Bethany’s eyes widened until she looked like a cartoon. “I didn’t mean stroking his…” She sputtered. “I meant like … his arm … or face. I … freaking—”

  “Yep, you’re freaky all right.” Jacque chuckled. “We just didn’t know how freaky.”

  Bethany’s face reddened further, and she buried it in Hope’s small stomach. “Would it be too much to ask for you all not to mention this to my mate?”

  “Doesn’t he already know?” Sally asked as she tapped her temple.

  Bethany lifted her head. “He’s been a little preoccupied with things.” There was a sound of defeat in her voice.

  Jen glanced at Jacque and could tell her redheaded friend was thinking the same thing she was. Bethany had been with the pack for some time, but she was still a newbie. She wasn’t accustomed to having a werewolf mate charged with protecting the supernatural and human worlds. No doubt he would be distracted with all that entailed. And considering she wasn’t exactly battle-trained and just had a new baby, she couldn’t be at his side. That was difficult for any Canis lupus, especially a new mother.

  Jacque walked over to Bethany and sat on the arm of the chair, wrapping an arm around her. “I wish I could tell you it will get easier, but I won’t lie to you. This is who we are. It’s who our mates are. And sometimes, it really sucks.”

  “On the flip side”—Jen grinned—“you would never be able to find their kind of stamina in a human male.”

  “There it is.” Sally sighed and ran a hand through Titus’s hair. “She always comes back around to that.”

  “Umm…” Jen narrowed her eyes at her healer friend. “What else should I come back around to? Bloody battles, blistered hands from fighting with knives, aching feet from running from some psychotic supernatural? I mean, freaking-A, Sal. What could you possibly say is better than having that to look forward to?”

  Sally pointed to Titus and then to Hope and then over to behind the couch where Thia sat, and lastly to Slate in his crib.

  Jen rolled her eyes. “And how did any of those little curtain-climbing miracles come into existence? From stroking the corn husk. Am I right?”

  “Are you sure you want her”—Gavril pointed at Jen and looked at Sally—“training Titus?”

  Jen winked at Sally. The healer blew out a breath that caused her cheeks to puff out. “Believe it or not, she’s pretty badass. Crazy? Most definitely. But I’d have her at my back any day. But Jen, please try not to corrupt him too much. I’m begging you.”

  Jen held up her hands. “I make no promises. Besides, a little corruption is good for the future libido.”

  Crina nearly fell off the couch. She held her stomach and cackled like a freaking witch.

  “Never”—Sally glared and pointed a finger at Jen—“mention my son and the word libido in the same sentence again. Ever.”

  Jen walked toward the door. “What part of ‘I make no promises,’ don’t you get? Come on Teeter-Totter,” she called back. “We’ve got crap to learn.”

  “Don’t worry, Mom.” Titus’s voice was full of confidence that Jen admired in a … five … six-year-old? Well, however old the little dude was. “I already know about the birds and the bees.”

  “What?” Sally’s voice rose several notches.

  Jen pulled the door open. “Who the heck told you about that? Birds and bees aren’t even compatible. I mean, seriously. I like a little S&M in the bedroom as much as anyone, but beaks and stingers? That sounds dangerous. If someone is going to come up with an analogy for teaching kids about the marriage bed, they should have used a socket and a plug, or a light socket and a bulb. At least that one actually involves screw—”

  “JEN!” Jacque yelled.

  “Yeah, yeah.” She huffed. “Behave. Got it.” She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Titus was following her. “We’ll be in the sparring room. Do not interrupt us unless it is an emergency.”

  “What constitutes an emergency?” Sally called back.

  “Thia cutting off an actual limb. And even then, check and see whose limb it belongs to. Still might not constitute an emergency. Also, video it if I can’t get there in time. I’m planning on making a scrapbook of all her firsts.”

  “Jacque, about that counseling,” Bethany said just before the door closed, drowning out the alpha female’s response.

  “You ready to do this, T?” Jen asked the boy who walked at her side.

