His time away from the other two leaders had given him some perspective. He now realized with Sincaro gone that he was the new vampire king. And it was his decision if he continued working with the current Order leaders or ventured out on his own.

  What Sincaro had failed to realize was that the vampires were by far the most important race among the Order’s ranks. No other species could reproduce themselves so quickly, effectively raising an entire army in weeks. Of course, he’d need to have his lieutenants share the workload. He couldn’t have a vast swath of warriors taken out in a single blow if he lost a sire that had created too many new vampires. But that was no big deal. Cain still had many of the powerful elder vamps under his control, and they were stronger than Ludcarab and Alston knew. With such power, Cain should be leading the Order, not that pompous high fae.

  Cain raised a hand, resting his elbow on the arm still folded across him and tapped his chin with his finger. “Perhaps it is time for the vampires to rise up,” he said to the surrounding forest. “You other supernaturals have ruled long enough.”

  Lucian hadn’t moved from where he sat against the tree. His eyes were closed, his face turned up toward the winter sun. The weak rays couldn’t penetrate the chill of the cold air. Three days had passed since Disir had left him sitting in front of the draheim veil. He’d gone hunting a couple of times, taking just enough sustenance to keep himself alive. Other than that, he hadn’t left his vigil. For a fleeting moment, he’d felt her. Her presence had been faint, but he knew it was her, and the bond was intact.

  Over and over, Lucian replayed in his mind their last argument. Sometimes, he regretted the words he’d spoken in anger. Other times, he knew they needed to be said. He loved his mate with a fierceness he’d never thought possible. And it was because of that love that he refused to simply sit by and watch her destroy herself and every relationship she’d built over the years. Then he had lost her. When he’d walked away, Lucian had thought that they would have plenty of time to sort things out. He hadn’t considered that his three-thousand-year-old mate would be gone for good. And now… He wasn’t sure what was going on. Was she back? Even though he’d felt her for a moment, she was still out of his reach. But not for long. He would find her. And when he did, there would be no walking away. This time, he would make her listen. He would fight for her, for them. He would fight, and he would win, even if it was his own mate he had to fight.

  “Have you been sitting there since Disir left you?”

  He’d smelled the group before Jen spoke, but he still didn’t open his eyes. With his eyes closed, he could see his mate. She lived in his mind’s eye, and he didn’t want to lose sight of her for even a second.

  “Gotta admit,” Jen continued, “that’s some serious devotion. Not even a phone to distract yourself with. And the bladder control, that’s even more impressive. I mean, as a mom—”

  “Jen,” Jacque’s voice cut her off. “Lay off.”

  Jen huffed but didn’t continue her monologue.

  “I’m sorry it took so long,” Disir’s voice spoke next.

  Lucian did open his eyes now. His gaze roamed over the group gathered before him until they landed on the high fae.

  “I did some digging in our archives first, then I went back to the sprite realm,” Disir explained.

  “And the answer you came up with was to bring back a support group?” Lucian asked, unsure why there were so many supernaturals standing in front of him. And a human. Apparently, Chris Morgan, Sally’s dad, was as much a warrior as the supernaturals in their group. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have brought him along.

  “You’re not the only one who wants Peri back,” Myanin said. She was adorned with weapons, as if she was about to charge into a serious battle. Perhaps she thought if they got through the veil, they would have to fight the draheim. Lucian did not think that would be the case, not if his mate had taken sanctuary in their realm.

  “I’m aware of that,” Lucian said. “I guess I just didn’t expect so much help.”

  “How many times do I have to tell you that what happened is water under the bridge?” Heather asked from where she stood next to her mate. “Tell him, Kale.”

  Lucian met Kale’s eyes. After several heartbeats, the great white wolf dropped his eyes. Not because Lucian wasn’t as dominant as the Ireland beta, but out of respect for the male and humility for what Lucian had done. It impressed Lucian that Kale hadn’t tried to kill him. It was what he deserved, and Lucian would have let him do it.

  Heather elbowed her mate, causing him to grunt. “We talked about this, Iceberg.”

