His wolf rumbled eagerly at the thought of finally uniting with their mate.

  “Once Alice is free of Cain’s control, it will weaken him,” Fane explained. “We only need to contain him briefly while the healers break Lizzy’s bond as well. Then his hold over them dies with him.”

  It was risky, especially since the healers really didn’t have a clue how to break the sire bond, but Maxim agreed it was the fastest way to get the captured out. Cain had no inkling of the storm about to descend on him.

  “My role is clear,” Maxim said solemnly with a clenched jaw. “I will not fail to reach Alice’s side.”

  Fane clapped Maxim’s shoulder. “Of that, I have no doubt. Your mate’s suffering will end soon, brother.”

  Maxim’s chest swelled with gratitude for these allies, who’d asked nothing of him yet willingly took up his cause. Cain would rue the day he dared trifle with a fated mate bond. Come tomorrow, the vampire king would be defeated. Of that, Maxim would make certain, even if he had to tear the monster apart himself. Alice, as well as the others, would be free.

  “The mate bond should kick in the closer you get to her.” Fane stayed focused on the plan. “So you will basically have a radar that leads you straight to her.”

  Maxim didn’t bother to mention to Fane that he’d already mentally connected with Alice briefly, reassuring her that he was coming for her. But the bond was weak, and she could not communicate back. Maxim clenched his fists, resolve steeling his nerves. Nothing would prevent him from his task.

  Fane’s bright blue eyes were filled with understanding. “I know you burn to have her safe, but you must wait for my signal. Premature action could doom us all.”

  Maxim exhaled heavily but inclined his head. His instincts railed against leaving Alice’s fate in another’s hands, but he recognized the wisdom in Fane’s command.

  “Have faith in us and in her,” Jacque said gently. “Alice is stronger than she knows. The fact that she’s trusting our healers to keep her tethered to this life is huge. It means there’s hope that the sire bond isn’t as strong as we first thought.”

  “You will be united,” Perizada added. “But only if your wolf behaves.” One silver brow arched at Maxim in challenge. “You cannot let your beast rule the hunt. His only objective will be to get to Alice and kill everything in your way, regardless of the consequences. The man must maintain control. If that’s a problem, I can bind your fur butt to this location, and you can wait on us.”

  Maxim huffed a laugh despite himself. “I may be a male Canis lupus on the verge of finding my mate, but that doesn’t make me an idiot.”

  “Umm.” Jen tilted her head from side to side. “Pretty sure those are basically the same thing.”

  Decebel sighed, wrapping an arm around his mate and then pulling her back to his chest. “Can you attempt to behave for a few minutes?” he asked her softly, but not so low that supernatural hearing wouldn’t pick it up.

  “You like me untamed, B,” Jen teased him. “You’d be bored as hell if I was any other way.”

  Decebel nuzzled her neck, and Maxim looked away, giving the couple some semblance of privacy, though they didn’t seem to mind the audience.

  “I give you my word that I will maintain control.”

  Satisfied, Perizada flashed a wicked grin at Maxim. “Excellent. I do so hate having to blast sense into thick skulls.”

  “Liar,” Jacque spoke up. “You love zapping our males.”

  Peri shrugged. “Do you blame me?”

  “Not even a little.” Jacque winked.

  Her mate’s stoic expression didn’t change, though Fane seemed to suppress a smile. Jacque just shook her head with fond exasperation.

  Clearly, this group had weathered many trials together already. Maxim only hoped they would endure this one and emerge intact on the other side.

  Sensing his thoughts, Fane gripped his shoulder firmly. “Have faith in our Creator. With her guidance, we will see this done.”

  Maxim met the alpha’s intense gaze and saw the surety there. This male would walk through fire itself to protect those under his care. In that moment, Maxim knew they would prevail.

