“So this is actually an assassination mission?” Jen said. “And here I thought we were going to be sitting around having a nice little chat over tea and a cup of Type O blood.”

  “Hear him out first,” Peri said. “And then destroy him.”

  “Can I cut—”

  “No,” Jacque interjected. “You may not cut off his head and add it to your trophies. I’m seriously going to consider getting you therapy.”

  “Pfft.” Jen scoffed. “As if I’m the craziest person in this room. I’m not the one exploding giant chunks of land and imploding it on thousands of people.”

  The room went silent as eyes jumped from Jen to Peri.

  Jen blinked innocently. “What? Too soon? I’m totally blaming it on the bean.” She pointed to her stomach.

  Jacque looked at Peri and was sure that, pregnant or not, the fae might turn her best friend into a rug as she often threatened to do. To Jacque’s surprise, Peri’s eyes dropped to the floor, and her body seemed to shrink in on itself.

  “You’re not wrong, Jennifer.” Peri’s voice was oddly formal. “I can never undo what I have done, and my actions will no doubt have a ripple effect we cannot anticipate. History may show that my actions resulted in more harm than good. I cannot change that. But I can hopefully learn from it.”

  “Does that mean I’m going to have to admit that I have an unhealthy need to cut up my enemies like a Thanksgiving turkey and somehow change my disturbing ways?” Jen sounded entirely too sad about the prospect.

  Jacque looked at Jen. She noticed that though there were dark circles under her friend’s eyes, the strain that had been on her wrinkled, worried forehead was gone. The blonde’s lips now had an upward tilt instead of the tight line she’d been sporting a half hour ago. Jacque wondered how she had missed the earlier signs that Jen was not okay. Maybe because her friend was very good at hiding behind her bolstering attitude. Even so, Jacque knew she should have picked up on it sooner. Maybe if she’d checked the pack bond two days ago and found out Jen was pregnant, then her best friend wouldn’t have gone through the terrible breakdown she’d described from yesterday. Jacque had known Jen a very long time and, aside from Sally, knew her as well as she knew herself. Jacque should have realized something was up.

  “Don’t be too hard on yourself, beloved,” Fane said gently into her mind. “We’ve had a lot going on. Give yourself some grace.”

  She slipped one of her hands beneath his and intertwined their fingers. “I’ll try.”

  “That’s something you have to decide for yourself, Jen,” Peri said gently. “You’re the one who has to look at yourself in the mirror every day and live with your actions.”

  A haunted look came over Jen’s face as if she momentarily forgot the joy of her unexpected news. “I’ve looked in the mirror enough lately. I think I’ll pass.”

  Jacque supposed that even though Jen now knew why she’d been losing her crap, it still left a sick feeling in her friend’s stomach to know she’d been so out of control. And she imagined Jen might be thinking about the fact that she had five-and-a-half more months of hormone-induced psychosis to endure. Jacque felt eyes on her and turned to find Sally looking at her pointedly. The healer motioned with her head toward Jen, and then Jacque heard Sally’s voice in her mind through the pack bonds. “Is it me, or is this pregnancy going to be worse than the first one?”

  “We might need to stock up on alcohol.”

  “We can’t get her drunk to make her pass out, Jacque. She’s pregnant,” Sally explained as if Jacque had completely lost her mind.

  Jacque rolled her eyes. “For us, you dork.”

  Sally pursed her lips and tilted her head. “I’m pregnant, too, you dip.”

  “Dammit.” Jacque huffed. “You two are not allowed to be pregnant at the same time. I thought we established that when she was pregnant last time. Who am I supposed to drink with now?”

  “Don’t worry, mate.” Fane intruded on their conversation. “I’m happy to ply you with alcohol and then plo—”

  “If you finish that sentence, I will borrow some of Jen’s knives.”

  He licked her neck, making her shiver. “Got a new kink? Sounds a little dangerous, but then I like to live on the edge. Pun intended.”

