Peri shook her head. “I have no intention of coming back. I am going to end this, and then I will return to the fae realm where I will stay until the wolves and other supernaturals do something stupid that requires I interfere again. Your tears are wasted on me, Sally Miklos.”

  Sally's shoulders shook as she visibly swallowed hard. “Tears are never a waste, Perizada of the fae. They are the physical manifestation of the love we feel for those who are hurting, who are in need, who can’t or won’t see what value they have to us. And I fear I will cry many more for you yet.”

  Several loud howls came from the bottom of the mountain. Peri pushed her magic out, keeping Elle and Adam from being able to flash. It would take the males, who were no doubt racing for their females, a couple of minutes to reach them. She didn’t need the two fae warriors speeding things up for the beasts.

  “Owan,” Peri said without looking away from Sally. “I will meet you at our agreed location.”

  The male fae flashed without another word.

  Peri took a deep breath and reached for the calm, coldness inside. She released the emotions that had built inside of her as she’d interacted with the two females. “I do not wish you any ill will. Nor do I wish it on the Romanian pack. But whatever we were in the past is no longer. You would do well to move on.”

  Jen’s wolf stomped her paws on the ground, her claws flexing in and out of the dirt. Peri imagined all of the creative things the female was thinking in her mind, no doubt most of it a variety of ways Jen would like to fling her from some high cliffside.

  “It doesn’t have to be this way, Peri,” Adam said. The hurt in his voice was surprising, considering Adam rarely showed his emotions, other than smart-assery. It was one of the reasons she’d always gotten along with him.

  “It has to be exactly this way.” Peri felt the alpha power of Fane getting closer and knew her time was up. “I will deal with the Order. You will keep your pack safe.”

  “I thought you didn’t care,” Elle challenged.

  Peri snorted. “I care that you do your job. I’ve spent centuries upon centuries training you and Adam. If you fail, it’s a direct reflection of my abilities.”

  “Heaven forbid the great Perizada be less than perfect,” Sally said quietly.

  She met Sally’s eyes. “When I am less than perfect, people die.”

  “Sacrifices are a part of this life, Peri,” the healer continued. “It doesn’t matter how well you fight, how great your intentions are, or how much you care. Everyone dies eventually.”

  “That’s probably one of the smartest things you’ve ever said. I hope you will remember that in the future.” Peri gave Adam and Elle one last look and then flashed.

  Sally stared at the empty spot where Peri had just stood. Her stomach churned with nausea that had nothing to do with morning sickness. This was a nausea brought on by the fear of something coming that Sally couldn’t foresee, something ominous looming in their future that Sally somehow knew had the potential to tear their pack apart. She ignored the blood dripping from the cuts Peri’s power had caused. She didn’t even feel the pain. All she could think about was the terrible fact that the Peri they had known for so long was not the woman that had just stood before them.

  A moment later, five massive wolves barreled through the trees. Costin was at her side a second later, phasing into his human form. He took her face in his hands and turned her to look up at him. His thumb ran over the cuts and his eyes glowed bright hazel. “I’m fine,” she quickly said, trying to appease the anger she could feel growing inside of him.

  “What the hell, Sally-mine?” His voice was guttural with emotion. She’d blocked him, knowing if he’d have felt her fear of Peri, he would have arrived a lot sooner. Then they wouldn’t have gotten a chance to speak with Peri at all. Not that she was sure how she felt about the interaction she’d just had with the high fae. A part of her thought it would have been better if she hadn’t seen her friend in such a dark state. Another part of her hoped that maybe something they’d said had gotten through to her.

  “Why?” Costin asked, forcing her attention back to him and away from her thoughts. “Why would you block me? And who am I going to kill for hurting you?”

  “I needed to see her,” she said. “I had to see that she was as bad as Jen said she was.” Sally shook her head and pressed her face into Costin’s bare chest. The warmth of his flesh felt good against her cold cheek. “It’s bad, Costin. Really, really bad.”

  “Peri?” Costin’s eyes widened. “Peri did this?” He grazed her neck where more cuts trickled blood.

