by Quinn Loftis
“No problem,” Cindy responded.
“You must be the fae sent to pick us up?” Sally asked.
She nodded. “I am Nissa, a member of the fae council. Alina contacted me and asked if I would bring you home. I understand that Peri is indisposed, and I am happy to be of service to those who are under her protection.” She held out her arm, and Costin and Sally placed a hand on it, both holding a suitcase with their other.
“Oh, Sally?” Her dad spoke up. “I have a feeling you are going to see what that necklace can do very soon. Try not to take it off.”
“Alright. I won’t. Love y’all,” she said, and then everything went black. When her feet were on solid ground again, she opened her eyes and found them back in the foyer of the Romanian pack mansion.
Nissa bowed and then flashed without saying anything else.
“She was a talker,” Costin said dryly.
Sally smacked his chest. “Be nice.”
Before they could even take a step, Jacque and Jen were barreling toward them. They both reached Sally at the same time and nearly knocked her over.
“How are you?”
“Are your parents okay?”
“Was it good to see them?”
“Do you still want to die?”
The questions fired out of their mouths so fast Sally felt breathless for them. The last question was from Jen, who was nearly dancing from foot to foot.
“I don’t want to die,” Sally said, wanting to get that worry out of their minds.
Jen let out a sigh of relief. “That’s fantastic because I really did not want to have to pick a new bff for our dynamic trio to remain intact.”
“So glad I didn’t put you out,” Sally said with an exaggerated eye roll.
Jacque pushed Jen aside and smiled at Sally warmly. “We missed you.”
“I missed me too,” she said. “And you guys as well. How has everything—” She paused when a loud howl ripped through the mansion.
Costin stepped in front of all three of them, his eyes beginning to glow as he stared down the entryway.
“Who on earth was that?” Sally asked.
Jen sighed. “Well, because there can never be a dull moment in this fur-infested home, we have found ourselves in a bit of a situation.”
“W-hat kind of situation?” Sally asked, drawing out the words.
“Oh, you know, just one where a dormant has flipped her switch, phased, and doesn’t seem to be able to phase back to her human form. I’m sure it’s no biggie. Vasile can probably order her to phase and, poof, she’ll be her little sassy self again.”
“Zara?” Sally asked, her eyes widening. “Is she okay?”
“If your definition of okay is ‘stuck in her wolf form,’ then she’s hell-a okay.”
“What does hell-a even mean?” Costin asked, his eyes still glued to the hall.
“It means she’s a helluva lot of okay.”
Costin glanced over his shoulder at Sally. “Brain cells are already screaming ‘noooo, don’t kill us.’”
Sally bit back her laughter and turned back to Jen and Jacque. “How is Wadim?”
“I think he needs a new T-shirt,” Jen said.
Jacque nodded. “It needs to say ‘My mate’s a feral wolf. Stick that in your history books and smoke it.’”
“He must be freaking out,” Sally said quietly.
“Little bit,” Jen said, holding up her hand and pinching her forefinger and thumb together.
There was another loud snarl and then a door slamming, followed by shouts.
“SHE’S OUT!” Wadim’s voice boomed throughout the house.
“Out?” Costin asked.
“She was in the cage. Apparently, the cage didn’t hold,” Jen said as she ran for the stairs.
“Where are you going?” Sally asked, sounding a little frantic.
“Don’t feel like being wolf chow,” Jen called as her feet took the stairs two at a time. “So I’m not hanging around for an up-close-and-personal look at our newest she-wolf.”
Costin grabbed Jacque’s and Sally’s hand and began to follow Jen, pulling them so quickly that Sally nearly stumbled. The growling got louder, as did the yelling. Before they even made it to the first landing, they saw a rust-colored wolf race past, heading straight for the front door. It moved slightly to the right and lunged. The wolf’s body broke through the glass window without slowing down.
Jen cursed. “Bloody hell, that’s the fifth window in two days.”
Wadim was right behind her, in his human form, leaping through the ruined window and out into the night.
“Well,” Sally said, as her heart pounded painfully in her chest. “At least she’s here with us and not stuck with some crazed vamp. We can get her through this. Just like we’ve gotten each other through so many things.”
Jacque and Jen both nodded. “We totally got this.”
Jen held out her hand. Jacque and Sally stared at it like it might bite them. “Come on.” Jen huffed. “You know we’re having a moment. We’re like the three musketeers. We need to do that one-for-all-and-all-for-one crap.”