  There was a snicker from several of the healers as they glanced at the couple.

  “Iceberg?” Jen asked, and then her face lit up. “Shut up! Kale. Like the lettuce? So you”—she pointed at Heather and then at Kale —“call him different types of green veggies. Damn, that is awesome! How did I not come up with that?”

  “Try not to be too hard on yourself,” Heather told her as she patted her male’s chest. “You’ve had a lot on your mind. You haven’t had time to think about how to make fun of his name yet.”

  “I’m standing right here,” Kale muttered dryly.

  “That you are, Romaine,” Jen said and slapped her thigh as if it was the funniest thing she’d heard in a while.

  Kale sighed and looked up as if trying to get a hold of his irritation. Lucian understood the feeling well.

  “Look,” the Ireland beta said and then dropped his eyes to look at Lucian. “Am I still pissed over what you did to my mate? Yes. But”—he paused and clenched his teeth—“I know all too well that we make mistakes. Our beasts can be unpredictable. Especially when we’re dealing with painful issues concerning our females. So I’m choosing to let it go. I might have done the same thing had I been in your shoes.”

  Lucian’s brow rose in surprise. He’d expected it might be years before Kale would be able to even be in the same space as Lucian without wanting to shred him to pieces. Instead, the male looked at Lucian with understanding and even empathy. Lucian pushed up from the ground and stood. He bowed his head to the beta. “Thank you. Though, just like my apology is not adequate, neither is my thanks. But it’s all I have to offer at the moment. I can promise to protect your mate if ever there is a time that she needs it.”

  Kale gave a sharp nod but said nothing more.

  Lucian turned his attention to Jacque, who’d been watching him the entire time. He’d felt her eyes on him, as if she was attempting to assess his emotional state. Maybe she’d even spoken with her mate through the bond, reporting what she saw as she watched him. Her bright green eyes held compassion that reminded him of Alina. They also held intelligence and perception that would serve her well in her new role. “You are good?” He inclined his head in the alpha’s direction.

  “I am.” She gave a small smile. “How about you?”

  Lucian’s eyes darted to the trees behind the group where the veil was located. He clenched his jaw in frustration then looked back at Jacque. “I need to see her. Until then, I cannot pretend to be all right.”

  “Nobody expects that of you, Lucian,” she said. “We also don’t expect you to go through this alone. You and Peri belong to us. We will get through this together.”

  Lucian could practically feel the anticipation of the group, waiting to see how he would respond to her words. Would he shut them down, or would he embrace what they offered? There was only one answer. “Thank you. I need my pack.”

  There was an audible sigh from several of the group, mostly females, Lucian noted. Yet many of the males relaxed their rigid stances as well. He looked over the group and noted that Costin and his mate were absent, which wasn’t alarming, considering she was with child. He was surprised to see the Springfield and Coldspring pack alphas. They both gave him silent nods when his eyes met theirs.

  “We’re waiting on three more people,” Jacque told him. “Then we—”

  “Are getting through this veil even if we have to die trying,” Myanin interrupted the alpha.

  “I’d prefer the not-dying method,” Wadim said as he pulled his mate closer to his side. “I’ve got plans, not to mention, we still have a riddle to work out, which might actually help us with this.” He motioned to the veil.

  The djinn didn’t look impressed. “Your plans can wait, and we can figure out the riddle once we get Perizada back by just asking her what it meant. So put away your pen and get out your sword.”

  “Myanin,” Lilly said. “Maybe save the intensity for once we actually start working on the veil?”

  “CT’s just getting pumped up, Ms. P,” Jen said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She pulled a knife from either side of her cargo pants and spun them in her hands. “Some of us need to psych ourselves up.”

  “I know we don’t know each other that well,” Dalton’s mate, Jewel said to Jen, “but I can just look at you and tell that you stay psyched up. I don’t think any pumping is necessary.”

  “Truth,” Jacque and Lilly said at the same time.

