by Quinn Loftis
She smiled at him. “I know and I love you.” His eyes widened as he heard her voice in his mind and realized he felt her inside as well. Their bond was restored, her soul back where it belonged, joined with his, man and woman, wolf to wolf.
Costin fell to his knees in front of Sally and looked up into her face. He was afraid to touch her, afraid she wasn’t real, and afraid this was all some crazy delusion his mind had concocted in an attempt to cope. She smiled down at him and ran her fingers through his hair. Her scent crashed into him and the warmth from her hand drew him like a moth to a flame. He stood and took her face gently in his hands. “You’re real.”
She nodded her head and her smile grew. “I’m real, I’m here, and I’m yours.”
Costin savored the words as a lion savors a feast after a kill. He stepped closer to her and lowered his face to hers. His lips brushed against hers as he spoke. “Sally mine, I had lost you,” his voice broke on his words, bringing tears to Sally’s eyes.
“You didn’t. I’m here love,” she tried to reassure him.
He nodded and then pressed his lips to hers. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her tight against him and he felt their bond snap back into place. He groaned as the familiar sensation flowed through him and the light his mate brought to him flooded his heart and soul.
“Mine,” he growled against her lips.
“Yours,” she agreed.
Fane didn’t waste time with words as he reached his mate. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against him, and kissed her hard. He poured his need, desire, pain, fear, devotion, hope, and love into the kiss. He devoured her as his hands moved up into her hair, wrapping it around his fingers and angling her head so he could kiss her deeper.
“I missed you,” he told her through their mended bond.
She sighed and gave in fully to the kiss. “I missed you too. I love you.”
“My Luna,” he whispered huskily into her mind. “I love you and I will love you still more tomorrow.”
Vasile stepped back just a little from his mate so that he could look at his brother. He tried to process what he was seeing, but all he could think was that he couldn’t believe it.
“How?” he asked.
“I survived in the dark forest,” Lucian told him simply. “I have a purpose to fulfill still.”
Vasile looked at the Great Luna and she smiled warmly at him.
“Thank you,” Vasile told her.
She nodded to him and he saw the love shining from her eyes.
Jen stared at her best friends with wide eyes. She watched as they reunited with their mates and she tried to be patient, but then patience never was her strong suite and she never pretended it was.
“Decebel, take Thia please.”
Decebel frowned at her but gently took their daughter in his arms. She pushed away from him as she stood on shaky legs. Thanks to Rachel, she was mostly healed, but she was still weak. Crina and Elle rushed to her side to help her up. There was a blanket wrapped around her waist that made moving even more difficult.
“Jennifer,” Decebel growled, “you need to rest. They can come to you.”
Jennifer waved him off. “My best friend was dead, my other best friend was off coping with that all alone, and now they are both here... alive. I’m not waiting.”
Decebel walked beside her. He was scowling at her but still being gentle as he helped keep her upright with one arm and holding Thia in the other.
“Hmm, hmm,” Jen cleared her throat from behind Costin and Fane. Jacque and Sally looked around their mates at the same time and their faces broke into huge smiles. They started to rush towards Jen, but Decebel stepped in front of her to block her.
“Slow and gentle,” he said sternly, “she’s just given birth.”
Their gasps replaced their smiles and then their attention was immediately on Thia. Decebel held her proudly as they oohed and awed over her.
Jen stepped around Decebel and watched as her friends caressed their child and her heart swelled with love and thankfulness. Sally looked up and smiled at Jen. “She’s incredible.”
Jen wiped away a tear and nodded. “Yeah, I’d have to say we did good.” She winked at Decebel and then held her arms open. This time Sally and Jacque moved slower as they wrapped each other in a hug. Lilly too came over and wrapped her arms around all three girls and whispered in Jacque’s ear. “I love you, I’m so, so glad you are okay.”
Jacque pulled back and looked at her mom. She watched as Cypher came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her protectively. It filled her with warmth inside to see her mom happy and loved.
“I’m so much better than okay, mom, and holy crap, it’s good to see you,” she said as she threw herself into her mom’s arms. Lilly let out a small laugh as she pulled her daughter close.
“It’s good to see you too,” she looked at Sally and Jen then, “all of you.”
Jen looked around, her brow furrowed, and she looked at the Great Luna. “Where is Peri?”
The room was immediately silent as they watched the goddess.
She smiled at them. “She is well, and she told me to tell you three that she would be by very soon to see you.”
“I totally just gave birth in a cave, and she has been brought back from the dead and she can’t show her undead face to tell me how awesome my kid is?” Jen asked dryly.
“She said she needed to deal with some things,” the Great Luna said vaguely.
Jen didn’t miss the way Lucian’s jaw tensed.
“Uh uhm, I see,” Jen eyed Vasile’s brother and grinned when he frowned at her.
“Jennifer,” Decebel warned as he caught on to her thoughts, and then he nearly lost his balance as he realized their bond was whole and strong again. Jen’s eyes met his when she felt him in her mind and she let out a sigh of relief. But then, as quickly as the relief had come, it was replaced with annoyance and anger.