Costin placed his hand on top of Jen’s and winked at his mate.
Sally shook her head but placed her hand over his. “You do realize your IQ just dropped twenty points, right?”
Jacque placed her hand on top of Sally’s. “Do I want to know why you said that?”
Sally smiled wickedly. “Costin said Jen kills brain cells.”
Jacque snorted. “He’s just now figuring that out?”
“Duh,” Jen said. “How else am I supposed to crush the peons below my feet and take over the world if I don’t make them stupid? Now, on three.”
As Jen counted off, Sally looked at her mate and then at Jacque. “Do you think she’d really kick us out of her group?” Sally asked hopefully.
Jacque shook her head. “She’s dumbed us down so much, we’re the only ones foolish enough to be her friend. She wouldn’t be able to find anyone else.”
They yelled the battle cry with Jen and laughed when she looked so pleased with herself. Then she started back down the stairs.
“Now, where are you going?” Costin asked.
“We,” she said, emphasizing the word, “are going on a hunt. We’ve got a she-wolf to save.”
“You were just running away from said she-wolf,” Jacque pointed out.
“Yeah, but now we’ve said the chant and declared ourselves all bad asses. If we tuck tail and run now, we look like dweebs.”
They started after her, and Sally whispered. “I’m pretty sure we look like dweebs anyway.”
Jacque held up her hand and high fived Sally. “Truth, sista. You speak nothing but truth.”
Jen threw open the front door and stepped out into the night. They might just be about to get themselves mauled by a crazed she-wolf, but at least they would be mauled together in an attempt to help someone they loved, someone in need, and someone who was having trouble seeing the light in the darkness.
Sally stepped up next to her two best friends with her mate on her other side and took a deep breath. “We’ve never left a chick behind, and we aren’t going to start now. It’s go time, ladies. Let’s do this.” She breathed out.
Jen laughed. “I knew, deep down, you loved my military lingo.”
“Operation Drag-a-she-wolf-home has commenced,” Jacque added.
“Hold on to your butts,” Costin said with a dimpled grin.
Two other bodies stepped up beside the group, and Sally’s smile grew.
“Let’s bring the rain,” Decebel said, quoting one of his favorite robot movies.
“Lock and load,” Fane said as he clapped his hands and rubbed them together.
They moved as one as they started down the steps, running full speed into the night after one of their own. Sally felt that spark of hope growing inside of her and knew that, before long, it would be a raging fire. She would use her pain, her tragedy, her story to help Wadim’s mate. She wouldn
’t let her past, close as it might be, pull her down and keep her from bringing light to those lost in darkness. She wouldn’t let them be forgotten, she wouldn’t be silent, and she wouldn’t cower beneath her memories.
“The fellowship rides again!” Jen yelled, and, despite the unknown stretched out before them and the fear of what Zara was enduring, Sally smiled. No matter how stupid Jen’s declarations sounded, they were truth. Their fellowship had grown into an unbreakable bond, and they would continue to stand firm against the evil in the world. United as one: pack, friends, family, mates.
The End…for now.
About the Author
Quinn Loftis is a multi-award winning author of 20 novels, including the USA Today Bestseller, Fate and Fury. Once upon a time, she was a nurse, but God had other things in store for her. In 2011 Quinn published her first novel, Prince of Wolves, and the rest, as they say, is history. She gives all glory to God for her success because He is the one who made her. She is blessed to be married to her best friend for over 17 years and they have three boys, two dogs, and a cat that wants to take over the world.
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Quinn’s Bookshelf
More Titles by Quinn Loftis
www.quinnloftisbooks.com
The Grey Wolves Series:
Prince of Wolves
Blood Rites
Just One Drop
Out of the Dark
Beyond the Veil
Fate and Fury
Sacrifice of Love
Luna of Mine
Piercing Silence (Novella)
Den of Sorrows
The Burning Claw
Resounding Silence (Novella)
Forgotten Silence (Novella)
Next Novel Coming Spring 2018
Gypsy Healer Series:
Into the Fae
Wolf of Stone
Jewel of Darkness
Wolves of Wrath
The Elfin Series:
Elfin
Rapture
Surrender
Queen of the Warlocks
(Coming 2018)
The Dream Makers Series:
Dream of Me
Dream so Dark
Upcoming New Series:
The Viking’s Chosen
(Coming February 2018)
Stand Alone Novels:
Call Me Crazy
Quinn and Bo Loftis Novels:
The Alloy Heart