“Fine, I’ll let it go … for now,” said the blonde.

  Sally let out a deep breath. The video of her friend singing and fawning over Decebel was a powerful weapon, but Jen wasn’t above scorched-earth tactics. In fact, those were her favorite. Sally knew she better be careful, or she might wake up one day buck naked and duct taped to a stop sign outside of school, just as the morning bell was about to ring.

  * * *

  Several hours later, they all walked into Lilly Pierce’s house, each looking thoroughly defeated.

  “I can’t believe how long it takes to get discharged from the hospital. I was beginning to think that they were going to tell each of you that you had to cough up a kidney before they would let me leave. I mean, seriously,” Jen complained.

  Everyone automatically made their way to the living room, all taking seats wherever they landed. Lilly looked at Vasile. “What now? I feel like we should be doing something.”

  Vasile acknowledged Lilly’s comment with a nod and then turned to the Denver pack alpha. “Dillon, I think it’s time to face facts. It looks like your beta is somehow involved in Jacque’s disappearance.”

  “As much as I don’t want that to be the case, I don’t think I can deny it,” said Dillon. “He disappeared at the same time as Jacque, and now he won’t answer my calls. The evidence is pretty damning.”

  “What about Dr. Steele?” Fane’s voice was no longer his own as his wolf pushed for dominance.

  “That’s a bit harder to say. I think it’s time to pay the Coldspring pack a visit and see if they know anything.” Vasile looked pointedly at Fane, hoping to show his understanding of how painful this must be for his son. “Dillon, Decebel, and Fane will go with me to meet with them. I’ll call the alpha and arrange it. Skender, Boain, and Sorin, you will stay here.”

  Fane watched his father step out of the room to make the call to the Coldspring alpha. For what felt like the thousandth time, he reached out to Jacquelyn. Still, there was nothing. He felt like his skin was too tight and that at any moment his wolf was going to take over. He knew he could keep his wolf under control if he could just do something, take some sort of action to find their mate. The wolf didn’t understand sitting and waiting. It wanted to hunt the one who would dare to take what belonged to them. Vasile came back into the room, bringing Fane back to the present.

  “We will meet them in twenty minutes at their pack headquarters,” Vasile announced.

  Alina met Vasile at the door as the wolves filed out. “Please, be careful.”

  “I will, Mina. I will also do whatever I need to do to obtain information that will help us find Jacque.”

  “I would expect nothing less, Alpha.” She leaned into his embrace and found comfort in his strength.

  * * *

  Jen and Sally stood at the door, watching as the men piled into Vasile’s SUV. She gave a start when Decebel appeared at her side. As he passed her, he paused briefly and leaned close to her ear. “We have much to discuss about your little escapade, Jennifer.”

  Her jaw dropped open, but she quickly caught herself and shouted after him, “A lady never kisses and tells, Decebel.”

  That earned her a glare from him and a high five from Sally. “Nice one, Jen.”

  “I know, right?” Jen winked at Decebel as he continued to glare at her while getting into the vehicle.

  “Sally, I’m starting to vaguely remember some things I may or may not have said to that man when I was drunk. Please, please, tell me I am hallucinating and that I did not say those things.”

  “Okay, you are hallucinating. You did not say those things,” Sally obliged.

  “Not only did I say them, but I actually walked out of the bathroom naked in front of him, didn’t I?”

  “Yep.” Sally’s lips popped when she said the word. “Butt … freaking … naked.”

  “Shit.” Jen’s face showed an expression of pure mortification. She knew it would be even worse when she had to face Decebel again.

  “I would say you’re in deep,” Sally agreed.

  * * *

  They spotted Sorin when they went back inside. Jen pointed a finger at him. “Sorin! Where have you been, my man?”

  “I’ve been around. You might say I’ve been working behind the scenes.”

  “Oooh, covert ops, sweet,” Jen said. “Tell us everything.” Sally rolled her eyes at her best friend. Jen would never stay down for long.