  Come what may, Cain would fall. And Maxim would have Alice safe in his arms soon. Her captivity was coming to an end. The pack would make certain of it. Even with all the reassurances, the one thing he couldn’t shake was how he was going to feel once he met her, once their mental bond was complete. He hated that his jealousy was already rearing its ugly head. Just looking around the room at all the mated pairs in front of him was enough to make him envious. His jaw clenched as he thought about his mate and how she’d chosen another before him. His wolf raged inside of him not because they didn’t want her, but because it had taken so long to find her and now, it might be too late. What if she chose the vampire over Maxim even after meeting him? He had to prepare himself for something that he wasn’t sure he was capable of accepting.

  Suddenly, the door to the office swung open and in came a young boy of maybe six years. Behind him toddled a beautiful little blonde girl, holding a doll head by the hair in her chubby hand.

  Jen groaned. “You have got to be kidding me.” The little girl’s face lit up when she saw everyone staring at her. She paused in the middle of the room and held up the head, very much reminiscent of a warrior declaring victory in battle.

  “HELL,” the little warrior yelled, and Maxim couldn’t help but smile.

  “Don’t encourage her.” Jen walked over and knelt down in front of the child. “Thia, what did Mommy and Daddy say about carrying around doll parts?”

  Thia dropped her arm, the head still firmly in her grasp. “All be tattched,” Thia answered in the broken way of little ones.

  “Yes.” Jen nodded. “They must all be attached to one another, and what else?”

  Thia sighed. “Clothes.”

  “Exactly,” Jen encouraged with a brilliant smile that matched her daughter’s. “The dolls must be clothed. Though that’s actually your daddy’s opinion.”

  “Jennifer.” Decebel growled as he stepped around her and picked Thia up. She looked tiny against his large frame. “Clothes are not an opinion. They’re a necessity. Quit trying to teach our daughter otherwise.” Though his words were stern, there was a look of complete adoration in his eyes as he looked from his mate to his pup.

  Maxim was jealous of the trio. Decebel had what every Canis lupus male dreams of: a family.

  “And what the heck, Tiny Tim?” Jen turned to the little boy who’d come in first. “You’re supposed to be keeping an eye on her.”

  “Sorry, Aunt Juniper.” The boy snickered. “Making up names is fun. I see why you do it now.”

  “Titus.” Costin motioned for the boy to come to him. “Don’t encourage Aunt Jen to continue to call you the wrong name.”

  The child skipped over to the male and threw himself into his arms. “Okay, Daddy. I’ll try not to. But I like calling her other names, too.”

  “Cuz you’re not a prude like your parents.” Jen followed Decebel back to his spot against the wall. Thia patted her dad’s face and giggled when he pretended to bite her fingers.

  “Who’s the new guy?” Titus released his hold from Costin. “And why does Mommy look like she’s meditating?”

  “I’m Maxim,” he said to Titus. “And I believe your mom is attempting to keep my mate from dying.”

  Titus’s brow rose, and understanding lit in his young eyes. He shouldn’t understand what Maxim was implying, but he did. “My mommy is good at saving people. You can trust her.” Titus lifted his chin in challenge.

  “I do, little warrior,” Maxim told the boy. “Gypsy healers are remarkable supernatural beings. It’s an honor to meet the pup of one.”

  Titus’s smiled. “My uncle Gavril is teaching me to be a warrior. I’m going to be the best.” He glanced at Fane. “No offense, Uncle Fane.”

  Fane’s lips lifted. “None taken, and I expect to see you as the best one day. Keep working like you have been, and you’ll be able to best me in no time.”

  “Titus,” Jacque spoke up. “Does Aunt Rachel have Slate?”

  The boy nodded. “Yes. She asked me to go after Thia when she escaped the playroom. Slate was eating and contained in his highchair.”

  “Thia,” Jen ground out. “What have we discussed about escaping the playroom and Aunt Rachel?”

  “No get caught,” Thia said proudly.

  “Exactly.” Jen tossed her arms up. “What the heck happened?”

  “Tie–Tie fast.” Thia looked over at Titus and frowned. “Slow hell down.”

  The room erupted into laughter at the little she-wolf’s declaration to the boy.

  Titus tilted his head, looking very much like a wolf. “No. You get better at slipping out undetected.”

  Thia stuck her tongue out at Titus. He didn’t seem bothered in the least.