  “It’s not her fault,” Sally whispered. Saying it louder would feel like she had given up on the high fae, and Sally wasn’t ready to admit defeat. She would still fight for their friend who’d sacrificed for them so many times.

  “Why are you hurt, Jennifer?” Decebel’s deep growl came from behind them.

  “My back decided it wanted to become very acquainted with a tree trunk, and then a freaky snowstorm popped up out of nowhere, blowing shards of razor-sharp ice all over the place. But I’m good,” Jen grumbled. She must have phased back to her human form. There were slapping sounds and Sally turned to find Jen hitting Decebel’s hands as he tried to cover her nudity.

  “Elle,” Decebel snarled.

  A second later, Jen was clothed, and so were the rest of the males who’d come up the mountain. Fane and Drake were talking quietly with Adam, while Lucian stood off to the side looking down at the field where Fane fought his challengers.

  Sally pulled away from Costin, but he grabbed her hand and frowned at her. She motioned toward Lucian. When Costin didn’t let go of her hand, she sighed and tugged him along with her until she was standing next to the large, blond male.

  “She was here,” Lucian said quietly. “I thought I felt her, but it was so soft and quick that I figured I must have imagined her.”

  Sally didn’t speak. She stepped closer to him and pressed her shoulder against his arm. Costin wrapped an arm around her from behind and pulled her against his chest, but he didn’t try to move her away from Lucian.

  “What did she say?” Lucian asked, his eyes still focused down the mountain.

  Sally didn’t want to tell him that his mate had gone off the deep end, though she was pretty sure he was well aware of it. But she also wasn’t going to sugarcoat the truth and tell him that they’d had a lovely discussion about how much Peri missed them all and knew she’d been a total—

  “You can be honest,” Lucian interrupted Sally’s thoughts.

  “I wasn’t planning on being dishonest,” Sally said. “But I was trying to figure out how to tell you that your true mate seems to have completely lost touch with reality.”

  “She hasn’t lost touch with reality,” Jen said. Sally looked over her shoulder to see Jen, with Decebel still fussing over her, walking toward them. “She knows exactly what she’s doing. That’s what’s pissing me off.”

  “Jennifer, stand still.” Decebel attempted to hold her in place by her waist. “Let me look at your back.”

  Jen huffed and came to a stop next to Sally. “A minute ago, you were trying to cover me up, and now you’re trying to get my clothes off. And you know what’s sad? I don’t want you to take my clothes off right now. That’s how pissed I am at your mate.” She pointed at Lucian. “When people start affecting my libido, I start cutting people.”

  Lucian turned to face them, his face filled with so much agony that Sally’s breath caught.

  “I am sorry Perizada hurt you both.” Lucian looked at them. “And I am sorry you are enduring what feels like betrayal by someone you love. It is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.”

  “She hasn’t betrayed us,” Sally said softly. “Not really. She just doesn’t know what to do with her pain. I think she still cares. I just think she doesn’t want to. She’s been alive a long time and never had what she does now. Losing a piece of that is destroying her.”

  Lucian’s eyes locked on hers, his lips drawing tight across his handsome face. “And she is choosing to destroy what she has left of it. I love her. I would do just about anything for her. But physically hurting people she is supposed to care about is unacceptable. She is making choices that have grave consequences. When the smoke settles, she will have to live with them.”

  “Maybe we don’t need to wait for the smoke to settle. Maybe we need to be the ones to pull her from the fire.” Sally said carefully. Lucian’s eyes darkened, and he clenched his jaw. She wondered if she’d gone too far.

  “Or we could let her burn for a while,” Jen muttered. “Then pull her charred ass out and ask her if she’s done throwing her supernatural high fae tantrum.”

  “I appreciate your heart, healer,” Lucian said, still holding Sally’s gaze. “But I gave my mate a choice. I offered her help. She made her choice, and I did not factor into her decision.”