  * * *

  Vasile pulled into the driveway of the Coldspring pack’s headquarters. He had explained on the way that he would be the one to ask the questions and he wanted everyone else to remain silent. Well, his exact words were ‘keep your damn muzzles shut’, but who’s being technical. They all exited the SUV and followed Vasile to the door. It opened before they could knock, and Vasile recognized the wolf as the new alpha he had appointed after Fane had won the challenge against the pack’s previous alpha.

  “Vasile, I invite you and yours to come in. Be welcome.” The Coldspring alpha’s words were a formal greeting that promised Vasile’s pack’s safety while in their territory.

  “Jeff Stone, alpha of the Coldspring pack, we accept your invitation and acknowledge your promise of peace, matching it with our own,” Vasile responded just as formally.

  Jeff stepped aside to allow the wolves to enter, then shut the door behind them. Vasile noted the sparseness of decoration and the lack of warmth that he had grown accustomed to in his own pack headquarters. They followed as Jeff led them down a hall. No pictures adorned the pale gray walls. He opened a door and ushered them into a large common room. Two sofas were arranged across from one another, and several wing back chairs sat on either side of the couches, forming a circle.

  “Please, be seated.” Jeff took a seat first, willing to submit to Vasile’s dominance over him. All the other wolves took various seats, and Vasile sat last.

  “We come to you with grave news regarding my son’s mate,” Vasile announced to the alpha. “She is missing. I am here to determine whether anyone from your pack was involved with her disappearance.”

  Jeff moved forward in his seat, straightening his back and raising his eyebrows.

  Vasile continued, “Jacque was taken from the hospital last night where she had been recovering from a car accident. It appears that one of Dillon’s wolves, a man called Logan, is likely responsible. You probably know that Dillon is the head of the Colorado pack, but he is also Jacque’s father.”

  “I’m sorry to hear this, but why would you think we would have any involvement?” Jeff asked.

  “Dr. Steele was the physician treating Jacque’s injuries.”

  Jeff’s eyes widened at the news, and it was apparent to Vasile that the alpha had not been aware of this information. Vasile stared at the wolf, waiting for a response.

  The host wolf scratched his chin and took a moment before answering. “Cynthia has not been around the pack since Lucas fell. So, I can’t really give you any insight as to where she is or what she might be doing. Do you think she is involved in Jacque’s disappearance?”

  “I think there are members of your pack who harbor anger toward Fane for taking their alpha, and I can only imagine the pain Dr. Steele must be enduring at the loss of her brother. If someone like Logan wanted to kidnap Jacque, it would make sense for him to seek out help from wolves holding a grudge.”

  Jeff didn’t respond for several moments, the lack of focus in his eyes showing he was lost in thought. Finally, he spoke, but not to Vasile. His eyes settled on Fane. “I know of four wolves that are loyal to Lucas even now. I have had to force their obedience on more than one occasion.”

  Fane didn’t hesitate. “Call them now. I will not wait any longer to find my mate.”

  “Give me five minutes.”

  Fane nodded, acknowledging the alpha’s request. The fact that Jeff would even seek Fane’s approval revealed who the dominant wolf was between the two.

  True to his word, Jeff returned five minutes later. “They are on their way. I told them I was holding an emergency pack meeting. They do not know of your presence.”

  “That was wise,” Vasile agreed.

  * * *

  Twenty minutes later, the four wolves sat before Vasile, unable to move under the alpha’s power. Fane’s growl as he stood beside his father caused the wolves to bare their necks in submission, despite the looks of disgust on their faces.

  “You will answer Vasile’s questions honestly. Be advised, he will know if you lie.” Jeff growled low at the four seated before him.

  “Are any of you acquainted with a wolf named Logan?” Vasile asked.

  At first, the wolves did not answer, but as Vasile’s power began to squeeze their throats, cutting off their air, one relented.

  “No, we don’t know a wolf by that name.”

  “Truth,” Vasile acknowledged.

  “It would make sense, Alpha, for Logan not to reveal himself to them.” Decebel spoke low to Vasile.

