by Quinn Loftis
Her mate held her still body, kissed her lifeless lips, and begged for death to take him so that he could be with her. She was his light, and now all he could see was darkness.”
He lifted her chin and kissed her deeply, running his fingers along her jaw and smiling when she giggled as he nipped her skin.
“Wait,” she said pushing on his chest. “Aren’t you going to tell the rest? That seems like a sad place to end.”
Costin shook his head. “It’s intermission. We need some happiness after all that doom and gloom. Then I will be able to tell you the rest.” He silenced her protest with another kiss and pushed all thoughts of the story from her mind.
“How long is intermission exactly,” she asked him nearly two hours later.
Costin looked at his wrist, where there was no watch. “Well, we’ve gone a little over, but I got a little carried away at the snack counter.”
Sally’s mouth dropped open as she looked at him. “Did you just call me a snack counter?”
Costin grinned shamelessly. “Totally did.”
“That’s it, intermission is officially over.” Sally stood from the bed grabbing the sheet to wrap around her.
Costin stood, following her shaking his head. “Nope, not quite yet, mate. Now it’s time for a bathroom break.”
Sally laughed as he picked her up and carried her to their bathroom.
“Costin, I don’t have to go to pee, and even if I did I wouldn’t do it in front of you. Put me down.”
Costin laughed and smacked her lightly on her backside. “Who said anything about peeing?”
Epilogue
“There is no journey as great as the journey of life. We are brought into this world with a purpose for our lives and then given free will to make the choice to fulfill our purpose, or not. We are given the choice to love selflessly, to forgive endlessly, and to give sacrificially. Some days we will get it right and we will rejoice, and then some days we will screw it up so good that we wonder if there is any hope for us. Rest assured, my friend, there is always hope…Unless you are mated to a werewolf, then you have two choices; make yourself a nice hand bag, or run―fast and far.” ~Perizada
Six weeks had passed since the showdown with Reyaz. “Are you ever going to let anyone else hold her?” Jen asked Decebel as he sat rocking Thia in their room.
Decebel looked up from his daughter and curled a lip at his mate, revealing white, sharp teeth.
Jen rolled her eyes. “Babe, you keep trying to intimidate me and all it does is turn me on; you’d think you’d learn.”
Decebel grinned. “Who says I’m trying to intimidate you?”
Jen laughed as she came over and took Thia from him. He frowned at her and stood to follow her. “Relax B, I’m just laying her in her crib so she can sleep.”
“She can sleep while I hold her,” he argued.
Jen gently laid Thia in her crib and then turned back to her mate. She propped a hand on her hip and tilted her head at him. “Okay, so if you are holding her, then how can you be holding me?”
Decebel stared at her blankly.
Jen let out a huff. “Seriously, I have to spell this out for you? And here I thought I mated to the smart one,” she grumbled as she walked away. He followed her from the small nursery they had added on to their bedroom suite and back into the main room.
His eyes narrowed as he watched her walk around their room, her hips swaying seductively. He felt his lips spreading into a smile yet again. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
Jen stopped. Maybe the pointless straightening up she had been doing in the hopes that she would catch his eye had actually worked. “That depends, if what you think I’m saying is that I want you to hold me gently and whisper sweet nothings, then no, I’m definitely not saying that.”
Decebel stalked towards her, his movements slow and deliberate. “And if what I think your saying is more along the lines of me holding you,” he paused and chuckled when she shivered, “down…,”
“Looks like we have a winner,” she interrupted and grabbed his hand. She pulled him to their bed and waggled her eyebrows at him. “So, you feeling up to it, or is being a daddy wearing you out too much?”
Decebel didn’t dignify her question with an answer verbally, but instead pushed her onto their bed and showed her just how not worn out he was.
Jen lay sprawled across Decebel’s chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. Relaxed and well-loved, she stretched like a satisfied cat waking from a long nap and then looked up at him.
“Don’t ever do it again.”
Decebel frowned. “Don’t ever make love to you again?”
Jen snorted. “No butthead. Don’t ever think of sacrificing yourself without running it by me first. I should at least be given first dibs on killing you if you want to plan something so freaking stupid without talking to me.”
Decebel pulled her closer and kissed the tip of her nose. “Don’t be angry with me, baby. I thought we were past this.”
Jen fidgeted with the sheet, not wanting to meet his gaze. “I was….”
“What happened?” He put a finger under her chin and gently lifted it so he could see her eyes.
“I dreamt that I’d lost you and that I had to raise Thia alone.”
Decebel saw the hurt and fear in them. “Baby I’m not going anywhere, and I promise if I decide I need to die for some worthy cause, I will discuss it with you first.”
Jen couldn’t help but smile at him. She wasn’t mad, not really. She knew why he had done it. She couldn’t say that she wouldn’t have done the same thing and she was incredibly proud and honored to have a mate who would sacrifice so much for her and their child, but she still felt the need to remind him that he should have talked to her about it.
“Hey,” he said softly.
“Hey,” she smiled back. She squealed when he deftly flipped them so that he was on top of her.
“Have I told you what an incredible mother you are?”
