve.” Dillon gave Adam a slight bow of his head but his eyes held the fae’s.
Lucian’s head nudged his mate’s leg pushing her in the direction of the house. Before she turned to go Alston spoke up. “When were you going to inform the council of your findings?”
Peri’s eyes narrowed on her long time comrade. “When it was time for me to tell you. This mission was given to me, not the council. And when the Great Luna decides that it is a matter for the fae council, then I will gladly inform you of anything and everything. Until then please keep the information you have learned today to yourselves and for the love of sane beings everywhere if Lorelle is within your grasp don’t let her get away.” She turned her back on them without waiting to see if they would respond, effectively dismissing them.
Lucian nudged her again, she started moving and her hand found his warm fur and she took a handful of it and held on. She needed his strength, needed his unending composure, because she was on the verge…of something. What that something was, she wasn’t sure. Maybe on the verge of snapping, or having a meltdown of epic proportion, or quite possibly she was on the verge of nothing, of just shutting down. For the first time in a very, very, very long time Peri felt completely inadequate for the task she’d been given.
Sally shuttered at the eerie silence that filled the room as everyone but the Colorado wolves gathered. Costin, Crina and Lucian had phased and dressed. Sally had worked her magic, literally, on Crina and Elle. Apart from a few lingering bumps and bruises, both ladies were now almost fully healed, and Stella and Anna looked thoroughly shell shocked. All in all, it was an exhausted, defeated looking bunch. It tore at her heart to see her pack mates, her comrades in such devastation. They were all natural born protectors. Failing was not an option, losing was not in the cards and cracking under pressure had no place in them. They were warriors of the most lethal and dedicated kind. Sally knew what they were feeling. Her mate’s emotions were pouring into her and even she, a healer could not bring him comfort.
In that moment she had never wished so much that Jen, her out spoken, fiercely loyal and loving, albeit sometimes embarrassing friend, was with her. Jen would know what to say to rally the troops. Jen would be able to step up and tell them that they better check their emotions at the door, flip totally into battle mode and lock and load. She’d probably add the word bitches to the end of her speech because that was her style, but regardless of that she would inspire them. As the silence continued and the blank stares remained on their faces, Sally dug deep. She reached for her inner Jen, the place where she found strength, courage and the ability to be a badass. Stepping away from Costin into the middle of the room, she cleared her throat. Her eyes met each and every person’s. She let them see that though she was a healer, though she brought comfort and light when they needed it, she could also bring strength and the willingness to fight even though there seemed no chance at victory.
“We have become pack.” Her voice was strong as she turned in a slow circle. “Through the tribulations we have faced, the pain we have suffered, and support we have given one another. That is what pack is. It doesn’t matter if you are fae, wolf, or healer. Joined together in a common goal, with different strengths and weaknesses yet learning to thrive because of them and not in spite of them, is what it means to be pack. And when we endure adversity, when darkness gains a foothold, when one of our own is battered, bruised or incapacitated, pack doesn’t hang our heads in defeat. We yell the battle cry so our enemies will know that we are coming. They are our prey and the hunt is our specialty. Three of our own are incapacitated. We will not waste another minute with our eyes down, our tails tucked between our legs wallowing in what we failed to do. We will try again, and again and again, and the only way we will stop is if every single one of us is lying dead on the battle field.” She turned and looked at Peri, her eyes narrowing in on the fae. “Perizada, high fae, mate to Lucian, lead your pack or get out of our way.”
Peri’s jaw tightened as she stared at the one person least likely to say such a thing to her. The bold command had obviously caught everyone else off guard as well because there was a collective sharp inhale around the room. She took a step towards her and another, keeping any emotion from showing on her face. When she stood less than a foot away she leaned in next to Sally’s ear. “Remind me not to let you watch Braveheart anymore.” A sigh mixed with chuckles reminded Peri just how good wolf hearing was.
“The healer is right,” Peri looked at her mate, met his cool stare and nodded. “You know the dark forest, you should lead us.” His only response was slight tilt of his head in conceding her request. “Now…,” Peri, beginning to sound and look more like herself, rubbed her hands together as she looked at Anna and Stella.
“Why does that look on her face make me want to run?” Anna muttered as she leaned closer to Stella.
“Probably because something humorous is about to happen at our expense,” Stella answered not taking her eyes off the fae.
“Sally,” Peri glanced at the healer. “Let Dillon know that we are ready for the first one. Only one,” she warned.
The snarl from Costin just about caused the girls to yelp. “I don’t think so!” he barked at the fae.