  “Oh, the things I could do with that sentence.” Jen looked almost forlorn. She shook it off and said, “I don’t want others to feel bad about themselves if they don’t stay in kick-ass mode all the time.”

  “Ahh,” Jewel said with a slow nod. “That’s … gracious of you.”

  Jen smiled, her eyes lighting up mischievously. “It is. It really is. Jen’s my name, and giving is my game.”

  Wadim coughed, and Lucian was sure it sounded like he said, “bullshit.” Zara slapped his arm, but she was trying not to smile.

  “Wow.” Jeff, the Coldspring alpha, breathed out, shaking his head at Decebel’s mate.

  “No, no.” Jen shook a knife at Jeff. “No more admiring how awesome I am. You’re officially on my mate’s kill list.”

  Jeff’s eyes widened. “What?” He took a step back, his hands raising. “What did I do? And he has a kill list?”

  Jen frowned. “Don’t you?” Then she looked around at the rest of the group. “I thought that was just a given for Canis lupus males.”

  Myanin raised her hand, looking sheepish. “Not just Canis lupus. I have one. But I’ve taken a few names off recently, those whose demise isn’t entirely necessary.”

  “Understandable.” Jen nodded. “Considering the whole ‘killed an innocent person’ thing. Makes your kill list a little more subject to scrutiny.”

  “Your list needs serious scrutiny as well.” Jacque narrowed her eyes at Jen. “And I thought we agreed you’d burn it.”

  “That was before.” Jen tossed one knife and caught it effortlessly by the handle.

  After several seconds, Heather cleared her throat and asked, “Before what? And dude, you can’t answer so obscurely and expect us to just let it slide by.”

  “I agree with Helen.” Stella, the healer mated to Ciro, pointed at the blind healer. “That’s not how we roll. Spill it, Stabby.”

  Jen’s lips turned up slowly. “Is that my road name?”

  Lucian almost cracked a smile when every female in the group groaned. Peri would have gotten a kick out of the entire situation. He’d have to remember to share it with her once she was back at his side. “Do I want to know what she means by road name?” Lucian asked Jacque.

  The alpha female shook her head. “It just encourages her.”

  “Sure, it’s your road name,” Stella answered Jen. “Considering you’re tossing around blades like they’re hacky sacks that couldn’t impale you or someone standing close to you. Forget that. Finish your story. What happened that lets you get to keep your list?” she repeated Heather’s question.

  “I agreed to burn my kill list before my hellion was taken by the Order, before my alphas were killed, before Peri fell apart, before Jacque nearly lost her heart, and before Kara got snatched. Now, the list will not be burned, and it has actually gotten longer.”

  “No disrespect, Jacque, but I think she can totally have a kill list,” Heather said. “Lots of people need to die.”

  “Agreed,” Jewel, Stella and Anna, the one healer who hadn’t said a word so far, said in unison.

  “Gah.” Jen grinned. “They’re so bloodthirsty. I love it. We’re totally keeping them.”

  “I’m not even going to ask what she means by that,” Myanin said. “What’s taking Nissa so long?”

  “I’m here,” the high fae in question said as the group parted. Beside her stood Thadrick, the djinn, and his mate, Jezebel.

  “Thank you, Nissa,” Jacque told the fae. “I appreciate your willingness to help get them here. And thank you Thad and Jezebel for coming.”

  “I also have these.” Nissa held out her hands to show five fae stones.

  “Those fancy rocks are busy lately,” Jen said.

  Jacque nodded. “It’s a good sign that they’re here with us.”

  Lucian’s attention was drawn back to Thadrick as the djinn started moving toward him.

  “Nissa has explained about the draheim veil,” Thadrick said, his eyes holding Lucian’s. “I will use what power I can to see if we can open it. But I cannot use too much or the destruction I will cause—”

  “Will make Peri’s cold fire look like child’s play,” interrupted Jen. “We get it.”

  “Understood,” Lucian said and then waited to see what the djinn would instruct.

  “Form a circle, please.” Thadrick motioned to the group to spread out. Lucian appreciated the djinn getting right down to business. The wolf’s skin crawled with the need to see his mate, and though the earlier chatter distracted him, that’s all it was—a fleeting distraction.