  She saw him rub his hands together and grin. “Totally. Let’s do this Aunt Josephine.”

  Jen grinned back. The kid was seriously growing on her. Dammit.

  Chapter

  Six

  “When I was first cursed with witch powers, I didn’t want to ever voluntarily use them. They were a part of me that felt foreign. I worried that I would lose control and wind up hurting someone—again. It was hard enough to live with the memories of the people whose lives I’d taken. I still woke up sweating and panting from seeing their empty eyes in my nightmares. My only hope at this point was that maybe I could use my powers to do something good. It wouldn’t bring those others back. Nothing could do that. And that was something I would have to live with the rest of my life.” ~Jewel

  Jewel paced back and forth in the living room of the Colorado pack mansion. “What if I accidentally kill someone?” Her clothes suddenly felt too tight. The dark jeans and simple, grey scoop-neck shirt were not ill-fitting, yet Jewel was sure they were cutting off her circulation. She rubbed her sweaty palms up and down her thighs as she tried to calm her frazzled nerves. From the moment Dalton had read the text from Nick, her heart had raced.

  Her mate sat perched on the arm of one of the large, overstuffed chairs. Big werewolf males meant big furniture. Jewel always felt like a child when she sat in those chairs because her feet didn’t touch the floor. “Just make sure it’s a vampire and you’re golden.”

  She kept a wide berth from Dalton because every time she got near him, he tried to snag her around the waist to pull her against him. He liked her close, and usually she liked to be close. But at the moment, Jewel felt like she was going to climb out of her own skin, and being confined, even in the arms of her mate, made her feel even more anxious. “But what if it’s a new vampire? I might have to kill one that hasn’t committed any atrocious acts.” She put her hands on her hips and turned her full attention on him. “I mean, the vampire Dillon talked to said they were turning humans all willy-nilly like. That the people being changed didn’t even have a choice.”

  “Little dove,” he said gently. She felt the caress of his fingers down her spine, even though he was on the far side of the room. “You’re not going to inadvertently kill anyone innocent. And even if it was a baby vampire, you’d be doing them a favor. Being a bloodsucker is no kind of life. Think of all the humans you will save that the vamp would eventually kill.”

  Jewel tilted her head from side to side and thought about his words. He wasn’t wrong. Who would actually choose to be a leech? Leechy humans. Those kinds of people were already wicked before being turned into vampires. But even leechy humans weren’t just killed outright. There was a process for them to pay for their acts. A judicial system was put in place to help make sure that those who were innocent didn’t get put away with the guilty.

  “You can’t compare our battles to the human justice system, Jewel.” Dalton had picked up on her thoughts. He liked to eavesdrop in her mind. At first, it had annoyed the crap out of her, but then she’d realize why he did it, and her ire lessened. After everything they’d been through, how they’d been separated, their bond severed, after they’d just found each other, Dalton and his wolf needed the closeness that the mental bond afforded. He compared it to air, food, and water—all the things necessary for him to live. And because of the mate bond, she could feel the truth and sincerity in his words. He didn’t want to control her or be nosy. He just wanted her. All of her.

  “I know.” She sighed. Supernaturals had to be dealt with differently. Their world wasn’t a democracy, especially not in a pack. They’d all experienced firsthand what happened when a powerful supernatural being went to the dark side, so to speak. There wasn’t time for a judge and jury to deliberate and come up with a suitable punishment, because the only punishment for the crimes like Volcan had committed when he used Jewel and the other healers, turning them into witches and using them to do his bidding, was death.

  “Can I hold you yet?” Dalton’s deep, rich voice filled her mind.

  Her hands fell to her sides as her gaze met his, his eyes glinting with a faint, otherworldly light. She could sense the wolf inside him, just beneath the surface, and could feel its frustration at her distance. Jewel found it fascinating how easily she could communicate with Dalton’s wolf. Its mind was so different from that of the man, more primal and instinctual. To the wolf, she was his, and he was hers, and they should be touching at all times. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought as she walked toward him. As soon as she was within reach, Dalton reached out and enveloped her small wrist in his much larger hand, pulling her close to him so that she stood between his outstretched legs.