She blushed at his compliment and nodded.
Decebel stared down into her blue eyes and took in her beautiful face. She was his and she was precious to him. She brought him joy and life when he was sure he would never have those things, and now she had given him a miracle in their little Thia. He closed his eyes briefly just to take in her scent and enjoy the feel of her against him and reminded himself to never take her for granted. He had nearly lost her more than once, and it had taught him to drench himself in the joy of being her mate.
“What are you thinking?” she asked him.
“Our bond is wide open, love. You know what I’m thinking.”
“I want you to tell me B. Tell me what you think.”
She ran her hands through his hair and down his back, drawing a deep growl from him.
He felt his canines lengthen and the urge to bite her and to mark her grew strong as his wolf perked up at the feel and smell of their mate.
“I think you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. I treasure you. Every single piece of you inside and out is precious to me. I love you, Jennifer, with a love that is so desperate, deep, and unwavering. You bring me joy and peace, and light up my dark world.” He looked into her eyes and lowered his head to kiss her. She tasted like his, felt like his, and moved like his.
“I am yours,” she told him, “and you, fur ball, are mine.”
Fane paced restlessly in their bedroom as he waited for Jacque. His mind was a jumbled mess and his nerves were on edge.
“Would you calm down,” she told him as she opened the bathroom door and came out.
He stepped in front of her and cupped her face, searching her eyes for any emotion that would give him a tiny clue. “Well?”
She nodded as a huge grin spread across her face and then squealed when he picked her up and swung her around as he laughed joyously. When he set her back down on the ground, he kissed her deep and long, enjoying her taste and savoring her touc
h.
He paused and looked at her. “I told you we’d have a child one day.” He kissed her again and then pulled back to nip her bottom lip.
“Are you happy?” she asked him. “I mean, you’re not…you don’t think it’s too soon?”
Fanes brow rose as he looked at his mate in amusement. “I’m ecstatic, love. To see you carrying my child, to see you glowing with life, and to know that we made this...” he pressed his hand to her flat stomach, “our love did this.”
Jacque felt the tears starting and she fought against them, though they were happy tears. She felt she had cried quite enough in the past weeks for one lifetime. “I love you, Fane.”
He pressed his forehead to hers and let out a slow breath. “Heaven help me, Jacquelyn, I love you more than you could possibly understand.”
“When do you want to tell everyone?” she asked him.
“That depends on you, love,”
Jacque frowned. “Why?”
“Because you need to be ready to endure Jen’s ribbing.”
Jacque groaned. “Bloody hell, I’m going to have to listen to big butt jokes, comments about my boobs getting bigger and never bouncing back to where they belong, and snide remarks about me not being able to get off the couch. Crap you’re right. Let’s not tell them until I go into labor.”
Fane laughed. “I think they will figure it out at some point.”
“Okay, well then we’ll have to move to plan B.”
“I’m afraid to ask, but like looking at a bad wreck, I have to know. What’s plan B?”
“I’m going to kidnap the Alpha female of the Serbia pack.”
“That’s makes no sense.”
“Doesn’t have to, it is what it is, Fane. Get on board or jump ship.”
Fane’s brow rose as he looked at his mate, his incredible mate, and he grinned.
“Fine, we’ll kidnap her,” he agreed dryly, playing along.
Jacque squealed. “I’ve always wanted to kidnap someone.”
Fane shook his head at her. “Sometimes, love, you scare me.”
Jacque eyes narrowed and she let her wolf out just enough for them to glow. “You should be afraid wolf-man, very afraid.”
“Costin, I swear if you toss one more bottle in the air I’m going to go all Jen on you,” Sally warned. He was getting the bar ready for the night and had decided to show off for her with his fancy tricks. And she would be okay with that if he hadn’t dropped the last three bottles because he was checking her out. And she totally wasn’t distracting him on purpose.
“Let me turn on the music so you’ll have a beat you can strip to,” he teased.
Sally threw her hands in the air. “I didn’t mean her strip routine, you beast, and you know it.”
“Maybe, but I did get a good blush out of you, so mission accomplished. Now come over here and let me teach you how to make sex on a beach,” Costin’s grin got even wider as Sally’s blush deepened. She shook her head at him. “Okay, how about a screwdriver or a hairy virgin?”
She was laughing now but still shaking her head at him.
Costin pretended to think about it and then snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it, you totally have to learn how to make this one, screaming org—,”
“FINE,” she cut him off, “I’ll learn the first one, just quit hollering them out already.” She walked over to the bar and nudged her grinning mate out of the way. “Okay ‘O great bartender, please teach me your ways.”
She felt his breath on the back of her neck as he stepped up close behind her. Sally froze just as she started to turn a glass over. She trembled as his warm breath tickled her skin and she nearly moaned out loud when he pressed his lips to her ear. She was expecting a flippant, flirty remark, and she wouldn’t have minded it. It was one of the things she loved about him. But every now and then, he surprised her.
“You are so beautiful.” His hands gripped her hips and she felt his fingers squeeze and bite into her skin. “In all my life I never imagined I would be blessed with someone like you.” He paused and she held her breath, waiting for what he would do next and knowing it would be something that might just make her pass out.