  When everyone had created a circle, Thadrick walked over to the veil and motioned for Nissa and Disir, who stood in front of it, to spread apart and make an opening. “This is not an exact science,” the djinn told the group, his back to them as he looked at the space between the two large trees. “Considering the amount of mixed power in this group—sprite, wolf, witch, warlock and fae—I think holding hands to combine the power will be useful. Jezebel will hold my hand, as well as Nissa’s, and she will funnel the power from you all into me. I will attempt to blend it with my own, hopefully reducing the amount of my magic I will need to use.”

  Lucian looked beside him and saw Jacque on his right and Jen on his left. He took their hands and ignored the way his wolf growled, disliking the touch of any other female besides their own. If this is what it takes to get her back, then we will hold their hands, Lucian told his beast. The wolf didn’t respond.

  “Considering my lack of magic,” Myanin stepped up beside the veil, “I’m just going to stand here and be ready to cut something once the veil comes down.”

  “Myanin,” Gerick, the warlock general, called. Lucian noted the intensity with which the man fixed the female djinn and saw the same possessiveness in Gerick’s eyes that he saw in the eyes of other true mates.

  “I won’t do anything stupid,” Myanin assured him, her eyes softening a bit.

  “Liar,” Jen mumbled.

  “It would be good to have someone ready in case there is draheim waiting on the other side,” Thadrick said. “Thank you, Myanin. Magic or not, your fighting skills are unparalleled.”

  Myanin looked at the male djinn, and Lucian saw something pass between them, but he didn’t recognize what. “Thank you, Thadrick.” Weariness, maybe, but also respect.

  “Focus,” Thadrick said, his voice deepening. He reached for his female’s hand. “Picture the magic that lives inside of you as something that flows like water. It starts in the center of your chest and runs throughout your body,” Thadrick continued. “Now focus on pushing it down through your arms and into your hands. See it flowing into the person next to you. Jacque, pull on the pack bonds. Your mate will answer you, as will your pack.”

  Lucian did as the djinn instructed. He saw the magic that made him the supernatural being he’d been created to be. But that wasn’t the only thing he saw. He also saw a current of blue power running through him. Confusion filled his mind. He’d never seen that power inside of him when he looked at his bond or his pack magic. This was new. He reached out with his hand in his mind’s eye and let his fingers run over the current. Lucian sucked in a sharp breath when he felt his mate’s magic fill him. Then he felt her. All of her.

  Lucian dropped to his knees, but Jacque and Jen didn’t release his hands. His head fell forward. So many emotions, memories, and thoughts filled his mind.

  “Thad, we’ve got an issue.” Jen’s voice sounded like it was coming from somewhere far away.

  “Don’t stop,” Thadrick called back. “Whatever it is, we will deal with it after the veil is open.”

  “We’ve got you, Lucian.” Jacque’s voice was soft but strong next to his ear. “We won’t let go.”

  Lucian got the strange feeling that Jacque knew what was happening, or she at least had an idea. He could feel her empathy through the pack bonds that were currently wide open. As more of his mate’s magic slammed into him, he realized he had no choice but to trust Jacque, because he was lost to all that happened inside of him. His wolf attempted to take over, but Lucian kept control of the beast and just let himself sink into the moment. What more could he do? He didn’t want to fight it. He wanted her, needed her close, and this was the closest he’d felt to her in far too long.

  “My mate,” Lucian said through the true mate bond that currently wrapped itself around the blue magic, threading itself in and out until the gold and blue were a single cord. “Come back to me.”

  Another pulse of power hit him, so strong that it knocked the wind from his chest. He felt himself tip back, and he would’ve been knocked down if Jacque and Jen hadn’t held him upright. Lucian clenched his teeth against the onslaught, trying to breathe air in through his nose. His lungs burned with the need of the precious oxygen. “PERIZADA.” Lucian’s wolf roared in his mind, reaching to her through the now joined cord.