  “And that’s my cue to leave this weird conversation. Not sure we should be able to speak into each other’s heads.” Jacque felt her friend’s presence slip away. Jacque’s attention was drawn away from her pervert mate and back to the high fae still standing in the middle of the room.

  “My advice,” Peri continued, now addressing the group as a whole, “is to give him time to speak his peace and nothing more. Do not engage him in a conversation. As soon as his treacherous mouth stops moving, simply attack. Thad alone is powerful enough to take him out. The rest of you should act as a ploy to help take his guard down. Cain will think that Thadrick is sticking to his word.” She paused, her eyes narrowing as she seemed to think for a moment. “Once he’s dead, every vampire in his direct line, sired by him, will also die.”

  “He’s old, right?” Zara asked. “So that should be a lot of damn vampires.”

  Peri shrugged. “That’s always the hope when we take out an ancient.”

  “Seems like a pretty straightforward plan of attack.” Bethany pushed up from the floor to stand, and Drake joined her. “If we’re done, I’d like Drake to get a little more time with Hope.”

  Jacque made a motion toward the door. “Absolutely. Go snuggle that little cutie.”

  As they were walking out, Bethany muttered something to Drake, and he smacked her backside. She turned to glare at him, and he bent over, picked her up, and slung her over his shoulder.

  “Some things never change.” Crina laughed. “Headed out to face our potential demise and, still, you males can only think of one thing.”

  Costin was the next to stand. He reached down and scooped Sally up into his arms as if she weighed nothing. “Let’s go, brown eyes.” His dimples made a brief appearance as he smiled at her. “We’ve got some things to discuss before I go off on this mission like the badass that I am.”

  “Discuss?” Zara smirked. “Is that what you kids are calling it these days? You’re right, Crina. They’ve got nothing but sheet wrestling on the brain.”

  Wadim motioned between them. “Speaking of, I got a new wrestling move I’ve been wanting to show you.”

  Zara leaned back on her arms with her legs stretched out in front of her. “Do you now? Then, by all means, history boy, let’s go. The suspense is killing me.”

  Wadim laughed as they stood and headed for the door.

  Jacque looked at Jen, positive she would have some smart-ass comment or compliment to give Zara. But the blonde’s face was still solemn from when Peri had mentioned that Jen needed to look at herself in the mirror. Damn, her hormones were really doing a number on her. Jumping for joy one minute and plunging into the pit of despair the next. Maybe she should stay behind.

  Decebel stood over his mate, looking down at her with worried eyes. He crouched beside her and leaned closer to her ear, his lips moving as he spoke words that even Jacque’s wolf-hearing couldn’t discern. Jen shook her head and leaned away from Decebel when he reached for her.

  Jacque’s stomach clenched tightly as she watched the exchange. Jen’s demeanor was so different from just moments ago. And for some reason, it made Jacque want to cry. Jen was the one person in her life who rarely showed any form of vulnerability or fear. She was strong to a fault. Unstable at times? Yes. But she was as fierce as a lioness protecting her cubs even when acting bat-shit crazy. At the moment, she looked exhausted and as meek as a mouse.

  “What’s going on with Jennifer?” Fane asked through their bond. “She was glowing a second ago, and now she’s wilting.”

  “Looks like this pregnancy is going to be a rough, emotional ride,” Jacque replied.

  “You think she needs to stay behind?” He picked up on her thoughts.

  Jacque audibly snorted. “Even if I think she should, it won’t happen. You’d have to give her an alpha order, and she’d hold that against you for the rest of your life, which, I don’t have to remind you, is very long.”

  Finally, Jen climbed to her feet, but she still didn’t allow Decebel to touch her. The pain in Decebel’s eyes made Jacque’s earlier happiness slip away. Jen usually took every opportunity to touch her mate, and she pretty much demanded he touch her in return. Not that she needed to demand it. If it was up to the males, they’d never take their hands off their true mates.

  “I’ll talk to her after we get back,” Jacque told her mate. “We might need to consider getting her some sort of counseling. That’s a thing for pregnant chicks, right?” She turned to look at him.

  “You’re seriously asking me that?”