  Sally could barely breathe as she watched Peri’s mate start back down the mountain. He held his head high, his strong shoulders pulled back, and he walked like a man with a purpose. But all Sally saw was a true mate attempting to keep from looking lost.

  “Lucian,” she called out, suddenly remembering something Peri had said that had given her pause. “Peri said she was going to deal with the Order. Despite the cold-attitude thing she has going on, she has to be feeling some pretty intense emotions. Maybe you can use that to get through whatever block she’s got on your bond.”

  “What gave away the intense emotions?” Jen asked. “The way she threw me against a tree, or the way she ran like a chicken when she knew her mate was coming up the side of a mountain after her?”

  Lucian glanced over his shoulder at her. “I’ve tried. My mate isn’t a wolf. She’s a high fae with more power than she probably ever should have been given. Whatever she’s done to the bond, I can’t get through it.”

  Sally forced herself not to ask if their bond was still intact. She didn’t want to throw salt on his wounds. She nodded at him and hoped that maybe what she’d told him would make him want to try harder to get through to her.

  “What do you think she’s going to do?” Costin asked through their bond as he held her tightly against him.

  “Honestly, with her mindset, anything is possible,” Sally replied.

  “She will have to answer for what she’s done, Sally-mine. I cannot allow myself to just let it go. You’re mine. You’re carrying our child. She risked both of your lives.” His voice was stern, and Sally knew there was no point in arguing, at least not right then.

  “Fane,” Decebel said as their alpha walked over to them. “Peri is still a part of this pack. She’s still subject to you as her alpha. She hurt my mate. I won’t let this go.”

  “Nor I,” Costin added.

  “Dec—” Jen started, but he held up his hand, and the look in his eye made Sally shiver.

  Fane’s eyes glowed blue with his wolf as he looked at Jen and then back to Decebel. “She will be dealt with just like any other pack member.”

  “What does that mean?” Sally asked. The ominous tone in Fane’s voice and the shadow that seemed to fall across his face made her nervous.

  “It means Decebel and Costin have the right to demand their pound of flesh,” Jen answered before Fane could. “Am I right?” She rounded on her mate. “You’re seriously going to fight Peri because she tossed me at a tree and used me and Sally like a cutting board? If anyone should get to fight her it should be me. It’s my freaking back she nearly broke.” She turned to Sally. “Sorry, chick, but you’re not kicking anyone’s ass while you’re cooking a werewolf/healer/sprite thing.”

  “Jen,” Sally said. “Maybe refrain from reiterating over and over again how our friend attacked you and nearly turned your spine to dust.”

  Jen blinked several times and then shook her head. “Because what you just said sounds so much less serious.”

  Sally felt Costin’s chest rumble behind her as he chuckled. “Perhaps you should pick your words a little more carefully, Sally-mine.” In her mind, he added, “You need my blood to heal those cuts.”

  “Whatever.” Sally rolled her eyes. “I’m tired. Peri’s crazy. Decebel and Costin want to kill her. Jen also wants to kill her, but not really because Jen also loves her, and when Jen loves, she loves hard. Jacque’s seriously injured, and Lucian is slipping closer to the darkness. Picking the right words isn’t exactly up on my list of priorities.” Through their bond she told him, “We can deal with that later. I’m not in the mood to drink your blood. And don’t you dare get your feelings hurt.”

  “But with that laundry list of ‘what the actual hell,’ picking your words carefully probably should be at least somewhere above the middle of your list,” Jen said. She folded her arms across her chest and then glared at her mate. “You aren’t going to hurt Peri.”

  Decebel didn’t look the least bit intimidated or even bothered by his mate’s obvious ire. He simply stared back at her, his own wolf peering out of amber eyes.

  “I’m not kidding, B,” Jen warned. “I will deal with Peri.”

  “It is my job to protect you, Jennifer,” Decebel finally said. His voice was calm, and he seemed a little more relaxed after Fane confirmed that he would allow Decebel to fight Peri. “She will not be treated differently than any other pack member that attacks another’s mate.”