  She rested her hands on his broad shoulders and leaned forward until their foreheads touched. “Better?” she asked, her voice breathless. His touch still did that to her. As soon as their skin came into contact, she was suddenly in his orbit and surrounded by his atmosphere. The rest of the world seemed to fade away, and there was just Jewel and Dalton.

  “Much.” He sighed, his warm breath fanning across her face. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her to him until their bodies nearly touched. His heat warmed all the cold places inside of her where the fear had infiltrated. “Everything is going to be fine, little dove. We’ve been to hell and back. We can do it again if we need to.”

  “I’d rather not go to hell again, personally.” A voice Jewel hadn’t heard in several weeks came from behind her.

  Excitement rushed through Jewel, and she pushed away from Dalton. But he wouldn’t let her go, so she turned in his arms. She grinned from ear to ear at Kara. “You’re here!” Jewel practically squealed.

  Kara’s answering smile was a balm to Jewel’s heart. She’d been so worried about her friend and had felt so helpless to do anything after hearing everything Kara had suffered.

  “I’m here.” Kara nodded and hurried over to Jewel, whose arms were outstretched.

  Jewel waved her hands back and forth as if to coax her friend into a hug. She wrapped her arms around Kara, and memories flooded her mind. They had been through hell with each other but had come out the other side—not unscathed, but alive. “Dalton,” she grumbled. “This would be easier if you’d let me go.” Jewel was trapped between Dalton and Kara like a healer sandwich. She was glad Jen wasn’t there to witness the scene. The woman would surely have something terribly embarrassing to say.

  After a moment’s hesitation and a growl from his wolf, Dalton released her. Jewel stepped closer to Kara and embraced her even tighter, as if her hug could somehow take away all the pain her friend had suffered at the hands of Ludcarab. Kara buried her face in Jewel’s shoulder, and Jewel heard a small sob.

  “Oh, Kara.” Jewel ran a hand down Kara’s hair. “I’m so sorry.” She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and looked in that direction. Nick shifted on his feet, his hands fisting and opening at his sides as his gaze bore into his mate. His strong jaw clenched, and his wolf eyes glowed brightly. She also saw two fae standing side by side. They must’ve been the ones who brought Nick and Kara.

  “I don’t know why I’m crying.” Kara’s voice wobbled, and her shoulders shook.

  Tears ran down Jewel’s face. She saw in Kara the terrible marks left behind by yet another evil supernatural being. Though Ludcarab was dead, the consequences of his crimes remained. “Crying is good for the soul,” Jewel said gently. All previous worries of her mission fled in the face of her friend’s pain.

  “No random fact about how people need tears to wash out their tear ducts to prevent infection or something?” Kara’s voice was muffled as her face pressed against Jewel’s shoulder.

  Jewel chuckled and then sniffed as her nose ran from crying. “My brain is a little fried right now. I’m all factoided out.”

  They stood that way for a few more minutes, holding one another, taking comfort in the bond they’d built through the crucible they’d survived.

  “Your mate looks like he’s about to rip you away from me at any second,” Jewel whispered as softly as she could, though she was sure Nick heard her with his werewolf hearing.

  “Yeah.” Kara nodded. “He’s been slightly overprotective since he brought me home. Finding out we’re having a baby might have pushed him over the edge. I think he’s decided to permanently attach himself to my body.”

  Jewel pulled back and wiped the tears from Kara’s face. She saw joy in the younger girl’s eyes as Kara lowered her arms and pressed a hand to her stomach, which already showed a slight bump. “A baby?” Jewel whisper-shouted. “I’m going to be an aunt.”

  “I’m not sure that’s how it works, dove,” Dalton said from behind her.

  Jewel waved him off. “We’re wheeler sisters. I’m definitely this baby’s aunt.”

  Kara gave a sharp nod. “Abso-freaking-lutely.”