“You’re not off the hook, you know,” she narrowed her eyes at him. “We are going to be having a serious conversation, and I have a feeling it isn’t going to end well for you.”
Decebel flashed his devilish smile at her. “Is that a promise?”
The Great Luna stepped forward to the center of the group and looked at them all with love and hope. She bathed the cave in her light, filling them with purpose and renewed strength.
“The deaths brought on by the evil that lived inside of Reyaz were not appointed. It was not their time. Therefore, I stepped in and took back what was mine. These lives restored still have much to give in this life, much to do. Cynthia, my precious child with a heart so full of remorse over her past, chose to give her life in the place of another. It was not her time, but the Fates agreed to it, and I allowed her the free will to choose. There is no greater gift than do die for another, to sacrifice yourself so that another will not suffer. And Cynthia gave this gift to Thia, to Jennifer, and to Decebel. This child is blessed and great things await her."
“Once again you have stepped up to defend those who needed you. You took the narrow path, one filled with danger and fear, and you didn’t give into the need to run—to keep yourself safe. I’m so very proud of you and I love you all. Rest now for a time; rest in my peace and love. Rejoice in your triumph. Celebrate the lives brought back to you and live each day so that you can lie down at night with no regrets. And should you have regrets, know that forgiveness, mercy, grace and the promise of a new day are my assurance to you.”
When she had gone, her peace flowed through them. There were hugs, and tears of happiness and sorrow.
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I need some hot chocolate,” Jen spoke over the other voices.
Jacque and Sally smiled at her.
“Make mine a double,” Alina spoke up from behind them.
“You heard the woman,” Jen turned to Adam. “Fairy Peri isn’t here for me to abuse. I guess you will have to do until she returns. So fairy boy, you and your posse get us home.”
>
Adam’s lips quirked up as he looked at her. “I’m going to let that the whole fairy boy slide since you just gave birth and all.”
“Dude, you know who my mate is? There will be a whole lot of sliding.”
Adam looked over at Decebel who was cooing to his daughter in a very un-Decebel like fashion. He looked back over at Jen. “Forgive me if I’m not shaking in my boots.”
Jen smacked Decebel’s arm. “Hey, figure out a way to coo and look menacing at the same time please; my happiness on being able to belittle others depends on it.”
Decebel rolled his eyes, “Sure baby, I’ll get right on that.”
He watched her as she moved slowly around their room, straightening this and that, and each time she passed the basinet she would pause and stare down at their Thia. She would wait a few heartbeats to watch her breathing and then she would move on. She had been doing this for the past eight hours since they had returned from the cave. She was exhausted and her emotions were raw and plain as day on her face.
“Jennifer, come here baby,” he told her softly, not wanting to disturb Thia. He wanted his little one to get much needed rest because he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold off the eager packmates and friends for long. They would want to see the first werewolf child born in a very long time.
Jen turned to glare at him. Though she was so tired and her legs threatened to give out on her at any moment, she had to talk this out. “You are so lucky that we have an infant in this room. You will have to thank your daughter later for saving you from my wrath,” she wanted to say she was joking, but she wasn’t, not this time. “How could you Decebel? You forfeited your life. You willingly had our bond broken; you pushed me away when I needed you most. I can’t even begin to tell you how hurt and angry I am. I love you, god how I love you and I thank the Great Luna that you are alive and safe, but that does nothing for the anger that I feel right now.”
“I know, Jennifer. I knew the minute I did it that I shouldn’t, but I didn’t know what else to do,” he fought to keep his voice calm and low as he tried to make her see, make her understand. “All I could see was you watching our child die in your arms. Over and over it played in my mind and I didn’t know how to fix it. It is my job to keep you safe, to protect you from the ugly things in this life and yet this life, our very existence, is what continually brings the ugly things straight to our doorstep.”
He slumped down onto the edge of the bed as he felt the fight rush out of him. “I didn’t want to leave you, baby. I was dying a little more each day and my nights were constant torment with no rest. You weren’t here in our bed and that was my fault. Your voice didn’t fill the empty air and that was my fault.” Decebel looked up at her, his eyes locking on hers, beckoning her to come to him, to forgive him, and to accept him. “I love,” he paused as he caught his breath, “I love you, and I am sorry that I deceived you. Please love, please forgive me.”
Jen looked on as her mate wilted before her. This was a man who had faced an impossible situation, with no good solution, and he had chosen what he felt was best for his family, the lesser of two evils in his mind. She couldn’t say that she wouldn’t have made the same decision in his place. She felt her anger seep out of her, leaving only fear. Fear was what truly fueled her rage. She was terrified of losing him, of facing life without him by her side. When she realized that his plan had been to die in place of their daughter, her life had flashed before her eyes. She saw everything. She saw what her life would be without Decebel in it, and there was a huge hole inside of her. There would still be joy because of Thia, but following that joy would always be the anguish of not having Decebel to share it with.
“There is nothing to forgive, Dec, not really. I know why you did it, and it makes me love you more.” She walked over to him and closed her eyes when his arms came around her and pulled her against him. Her wolf rumbled her approval of the strong mate that belonged to them, a mate able to provide and protect them.