His next words were punctuated with breathtaking kisses on her skin. “You honor me, Sally mine,” he kissed her neck. “You amaze me,” then below her ear. “You bring life and passion to my world,” then on the other side of her neck. “I love you more than anything,” then he kissed his bite mark. He held onto her as she gasped, and Sally gripped the bar to steady herself. She closed her eyes and leaned back into his chest. His lips still hovered over her skin and his arms wrapped around her holding her securely.
He had written those words on her heart, and she never tired of hearing him say things like that to her. She reveled in it, and she forced herself to believe him because it wasn’t only by his words that she felt the truth, it was in his actions as well. Since he had watched her die, he had become even more attentive and showed her his serious side more often. But gradually his playfulness was returning and it brought her joy to see her mate healing from such a traumatic experience.
She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. “Thank you, Costin, for loving me.”
He leaned down and kissed her lips gently and stared into her big brown eyes. “You don’t have to thank me for that. It’s a blessing to get to love you. But if we’re throwing around thank yous, then you can totally toss me one for last night.”
And he’s back, she thought to herself. Sally turned in his arms and gently pushed him back, giving him a playful smirk. “If that’s the case, mate, then I think you owe me.” She tapped her finger on her lips and looked up at the ceiling seemingly in thought, “four, wait,” her eyes widened and she grinned, “no make that five; you owe me five thank yous.”
Costin chuckled as he reached out to snatch her around the waist. “You’ve been hanging around Jen too much, Sally mine. She’s rubbing off on you.” He nipped her ear playfully.
Sally snorted. “You weren’t complaining last n—,”
Costin whipped her around and pinned her to the bar and pressed his lips to hers before she could finish her sentence.
“Behave,” he growled in her mind.
He heard her laughter through their bond and he wanted to howl with joy.
“Only if you do.”
“That’s going to be a problem.”
Sally pulled back from the kiss and winked “That’s what I’m counting on.”
Perizada
“I’ve decided to move. To hang up my fairy magic and move to an obscure little town, buy a creepy looking house, and fill it with cats. Every day I’ll walk to the mail box, talking to myself and yelling profanities at annoying neighbors. Yep, I’m going to be that lady. Why, you ask? Well, because right now, that is looking a whole freaking lot better than my current situation. Yeah, it’s that bad.”
“So kind of you to grace us with your presence,” Jen said as Peri appeared in the library where Jacque, Sally, and she were drinking hot chocolate and staring at Thia like she was the best thing since sliced bread, which she was, so it was totally appropriate.
“I’ve been busy,” Peri snapped as she walked over to where they sat on the floor, circling the little baby that was lying on a blanket. “Now quit your whining and let me see the crumb catcher.”
Jen reached down and picked Thia up and handed her to Peri. Peri held her with one hand under her neck and one under her bottom, holding her up in front of her face so she could get a good look at her.
“I have to admit, she’s beautiful,” Peri smiled at her. She tucked her into a football hold and then leaned down and kissed her forehead. Then she whispered something the others couldn’t hear. A soft glow emitted off of Peri and enveloped her and Thia for several seconds and then was gone.
The girls stared at the fae with opened mouths.
“Okay, what was that?” Jen motioned to the area around Peri where the glowing had been.
Peri waved her hand
at her as if batting the question away. “Mind your own business. That was between me and Thia.”
“Fine, whatevs,” Jen said with a shrug, “let’s talk about what’s really important. Why are you hiding?”
Peri’s eyes narrowed at the Alpha. “I’m not hiding.”
Jen smiled knowingly. “Oh Peri fairy, I’m totally in the know, so you might as well just spill it.”
Jacque frowned. “What are you in the know about? You didn’t tell us you were in the know. Sally, did you know she was in the know?” she rambled quickly as she looked from Jen to Sally then Peri and then back to Jen.
Sally shook her head. “I never know jack around here so welcome to my world.”
“I haven’t really had time to tell you guys because I’ve been investigating. I wanted my facts straight first,” she told them, sounding a tad defensive.
“What investigating?” Peri asked as she narrowed her eyes.
“There’s been a certain wolf hanging around the Romanian, and sometimes Serbian, mansions. And I might have followed him one day to Vasile’s office. And I might have heard him say that he knew who his mate was when Vasile hinted that he would have a good chance of finding a mate now that the fae were compatible. And I might have noticed that said wolf has some new art work running up his neck.”
“No!?”
“Seriously!?”
Jacque and Sally spoke together as they gasped at the same time. They both looked at Peri with wide eyes.
Peri wouldn’t look at either of them, but she just stared down at Thia, smiling when she grasped her finger in her tiny hand.
“Lucian?” Jacque finally spoke after several minutes of shocked silence. “You’re mated to Lucian?”
“No!” Peri growled. “There has been no mating.”
Jen grinned. “There’s a bond though isn’t there? You guys can totally talk to one another. SHUT UP!” Jen exclaimed as she clapped her hands. “Wait, do you have markings? I mean his changed so you must have them now.”