“Oh yes, what was I thinking?” Peri’s said as she rolled her eyes. “Adam, you do the honors.”
Adam nodded and headed for the door. Peri looked at the two girls with mirth in her eyes.
“What was that all about?” Anna whispered.
“Because Costin has severe obsessive-over-his-mate issues, he seems a bit reluctant to send his pretty little healer out amongst the other wolves, especially wolves of a different pack than his own,” Peri replied. “Adam is not a wolf, though if he was he would be pretty high up on the dominance scale. As such, Dillon will not feel challenged by him. If I sent Costin, or heaven forbid, Lucian, Dillon’s wolf might feel the need to assert his dominance as an Alpha. Frankly we don’t have time for a pissing cont
est.”
“Mmm,” Anna hummed. “That totally makes sense.”
Stella’s brow rose as she looked at her. “Really?”
Anna puckered her lips and shook her head. “No. Not really.”
“Good because I was about to feel like a clueless twit,” Stella quipped.
The room plunged into silence when the door opened and Adam walked back in, followed by an imposing figure.
“What the crap do they feed those guys?” Anna whispered to Stella, who simply shrugged as her eyes stayed fastened on the new comer.
Stella searched for any sign that this male could be what Crina and Elle had described as a true mate. He was over six feet, though only by a few inches. He was handsome, which just seemed to be a common denominator with the male wolves, with sandy brown hair worn short and brown eyes. She could appreciate that his clothes hugged his form nicely showing off a well-toned body. She turned her head slightly in Anna’s direction and spoke quietly through clenched teeth. “You feel anything? Any tingles or vibes that make you want to crawl up in his lap and smile adoringly at him?”
Anna snorted. “I got nothing,” she admitted.
“Me either,” Stella admitted.
This time Anna leaned towards Stella. “He’s hot though.”
Stella’s eyes sparkled in appreciation of him. “That he is, my gypsy friend, that he is.”
“He can also hear you,” said the object of their perusal.
Both girls had the sense to look embarrassed, though only mildly.
“I’m Lee,” the large man stepped forward and held out his hand to Stella, who shook it and then Anna who followed suit. “It is an honor to meet you, and I will admit it is disappointing that one of you beautiful ladies is not mine.”
He didn’t give them time to respond but quickly stepped away melding into the group that lined the walls.
“Bring in the next one, and tell him to be quicker. The gypsies aren’t going to bite.” Peri chirped, then added, “Bloody hell this is going to take all day.”
“Patience is not a strong suit of yours, is it beloved?” Lucian’s smooth voice floated through her mind.
“Not when I have a sibling to kill.”
“Fair enough.”
Once again the door opened and this time two males followed on Adam’s heals. Adam looked at Peri and shrugged. “Dillon’s not a patient man.”
“Wolf after my own heart,” Peri muttered.
“Okay this is just getting ridiculous,” Anna huffed as she took in the two males. While they were both large men, one was a veritable giant; his mere presence seemed to take up any space left in the already full room. He was handsome, but not in the traditional sense. His was rugged, raw, and completely unknown to the man himself. It was obvious in the way he carried himself. He was confident, completely sure of himself with his broad shoulders pulled back, yet somehow he still managed to look relaxed. It was not the look of a man who knows how he affects the opposite sex. His face had a strong, square jaw with a sharp, straight nose and his upper lip was slightly plumper than his lower. His cheeks were just high enough that it kept him from having that pretty boy look. His dark brown hair caused his pale blue eyes to look even stranger than they already were in their nearly translucent state. Anna could admit he was quite the specimen, but that was all he was to her.
“Anything?” She asked Stella.
“I get more sensations from my Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.”
“My name is Dalton Black. It is an honor to meet you.” He bowed slightly but did not offer his hand. He also didn’t mention that neither female was his true mate. He simply stepped aside to let the other male come forward.
“I’m Phillip Wright,” he smiled a boyish grin and kissed each of their hands. “Very nice to meet you ladies.” Phillip was leaner than the other two males though taller than Lee. He wore his black hair in a short military cut. His face was rounder, though not less handsome, and his eyes were the color of Spanish moss.
Both girls returned his smile and then looked at Peri who frowned. “Well, that was uneventful.”
The door opened one more time and another male walked through who was quite a bit shorter than the first three, though not any less sturdy or handsome.
He nodded to them both as he smiled, though his eyes looked sad. “Healers, I’m Dillon Jacobs, Alpha of the Colorado Pack. It is an honor to meet you, to welcome you into our world, though it is hard not to be disappointed that one of my males was not yours.”