  “Did any of you offer aid to a wolf in the abduction of Fane’s mate?”

  Again, the wolves did not answer right away. Vasile growled a warning, promising discipline at their lack of obedience.

  “We don’t know what you are talking about.” This time a different wolf spoke up.

  Fane lunged forward, grabbing the wolf by the throat. “You lie,” he growled, allowing his wolf to show. His eyes glowed a deadly blue, his canines lengthened, and his claws dug into the wolf’s neck. For the first time, Vasile did not try to stop Fane.

  “This man killed your previous alpha when his mate was threatened.” Vasile’s voice was sharp as a knife. “Obviously, none of you learned a lesson from that. You will answer with truth, or I will allow Fane to glean the information from you however he deems necessary.”

  The four wolves looked to their alpha, pleading with their eyes for him to intervene. His response showed the ultimate disrespect as he turned his back, essentially communicating that he was turning a blind eye to the Romanian alpha’s actions.

  Finally, the wolf sitting farthest from Fane broke. “We gave him a car. He said he needed transportation that could not be linked to him in order to take Fane’s mate.” The wolf dared to snarl at Fane when he told him, “It’s no less than what you deserve for taking one of ours.”

  Fane dropped the wolf he had been holding. To his father’s surprise, he stepped back. His gaze swept over each of them, and a power Vasile knew matched his own caused the wolves to fall to their knees in submission.

  “Where did he take her?” he asked. His voice had gone low, the calm before the storm.

  “That we don’t know. He didn’t say, and we didn’t ask.”

  “Truth.” Vasile nodded.

  “You will hear my alpha’s judgment for your actions, and you will thank whatever god you serve that it is not me dealing out your fate.” Fane once again pushed his power out, and the four wolves grabbed their throats, trying in vain to breathe. Finally, after they began to turn blue, Fane relented.

  Vasile turned to Jeff. “Alpha of the Coldspring pack, this is my decision for these four wolves who are under your rule. I expect you to ensure it is carried out. If you do not, you will share in their fate.”

  “As you say, so shall it be done,” Jeff told Vasile as he bared his throat in submission.

  Turning back to the condemned wolves, he told them, “You will be forced into your wolf forms by your alpha. While in this state, you will be declawed, and your fangs will be pulled from your mouths. Your pelts will be shaved from your bodies.” The wolves whined in fear and anger, but Vasile was not done. “Once back in your human forms, the markings on your backs shall be distorted to show you have been stripped of your place in the pack. You will then be turned out, exiled to be lone wolves in your vulnerable states, without a pack to protect you. Do you understand that this is the price you will pay for your treachery and crime against Fane, the prince of the Romanian Canis lupus?”

  The four wolves had no option but to bow in submission and bare their throats. Vasile turned back to Jeff. “I thank you for your cooperation, and if you find out anything else, I would ask that you contact me immediately. Do you still have the card I gave you after the challenge?

  “Yes, I will help in any way I can.” Turning to Fane, Jeff averted his eyes to Fane’s shoulder, not wanting to challenge him by looking in his eyes. “I’m sorry for the pain my pack has caused you again. I know that does not help, but I want you to know, nonetheless.”

  Fane gave a single nod to the alpha to show that he heard his words, but said nothing in return. He turned to follow the way they had entered, needing to think and process the information Jeff’s wolves had given him. He didn’t know if it was enough to help them find Jacque, but it was something. And right now, something was better than nothing.

  OceanofPDF.com

  Chapter 15

  Cynthia’s stomach churned, and she gripped the armrests of her seat. She had never flown in a plane so small, and they’d been off the ground all of five minutes when she decided she never would again.

  “How long did you say this flight would take?” she asked Logan.

  “Only about an hour and fifteen minutes left.”

  “Great,” she muttered under her breath.