  “Fane,” Peri said, gaining their attention. “Lucian and I checked in on the other packs. So far, there’s been no direct attacks on their wolves, but they are seeing on the human news all the missing people and murder reports. Though, like in Nevada, after a day or two, the news reports simply stopped. They’ve decided to do some hunting of their own.”

  “Thank you,” Fane told her. “Once this is done, I will see what they’ve found out. I heard what you said about Cain, and I agree with you.”

  “We’re going to have a discussion with our guests down in the dungeons now.” Peri bowed her head to Jacque’s mate and then flashed from the room.

  Thad and Jezebel looked at them. “See you in a few hours.” Thad took his mate’s hand and led her from the room.

  Once again, Jacque found herself alone with her mate. She sighed and leaned against him, wearied from watching the ups and downs of her best friend’s emotional rollercoaster. “Did you make the phone calls you needed to?”

  Fane nodded. “Your dad is going to take some of his pack to Nevada and see if they can sniff anything out.”

  “Pun intended again?” She smiled.

  “I learned from the best.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.

  Jacque took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Are we going to make it through this one, Fane?”

  She waited for him to answer, and the silence between them lasted way too long for her liking. Finally, he said, “I won’t give you false platitudes, Luna. I can promise you to do my best as a warrior. I can give you my word that I will do everything I can to defeat Alston and keep our people from dying. But in the end, it is in the Great Luna’s hands.”

  For a brief moment, Jacque was angry at the goddess, though she hated the feeling. Why wasn’t the Great Luna fighting this battle? Why didn’t she just smite their enemies, or whatever it was a goddess could do? Jacque knew that her finite mind could not possibly understand all the ways of the Great Luna. She was the Creator, and Jacque was the created. Jacque knew she was created for a purpose, and it was her job to seek the will of the Great Luna, search out her purpose, and then live it. But sometimes, she wanted to throw her hands up in the air and say, “I give up.” Sometimes it felt as if her purpose was simply to fight a never-ending horde of evil and constantly wonder if there would ever be peace.

  “The call to leadership is often a lonely road, Jacquelyn Lupei, mate of Fane.” The Great Luna’s voice filled the room. Fane and Jacque rolled to their knees and bowed their heads at their goddess. “It is a narrow road that requires you to keep one foot in front of the other. You do not look side to side or behind you. Your eyes remain forward on the prize before you. I will always lend you my strength when you ask, but I cannot fight your battles for you. To do so would be to deprive you of the opportunity to grow.

  “If a mother deer gives her fawn too much assistance when she stumbles up onto her shaking legs, then the youngling will not gain the strength it takes to run, which it will need to do in order to get away from a predator. The mother would cripple her young. I will not cripple you. I will bolster you. I will shore you up on all sides. And when you face adversaries and suffer loss, I will comfort you and remind you that, ultimately, I am still the one in control. I have a purpose and a plan. And it is always for your good. I always have your best interest at heart. Take comfort in that, my child. I love you like no other ever will, Jacquelyn. And nothing can take you from me. For even in death, you are mine.”

  Tears dripped down Jacque’s face as she let the words flow into her soul, and she felt the Great Luna’s love. She’d seen the goddess fight on their behalf before, and she’d experienced the great love of their Creator. For those reasons, Jacque would continue to place her faith in the one who loved them no matter what.

  Fane wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head into his neck as they felt the light and warmth from the goddess leave. For a moment, she let herself lean on her mate. She soaked up his strength and his comfort. They would get through all of this, Jen’s pregnancy included, no matter the outcome. They would face it all together, and they would remind their pack and their allies that they weren’t alone in this battle, or any battle they would face.

  “Brighter days are coming, beloved,” Fane said quietly.

  Jacque pulled back and looked into his beautiful blue eyes. “Perhaps they’re already here. But instead of brighter days, they’re moments. All the more lovely because they are fleeting. We need to grab onto them with both hands and treasure them.”

  Fane pressed his forehead to hers. “Agreed, my amazing mate.”

  She let out a breath. “Let’s go spend some time with Slate. He and the other children remind us of what we are fighting for: a safer future for them.”