  “Babe.” Nick’s deep voice rumbled through the room. There was a plethora of meaning packed into that one word. Like “get your fine butt over here,” and “if you don’t move, I’m going to bite someone,” and possibly even “I’ll bite someone anyway because you’re in someone else’s arms instead of mine.”

  Kara rolled her eyes and gave Jewel’s hand a squeeze before returning to her mate’s side. His hand slipped under her hair, and Jewel could see his fingers as he wrapped them possessively around the back of Kara’s neck. His body relaxed slightly at Kara’s proximity, but his eyes didn’t stop glowing.

  Jewel heard Dalton move. A second later, he stood with half of his body blocking hers. “We’ve not met.” He motioned to the two fae.

  The male stepped forward, his arm outstretched. His dark eyes were a tad creepy to Jewel, but she saw no malice in them. “I’m Aphid.” He clasped Dalton’s forearm. “Perizada asked that we assist you in your mission.”

  Dalton released the man’s hand, and the fae woman stepped forward, her arm held out the same way. “I’m Tassi.” Her voice was clear and smooth, holding a slight accent that Jewel had previously noticed in a few other fae. “Though Peri commanded us to be here, we would have come willingly. Know that we sympathize with your mission and want to help in any way we can.”

  “Thank you.” Dalton released her arm and stepped back, slipping his hand into Jewel’s and entwining their fingers. “This is my mate, Jewel.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jewel smiled, but she knew it didn’t meet her eyes, “though it would be nicer under different circumstances.”

  “Like the kind where we aren’t attempting to contact an unknown gypsy healer who might or might not be working with the vampire king to create a not-supposed-to-be-possible hybrid army?” Kara offered.

  “Yep,” Jewel said, popping the ‘p.’ “That would be the circumstance I wish we weren’t meeting under.”

  Dalton gave Jewel’s hand a tug and motioned to the others. “Let’s sit and discuss a plan.”

  Kara sat beside Nick on the long couch, opposite Jewel and Dalton. Tassi and Aphid each took a seat in overstuffed chairs. Kara leaned into Nick’s hand, which was still wrapped possessively around the back of her neck. She didn’t simply love his touch; she craved it.

  “Not really the time to be having those thoughts, yeah?” She heard his voice in her mind.

  Kara bit her lip to keep from smiling. He was one to talk. Nick had been using the bond to comfort her from the moment she’d fallen apart in Jewel’s arms, blubbering like a baby and hugging Jewel like her life depended on it. That might seem like a sweet sentiment, but his idea of comfort and the rest of the world’s were not the same thing. Kara had finally managed to pull herself together, and she hoped that everyone in the room thought her flaming cheeks were from her tears and not the blush of embarrassment caused by her mate’s thoughts.

  “I don’t like it when you cry. And I especially don’t like it when you cry and I’m not the one holding you.”

  Kara mentally snorted. “And your idea to remedy that situation was to mentally seduce me?”

  “It worked,” he muttered and gave her neck a gentle squeeze.

  Dalton’s voice drew Kara’s attention away from her mental conversation with Nick. “Will you two be able to create some sort of barrier between us and our enemy?”

  “Possibly. What do you have in mind?” Tassi, the fae female, leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. She was dressed in what could only be called battle gear. Her clothes fit close to her body and looked like they would move with her as naturally as the skin on her muscles. Knife handles could be seen poking out from various parts of her person, all within easy reach. Kara had no doubt the fae could use them as efficiently and effectively as she could write her own name. The fae wore protective armor on her forearms, shins, shoulders, and chest. Nothing medieval. It looked more like Kevlar. Kara guessed it was probably more effective than any protective technology possessed by the humans, likely endowed with some sort of fae magic to make it impenetrable.

  “If he’s got wolves, they will smell us,” Dalton replied. “Vampires can, too. So, we need something to shield us. My mate and I have talked about Cain’s healer.”

  A shudder went through Kara at Dalton’s words. “Please don’t call her that,” she snapped. “I don’t know anything about this healer, but I know she is no one’s possession. I won’t have Cain’s name attached to her in that way.”