  “These are two of five pups in our pack. Two others are in the playroom/nursery, and the other stays at the Warlock fortress with his parents.” Fane looked at Maxim. “We’re expecting two more.”

  “Pups are a blessing from the Great Luna. You have found favor in Her eyes.”

  “They’re a blessing and a curse,” Jen said. “Just wait ’til you have one, and she’s yelling profanities as she strips and runs down the hall.”

  “Maybe she wouldn’t do those things if you didn’t provide such a shining example,” Crina offered.

  Jen thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. “Naw. It’s not worth giving up my wicked ways. I’ll just have to hope the rest of the village that’s helping me raise her will teach her to do as I say, not as I do.”

  “Thanks for that responsibility,” Elle, the fae female, said.

  “Dude, I’m preparing you for parenthood,” Jen pointed out.

  Elle held up a hand. “Or you’ve just showed us a good reason for birth control.”

  “Ohhh, burn.” Adam laughed.

  “Laugh it up now, fae boy,” Jen tossed back. “I have a feeling one day when you have a kid they’re going to be hellions, zapping everyone in the ass with their magic.”

  Fane held up a hand, and the room quieted. “As you said, Maxim, we have been blessed but also challenged when it comes to our young.”

  “Speaking of challenges.” Jen tugged on Decebel’s shirt. “We’ve got to get our crumb catcher in bed. And believe me, it’s a miracle every single night that she makes it there without me or her pulling our hair out.”

  Jacque chuckled. “Paying for your raising.”

  “I sure as hell would have been a better kid if I would have known I was going to eventually have a literal mini-me,” Jen muttered.

  “Hell!” Thia yelled and clapped her hand to the doll head.

  Maxim watched in fascination. This pack was so different from his own. It made him wonder what he was doing wrong as an alpha. The love and comradery here was so evident he could practically feel it like a tangible thing on his skin. His own pack always felt out of sync.

  “We will meet at the veil entrance tomorrow evening according to the Area 51 time zone,” Fane said as Decebel, Jen, and their daughter headed out of the office.

  “We’ll see you then,” Decebel assured the alpha.

  “Maxim. We have a spare room you’re welcome to, or if you want to sleep in your wolf form outside, we would understand.”

  It didn’t surprise him that the alpha female would recognize that it would take a lot of trust for his wolf to willingly stay in a compound with other dominant males and not feel trapped. But his wolf actually felt amicable toward Fane and his pack. His beast also felt the trust and love among them.

  Almost everyone had cleared out when Maxim finally spoke. “A room would be much appreciated.”

  Alice drifted in darkness, her body leaden and unresponsive. Only the healers’ lights tethered her spirit, keeping her from sliding into death’s embrace. Then, like the first glow of dawn, she felt him—her true mate’s presence kindling through their bond.

  “Alice? Can you hear me?” His voice was hesitant but hopeful. It was already so familiar. “I’m Maxim, your true mate. You need not fear me.”

  “I’m here,” she called back, relief flooding her. The blackness seemed to recede slightly as their connection strengthened.

  “You’re alive. Thank the Great Luna.” Maxim’s profound joy and gratitude enveloped her. “At last, I’ve found you. I didn’t know if you’d be able to respond to me.”

  Despite everything, Alice wanted to smile. Because she couldn’t feel her body, she had no clue if she actually was. “They said you’d come.” She didn’t tell Maxim that she had doubted it. She’d believed the relationship she’d been building with Cain—not just a vampire, but king of all vampires—would’ve kept him away. Alice couldn’t imagine why he’d even want her. She was tainted goods.

  Maxim was quiet a moment, and Alice wondered if he could hear her thoughts. She hadn’t tried to block him the way she had Cain. She really didn’t want to, it felt intimate and special in a way her tie to Cain hadn’t been. Though for the moment, she just wished some things could remain private until she was ready to talk about them … or until forever.

  “You have been so strong, surviving this nightmare.” Pride and affection suffused his mental voice.

  Embarrassment heated Alice’s cheeks, even in this strange metaphysical space. “If you knew everything, you might not be so impressed.” Why the hell had she said that? Shut up you moron, she chastised herself.