  “You’re dead.” The male’s voice shook as he and his other two companions took a step backward.

  Peri stared at the three fae prisoners that Fane and his hunting party had captured. She smirked, knowing her eyes held a gleam of contempt. That’s all she felt for these traitors—contempt. They were an ignominy to her race. Perhaps the Order held something over their heads, something that would make it impossible to say no to the Order’s commands. If not, then they were guilty of unspeakable crimes.

  She paused. Though her expression didn’t change, she couldn’t help but question if she had the right to judge the three men before her. Peri herself had committed a horrific atrocity. And she couldn’t call it an accident. She couldn’t claim that the destruction had been a mistake because she’d known… Peri had known there would be collateral damage when she had made the decision to use cold fire.

  “Now is not the time, beloved.” Lucian’s voice was gentle in her mind. He stood next to her, always by her side, regardless of how she’d treated him. They were still working through all she’d done, but he’d been resolute in his devotion to her. And though there was a voice that often whispered lies into her mind—a voice she struggled to ignore—he continually reminded her of his faithfulness.

  Peri pushed aside the misgivings and refocused on the task at hand. After having quickly visited the other packs, she and her mate had returned to the sprite realm to interrogate Fane’s prisoners. Any information would be helpful before they descended upon Alston’s stronghold.

  “Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.” Peri stepped closer to the cell. She gathered her power, allowing it to flow through her until her skin glowed with white light. She kept it under control so they could still see her, but the fae had to squint to keep looking at her. Peri tried not to take satisfaction in the fear she saw in their eyes, but knowing these men had helped Alston hurt innocent people made it difficult to feel any sort of mercy.

  “Nobody survives cold fire,” the leftmost male said, though he didn’t sound so sure of himself. His words were true, of course, or at least they should have been. But like many things in their world, old assumptions were falling away, and exceptions abounded.

  “That’s not what’s important.” Lucian stepped even closer. His voice was that of his wolf’s, and his eyes glowed because of how close his wolf was to the surface. His anger came through their bond. Perhaps it was because of the evil these men represented, or maybe it was because of the glint of disdain they each held in their eyes as they stared at her. She had to admire the determination to keep up that level of hate, despite their fearful trembling. “What is important is how much you’re going to suffer. We require certain information from you. Tell us, and you may at least die quickly with a shred of dignity. Withhold the information or lie to us, and I can promise you that your end will not be pleasant.”

  The fae on the right spat a curse at Lucian, but the wolf ignored it.

  “Tell us everything you know about Alston’s mountain. How many supernatural warriors are there? What are the races? What are his defenses?”

  The fae in the middle scoffed as he shook his head. “There’s no way we’d betray Alston. He has no leniency for those who betray the Order.”

  Peri chuckled. Sparks of energy danced in her hands, like lightning bouncing from finger to finger. “Do you honestly think he can hurt you worse than I can?” She tutted. “You’re bigger fools than I thought. Let me make this very clear for you three, and I’ll speak in simple terms, considering your obvious low level of intelligence.” She walked forward until she stood inches from the bars. “You will never leave this prison. You will live here until we decide when and how it is time for you to stop living.”

  “You won’t kill us.” The middle fae, who seemed to be the leader of the group— or perhaps just the dumbest— spoke again.. “You’re the so-called ‘good guys.’ Murdering us would make you no better than those in the Order.”

  This time Lucian laughed. It was not a comforting sound. “You have mistaken ‘good guys’ for ‘merciful.’” He shook his head. “Perhaps we are, sometimes. But mercy isn’t always justified. Mercy is only given to those who are remorseful. Mercy is reserved for those who desire to change their ways. Mercy comes even to those who do not deserve it. And you clearly don’t. But it is only given to those who are repentant. I see no contrition in your eyes.” Lucian paused, letting his words soak in. Peri felt a moment of pity. They had no idea the rage her mate was capable of. But the feeling lasted only a second. “The stench of your evil is repugnant to my wolf,” he continued. “And you will not find leniency here.”