Stella didn’t know if she should apologize or give condolences to the obviously upset males. She looked at Anna whose pressed together lips and flighty eyes told her she was just as unsure as she was.
“It is what it is,” Peri announced. “Now that the butt sniffing is out of the way, it’s time to make a plan. Dillon, you and Lucian should come up with a battle strategy. Lucian knows the dark forest. He can tell you what vantage points would be best and where weaknesses lie. For the sake of what little sanity I have left, keep the dominance crap to a minimum.”
“Adam, you and Elle will take the wolves outside and fill them in on your abilities and how you can best assist them during the fight.”
“Do you really think it will come to that?” asked Elle.
“I have no idea. We know that my sister is working with someone or something powerful. We don’t know what we are going to be up against. It’s best to prepare for the worst. I won’t be caught unawares again.” The powerful fae practically ground out the final words through gritted teeth.
She turned to Sally next and smiled a smile that Sally had seen several times, one of which had been just before they had taken on Desdemona, the witch they had killed. It was a smile that told her that Peri couldn’t possibly have near as much sanity as she claimed. “Sally dearest,” she cooed. “You, Strip Tease over there, and the actual genuine looking gypsy, are coming with me.”
“Where exactly is that, Peri?” Sally asked with a friendly smile, but her narrowed eyes belied it.
“I’ve gotta pocket, gotta pocket full of fae stones,” Peri sang as she headed towards the kitchen leaving the girls to follow.
“Mother of pearl, she’s making up her own words to the tunes of pop songs,” Sally groaned.
“Is that a bad thing?” Anna asked.
“Let’s just say when Peri starts trying to be creative with today’s popular culture it’s a she’s gotta plan that’s probably going to get us killed thing.”
Stella scrunched up her face. “Good to know.”
“I’m pretty sure there is nothing good about that piece of information,” Anna pointed out.
“True. However, it might make things a little less tense if we go to our deaths with a catchy jingle stuck in our heads courtesy of our completely not psycho fairy.”
Sally laughed as she motioned them to follow her. “You gals are going to fit right in.”
Anna’s brow rose. “To what? Our coffins?”
∞
“I suppose three is better than none.” Volcan’s voice grated over every nerve in Lorelle’s body. She had dreaded facing him after she had failed to retrieve all of the other healers, but she knew there was no getting around it. Better to deal with his tantrum and then be done with it then stew about it. To her surprise he didn’t throw the three year old fit she had been expecting. He acted somewhat rationally, well as rationally as a deranged, power hungry spirit could.
“They are all quite powerful, they just don’t know it, don’t know what they are capable of,” she explained.
“I almost hate to bleed them dry without them being mated. If they were mated they would hold even the power of their mates. But I suppose I shouldn’t be stingy.”
Lorelle bit her lip to keep from laughing. Yes, worry about being stingy as if you aren’t about to kill three innocent girls by draining their blood to gain their magic, Lorelle thought. The humor of it was quickly doused as she considered that she wasn’t any better than Volcan. Who was she to
judge him? She was the one, after all, who had delivered the healers to him. She had sentenced them to a horrible death. She pushed the thoughts from her mind because she was perilously close to feeling as though she still had a conscience.
“When do you want to begin?” She asked him.
“As eager as I am,” he purred in a way that made Lorelle throw up in her mouth. “the first healer needs to regain her strength. Let her body replenish her blood so that she isn’t weakened. One more day should be adequate. Besides, there is a full moon tomorrow, and a storm is moving in. It would greatly increase the power of the spell to have all of the elements in their natural form to assist us.”
Lorelle was about to leave when he added, “There is a clearing near the center of the forest, set up three altars. Use stone, not wood.”
Lorelle flashed before she could say something that would get her killed. Three stone altars? Seriously, who the crap did he think she was? Did he just expect her to pull not only one, but three stone alters from her butt? Lorelle’s thoughts reminded her of how her magic had begun to change. The more time she spent in the dark forest, and the more she practiced dark magic, the harder it was for her to use any of her natural powers. Conjuring an element such as earth and the like, was child’s play for most fae. Then again, most fae used their magic only for good, and not for selfish gain.
She flashed to the location he indicated and stood in the center of the clearing. Lorelle slipped her shoes off and pressed her bare feet firmly into the ground, letting the dirt gather in between her toes. The soil there was different from where she had grown up and lived. The soil beyond the dark forest was untouched by Volcan’s magic and as such it was full of life. The soil she now stood on was dead. The only way to get anything from the earth around her would be by her own blood.