“Don’t leave me, Dec, not ever again.” She felt a tear slide down her cheek and opened her eyes to meet his amber ones.
“Never again,” he agreed. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers and then peppered her jaw line with kisses, down her neck to the mark he had given her. He heard her breath catch and felt her body tense in expectation. “My mate, my wife, my love,” he whispered against her flesh, his warm breath causing her to shiver. He chuckled, pleased by her response to him.
“Shut up and bite me already,” she growled breathlessly.
“As you wish,” he murmured and then sank his teeth deep into her flesh.
Jacque climbed out of the shower, exhausted but clean, which was something that she felt needed to happen immediately once Adam had flashed them back home. She needed to wash away the darkness that clung to her like a sticky film. It leached the joy from her and was a constant reminder of the things that had transpired that day.
“Feel better?” Fane asked as she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a robe.
“Cleaner at least,” she told him with a small smile.
“Are you going to call your dad?”
Jacque shook her head. “Not right now. I need some time. I feel like my nerves are exposed to the elements; everything is just so raw.”
Fane nodded. “I know what you mean.” He ran his hand through his hair and clasped the back of his neck and with a huff of skepticism he said. “I thought I was going to lose you and all I could think about was how I would take my life so that I could be with you.”
“Fane,” Jacque hurried to him and grabbed his face and pressed her lips to them. He immediately responded to her and kissed her back. His hands came up and caressed her face, down her neck and shoulders, and rested on her hips. He pulled her against him with a deep growl. He took comfort in her touch; he found solace and peace in her love. “I’m here now, we’re here,” she told him as she tilted her head back so he could kiss her neck down to her collar bone.
Fane pushed the robe aside bearing her shoulders and then pushed it away completely. Her skin was soft under his hands and flushed under his gaze. He smiled at her and knew she felt the depth of the love that shone in his eyes. “You’re here,” he whispered as he picked her up in his arms and walked to their bed. “You’re mine,” he laid her down and covered her body with his own, protecting her, claiming her, loving her. “I am so thankful that I moved in across the street from you, Jacquelyn. I am so incredibly thankful that you took me as your mate, your husband, friend, and lover,” his voice dropped and grew husky, “and I will spend the rest of our lives showing you just how thankful I am.”
Jacque welcomed her mate, his passion, and his love. She soaked it up as a parched plant soaks up water, and she returned it with her own. There was still much to do, and she was sure they would be needed again to stand up to evil, but tonight they would rest. Tonight they would celebrate their victory, their survival, and new life.
“Do you need anything?” Costin asked her for the fifth time since they had gotten home. She was tired but otherwise completely okay. His mind was still having a hard time grasping on to this fact since he had watched her die, held her still body in his arms, and felt the horror of it in his soul only a few hours ago.
“Costin love, I’m alright. I feel perfect, just tired,” she told him―again.
He smiled at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He fought the urge to pick her up and wrap her in his arms, to take her away from anything that could harm her ever again. He knew that wasn’t realistic, but that didn’t stop him from wishing it could be.
“How about a shower, a story, and then bed?”
Sally looked at him curiously. “A story?”
Costin grinned and his deep dimple flashed at her. “It’s about this amazing gypsy who loved her people, and her mate, so much that she gave everything up for them. Now, shower,” he pointed to the bathroom, “story after."
Costin pulled Sally onto his lap as they sat on the couch. Her wet hair s
tuck to his face. As he nuzzled her neck, his wolf let out a growl of contentment.
“Okay let’s hear it,” she teased him.
Costin took a deep breath and let it out before he started his tale. “Once upon a time there was a gypsy healer. She had been blessed by the Great Luna to minister to a pack of Canis lupus, healing them when they were injured or sick and protecting them when no one else could. She was brave, strong, honest, and breathtakingly beautiful.”
“Okay, now you’re stretching it a bit.”
Costin tapped her on the nose in admonishment. “Shh, no interrupting or you don’t get intermission.”
“What happens at intermission?” she asked with a coy smile.
“If you will be quiet, you will get to find out,” Costin kissed her quickly and then continued with his story. “She had a mate, one of the wolves had been given to her. The wolf considered her his precious gift, and he was madly in love with her. She only had to breathe and she captivated him. His life before her had been bleak, and he lived only for the next laugh. But those were becoming few and far between as the darkness crept into his soul. But she changed all that. She embraced him as her own, and he claimed her and let her know that not even death would keep them apart. He had explained that it was the nature of their mated pairs that when one died, the other followed and did so gladly.
One day, one horrible day, evil came knocking at their door. It broke their bond, ripping them apart and then it wrapped itself around their loved ones and began to strangle them and this precious healer could only stand by and watch,” he paused and looked at her, “or could she?” His words were a whisper. “She knew of something that could save them and could keep her people and her mate safe. She pleaded with him to understand and needed him to know that she was not choosing others over him, but that she was choosing life for him and the others under her care. He watched helplessly as she sacrificed her life, giving the ultimate gift to those who needed her.