  It hadn’t been as difficult as she had thought to get Jacque loaded into the tiny aircraft. Cynthia did have to give her another dose of sedative as the girl had started shifting and moaning again at the airport. Dr. Steele hoped she could allow the medicine to wear off when they reached the cabin. She needed to ask Jacque some questions about how she felt. There was no way for her to gauge the progression of the girl’s condition without her input.

  * * *

  Logan was growing impatient. Even though he knew Fane wouldn’t be able to find them, he didn’t want to take any chances. He needed to bond with his new mate as quickly as possible. He looked at Dr. Steele and decided it was time to find out exactly what it would take to heal his new lover.

  “Tell me again what is wrong with her,” Logan commanded.

  Cynthia took a deep breath and let it out slowly, knowing she could no longer avoid the inevitable.

  “Jacque received a transfusion of human blood. To put it simply, because she is half wolf, the wolf part of her body doesn’t recognize the human part and vice versa. Therefore, the cells are attacking one another, cells that have already begun to flow through her heart, her liver, her kidneys, all her muscles. Blood is the nourishment of the body, taking nutrients and oxygen to the organs. Her body is trying to prevent that from happening because it thinks the blood she received is a virus.”

  “Okay,” he replied in a somber voice. “What must be done to help her?”

  “She needs werewolf blood to replace the human cells that her body is attacking,” the doctor explained.

  “That will be easily remedied. I have plenty of werewolf blood, I’m sure.”

  “I don’t know if it is that easy, Logan. I’m not sure how to make the transfer from you to her. I don’t know if she has to receive the blood by biting and taking it through her fangs, or if a simple transfusion will work. Hell, I don’t even know if she has fangs.”

  “Still, easily remedied, we will do it both ways,” Logan’s voice was completely confident.

  The rest of the ride was spent in silence. The doctor worried about Jacque and how Logan had practically salivated at the idea of the girl taking his blood. Cynthia wasn’t paying attention to the fact that she wasn’t seeing any of the mountain ranges that outlined the Colorado skyline.

  She was brought out of her stupor when she heard Logan on his phone.

  “Is it ready?” she heard him ask. “Good, we should be there in a few minutes.”

  The doctor began to get a queasy feeling in her stomach, and it had nothing to do with the continual turbulent jarring of the tiny plane. She looked out her window and suddenly realized, judging by the glaring absence of any mountainous terrain, they were not in Colorado.

  “What’s going on, Logan?” she asked, her voice wavering, betraying how nervous she felt.

  “Change of plans,” was all she heard before everything went black.

  * * *

  Logan looked over at Cynthia’s slumped form, feeling a small pang of regret at having to cause her pain, but it was necessary. He realized, after having decided to take her with him, that the doctor represented a rather large hole in his otherwise sound plan. Any time she wanted, Cynthia could simply tell Jacque where they were, and then Jacque could tell Fane through their bond. He wasn’t about to let the doctor ruin all his hard work if she suddenly developed a conscience. So, he had called one of his friends for assistance, a wolf named Sam, who he knew was loyal to him and wouldn’t contact Dillon. Logan had instructed Sam to rent a cabin in the Ozark Mountains in southern Missouri and send him the coordinates, as well as find a place to land. His pack mate had done better than that. He had found a cabin with an empty field right next to it. Again, Logan felt like fate was intervening. He told Sam to get on a plane and fly to the airport nearest to his location, rent a car, purchase some supplies, and meet him at the cabin.

  Logan spotted the field in the distance and began his descent. He saw the cabin standing nearby. As the wheels touched down to the earth, the plane bounced once at the contact. Overall, a pretty smooth landing, Logan thought.

  He shut the plane down as quickly as possible and jumped into action, not wanting Cynthia to wake up before he had her blindfolded and handcuffed. He was still going to need her help with Jacque, so he knew he would have to uncuff her later and supervise her closely while she tended to her patient.

  He hopped to the ground and hustled around to Cynthia’s door. He opened it, and her unconscious form tumbled out. Logan caught her just in time to keep her from hitting the hard ground. He grabbed a bag from the front floorboard and then hoisted the doctor onto a shoulder and hurried to the cabin.