  Jen growled at him and then looked at Sally. “I need about a pound or fifty of cookies and gallons of hot chocolate. And I need to see Jacque.”

  Sally nodded. “I’m in. Though I’m probably going to puke up the cookies.”

  Jen shrugged. “They’re cookies. They taste just as good coming up as they did going down.”

  “I think I just threw up in my mouth.” Elle walked over to Sally and took her arm, then held out her hand to Jen. “Boys, I’ll take the ladies. They probably need a little girl time, and they can clean up their battle wounds in the healer room. Later, you all can tend to them as you see fit.” She looked at Adam and nodded. “I’m sure Adam will be happy to provide you all transportation back down the mountain, unless you need to run off the energy.”

  Sally turned her head and looked up at her mate. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then stroked a finger down her cheek as he looked down at her. “I’ll come carry you to bed if you’re up too late. You need rest.” His eyes narrowed as if challenging her. “And blood.”

  “She also needs chick time,” Jen said. “Not to be confused with di—”

  “I won’t be up too late,” Sally said, quickly cutting her friend off. “I want to put Titus to bed.” She kissed his lips, and she felt his reluctance to let her go. “I won’t be long. I do want to see Jacque again.”

  “I know. I just don’t like having you out of my sight or seeing you with those injuries,” he responded through their bond. “I don’t know if you have any idea how crazy it’s making me to see you cut up like this, Sally. But I don’t want to smother you.”

  “We’ve endured worse and will continue to do so. I love you, Costin.”

  “And I you, brown eyes.”

  The endearment that, at one time, would have caused her pain, filled her with warmth. She’d reclaimed something special that evil had tried to sully, and now when her mate called her “brown eyes,” she felt the love and adoration that came with the words. Sally was so thankful that Costin hadn’t given up on her during that dark time in their relationship, and that she hadn’t given up on herself. She thought back to Peri’s face when she’d been glaring at Jen while she’d held her against a tree by her magic. The same pain lived inside of Peri. A pain that only devastating loss could bring. Sally wouldn’t give up on her. Maybe Peri didn’t realize it, but evil was warping Peri’s pain into a cold, dark, mangled mess, and everything she touched was being damaged by it. Costin and those who loved Sally hadn’t let the darkness have her, and Sally refused to let the darkness take Perizada from them.

  When they reappeared inside the pack mansion, Elle bade them goodbye and then left a split second later. Sally and Jen stood outside of the healer room where Jacque currently rested. “Right before Elle flashed us, you got a look on your face.” Jen stopped Sally from reaching for the door. “I’ve seen that look a million times, Thelma.”

  Sally’s brow rose. “What look?”

  Jen gave her a crooked smile. “The one that says you’re up to no good, and I’m totally going to approve.”

  Sally bit her lip as she tried to keep her thoughts from Costin. “It will get you in trouble with not only your mate but Fane as well since he’s our alpha now.”

  “Two hot guys wanting to spank me?” Jen snorted. “I’m supposed to be scared of that?”

  Sally coughed. “Please don’t ever talk about Fane, spanking, and you in the same context.”

  “Why are you two talking about Jen, my mate, and spankings? And why do you both look like you’ve been in a slasher movie?” The door opened, and Jacque leaned heavily against the frame while holding on to the doorknob to keep herself up.

  Sally’s eyes dropped to the shirt Jacque wore. It buttoned up the front instead of one that would be pulled over her head, no doubt to make it easier for Rachel to get to the wound. Blood, though not a ton, marked the outside of her shirt just over her left breast. “Why do you have blood on your shirt?” Sally raised a brow at Jacque. “Didn’t Rachel get you bandaged up?”

  “I asked you about your blood first.” Jacque glared at them.

  Jen huffed. “Perizada, that’s how. The fae has gone batshit crazy. The cuts are shallow and mine will heal on their own, and Sally’s will be fine once she vamps on dimple-boy. Now”—she pointed to Jacque—“answer Sally’s question.”

  “We will come back to the Peri thing. I might have stretched the stitches a bit when I was climbing out of bed,” Jacque admitted.