  “Are you talking about the bond between you and Cain?” His tone remained kind and open. “You owe me no justifications, Alice. I only want to understand.”

  Swallowing hard, Alice forced herself to continue. “I made foolish choices out of grief. I let myself be deceived. I was just so tired of being alone. Of being rejected.” Her thoughts shied from voicing Cain’s name or the twisted intimacy they had shared. Maxim would be disgusted by her weakness.

  “I could never be disgusted by you, mate.” His deep voice was full of compassion. “You were vulnerable, and that creature took advantage. The blame lies with him alone.”

  Despite his reassurance, shame still flooded her. “My ignorance could have cost Lizzy, the new hybrid, her life. And it did cost me my own.”

  “Perhaps,” Maxim conceded gently. “But the past cannot be undone. All we can do is move forward and make what amends we can.” His steady calm soothed her tumultuous emotions.

  Releasing a trembling breath, she realized he was right. But that didn’t mean later on she wouldn’t have to deal with all the hurricane of feelings going on inside of her. But for now, she needed to get free.

  “We have to end this threat. Together.”

  A fierce joy flowed from Maxim at her words. “Together, nothing will stop us,” he vowed. “But there will be time to talk of battles later. For now, simply rest and gather your strength. Let the healers continue to help you until I can get to you.”

  His warm presence enveloped her like a comforting blanket, bolstering her flagging energy. She sank into it gratefully.

  Maxim’s touch was so different from the possessive chill of Cain’s aura. Her true mate’s soul sang in harmony with hers, two halves of a whole. With him, she was safe, cherished for who she was rather than what she could provide.

  “Tell me of your life,” she requested impulsively. “I want to know everything. I mean, only if you want to,” she quickly added, realizing how demanding she sounded. But she wanted to erase everything of Cain from her mind and replace those memories with ones of her true mate.

  She sensed his surprised pleasure at her interest. “What would you like to know?”

  “Anything you’re willing to share,” she insisted. “I’ve missed so much time with you already. But we have the rest of our lives to make up for it.” Was that too forward? Was she assuming too much? She’d seen the way Finn had immediately taken to Lizzy, and they were true mates. The commitment had been there from the get-go. But then, Lizzy hadn’t kissed a vampire king. Dammit. What the hell was wrong with her?

  Suddenly, she felt joy suffused through their link at her words. “You’re right. We have forever together. I look forward to every moment of it.”

  Settling into Maxim’s soothing presence, Alice listened avidly as his deep voice began recounting his long life.

  “I still remember my boyhood village so clearly,” he said wistfully. “Our little thatched cottages clustered at the foot of the mountains. Thunderstorms that shook the windowpanes at night. My father’s forge glowing hot as he hammered out horseshoes and wagon wheels.”

  Alice could picture a gangly, soot-smudged youth peering into the billowing flames as Maxim described it. She longed to reach out and caress the memories from his mind.

  “My alpha, Mikla, found me tending my father’s fire one evening. He said my potential burned as bright and offered to make me one of his warriors.” Reverence filled Maxim’s voice. “He did, and I served as one of his warriors until he was killed. Then I took over the pack. I was only sixteen, but the most dominant wolf in our pack. What I didn’t understand was that we weren’t a registered pack. We were rogues.”

  “It must have been frightening, taking on such a mantle so young.”

  “It was at first. But I had good warriors who helped me navigate the role until I could stand on my own two feet. Pack is family. They’re there to help you when you stumble, hold you when you can’t stand anymore, and cheer you on in your triumphs.“ Fondness filled their bond, as Maxim recalled it. “Centuries later, things have changed a bit. And I think it’s because we still have a rogue status.”

  Alice’s brow pinched as she understood what it meant to be an outcast, or to feel like one. It warmed her though that she was getting to know this long-hidden part of him and that they shared something in common. She could have listened entranced for days, absorbing Maxim’s rich past. She longed to explore every thread of his memories and experiences.

  Sensing her fascination, Maxim continued reconstructing his youth, the peaceful days and dark battles as Mikla’s second-in-command. The misty forests and mountain caves engraved on his heart.